UNT turns 125: Things to know about the Denton university

Harry · October 9, 2015

Lots of numbers stand out about the University of North Texas — with perhaps the biggest being that the Denton institution is celebrating its 125th anniversary this fall.

Still, alumni and current students who will cheer on the Mean Green at Homecoming this weekend say it’s the feeling they get stepping on campus that best represents UNT’s strength.

“It was a greater community of support and I would even say love and respect — that was how I found North Texas at every era,” said Emily Klement, who first attended UNT in 1969 and returned in 1990 to finish her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and a Ph.D. in education. She is now a top administrator at North Central Texas College in Gainesville.

“They had a wonderful respect for students and were committed to their success and made sure needs were met that we didn’t even know we needed,” she said.

UNT was founded Sept. 16, 1890, as the Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute with 70 students. The first classes were in rented space above a hardware store in downtown Denton.

Today, the school is the 25th largest public university in the U.S. with more than 37,000 students, renowned for its excellent arts, business and education programs and a growing presence as a science and engineering research powerhouse. It has 380,000 alumni, including 253,000 in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Whether it’s a freshman class that includes 15 National Merit Scholars or faculty members who are part of the prestigious National Academies, UNT is “a university with so many things to brag about,” UNT President Neal Smatresk said Sept. 16 in his state of the university address.