History and traditions
A tradition of breaking with tradition
Since 1890, UChicago has followed a distinctively different path. Our founders defined what they believed would build an enduring legacy: a commitment to rigorous academics for people of all backgrounds.
Unbound by convention
Since its inception, the University has blurred the lines between traditional disciplines. Students, faculty, and scholars collaborate across fields to solve complex questions and uncover new knowledge.
Distinctive Core curriculum
This university fosters a distinctive culture. Built upon the principles of academic freedom and free expression, it is suffused by a genuine love for ideas and a conviction in the power knowledge holds to shape society for the better.
In a 1902 lecture, founding president William Rainey Harper reminded his audience that “complete freedom of speech on all subjects has from the beginning been regarded as fundamental.”
The 217-acre Hyde Park campus is a designated botanic garden.
Often described as an oasis in the city of Chicago, the original campus was designed as an interconnected academic village linked by quadrangles.
The core campus was modeled after the English Gothic architectural style used at Oxford, complete with towers, spires, cloisters, elaborate ironwork, and grotesques.
Physicist Albert A. Michelson became the first American and first UChicago scholar to win a Nobel Prize in the sciences in 1907.
DEEPER MEANINGS
Our motto
Crescat scientia; vita excolatur, or “Let knowledge grow from more to more; and so be human life enriched.”
The Maroons
In 1894, maroon became the University’s official color and “the Maroons” its nickname.
The phoenix
The mythical bird refers to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the subsequent "rebirth" of the city.
UNIVERSITY TRADITIONS
Aims of Education Address
Since 1961, University faculty have addressed incoming College students on the aims of a liberal education. The event encourages students to reflect on the purpose of education as they embark upon their intellectual journey.
Convocation
UChicago doesn't celebrate a graduation or a commencement; rather, Convocation is a “calling together” of the UChicago community to honor the achievements of our graduates.
Harper Lectures
Our traditions don’t end when you leave the University. The Harper Lectures bring together experts from UChicago for debate and discussion on a range of subjects.
Latke-Hamantash Debate
Since 1946, the debate has tried to settle the age-old question: Which staples of Jewish cuisine are superior? Faculty, including Nobel Prize winners and UChicago presidents, have spoken at the tongue-in-cheek event.
Ryerson Lecture
A University hallmark for nearly 50 years, the Nora and Edward Ryerson Lectures honor the field-defining work of UChicago scholars and allow them to reflect on their intellectual life and work.
Scav Hunt
Dating to 1990, the 72-hour scavenger hunt challenges the UChicago community to decipher hundreds of clues and riddles to find seemingly impossible items on campus, in Chicago, and across the country.