Auburn University
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| Motto | For The Advancement of Science and Arts |
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| Established | 1856 |
| Type | Public |
| Endowment | $316,141,000 |
| President | Dr. Ed Richardson |
| Staff | 1,200 |
| Undergraduates | 19,780 |
| Postgraduates | 3,148 |
| Location | Auburn, Alabama, USA |
| Campus | Suburban 1,700+ acres (7 km²) |
| Athletics | Tigers |
| Colors | burnt orange (PMS 172) and navy blue (PMS 289) |
| Website | www.auburn.edu |
Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a state university located in Auburn, Alabama, in the United States. With over 23,000 students and 1,200 faculty, it is the second-largest university in the state and according to U.S. News & World Report, has a selectivity rating of "more selective." Auburn was chartered on February 1, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts school affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The college was donated to the state of Alabama in 1872, when it became the state's public land-grant university under the Morrill Act and was renamed the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama. In 1892, the college became the first four-year coeducational school in the state. The college was renamed the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (API) in 1899. In 1960, its name was officially changed to Auburn University, as it had long been popularly known. Auburn is one of only 13 American universities designated as a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research center.
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[edit] History
Auburn University was chartered by the Alabama Legislature as the East Alabama Male College on May 6, 1856, coming under the guidance of the Methodist Church in 1859.[1] The first president of the institution was Reverend William J. Sasnett, and the school opened its doors in 1859 to a student body of eighty and a faculty of ten. The early history of Auburn is inextricably linked with the Civil War and the Reconstruction era South. Classes were held in "Old Main" until the college was closed due to the Civil War, when most of the students and faculty left to enlist. The campus was used as a training ground for the Confederate Army, and "Old Main" served as a hospital for Confederate wounded.
To commemorate Auburn's contribution to the Civil War, a cannon lathe used for the manufacture of cannons for the Confederate Army and recovered from Selma, Alabama, was presented to Auburn in 1952 by brothers of Delta Chapter of the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity. It sits today on the lawn next to Samford Hall.
[edit] Post-Civil War
The school was reopened in 1866 following the end of the Civil War and has been open ever since. In 1872, control of the institution was transferred from the Methodist Church to the State of Alabama for financial reasons. Alabama placed the school under the provisions of the Morrill Act as a land-grant institution, the first in the South to be established separate from the state university. This act provided for 240,000 acres (971 km²) of Federal land to be sold in order to provide funds for an agricultural and mechanical school. As a result, in 1872 the school was renamed to the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama.
Under the provisions of this act, land-grant institutions were also supposed to teach military tactics and train officers for the United States military. In the late 1800s, most students at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama were enrolled in the cadet program, learning military tactics and training to become future officers. Each county in the state was allowed to nominate two cadets to attend the college free of charge.
In 1892, two historic events occurred: women were first admitted to the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama, and football was first played as a school sport. Eventually, football replaced polo as the main sport on campus. In 1899, the school name was again changed, this time to Alabama Polytechnic Institute.
On October 1, 1918, nearly all of Alabama Polytechnic Institute's able-bodied male students 18 or older voluntarily joined the United States Army for short-lived military careers on campus. The student-soldiers numbered 878, according to API President Charles Thach, and formed the academic section of the Student Army Training Corps. The vocational section was composed of enlisted men sent to Auburn for training in radio and mechanics. The students received honorable discharges two months later following the Armistice that ended World War I. API struggled through the great depression, having scrapped an extensive expansion program by then-President Bradford Knapp. Faculty salaries were cut drastically, and enrollment decreased along with state appropriations to the college.
During World War II, API again found its place training officers for the U.S. Military on campus; Auburn produced over 32,000 troops for the war effort. Following the end of World War II, API, like many colleges around the country, experienced a period of massive growth caused by returning soldiers taking advantage of their GI Bill offer of free education. In the five-year period following the end of the war, enrollment at API more than doubled.
[edit] Name Change: Auburn
Recognizing that the school had moved beyond its agricultural and mechanical roots, it was granted university status by the Alabama Legislature in 1960 and officially renamed Auburn University, a name that better expressed the varied academic programs and expanded curriculum that the school had been offering for years. Like most universities in the American South, Auburn was racially segregated prior to 1963, with only white students being admitted. Compared to the images of George Wallace standing in the door of the University of Alabama, integration went smoothly at Auburn, with the first African-American student being admitted in 1964, and the first doctoral degree being granted to an African-American in 1967.
Today, Auburn has grown since its founding in 1856 to have the largest on-campus enrollment in the state of Alabama, with over 23,000 students and a faculty of almost 1,200 at the main campus in Auburn. Additionally, there are over 6,000 students at the Auburn University Montgomery satellite campus established in 1967.
[edit] Academics
Auburn has traditionally been rated highly by academic ranking services. According to the most recent rankings from U.S. News & World Report, Auburn is ranked 39th among the nation's top 50 public universities and is tied for 3rd among public universities in the SEC (sharing this spot with the University of Tennessee and the University of Alabama). Auburn University is typically the highest-ranked university in the state of Alabama in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, having held the number one ranking in the state for 12 of the past 14 years, and was ranked below another university only on one occasion (and tied this year). Auburn was the only college or university in Alabama included in the inaugural edition (1981) of the widely respected Peterson's Guides to America's 296 Most Competitive Colleges, .
Auburn is a charter member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which is comprised of 11 of the largest Southern public universities in the US and one private university, Vanderbilt. Among the other 10 peer public universities, 2 are ranked ahead of Auburn by U.S. News & World Report, and 2 others tie Auburn. This high ranking and reputation for academic quality is in spite of the fact that Auburn's $316 million endowment[2] is currently the second smallest of the 12 SEC universities. An attempt to increase the endowment by $500 million began in 2005 with the "It Begins at Auburn" campaign. As of August 2006, the campaign had raised $390 million dollars, making it the largest campaign in university history.[3]
The university currently consists of thirteen schools and colleges. Programs in engineering, architecture and business have been ranked among the best in the country and Auburn also boasts strong programs in veterinary medicine, mathematics, science, agriculture, and journalism. The university's core curriculum has likewise been recognized as one of the best in the nation.
The Ginn College of Engineering has a 134-year tradition of engineering education, consistently ranking in the nation's top 20 engineering programs in terms of numbers of engineers graduating annually. The college has a combined enrollment of close to 4,000. Auburn's College of Engineering offers majors in civil, mechanical, electrical, industrial, textile, aerospace, agricultural, and chemical engineering, and--more recently--began a program in wireless engineering after receiving a donation from alumnus Samuel L. Ginn. In 2001, Ginn, a noted US pioneer in wireless communication, made a $25 million gift to the college and announced plans to spearhead an additional $150 million in support. This gave Auburn the first Bachelor of Wireless Engineering degree program in the United States. Auburn University was the first university in the Southeast to offer the bachelor of software engineering degree and the master of software engineering degree.
Auburn has historically placed much of its emphasis on the education of engineers at the undergraduate level, and in recent years has been ranked as high as the 10th largest undergraduate engineering program in the US in terms of the number of undergraduate degrees awarded on annual basis. The Ginn College of Engineering is now focused on growing the graduate programs, and recent rankings demonstrate the increasing profile of graduate engineering education at Auburn. The Ginn College of Engineering was recently ranked 60th nationally overall and 35th among public universities that offer doctoral programs in engineering by U.S. News and World Report. Last year, the College ranked 67th among all engineering programs and 40th among such programs at public universities. "America's Best Graduate Schools 2006" ranks the Ginn College of Engineering's graduate program in the Top 100 graduate engineering programs in the US. Auburn's Industrial and Systems Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering were all ranked in the top 100.
The architecture profession’s publication Design-Intelligence recently ranked Auburn's School of Architecture as the No. 1 school in the South for preparing its graduates for the professional field. In addition, the school was ranked No. 10 in value nationally, with a 9th place national ranking for the Interior Architecture program. Of critical mention here is the School's Rural Studio programme, founded by the late Samuel Mockbee.
Auburn's Economics Department, in the College of Business, was ranked 123rd in the world in 1999 by the Journal of Applied Econometrics. Auburn was rated ahead of such international powerhouses as INSEAD in France (141st) and the London Business School (146th). Auburn's MBA Program in the College of Business has annually been ranked by U.S. News and World Report magazine in the top ten percent of the nation's more than 750 MBA Programs.
Nationally recognized ROTC programs are available in three branches of service: Air Force, Army, and Navy/Marine Corps, the latter being the only one of its kind in Alabama. Each of these three ROTC units is ranked among the top ten in the nation. Over 100 officers that attended Auburn have reached flag rank (general or admiral), including one, Carl Epting Mundy Jr., who served as Commandant of the US Marine Corps. Auburn is one of only seven universities in the Nuclear Enlisted Commissioning Program, and has historically been one of the top ROTC producers of Navy nuclear submarine officers.
In addition to the many outstanding ROTC graduates commissioned through Auburn, two masters degree alumni from Auburn, four-star generals Hugh Shelton and Richard Myers, served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the last decade. Both officers received their commissions elsewhere, and attended Auburn for an M.S. (Shelton) and M.B.A. (Myers).
Auburn has graduated six astronauts (including T.K. Mattingly of Apollo 13 fame) and one current and one former director of the Kennedy Space Center. 1972 Auburn Aerospace Engineering graduate Jim Kennedy, currently director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center, was previously deputy director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Several hundred Auburn graduates, primarily engineers and scientists, currently work directly for NASA or NASA contractors. Hundreds of Auburn engineers worked for NASA at MSFC during the peak years of the "space race" in the 1960s, when the Saturn and Apollo moon programs were in full development.
Auburn University owns and operates the 334-acre Auburn-Opelika Robert G. Pitts Airport, providing flight education and fuel, maintenance, and airplane storage. The Auburn University Aviation Department is fully certified by the FAA as an Air Agency with examining authority for private, commercial, instrument, and multiengine courses.
Auburn University has been recognized as having some of the best agriculture, fisheries, and poultry science programs in the South. The Old Rotation on campus is the oldest continuous agricultural experiment in the Southeast, and third oldest in the United States, dating from 1896.
Modern Healthcare ranked Auburn University’s Physicians Executive M.B.A. (PEMBA) program in the College of Business ninth in the nation among all degree programs for physician executives, according to the Journal’s May 2006 issue. Among M.B.A. programs tailored specifically for physicians, AU’s program is ranked second.
Schools and year originated:
- College of Agriculture, 1872
- College of Architecture, Design and Construction, 1907
- College of Business, 1967
- College of Education, 1915
- Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, 1872
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, 1984
- College of Human Sciences, 1916
- College of Liberal Arts, 1986
- School of Nursing, 1979
- James Harrison School of Pharmacy, 1885
- College of Sciences and Mathematics, 1986
- College of Veterinary Medicine, 1907
- Graduate School, 1872
[edit] Student life
[edit] Housing
For most of the early history of Auburn, boarding houses and barracks made up most of the student housing. Even into the 1970s, boarding houses were still available in the community. It wasn't until the great depression that Auburn began to construct the first buildings on campus that were "dorms" in the modern sense of the word. As the university gradually shifted away from agricultural and military instruction to more of an academic institution, more and more dorms began to replace the barracks and boarding houses.
Auburn's first dorms were hardly luxurious. Magnolia Dormitory, built in the 1950s and demolished in 1987, was once used by the state of Alabama in its defense against a lawsuit brought by state prison inmates. The inmates claimed that housing two men in a cell of particularly small dimensions constituted 'cruel and unusual punishment.' The state argued in court that students at Auburn actually paid to live in even smaller living spaces—at Magnolia Dorm. The inmates lost the case. Its "twin", Noble Hall, used as a women's residence, was demolished only in 2005 and was condemned during at least the final year in which it was inhabited.
In the last twenty years, the city of Auburn has experienced a rapid growth in the number of apartment complexes constructed. Most Auburn students today live off-campus in the apartment complexes and condos, which surround the immediate area around the university. Less than 25 percent of Auburn students live on campus.
Auburn's on-campus student housing consists of three complexes located at various locations over campus. "The Quad" is the oldest of the four, dating to the great depression projects begun by the Works Progress Administration and located in Central Campus. Made up of 11 buildings, the Quad houses mostly undergraduates in coed, alternating-floor buildings. "The Hill" is made up of 14 buildings and is located in South Campus. The Hill houses mostly undergraduate women with the exception of the two high-rise dormitories (Boyd and Sasnett), which are coed on alternating floors.
"The Extension" is a block of six buildings (labeled A, B, C, D, E, and F), each comprised of two-bedroom apartments, housing undergraduates.
"The Village," formerly known as married student housing, recently housed a variety of students, to include undegraduates, graduates, and married students. In late 2005, this housing complex was closed to students and was later demolished during the summer and early fall of 2006.
[edit] Greek life
Male Greeks in Auburn are roughly divided into two separate areas: Old Row and New Row. "Old Row" traditionally was made up of the fraternities whose houses were located along Magnolia Avenue on the north side of campus. "New Row" is made up of fraternities whose houses were located along Lem Morrison Drive southwest of campus. However, being an "Old Row" or "New Row" fraternity doesn't really depend on where the house is located but on the age of the fraternity. Ergo, there are some "Old Row" fraternities with houses on "New Row" Lem Morrison Drive because they moved there. Today's "Old Row" on and around Magnolia Avenue was once the "New Row," as the first generation of fraternity houses at Auburn were on or near College Street. Most of these houses were demolished by the end of the 1970s, and only two fraternity houses remain on College today.
Sororities are located not in individual houses like Auburn fraternities, but in the dorms located on the Hill. This has had the unintended side effect of keeping dues for these sororities among the lowest in the nation. Each dorm has a sorority "chapter" room within it for the sorority designated to that dorm.
Greek Life is important at Auburn, but not a requirement for experiencing Auburn life. Roughly 18 percent of men and 34 percent of women are in Greek organizations at Auburn. Some say that because of the low percentages there is a marked lack of animosity between Greeks and independents.
[edit] Athletics
Auburn University's sports teams are known as the Tigers, and they participate in Division I-A of the NCAA and in the Western Division of the 12-member Southeastern Conference (SEC). Auburn routinely fields nationally competitive teams in football, men's and women's swimming and diving, baseball and women's basketball.
[edit] Football
Auburn's football program, currently coached by Tommy Tuberville, has been one of the most successful National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I-A college football programs in the last 50 years. Past coaches include John Heisman, Mike Donahue, Ralph "Shug" Jordan, Pat Dye, and Terry Bowden.
Two Auburn players, Bo Jackson in 1985 and Pat Sullivan in 1971, have won the Heisman Trophy. The Trophy's namesake, John Heisman, coached at Auburn from 1895 until 1899. Auburn is the only school where Heisman coached (among others, Georgia Tech and Clemson) that has produced a Heisman Trophy winner. Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium has a capacity of 87,451 ranking as the eighth-largest on-campus stadium in the NCAA as of December 2005.
Auburn played its first game in 1892 against the University of Georgia at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia starting what is currently the oldest college football rivalry in the Deep South. The Tigers' first bowl appearance was in 1937 in the sixth Bacardi Bowl played in Havana, Cuba. As of 2005, AU football has won six SEC Conference Championships, and since the division of the conference in 1992, six western division championships and three trips to the SEC Championship game. Auburn plays archrival Alabama each year in a game known as the Iron Bowl.
Auburn completed the 2004 football season with a 13–0 record winning the SEC championship, the school's first conference title since 1989 and the first outright title since 1987. However, this achievement was somewhat overshadowed by the Tigers being left out of the BCS championship game in deference to two other undefeated, higher ranked teams, USC and Oklahoma. The 2004 team was led by quarterback Jason Campbell, running backs Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown, and cornerback Carlos Rogers, all subsequently drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. The team gained a new offensive coordinator, Al Borges, who led the team to use the west coast style offense which maximized the use of both star running backs.
[edit] Swimming and diving
In the last decade under head coach David Marsh, Auburn's swimming and diving program has become a dynasty both in the SEC and nationally, with consecutive NCAA championships for both the men and women in 2003 and 2004. The men won their fourth consecutive national title in 2006, and the women also won the national title. The Auburn women have now won four national championships in the last eight years. As of 2006, the Auburn men have won the SEC Championship twelve out of the last thirteen years, including the last ten in a row, and also won six NCAA national championships (1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 [1].) Coach Marsh, who has been an U.S. Olympic coach, is considered one of the top three swim coaches in the world [citation needed]; and AU swimmers have represented the U.S. and several other countries in recent Olympic Games. Auburn's most famous swimmer is Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines, winner of three gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Auburn's most successful female Olympic swimmer is Kirsty Coventry (swimming for her home country of Zimbabwe) who won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Auburn swimming and diving is the most dominant athletics program for the university.
[edit] Men's basketball
The Auburn men's basketball team has enjoyed off-and-on success over the years. Its best known player is Charles Barkley. Other NBA players from Auburn are Eddie Johnson, Mike Mitchell, Chuck Person, Chris Morris, Wesley Person, Chris Porter, Mamadou N'diaye, Jamison Brewer, Moochie Norris, Marquis Daniels, and Pat Burke.
[edit] Women's basketball
The Auburn University women's basketball team has been consistently competitive both nationally and within the SEC. Despite playing in the same conference as perenial powerhouse Tennessee and other competitive programs such as LSU, Georgia, and Vanderbilt, Auburn has won four regular season SEC championships and four SEC Tournament championships. AU has made sixteen appearances in the NCAA women's basketball tournament and only once, in their first appearance in 1982, have the Tigers lost in the first round. Auburn played in three consecutive National Championship games from 1988–1990 and won the Women's NIT in 2003. When Coach Joe Ciampi retired at the end of the 2003–2004 season, Auburn hired former Purdue and U.S. National and Olympic team head coach, Nell Fortner. Standout former Auburn players include: Ruthie Bolton, Vickie Orr, Carolyn Jones, Chantel Tremitiere and Monique Morehouse.
[edit] Baseball
Auburn Baseball has won six SEC championships, three SEC Tournament championships, appeared in sixteen NCAA Regionals and reached the College World Series (CWS) four times. After a disappointing 2003–2004 season, former Auburn assistant coach Tom Slater was named head coach. Samford Stadium-Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park is considered one of the finest facilities in college baseball and has a seating capacity of 4,096, not including lawn areas. In addition to Bo Jackson, Auburn has supplied several other stand-out players to Major League Baseball, including Frank Thomas, Gregg Olson, Scott Sullivan, Tim Hudson, Mark Bellhorn, and Gabe Gross.
[edit] Women's Golf
Auburn's Women's Golf team has risen to be extremely competitive in the NCAA in recent years. Since 1999, they hold a 854-167-13(.826 win percentage)record. The team have been in five NCAA finals and finished second in 2002 and then third in 2005. The program has a total of five SEC Championships. In October of 2005, Auburn was named the #3 team nationally out of 229 total teams since 1999 by GolfWeek magazine.
Since 1996, the team has been headed by Coach Kim Evans, a 1981 alumna, who has turned the program into one of the most competitive in the nation. Coach Evans has helped develop All-Americans, SEC Players of the Year as well as three SEC Freshman of the Year. She has lead the Tigers to eight-straight NCAA appearances.
[edit] Track and Field
The Auburn women's track and field team won its first ever national title in 2006 at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, scoring 57 points to win over the University of Southern California, which finished second with 38.5 points. Auburn posted All-American performances in nine events, including two individual national champions and three second-place finishers, and broke two school records during the four-day event.
Auburn's men's team finished second at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships and at the 1978, 1997 and 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships. The women's team finished 14th (2002, 2003) at the Outdoor Championships and seventh (2003) at the Indoor Championships.
[edit] Equestrian
Auburn's Equestrian team captured the 2006 national championship, the first equestrian national championship in school history. Senior Kelly Gottfried and junior Whitney Kimble posted team-high scores in their respective divisions as the Auburn equestrian team clinched the overall national championship at the 2006 Varsity Equestrian Championships at the EXPO/New Mexico State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque, N.M.
[edit] Traditions
[edit] The Auburn Creed
In 1945, Auburn professor George Petrie wrote a creed which grew to become a unifying set of beliefs and principles common to all Auburn students, faculty, and alumni. This creed is said to embody the spirit of Auburn and is reflected in every member of the Auburn family.
The Auburn Creed
I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.
I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.
I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.
I believe in a sound mind, a sound body, and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports to develop these qualities.
I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.
I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.
I believe in my country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."
And because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in Auburn and love it.
[edit] Tiger Walk
Two hours before the kickoff of each Auburn home football game, thousands of Auburn fans line Donahue Drive to cheer on the team as they walk from Sewell Hall (the former athletes' dormitory) to Jordan-Hare Stadium. The tradition began in the 1960s when groups of kids would walk up the street to greet the team and get autographs. During the tenure of coach Doug Barfield, the coach urged fans to come out and support the team, and thousands did. Today the team, led by the coaches, walks down the hill and into the stadium surrounded by fans who pat them on the back and shake their hands as they walk. To date, the largest Tiger Walk occurred on December 2, 1989, before the first ever home football game against rival Alabama—the Iron Bowl. On that day, an estimated 20,000 fans packed the one block section of road leading to the stadium. According to former athletic director David Housel, Tiger Walk has become "the most copied tradition in all of college football."[2]
[edit] Toomer's Corner
The intersection of Magnolia and College streets in Auburn, which marks the transition from downtown Auburn to the university campus, is known as Toomer's Corner. It is named after Toomer's Drugs, a small store on the corner that has been an Auburn landmark for over 100 years. Hanging over the corner are two massive old-growth oak trees, and whenever there is cause for celebration in the Auburn communtity, the trees are festooned with toilet paper. Also known as "rolling the corner" or "rolling Toomer's," this tradition is said to have begun when Toomer's Drugs had the only telegraph in the city. During away football games, when employees of the local drug store received news of a win, they would roll the oak trees to signal a win to the public. Traditionally only used as a way to celebrate football victories, in recent years it has become a way to celebrate anything good that happens concerning Auburn.
[edit] War Eagle
The Auburn University battle cry is "War Eagle". It originated as an expression of support of Auburn's athletic teams, but today is also commonly used as a greeting between members of the Auburn community. The cry is yelled in unison by spectators for kickoffs of football games and tipoffs of basketball games. In 1930, Auburn gained a live golden eagle as a mascot who was nicknamed "Tiger". War Eagle VI, also known as "Tiger," recently had her last flight at the 2006 Auburn vs. Georgia game. Today, the seventh "War Eagle" lives at a raptor center on the Auburn campus, and is featured before football games by a flight in which the eagle circles the stadium before landing at mid-field. The Auburn fight song is also titled "War Eagle".
[edit] Fight Song
Auburn University's fight song, War Eagle, was written in 1954 and 1955 by Robert Allen and Al Stillman. It was introduced at the beginning of the 1955 football season and served as the official fight song ever since.
War Eagle lyrics
War Eagle, fly down the field!
Ever to conquer, never to yield.
War Eagle, fearless and true,
Fight on you orange and blue.
Go! Go! Go!
On to vict'ry, strike up the band!
Give 'em hell, give 'em hell,
Stand up and yell, hey!
War Eagle, win for Auburn,
Power of Dixieland!
[edit] Alma Mater
Auburn's Alma Mater was composed by Bill Wood in 1924, with a word revision by Emma O'Rear Foy in 1960. The author of the 1960 revision was unclear for 40 years. In 2000, an Auburn professor discovered the author to be Foy, wife of former Dean of Students James Foy.[3]
Auburn Alma Mater Lyrics
On the rolling plains of Dixie
'Neath the sun-kissed sky,
Proudly stands our Alma Mater
Banners high.
To they name we'll sing thy praise,
From hearts that love so true,
And pledge to thee our loyalty
The ages through.
We hail thee, Auburn, and we vow
To work for thy just fame,
And hold in memory as we do now
Thy cherished name.
Hear the student voices swelling,
Echoes strong and clear,
Adding laurels to thy fame
Enshrined so dear.
From the hollowed walls we'll part,
And bid thee sad adieu;
Thy sacred trust we'll bear with us
The ages through.
We hail thee, Auburn, and we vow
To work for thy just fame,
And hold in memory as we do now
Thy cherished name.
[edit] Wreck Tech Pajama Parade
The Wreck Tech Pajama Parade originated in 1896, when a group of mischievous Auburn cadets, determined to show up the more well-known engineers from Georgia Tech, sneaked out of their dorms the night before the football game between Auburn and Tech and greased the railroad tracks. According to the story, the train carrying the Georgia Tech team slid through town and didn't stop until it was halfway to the neighboring town of Loachapoka, Alabama, The Georgia Tech team was forced to walk the five miles back to Auburn and, not surprisingly, was weary at the end of their journey, likely contributing to their subsequent 45–0 loss. While the railroad long ago ceased to be the way teams traveled to Auburn and students never greased the tracks again, the tradition continues in the form of a parade through downtown Auburn. Students parade through the streets in their pajamas and organizations build floats. This tradition has recently been renewed with Georgia Tech returning to Auburn's schedule after nearly two decades of absence.
[edit] The Auburn University Marching Band
The Auburn University Marching Band has been cited as one of the nation's finest university marching bands. The band has long performed at school football games and pep rallies. The band was awarded the 2004 Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy, one of the nation's highest awards for college and university marching bands. The Auburn University Marching Band marched in the United States Presidential Inaugural Parade (for President George W. Bush) in 2005.
The visual ensemble of the Auburn University Marching Band is known as the "Tiger Eyes". The Tiger Eyes are comprised of three distinct lines--flags, twirlers, and dancers--that complete complementary choreography. The three lines work together for one common visual effect as one single ensemble.
[edit] Aubie
Birmingham artist Phil Neel first drew the cartoon tiger Aubie in the late 1950s. From 1958 through 1976, Aubie was featured on the cover of all of Auburn’s home football game programs. In 1979, James Lloyd, spirit director for the Auburn Student Government Association, brought Aubie to life when he ordered a man-sized Tiger costume based upon the cartoon and wore it to the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament. Barry Mask became the first official Aubie in 1979-80, and his sideline and court-side hijinks created Aubie’s spirited personality.
Recognized as one of the most successful college mascot in history, Aubie recently won his sixth national mascot championship through the Universal Cheerleaders’ Association in January 2006. Aubie was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame on August 15, 2006 at Love Park in Philadelphia, Pa.
[edit] Selected Student Organizations
[edit] Media
- The Auburn Plainsman – the university's student-run newspaper, has won 23 National Pacemaker Awards from the Associated Collegiate Press since 1966. Only the University of Texas' student paper has won more.
- The Southern Humanities Review- One of the leading literary journals in the region, The Southern Humanities Review has been published at the University by members of the English faculty, graduate students in English, and the Southern Humanities Council since 1967, publishing the work of nationally known authors such as Kent Nelson and R. T. Smith.
- Eagle Eye TV News - A weekly 30-minute television news program that is produced by Auburn University students and that airs on-campus, off-campus, and on-demand at the university website.
- WEGL 91.1 FM - The Auburn campus radio station.
- The Auburn Circle- The student general-interest magazine. The Circle publishes poetry, art, photography, fiction, nonfiction, and architectural and industrial design from Auburn students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
- "Glomerata"- Auburn University's student-run yearbook which began production in 1897, and got its name from the conglomeration of Auburn, hence its name Glomerata.
[edit] Politics
- Auburn University College Democrats
- Auburn University Libertarians
- Auburn University College Republicans
[edit] General Interest
- United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) - Auburn University is the WFP's lead academic partner in a recently launched student “War on Hunger” campaign. In 2004, the WFP tasked Auburn University with heading the first student-led War on Hunger effort. Auburn then founded the Committee of 19 which has led campus and community hunger awareness events and developed a War on Hunger model for use on campuses across the country. The Committee of 19 recently hosted a War on Hunger Summit at which representatives from 29 universities were in attendance.
- Cooperative Education (Co-Op) - Co-op at Auburn University is a planned and supervised program alternating semesters of full-time college classroom instruction with semesters of full-time paid work assignments. These work assignments are closely related to the student's academic program. Thousands of Auburn University graduates, especially engineering majors, have supported themselves financially while studying at Auburn by participating in Co-op. This educational program prepares students for professional careers by combining academic training with practical work experience in industry, business, and government.
- The Sol of Auburn - Auburn University's Solar Car Team - recently participated in the North American Solar Challenge 2005. On July 27, 2005, Auburn's car crossed the finish line in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 4th place in Stock Class, 12th Place overall. The SOL of Auburn is the only solar car in Alabama, and the project is organized by Auburn University's College of Engineering with a team of four faculty and over twenty undergraduate students.
- The War Eagle Flying Team (WEFT) - A student organization made up of both pilots and non-pilots. Most team members are Professional Flight Management, Aviation Management, or Aerospace Engineering majors. WEFT competes with other flying teams at the annual National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) sponsored Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON).
- Auburn University Computer Gaming Club- One of the oldest University Sponsored Computer Gaming Clubs in the USA. Weekly meetings and semesterly LAN parties.
- Auburn University Society for Anime and Manga- * Weekly meetings to watch and discuss Japanese anime and manga.
- Samford Hall Clock Tower - Information on the Samford Hall Clock Tower, a well known symbol of Auburn University. Also includes information on the bell and carillon. Note: This page is not directly maintained by Auburn University.
[edit] Statistics
- Schools and colleges: 13
- Campus: ~375 buildings on 1,840 acres (7 km²)
- Library total volumes: 5,316,652
- Endowment: $288,453,211
- U.S. News Selectivity Rating: "More selective"
[edit] Enrollment & SAT/ACT Scores
- 2005 Fall enrollment: 23,333
- 2005 freshmen:
- Enrolled: 4,197
- Average high school GPA: 3.52
- SAT verbal scores over 600 27%
- SAT math scores over 600 38%
- SAT verbal scores over 700 4%
- SAT math scores over 700 5%
- ACT scores over 30 10%
[edit] Notable
[edit] Faculty
- Byron Blagburn; professor of pathobiology specializing in parasitology; developed the PROGRAM flea pill for pets in 1995.
- Wayne Flynt; a leading authority on Alabaman history and Baptist history in Alabama. The author of eleven books, including the Pulitzer Prize nominated Poor But Proud: Alabama's Poor Whites.
- Krystyna Kuperberg; mathematician, known for creating a counterexample to the Seifert conjecture.
- Nels Madsen; engineering professor who won a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences "for the development of the Giant Studios motion capture technology" [4] (used in mapping human motion onto the motion of a computer character). He gained recognition when Peter Jackson selected his software for use in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
- James Voss; former US astronaut and veteran of five spaceflights; teaching courses on Space Mission Design.
- James R. Hansen; Published historical author. Writer of First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong. Also wrote Pulitzer Prize-nominated Spaceflight Revolution: NASA Langley Research Center From Sputnik to Apollo. He has received a number of citations for his historical scholarship, including the Robert H. Goddard Award from the National Space Club and distinctions of excellence from the Air Force Historical Foundation.
- Claude Boyd; professor of water science and aquaculture; one of the forefathers of pond based aquaculture systems and water chemistry balances.
[edit] Graduates
- Gen. Holland Smith (1901); United States Marine Corps General, "father of modern U.S. amphibious warfare"
- Major Gen. Wilton B. Persons (1916); Special Adviser to President Eisenhower
- William Spratling (1921); silversmith and artist, "father of Mexican silver"
- Gordon Persons (1922); Governor of Alabama, 1951-1955
- James Harrison (1925); Founder of Harco Drugs, which later merged with Rite Aid
- Kenneth R. Giddens (1931); director of Voice of America and founder of WKRG-TV, Inc. in Mobile, Alabama
- Paul Rudolph (1940); architect, chairman of Yale Department of Architecture - 1958 to 1965
- Philip W. Lett (1944) - "father of the M-1 battle tank"
- Samuel W. Hubbard (1951); Retired Rear Admiral, 13TH CO of USS Kitty Hawk
- Alvin Vogtle - World War II fighter pilot who inspired Steve McQueen's character in The Great Escape
- Henry G Kennemur (1952) World War II POW of Stalag Luft IV and survivor of The March (1945)
- Vince Dooley (1954, M. His 1963); University of Georgia Head Football Coach 1964-1988, Athletic Director 1979-2004
- Hank Hartsfield (1954); astronaut, STS-4, STS-41-D, STS-61-A
- Clifton Williams (1954); Gemini astronaut, test pilot
- Millard Fuller (1957); founder of Habitat for Humanity
- Fob James (1957); Governor of Alabama, 1979-1983, 1995-1999
- Carl Mundy Jr. (1957); Commandant of the United States Marine Corps (1991-1995)
- Ken Mattingly (1958); astronaut, Apollo 13 (pulled), Apollo 16 (spacewalk), STS-4, STS-51-C
- Anne Rivers Siddons (1958); best-selling author
- Samuel Ginn (1959); wireless communications pioneer and former chairman, Vodafone.
- Toni Tennille (1962); award winning singer, half of the singing group "The Captain & Tennille."
- Dr. Lester Crawford (1963); former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner.
- Don Logan (1966); Chairman, Time Warner's Media & Communications Group
- Joe Leonard (1967); Chairman/CEO, AirTran Airways
- Richard Myers (1967, M.S.); Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the United States of America
- David Alsobrook (1968): Director of William J. Clinton Presidential Library; former director of George Bush Presidential Library
- Joe Forehand (1971); Chairman, Accenture
- Edwin 'Mac' Crawford (1971); Chairman & CEO, Caremark
- James Voss (1972); astronaut, STS-44, STS-53, STS-69, STS-101, ISS
- Pat Sullivan (1972); 1971 Heisman trophy winner
- Hugh Shelton (1973, M.S.); retired general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (US) from 1997-2001
- Jimmy Johnson (1974); cartoonist, "Arlo and Janis"
- Samuel Mockbee (1974); architect, founder of Auburn's Rural Studio, 2004 AIA Gold Medal
- Kathryn Thornton (1974); astronaut, second US woman in space, spacewalk, STS-33, STS-73
- Thom Gossom Jr (1975); actor
- Cynthia Tucker (1976); syndicated columnist, Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial page editor
- Jan Davis (1977); astronaut, STS-47, STS-60
- Rheta Grimsley Johnson (1977); syndicated newspaper columnist
- Bill Holbrook (1980); cartoonist, "On The Fast Track", "Safe Havens" and "Kevin & Kell"
- James Brooks (1980); 4-time pro bowl NFL running back
- Rowdy Gaines (1982); Olympic gold medalist, world record holder and television sports commentator
- Timothy D. Cook (1982); Apple Computer COO
- Susan Nolen Story (1982); President, Gulf Power, A Southern Company
- Tim Dorsey (1983); author
- Donald J. Boudreaux (1986); economist
- Harold D. Melton (1988); Georgia Supreme Court Justice (appointed 2005)
- Jimmy Wales (1989); founder of the Wikipedia
- Mark Thornton (1989 Ph.D.); economist
- Kimberly Page (1990); American actress & professional wrestling valet
- Bo Jackson (1992); 1985 Heisman trophy winner, former professional football and baseball player
- Johnny Micheal Spann (1992); first American killed in combat after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan
- Ace Atkins (1994); Author and journalist
- Willie Anderson (1996); NFL offensive tackle
- Mark Spencer (1999); President and CEO, Digium. Creator of Asterisk PBX.
- Stephen Huss (2000); 2005 Wimbledon Men's Doubles champion - the first ever as a qualifier
- Ronnie Brown (2004); professional football player and first round NFL draft pick
- Jason Campbell (2004); professional football player and first round NFL draft pick
- Carlos Rogers (2004); professional football player and first round NFL draft pick
- Richard Marcinko (M.A. Political Science); founder U.S. Navy SEAL Team SIX and Red Cell; author of Rogue Warrior and several other fictional and non-fictional books.
- Gardner Jett; Place kicker extraordinaire/Legend. Kicked game winning field goal in the famous "Punt Bama Punt" game. 17-16.
[edit] Other alumni (did not graduate)
- Charles Barkley; former professional basketball player (joined the NBA after his junior year in 1984)
- Jimmy Buffett; singer/songwriter (attended Auburn, but graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi)
- Taylor Hicks; singer, American Idol season five winner
- Victoria Jackson; comedian of Saturday Night Live fame (attended Auburn for one year but graduated from Furman University)
- James Fukai; guitarist for the alternative metal and grunge band Trust Company
- Frank Thomas; professional baseball player
- Rudi Johnson; NFL running back
- Takeo Spikes; NFL linebacker
- Red Smith (1912); Major League Baseball third baseman for Brooklyn.
- Carnell Williams; professional football player and 2005 NFL first round draft pick
[edit] Appearances
- Auburn is shown in the 2004 Lions Gate film A Love Song for Bobby Long, starring John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson. It is presumed to be the university where the main character Bobby Long (Travolta), used to teach as he is seen at the beginning of the movie wearing an Auburn T-shirt and later an Auburn baseball cap.
- Auburn is mentioned in the 2003 Sony Pictures' film Big Fish, directed by Tim Burton and starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Jessica Lange, and Billy Crudup. The film was based upon the novel, Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions, by Daniel Wallace which makes more promient mention of the university. However, Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama was used as the location for shooting.
- Auburn is mentioned in the 1971 TV-movie Brian's Song, a fact-based film about two pro football players, Brian Piccolo (played by James Caan) and Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams).
- Auburn has made a number of cameos in the syndicated comic strip Kevin & Kell, drawn by Auburn alumnus Bill Holbrook. Appearances include 16-Dec-98, 3-Nov-04, 4-Nov-04, 5-Nov-04, and 6-Nov-04.
[edit] See also
- The Auburn Plainsman the prize-winning student newspaper
- Donald E. Davis Arboretum
[edit] External links
- Auburn University—official site.
- Auburn University Montgomery—AUM's official site.
- Auburn Tigers Athletics
- Auburn University Band official website
[edit] Notes
- ^ Anson West, History of Methodism in Alabama (Nashville: Methodist Episcopal Church South, 1893), 738-739.
- ^ Thompson Peterson, Auburn University Overview Accessed 26 September 2006.
- ^ Kristen Jackson, AU launches largest-ever fundraising campaign. Auburn University Office of Communications and Marketing (2006). Page accessed August 13, 2006.
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