University of Missouri

Video by Mizzou Marketing & Communications
Published Sept. 8, 2014

Alumni, friends, state and federal leaders, and countless students, faculty and staff have invested in MU for decades. Throughout 2014, our 175th anniversary, Tigers everywhere are celebrating milestones that have shaped Mizzou.

Mizzou has come a long way.

• MU had two students in its first graduating class in 1843. The university has since become an economic and scholarly powerhouse with a $2.1 billion budget, 34,658 students and 271,000 alumni worldwide.
• MU’s first building, Academic Hall, burned to the ground in 1892. Now the university has 357 buildings and 19,261 acres statewide; 317 degrees and certificates through 18 colleges and schools; more than 100 extension offices; six hospitals and 50+ clinics; nine libraries; and two museums.
• The federal Morrill Act gave MU land-grant status in 1870. The legislation set in motion the university’s statewide mission of service to citizens. Today more than 1 million people turn to extension programs each year.
• In 1908, MU was invited to become a member of the Association of American Universities, an organization of the most prestigious public and private research universities. A century later, Mizzou generates new knowledge and jobs as the state’s largest public research university.
• During the mid-19^th century, cows often roamed freely eating campus greenery. In the 21^st century, MU is a botanic garden with 42,000 plants and trees.