History of Mizzou

Jesse Hall dome

Established in 1839, the University of Missouri knows what it means to be first. We were the first public university west of the Mississippi River. We are home to the world’s first journalism school. We started the tradition of homecoming. As a flagship, land-grant institution and one of only 71 universities across the U.S. and Canada to be a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, we are a campus where empathy, innovation and hard work combine to solve the world’s grand challenges. Our community of students, faculty and staff enhances bovine reproduction, composes award-winning music and generates life-saving radioisotopes in the most powerful university research reactor in the country. We tackle diverse problems because Missouri is a diverse state — from the southern Ozarks to the northern plains. We are Mizzou, where Black and Gold runs deep and Truman the Tiger embodies our bold spirit.

To learn more about Mizzou's history, visit The History of Mizzou Timeline.  Please note, this project was completed in 2013 and is no longer maintained.