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Our history
The story of how we carved out a place for ourselves and built this great institution.Â
Like many Calgary success stories, ours has a spirited beginning, an unprecedented growth spurt and a promising future.
Even before Alberta became a province in September 1905, the citizens of a very young Calgary were determined to host a post-secondary institution as part of building a great city.
In 1906, the Alberta Normal School (which would later become our own Werklund School of Education) began operations and provided a steady stream of educators for a new province eager to grow and advance quickly.
When the University of Alberta was founded in 1908 in Strathcona (now part of Edmonton), Calgarians were disappointed with the "branch plant" concept that ensued and lobbied for decades for an independent institution of their own. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and volunteers joined together to support the cause, with great passion and commitment.
Their dedication was finally rewarded on April 29, 1966 when the ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ was granted autonomy. From there, growth was fast and furious, as a new campus took shape and innovative educators came to Calgary from around the world.
In 2016-17, the ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ marked its 50th Anniversary as an autonomous institution.
From the archives
The roads that brought us here
What are our defining moments? They wind through 50 years and countless memories, each one stamping a mark on the cultural and physical landscape of our city. We're looking back but we're pushing forward.Â
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![campus in winter](/sites/default/files/styles/ucws_image_with_text_desktop/public/2019-10/Image_of_a_winter_view_of_the_University_of_Calgary_campus.jpg?itok=5FEE0kLL)
Changing face of campus
Creating an intellectual hub to empower the problem-solvers of the future, today.
![archway scuplture](/sites/default/files/styles/ucws_image_with_text_desktop/public/2019-10/Archway%20sculpture.jpg?itok=T51UbJIk)
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Energy and the environment
Harnessing the power of our greatest natural resource, knowledge.
![High-performance athletics](/sites/default/files/styles/ucws_image_with_text_desktop/public/2019-10/HPL_196.jpg?itok=vj-mkOmg)
High-performance athletics
Pushing physiological, mechanical, and psychological limits to prepare the next generation of top Canadian athletes.
![classroom with students](/sites/default/files/styles/ucws_image_with_text_desktop/public/2019-10/classroom.png?itok=wODzistY)
![Human and animal health](/sites/default/files/styles/ucws_image_with_text_desktop/public/2019-10/Human%20health.jpg?itok=ZZHztWRV)
Human and animal health
Improving the lives of others, human and animal alike, by creating the future of health.
![aurora](/sites/default/files/styles/ucws_image_with_text_desktop/public/2019-10/Aurora.jpg?itok=sO2Z57sn)
Our place in the universe
Investigating the science of Earth, space, and the evolution of life as we know it.