Colorado State University - Pueblo
Encyclopedia
Colorado State University–Pueblo (CSU–Pueblo) is a regional, comprehensive public institution of higher learning located in Pueblo
, Colorado
, United States
. CSU-Pueblo is a member of the Colorado State University System (CSU System), along with Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins
, the system's flagship, and Colorado State University-Global Campus. CSU-Pueblo is experiencing exceptional growth and currently the fastest growing university in Colorado.
on the third floor of the Pueblo County Courthouse with 63 students and two (2) instructors to a regional, comprehensive university offering 29 baccalaureate and six master degree programs, serving more than 5,000 students from all 50 states and 23 countries. Over the past 75 years under four different names, the institution has graduated more than 35,000 students from 41 states and 32 countries. Today, more than 14,000 graduates live in Colorado.
In the years following the Great Depression, the idea for a college in Pueblo was revived through the efforts of a local school teacher at Centennial High School, Eric T. Kelly.
At the time, Pueblo's primary employer, steelmaker Colorado Fuel & Iron Corp., was no longer hiring, drought and dust storms were plaguing all of Southern Colorado and the city still was trying to recover from the devastating floods of 1921.
Kelly organized a committee composed of several local business leaders to discuss the possibility of getting a college started, among them Frank Hoag, Jr., publisher of The Pueblo Chieftain and Star-Journal newspapers, Dr. C.N. Caldwell and J. Arthur Phelps.
The school originally was planned to be named San Isabel Junior College, but by the time the school had received incorporation it was changed to Southern Colorado Junior College (SCJC). The name change was made in an effort to broaden the recruitment area for the college.
The first classes at SCJC were held in the fall of 1933 in three vacant rooms on the third-floor of the Pueblo County Courthouse. Sixty-three students (31 full time and 32 part time) enrolled and the staff consisted of two full-time and eight part-time instructors, a registrar and Kelly, who agreed to serve as the dean of students, of that first class of students, 17 would earn a degree with the first graduating class of 1935.
By 1935, the school's enrollment was steadily increasing, and the need to find a permanent location was imminent. With land donated by the CF&I and local money from the City Federation of Women's Club and the Works Progress Administration, construction of the college's first building—a 55000 square feet (5,109.7 m²) arts building—began in 1936. The property donated for the college was bordered by the Bessemer ditch, Marilyn Place, Orman Avenue and the alley at Orman and Arthur and became known as the Orman campus.
Kelly gave up his position as dean in 1936, and L.R.Wren took over as president and served in that position until 1939. A year later, Pueblo County residents formed the Pueblo County Junior College District, which allowed for the college to receive tax dollars.
Bill Owens signed legislation changing the mission and name to Colorado State University–Pueblo effective July 1, 2003. Today, the university has a focus on professional studies such as business, nursing, social work, and teacher education.
"The thunderwolf was discovered in the Southern Colorado foothills in 1933. The species is thought to be indigenous only on the city of Pueblo's beautiful horizon from the Spanish Peaks to the south to Pike's Peak to the north. A regal and majestic animal, the thunderwolf has evolved into the wisest and strongest of all beasts. The thunderwolf is cloaked with hair as blue as Colorado's skies, and with a mantelet of hair around its neck as white as Colorado's snow-capped mountain peaks. Longer guard hairs, as red as Colorado's rocky soil, abound throughout the white mantelet. Some say they have seen lightning bolts in the thunderwolf's large blue eyes.
Because it is an intelligent and inquisitive animal, the thunderwolf expands its knowledge and understanding of the environment daily. Although the thunderwolf exhibits a cooperative team spirit when hunting with the pack, it also is an individualistic thinker which helps the pack burst through paradigms when solving problems.
One of the most distinctive characteristics of thunderwolves is their ability to form unusual partnerships with other species to protect the environment for the general good. Their excellent communication skills have led some observers to believe thunderwolves may be able to communicate to different species from other countries.
Colorado State University–Pueblo is proud to be known as the ThunderWolves, and we hope the thunderwolves are proud of us as well."
The original ThunderWolf logo was put into place prior to the 1995-96 school year. Designed to elicit fear and reverence, the original logo contained a detailed head of a ThunderWolf with a mountain range in the background. After a few years of use, the logo was eventually scrapped for a more easily reproduced logo that contained the letters "USC".
The logo remained in use until the University of Southern Colorado changed its name prior to the 2003-04 school year to Colorado State University–Pueblo. While the university's main logo and seal and seal changed to the ThunderWolves logo also required a change.
, a mid-size city of approximately 100,000 residents located in the Pikes Peak
region of southern Colorado. The university's 275 acres (1.1 km²) main campus is located in the Belmont area in the northern edge of Pueblo.
Most campus buildings reflect the International Style
of the 1960s. Altogether, there are twelve buildings on campus, eight of which are strictly academic buildings. There is also an administration building, student center, library,child care center and student recreation center which is adjacent to the university's primary athletic complex, Massari Arena.
The campus began a major renovation in 2007, as renovations were made to Massari Arena and construction began on the new student recreation center, which was completed in time for the start of the 2008-09 academic year. In 2011 a multi-million dollar renovation project was completed on the university's library, residence halls and solar array.
The interim president of Colorado State University–Pueblo is Dr. Julio Leon.
.
Colorado State University–Pueblo's academic colleges are:
(RMAC), the oldest conference operating in NCAA Division II and the fourth oldest athletic conference in the United States (founded in 1909). The athletics department supports 16 intercollegiate athletics programs, including
Men's:
baseball
,
basketball
,
football
,
golf
,
soccer,
tennis
,
wrestling
Women's:
basketball
,
cross country
,
golf
,
soccer,
softball
,
tennis
.
volleyball
,
track.
In 2007, the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System approved to bring back football
, wrestling
, and women's indoor and outdoor track & field. All three programs returned during the 2008-09 school year, and the football program, playing in the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl, finished in the top 10 in the nation in attendance, averaging more than 8,000 fans per game during the 2008 season.
In 2008-09, CSU-Pueblo athletics programs won two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championships - in women's basketball (its third RMAC title in four seasons) and baseball (its first since 2004).
and men's lacrosse
program. The racquetball team has won numerous national championships.
s in entertainment, specifically Van Halen
's legendary requirement in their technical rider
that a bowl of M&Ms, with all brown pieces removed, be present in their dressing room. Notably, media reports in the 1980s often claimed that the band had done more than $85,000 of damage to CSU–Pueblo's (then University of Southern Colorado) basketball arena after discovering brown M&Ms backstage. The actual story, as told by David Lee Roth
in his autobiography, was decidedly different. As background, Roth noted that the demand was added as a test of each venue's attention to detail after technical errors at smaller venues led to dangerous and even life-threatening situations. In Roth's telling of the CSU–Pueblo incident, he admitted to having done about $12,000 of backstage damage after noticing brown M&Ms, but indicated that over $80,000 of damage was done to the school's newly installed basketball floor because it could not support the band's extremely heavy staging.
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. CSU-Pueblo is a member of the Colorado State University System (CSU System), along with Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
, the system's flagship, and Colorado State University-Global Campus. CSU-Pueblo is experiencing exceptional growth and currently the fastest growing university in Colorado.
History
Colorado State University–Pueblo has evolved from a three-room junior collegeJunior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
on the third floor of the Pueblo County Courthouse with 63 students and two (2) instructors to a regional, comprehensive university offering 29 baccalaureate and six master degree programs, serving more than 5,000 students from all 50 states and 23 countries. Over the past 75 years under four different names, the institution has graduated more than 35,000 students from 41 states and 32 countries. Today, more than 14,000 graduates live in Colorado.
1933 to 1959
The idea for starting a college in Pueblo was initially proposed in 1926, when a bill was put before the state Senate to begin a four-year school in the city. The bill was defeated by one vote.In the years following the Great Depression, the idea for a college in Pueblo was revived through the efforts of a local school teacher at Centennial High School, Eric T. Kelly.
At the time, Pueblo's primary employer, steelmaker Colorado Fuel & Iron Corp., was no longer hiring, drought and dust storms were plaguing all of Southern Colorado and the city still was trying to recover from the devastating floods of 1921.
Kelly organized a committee composed of several local business leaders to discuss the possibility of getting a college started, among them Frank Hoag, Jr., publisher of The Pueblo Chieftain and Star-Journal newspapers, Dr. C.N. Caldwell and J. Arthur Phelps.
The school originally was planned to be named San Isabel Junior College, but by the time the school had received incorporation it was changed to Southern Colorado Junior College (SCJC). The name change was made in an effort to broaden the recruitment area for the college.
The first classes at SCJC were held in the fall of 1933 in three vacant rooms on the third-floor of the Pueblo County Courthouse. Sixty-three students (31 full time and 32 part time) enrolled and the staff consisted of two full-time and eight part-time instructors, a registrar and Kelly, who agreed to serve as the dean of students, of that first class of students, 17 would earn a degree with the first graduating class of 1935.
By 1935, the school's enrollment was steadily increasing, and the need to find a permanent location was imminent. With land donated by the CF&I and local money from the City Federation of Women's Club and the Works Progress Administration, construction of the college's first building—a 55000 square feet (5,109.7 m²) arts building—began in 1936. The property donated for the college was bordered by the Bessemer ditch, Marilyn Place, Orman Avenue and the alley at Orman and Arthur and became known as the Orman campus.
Kelly gave up his position as dean in 1936, and L.R.Wren took over as president and served in that position until 1939. A year later, Pueblo County residents formed the Pueblo County Junior College District, which allowed for the college to receive tax dollars.
1933: Southern Colorado Junior College (SCJS)
Southern Colorado Junior College provided two years of college instruction in the arts, literature, and science, adult education and vocational opportunities, and coursework to complete a high school program.1937: Pueblo Junior College (PJC)
Taking advantage of the Junior College Act of the General Assembly, the Pueblo County Junior College District was formed, making the college part of the public school system supported by county-wide taxes. The name change to Pueblo Junior College brought with it a change in mission. The institution offered the first two years of general study at the college level, providing the educational foundation for students seeking to transfer to complete their higher education degrees at four-year colleges and universities, and continued to offer a range of practical courses for those not seeking a higher education degree.1961: Southern Colorado State College (SCSC)
The 30th anniversary year saw the State enact legislation making the institution a four-year degree granting college and a member of the state system of higher education. The first juniors were enrolled in 1963, followed in 1964 by the first seniors and the first bachelor's degrees awarded in 1965. The name change to Southern Colorado State College reflected recognition of the need for more advanced degrees and an increase in the number of students pursuing a four-year degree in the southeastern region of Colorado. In 1964, Colorado State Senator Vincent Massari led the college's push to become a four-year university. Senator Massari was instrumental in obtaining funds for a new campus in the Belmont area of Pueblo, moving from the old junior college campus on Orman Avenue.1975: University of Southern Colorado (USC)
As the demand for higher education programs increased, the number of academic degrees offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels increased. The first graduate program to be offered was the Master of Arts in Teaching with an emphasis in industrial education beginning in 1972. The institution was granted university status and renamed the University of Southern Colorado. It was designated as Colorado's only polytechnic university. In 1985, USC was integrated into the newly created Colorado State University System (CSU System) with Colorado State University, Colorado's only land-grant university, and Fort Lewis College. In 2002, Fort Lewis College chose to be a separate entity.2003: Colorado State University-Pueblo (CSU-Pueblo)
With its long history of collaboration with Colorado State University (CSU) and being a Colorado State University System (CSU System) member since 1985, eventually a name change was forthcoming. Also, an independent study of Higher Education in Colorado recommended to change the university's name to reflect the unique relationship with CSU. In May 2002, GovernorGovernor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Bill Owens signed legislation changing the mission and name to Colorado State University–Pueblo effective July 1, 2003. Today, the university has a focus on professional studies such as business, nursing, social work, and teacher education.
Birth of the ThunderWolf
Prior to the 1995-96 academic school year, the University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University–Pueblo) adopted the "ThunderWolf" as its mascot. The ThunderWolf came to life as USC looked to modernize its image following more 60 years as the "Indians." The legend of the "ThunderWolf" is as follows:"The thunderwolf was discovered in the Southern Colorado foothills in 1933. The species is thought to be indigenous only on the city of Pueblo's beautiful horizon from the Spanish Peaks to the south to Pike's Peak to the north. A regal and majestic animal, the thunderwolf has evolved into the wisest and strongest of all beasts. The thunderwolf is cloaked with hair as blue as Colorado's skies, and with a mantelet of hair around its neck as white as Colorado's snow-capped mountain peaks. Longer guard hairs, as red as Colorado's rocky soil, abound throughout the white mantelet. Some say they have seen lightning bolts in the thunderwolf's large blue eyes.
Because it is an intelligent and inquisitive animal, the thunderwolf expands its knowledge and understanding of the environment daily. Although the thunderwolf exhibits a cooperative team spirit when hunting with the pack, it also is an individualistic thinker which helps the pack burst through paradigms when solving problems.
One of the most distinctive characteristics of thunderwolves is their ability to form unusual partnerships with other species to protect the environment for the general good. Their excellent communication skills have led some observers to believe thunderwolves may be able to communicate to different species from other countries.
Colorado State University–Pueblo is proud to be known as the ThunderWolves, and we hope the thunderwolves are proud of us as well."
The logo remained in use until the University of Southern Colorado changed its name prior to the 2003-04 school year to Colorado State University–Pueblo. While the university's main logo and seal and seal changed to the ThunderWolves logo also required a change.
Campus
CSU–Pueblo is located in Pueblo, ColoradoPueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, a mid-size city of approximately 100,000 residents located in the Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County in the United States of America....
region of southern Colorado. The university's 275 acres (1.1 km²) main campus is located in the Belmont area in the northern edge of Pueblo.
Most campus buildings reflect the International Style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
of the 1960s. Altogether, there are twelve buildings on campus, eight of which are strictly academic buildings. There is also an administration building, student center, library,child care center and student recreation center which is adjacent to the university's primary athletic complex, Massari Arena.
The campus began a major renovation in 2007, as renovations were made to Massari Arena and construction began on the new student recreation center, which was completed in time for the start of the 2008-09 academic year. In 2011 a multi-million dollar renovation project was completed on the university's library, residence halls and solar array.
Administration
The Board of Governors presides over the Colorado State University System (CSU System), which comprises Colorado State University, Colorado State University–Pueblo and Colorado State University-Global Campus. The Board of Governors consists of nine voting members appointed by the Governor of Colorado and confirmed by the Colorado State Senate, and four elected non-voting members. Voting members are community leaders from many fields, including agriculture, business, and public service. A student and faculty representative from each university act as non-voting Board members. The board also appoints a Chancellor to oversee both university Presidents. Joe Blake, is the current Chancellor for the CSU System. The Current Chairman of the Board is Patrick McConathy.Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System
The current Board of Governors of the CSU System arehttp://csusystem.edu/pages/board.asp- Patrick McConathy, Chair
- Ed Haselden Vice-Chair
- Joseph C. Zimlich. Treasurer
- Bonifacio A. Cosyleon, Secretary
- Don Elliman
- Dorothy Horrell
- John Ikard
- Scott C. Johnson
- Mary Lou Makepeace
- Jen Mullen (CSU-Pueblo Faculty Representative, Non-Voting)
- Steven Titus (CSU-Pueblo Student Representative, Non-Voting)
- Dan Turk (CSU Faculty Representative, Non- Voting)
- Cooper Anderson (CSU Student Representative, Non-Voting)
The interim president of Colorado State University–Pueblo is Dr. Julio Leon.
.
List of Presidents
- Eric T. Kelly - 1933-36 (SCJC)
- Leo R. Wren - 1936-39 (PJC)
- Charles E. Haines - 1939-42 (PJC)
- LuLu Cuthbertson - May 1942-Aug. 1942 (PJC)** First Woman President of the college
- William A. Black - 1942-45 (PJC)
- Marvin C. Knudson - 1945-64 (PJC, PC, SCSC)
- J. Victor Hopper - 1964-71 (SCSC)
- Budge Threlkeld - 1971 (SCSC)
- Harry P. Bowes - 1971-77 (SCSC, USC)
- Gerald Caduff - May 1977-Oct. 1977 (USC)
- Richard Pesqueria - 1977-79 (USC)
- Alan Love - July 1979-Aug. 1980 (USC)
- Lyle Wilcox - 1980-84 (USC)
- Robert Shirley - 1984-95 (USC)
- Les Wong - 1996-97 (USC)
- Tito Guerrero - 1997-2001 (USC)
- Robert Glennen - 2001-02 (USC)
- Dr. Ron Applbaum - 2002-06 (USC, CSU-Pueblo)
- Joseph A. GarciaJoseph A. GarciaJoseph A. Garcia , is the 48th and current Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, having taken office in January 2011.-Educational background:...
- 2006-10 (CSU-Pueblo) - Dr. Tony Frank - 2010 (Interim)
- Dr. Julio Leon - 2010-11
Academic programs
Students can choose from twenty-nine undergraduate programs.Colorado State University–Pueblo's academic colleges are:
- College of Education, Engineering, and Professional Studies
- College of Humanities & Social Sciences
- College of Sciences & Mathematics
- Hasan School of Business
Athletics
CSU-Pueblo is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic ConferenceRocky Mountain Athletic Conference
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States, mostly in Colorado with some members in Nebraska and New Mexico...
(RMAC), the oldest conference operating in NCAA Division II and the fourth oldest athletic conference in the United States (founded in 1909). The athletics department supports 16 intercollegiate athletics programs, including
Men's:
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
,
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
,
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
,
golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
,
soccer,
tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
,
wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
Women's:
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
,
cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
,
golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
,
soccer,
softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
,
tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
.
volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
,
track.
In 2007, the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System approved to bring back football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
, and women's indoor and outdoor track & field. All three programs returned during the 2008-09 school year, and the football program, playing in the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl, finished in the top 10 in the nation in attendance, averaging more than 8,000 fans per game during the 2008 season.
In 2008-09, CSU-Pueblo athletics programs won two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championships - in women's basketball (its third RMAC title in four seasons) and baseball (its first since 2004).
Clubs and activities
CSU-Pueblo features a club racquetballRacquetball
For other sports often called "paddleball", see Paddleball .Racquetball is a racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court...
and men's lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
program. The racquetball team has won numerous national championships.
Recent major speakers/entertainers
- Actors Robin GivensRobin GivensRobin Simone Givens is an American model and film, television, and stage actress. She is best known for her role as Darlene Merriman on the television series Head of the Class.-Early life:...
, Danny GloverDanny GloverDanny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:... - John McCainJohn McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
United States Senator from Arizona (R) and 2008 Presidential Nominee - Amy TanAmy TanAmy Tan is an American writer whose works explore mother-daughter relationships. Her most well-known work is The Joy Luck Club, which has been translated into 35 languages...
Author of The Joy Luck Club - David McCulloughDavid McCulloughDavid Gaub McCullough is an American author, narrator, historian, and lecturer. He is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian award....
A two-time winner of the Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
and the National Book AwardNational Book AwardThe National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
author of 1776 and John Adams - Doris Kearns GoodwinDoris Kearns GoodwinDoris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American biographer and historian, and an oft-seen political commentator. She is the author of biographies of several U.S...
Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
Winning Author and Presidential Historian - Ralph NaderRalph NaderRalph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
US Presidential candidate - Grammy Award Winners LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, 3OH!33OH!33OH!3 is an American electro hop duo from Boulder, Colorado, made up of Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte. They are best known for their single "Don't Trust Me" from their album Want, which reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100...
, Sean KingstonSean KingstonSean Kingston is a Jamaican-American singer. He pursued a music career and debuted in 2007 with the album Sean Kingston.-Early life:...
, Gym Class HeroesGym Class HeroesGym Class Heroes is an American hip hop rock band from Geneva, New York. They have collaborated with Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump on numerous occasions, notably for providing backing vocals on the song "Cupid's Chokehold." Stump also produced the majority of their album The Quilt.The group formed...
Notable alumni
- Frank GrantFrank Grant (American football)Frank Grant is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Colorado State University-Pueblo and was drafted in the 13th round of the 1972 NFL Draft....
(SCSC) was a wide receiver in the NFL from 1973 to 1978, playing with the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. - Herman HeardHerman HeardHerman Willie Heard Jr. is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs for six seasons....
(USC) was a running back for the NFL's Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
from 1984-89. - Michael ArnzenMichael ArnzenMichael A. Arnzen is a horror author and writer of the Bram Stoker Award-winning novel, Grave Markings . He won his second Bram Stoker Award for his newsletter and his third for his poetry collection, Freakcidents....
(USC class of 1991) is an Associate Professor of English at Seton Hill UniversitySeton Hill UniversitySeton Hill University is a small Catholic liberal arts university of about 2100 students in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Formerly a women's college, it became a coeducational university in 2002....
, where he teaches in the Writing Popular Fiction program. Arnzen is an author or editor of 19 books, two of which (Freakcidents and Grave Markings) have won Bram Stoker AwardBram Stoker AwardThe Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented by the Horror Writers Association for "superior achievement" in horror writing. The awards have been presented annually since 1987, and the winners are selected by ballot of the Active members of the HWA...
s. - Dana PerinoDana PerinoDana Maria Perino is an American political commentator for Fox News. She served as the White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush from September 14, 2007 to January 20, 2009...
(USC class of 1994) was the White House Press SecretaryWhite House Press SecretaryThe White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
(2007-09) for former PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. - Larry Trujillo (SCSC class of 1974) was a Regional Administrator for the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
General Services AdministrationGeneral Services AdministrationThe General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
(Rocky Mountain Region) under the Bush administration. He was also a member of Colorado GovernorGovernor of ColoradoThe Governor of Colorado is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly, to convene the...
Bill Owens' cabinet (1999-2001), serving as Executive Director of Personnel and General Support Services. Before these appointments, Trujillo served as a member of the Colorado House of Representatives (1983-86) and the Colorado Senate (1987-93).
In popular culture
CSU–Pueblo has a peripheral role in one of the most enduring urban legendUrban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
s in entertainment, specifically Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
's legendary requirement in their technical rider
Rider (theater)
In theater , a rider is a set of requests or demands that a performer will set as criteria for performance.-Hospitality Rider:The hospitality rider is a list of requests for the comfort of the artist on the day of the show...
that a bowl of M&Ms, with all brown pieces removed, be present in their dressing room. Notably, media reports in the 1980s often claimed that the band had done more than $85,000 of damage to CSU–Pueblo's (then University of Southern Colorado) basketball arena after discovering brown M&Ms backstage. The actual story, as told by David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
in his autobiography, was decidedly different. As background, Roth noted that the demand was added as a test of each venue's attention to detail after technical errors at smaller venues led to dangerous and even life-threatening situations. In Roth's telling of the CSU–Pueblo incident, he admitted to having done about $12,000 of backstage damage after noticing brown M&Ms, but indicated that over $80,000 of damage was done to the school's newly installed basketball floor because it could not support the band's extremely heavy staging.