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The University of Missouri was founded in 1839, and the system
now has four campuses. UM-St. Louis was established in 1963,
reflecting a new movement in education that established public
universities within metropolitan centers across the country.
The University of
Missouri has provided teaching, research and service to Missouri
. The University, the first publicly supported
institution of higher education to be established in the
Louisiana Purchase territory, was shaped in accordance with the
ideals of Thomas Jefferson, an early proponent of higher
education. The University remained a single campus until the
School of Mines and Metallurgy was established in Rolla in
1870. In the same year, the University assumed land-grant
responsibilities of providing higher education opportunities for
all citizens. In 1963, the University again expanded to better
serve Missouri by founding a new campus in St. Louis and
acquiring the University of Kansas City, creating the present
four-campus system. Today, the University of Missouri is one of
the nation’s largest higher education institutions, with more
than 63,000 students on four campuses and an Extension program
with activities in every county of the state.
The mission of the
University of Missouri, as a landgrant university and Missouri’s
only public research and doctoral-level institution, is to
discover, disseminate, preserve, and apply knowledge. The
University promotes learning by its students and lifelong
learning by Missouri’s citizens, fosters innovation to support
economic development, and advances the health, cultural, and
social interests of the people of Missouri, the nation, and the
world.
University of Missouri's main campus is located in St.
Louis County at One University Blvd. and has grown to over 300 acres. The most
prominent feature on campus is the Millennium Student Center, which was opened
in Fall 2000. The newest addition is the Blanche Touhill Performing Arts Center,
which opened in Fall 2003.
Nearly 16,000 students are
currently enrolled at UM-St. Louis, making it the largest university in the city
and the third largest in Missouri. These students not only represent every
county in the St. Louis area, but 47 states and 108 countries as well. There are nearly 200 students
groups, organizations and clubs, including 11 NCAA Division II sports teams.
Student life at UM-St. Louis continues to evolve with the addition of new
on-campus housing opportunities.
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