Most of my professional life has encompassed researching, preserving, and writing about CSU’s past.  I came Fort Collins in 1966 with a background in the history of higher education, and six years later, initiated a project that resulted in an institutional archive and a comprehensive study, Democracy’s College in the Centennial State (1977).  More than a dozen publications ensued, often in collaboration with graduate students; and in 1981, I began providing a historical essay for commencement ceremonies.  This scholarly activity involved individual program, college, outreach, and campus developments, which usually included chronological milestones.

In order to refute the admonition that “history is just one damn thing after another,” I typically organized CSU’s past into identifiable periods. The sesquicentennial anniversary provides a singular opportunity to highlight selected examples.

Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend More than cool reason ever comprehends. — William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream If the merriment being experienced by the actors and crew in rehearsing the show is any indication, audiences will love CSU’s upcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William […]

Dear Associate Professor Price Johnston, On behalf of the University Resident Theatre Association, I would like to congratulate you on being selected to receive an URTA Excellence Award in Undergraduate Training. You have been selected in the area of Projection/Media Design. The URTA Excellence Awards recognize the outstanding work of individuals and institutions whose students […]