University of Texas at El Paso
Encyclopedia
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System
. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas
. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy, and a mineshaft still exists on the mountainous, desert campus. It became Texas Western College in 1949, and The University of Texas El Paso in 1967. In Fall 2011, enrollment was 22,640.
UTEP is the largest university in the U.S. with a majority Mexican-American student population (about 75%). It is the only such university to be classified RU/H ("Research Universities (high research activity)") by the Carnegie Foundation.
Other notable features of UTEP are its campus architecture
(modeled after the dzong
style of Bhutan
), and its athletic history (UTEP was the first college in the American South to integrate its intercollegiate sports programs).
The school officially opened on September 23, 1914, with 27 students in buildings at Fort Bliss
. By 1916 enrollment had grown to 39 students, and women were allowed to enroll. The Fort Bliss buildings burned down, however, and in 1917 the school was rebuilt on its present site on land donated by wealthy El Paso residents. The distinctive dzong architecture style of the Kingdom of Bhutan was adopted.
In 1919 the school name was changed to the University of Texas Department of Mines and Metallurgy, and in 1920 to the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy (TCM). TCM's students
tudents painted a large "M" for Miners on the Franklin Mountains
in 1923, and the "M" is still there today.
The school's name changed again in 1949, this time to Texas Western College of the University of Texas (TWC). Notable events at TWC included the training in 1961 of the nation’s first Peace Corps
class, the construction of Sun Bowl Stadium
in 1966, and the winning of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in 1966.
In 1967 the school's name changed to The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Notable events at UTEP include:
The University of Texas at El Paso is subdivided into several colleges, each of which offers a variety of degree programs including undergraduate, graduate and some post-graduate.
UTEP offers 81 undergraduate degrees, 65 master's-level degrees and 16 doctoral degrees. The university ranked, in 2006, second in federal research spending among UT System academic institutions, and in fiscal year 2006 reported $45.7 million in total research spending.
Hispanic Business magazine has twice ranked UTEP as the number one graduate engineering school for hispanics. The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering has called (UTEP) "a model for other engineering institutions who say that today's minority young people from low-income families can't succeed in a rigorous math- or science-based discipline."
The National Science Foundation
has designated UTEP as a Model Institution for Excellence, one of only six in the country. UTEP is one of only 11 universities nationwide to receive a $5 million Teachers for a New Era (TNE) research grant from the Carnegie Corporation.
In 1916, only two years after the school opened, the original buildings were destroyed in a fire. The school was rebuilt on its present site in 1917. Kathleen Worrell, wife of the school’s first dean Stephen H. Worrell, had seen pictures of Bhutanese buildings in National Geographic. Noting the similarity of mountainous Bhutan (which is in the Himalayas
) to the location of the campus, she suggested that the new buildings be in the style of Bhutanese dzongs
(monastic fortresses), with massive sloping walls and overhanging roofs. This idea was enthusiastically accepted by all.
Prominent El Paso architect Henry Trost
designed the first four buildings. All buildings since then have followed this style, including a fifth by Trost in 1920, and three more by his firm in 1933-1937. While the early structures only copied the general appearance of a dzong, recent buildings incorporate internal elements of the dzong form as well.
The Kingdom of Bhutan
has honored UTEP's appropriation of their country's style. Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuk
has visited the campus, and in 2009 the Kingdom presented UTEP with a hand-carved wooden temple to be erected on the campus.
The "Himalayan" style of UTEP's campus made it an appropriate site for the Chenrezig Himalayan Cultural Center of El Paso, a Tibetan Buddhist facility.
. This gesture is made by UTEP Miners fans when UTEP players are shooting free throws at basketball games, or any time UTEP kicks off at a football game.
" was adopted by the 1920 student body after the song had been "declared the school anthem for the University of Texas at Austin" https://webspace.utexas.edu/dav332/www/003.jpg https://webspace.utexas.edu/dav332/www/002.jpg."
UTEP's fight song, "Miners Fight" was also borrowed from the Austin campus. However, in the late 1980s and with the blessing of the estate of Marty Robbins
, the UTEP Music Department wrote a new song to the melody "El Paso."
Home of the River they call Rio Grande.
Down on the border the town of El Paso,
Home of the Miners the best in the land.
Fighting to win, the Miners of UTEP,
Long live the College of Mines, GO COLLEGE OF MINES!
Loyal forever, we're standing together,
Onward to victory Orange and Blue, WE WILL BE TRUE!
(Repeat)
All the live long day.
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them,
At night or early in the morn-
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
'Till Gabriel Blows His horn.
And it's goodbye to (opponent).
Miners Fight! Miners Fight!
For we'll put over one more win.
Miners Fight! Miners Fight!
For it's Miners that we love best.
Hail! Hail! the gang's all here,
And it's goodbye to all the rest!
(repeat)
across the desert sands.
We lift our voices to our home
Along the Rio Grande
With brothers standing ever near
And sisters by our side
Oh Alma Mater always true
Our hearts with thee abide.
became basketball
coach in 1961, he aggressively recruited black players. In 1966, Haskins' Miners won the NCAA Basketball championship, defeating an all-white Kentucky
team in the final game.
This success story was retold in Haskins' autobiography Glory Road (2005), and in the 2006 movie Glory Road
.
University of Texas System
The University of Texas System encompasses 15 educational institutions in Texas, of which nine are academic universities and six are health institutions. The system is headquartered in Austin and has a total enrollment of over 190,000 students...
. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy, and a mineshaft still exists on the mountainous, desert campus. It became Texas Western College in 1949, and The University of Texas El Paso in 1967. In Fall 2011, enrollment was 22,640.
UTEP is the largest university in the U.S. with a majority Mexican-American student population (about 75%). It is the only such university to be classified RU/H ("Research Universities (high research activity)") by the Carnegie Foundation.
Other notable features of UTEP are its campus architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
(modeled after the dzong
Dzong architecture
Dzong architecture is a distinctive type of fortress architecture found in the present and former Buddhist kingdoms of the Himalayas: Bhutan and Tibet...
style of Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
), and its athletic history (UTEP was the first college in the American South to integrate its intercollegiate sports programs).
History
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
. By 1916 enrollment had grown to 39 students, and women were allowed to enroll. The Fort Bliss buildings burned down, however, and in 1917 the school was rebuilt on its present site on land donated by wealthy El Paso residents. The distinctive dzong architecture style of the Kingdom of Bhutan was adopted.
In 1919 the school name was changed to the University of Texas Department of Mines and Metallurgy, and in 1920 to the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy (TCM). TCM's students
tudents painted a large "M" for Miners on the Franklin Mountains
Franklin Mountains (Texas)
The Franklin Mountains of Texas are a small range that extend from El Paso, Texas north into New Mexico. The Franklins were formed due to crustal extension related to the Cenozoic Rio Grande rift...
in 1923, and the "M" is still there today.
The school's name changed again in 1949, this time to Texas Western College of the University of Texas (TWC). Notable events at TWC included the training in 1961 of the nation’s first Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
class, the construction of Sun Bowl Stadium
Sun Bowl Stadium
The Sun Bowl is an outdoor football stadium, on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso. It is home to the UTEP Miners of Conference USA , and the late December college football bowl game, the Hyundai Sun Bowl...
in 1966, and the winning of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in 1966.
In 1967 the school's name changed to The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Notable events at UTEP include:
- 1968 - UTEP alumnus Bob BeamonBob BeamonRobert "Bob" Beamon is an American former track and field athlete, best known for his world record in the long jump at the Mexico Olympics in 1968, which remained the world record for almost 23 years until it was broken in 1991 by Mike Powell. This is the second longest holding of this record, as...
set a world long jump record at the Olympic GamesOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. - 1969 - UTEP won the first of seven NCAA Men's Cross Country Championships.
- 1974 - UTEP's first doctoral degree program in Geological Sciences was approved. UTEP won the first of seven NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field ChampionshipNCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field ChampionshipNCAA team champions for Men's Indoor Track and Field-See also:*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*Pre-NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champions...
s. - 1975 - UTEP won both the NCAA Men's OutdoorNCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field ChampionshipThe NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and...
and Indoor National Championships. - 1976 - The Engineering-Science Complex was completed and the College of Nursing was also created.
- 1977 - The Special Events Center (now the Don Haskins CenterDon Haskins CenterThe Don Haskins Center is the home of UTEP Miners men's and women's basketball. The 'Don', as it is known by local residents, is located in the heart of El Paso, Texas. In addition to hosting sporting events, the Don is also used by many area schools, such as El Paso Community College, for...
) with 12,000 seats was completed. - 1982 - Sun Bowl Stadium was Expanded, increasing seating capacity to 52,000.
- 1984 - The six-story University Library opened its doors to the public.
- 1988 - Diana Natalicio became UTEP's first woman president.
- 1989 - UTEP's second doctoral program was approved (in Electrical EngineeringElectrical engineeringElectrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
). - 1991 - UTEP started its Computer EngineeringComputer engineeringComputer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and...
doctorate program. - 1993 - UTEP started a PsychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
doctorate program. - 1995 - UTEP started an Environmental science and engineeringEnvironmental scienceEnvironmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems...
doctorate program. - 1996 - UTEP started a PharmacyPharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
cooperative doctorate program. - 1997 - UTEP coach Don HaskinsDon HaskinsDonald Lee Haskins, nicknamed "The Bear" , was an American collegiate basketball coach and player. He played for three years under legendary coach Henry Iba at Oklahoma A&M...
was inducted into the Basketball Hall of FameBasketball Hall of FameThe Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
, and the Special Events Center was renamed the Don Haskins Center. The Biological Sciences doctorate program was started. - 1999 - Don Haskins retired from coaching. The History doctorate program was started, and the MBA online degree program was launched.
- 2000 - Nursing cooperative doctorate program was started. Miner Village was completed and UTEP was designated as a Doctoral/Research-Intensive University by the Carnegie Foundation.
- 2002 - The $11 million Larry K. Durham Sports Center opened and the Sam DonaldsonSam DonaldsonSamuel Andrew "Sam" Donaldson, Jr. is a reporter and news anchor, serving with ABC News from 1967 to the present, best known as the network's White House Correspondent and as a panelist and later co-anchor of the network's Sunday Program "This Week."-Early life and career:Donaldson was born in El...
Center for Communication Studies was established.
- 2003 - Doctorate programs in International business, Civil engineeringCivil engineeringCivil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
, CompositionComposition (language)The term composition , in written language, refers to the collective body of important features established by the author in their creation of literature...
, and RhetoricRhetoricRhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
were started. $44 million in construction projects began for Academic Services and Biosciences buildings and an addition to the Engineering-Science Complex. Mike PriceMike PriceMike Price is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso , a position he has held since 2004...
was hired as football coach. The $1.8 million Helen of Troy Softball Complex was approved.
- 2004 - UTEP's 90th anniversary. The Miners football team went to the Houston BowlHouston BowlThe Houston Bowl is a now-defunct NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that was played annually in Houston, Texas from 2000 to 2005. The game was originally known as the galleryfurniture.com Bowl in 2000 and 2001...
and the men's basketball team mad its 15th NCAA Tournament2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...
appearance.
- 2005 - UTEP moved to Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
from the Western Athletic ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceThe Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
. UTEP is classified "RU/H" by the Carnegie Foundation.
Academics
UTEP offers 81 undergraduate degrees, 65 master's-level degrees and 16 doctoral degrees. The university ranked, in 2006, second in federal research spending among UT System academic institutions, and in fiscal year 2006 reported $45.7 million in total research spending.
Hispanic Business magazine has twice ranked UTEP as the number one graduate engineering school for hispanics. The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering has called (UTEP) "a model for other engineering institutions who say that today's minority young people from low-income families can't succeed in a rigorous math- or science-based discipline."
The National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
has designated UTEP as a Model Institution for Excellence, one of only six in the country. UTEP is one of only 11 universities nationwide to receive a $5 million Teachers for a New Era (TNE) research grant from the Carnegie Corporation.
Campus architecture
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
) to the location of the campus, she suggested that the new buildings be in the style of Bhutanese dzongs
Dzong architecture
Dzong architecture is a distinctive type of fortress architecture found in the present and former Buddhist kingdoms of the Himalayas: Bhutan and Tibet...
(monastic fortresses), with massive sloping walls and overhanging roofs. This idea was enthusiastically accepted by all.
Prominent El Paso architect Henry Trost
Trost & Trost
Trost & Trost Architects & Engineers was an architecture firm based in El Paso, Texas. The firm's chief designer was Henry Charles Trost, who was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1860. Trost moved from Chicago to Tucson, Arizona in 1899 and then on to El Paso in 1903...
designed the first four buildings. All buildings since then have followed this style, including a fifth by Trost in 1920, and three more by his firm in 1933-1937. While the early structures only copied the general appearance of a dzong, recent buildings incorporate internal elements of the dzong form as well.
The Kingdom of Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
has honored UTEP's appropriation of their country's style. Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuk
Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuk
Prince Dasho Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck is the heir presumptive to the throne of Bhutan, following the abdication of his father on 14 December 2006 and the accession of his brother King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck....
has visited the campus, and in 2009 the Kingdom presented UTEP with a hand-carved wooden temple to be erected on the campus.
The "Himalayan" style of UTEP's campus made it an appropriate site for the Chenrezig Himalayan Cultural Center of El Paso, a Tibetan Buddhist facility.
School colors and logo
The school's colors were originally made orange and white. However, in the early 1980s, Columbia blue was added so now the official colors are orange, white, and blue. When the new UTEP athletic department logo was introduced in the fall of 1999, a darker hue of blue was incorporated into the logo, as well as a silver accent to go with the customary orange.Pickaxe hand symbol
This hand symbol represents the traditional tool used by Miners, the pickaxePickaxe
A pickaxe or pick is a hand tool with a hard head attached perpendicular to the handle.Some people make the distinction that a pickaxe has a head with a pointed end and a flat end, and a pick has both ends pointed, or only one end; but most people use the words to mean the same thing.The head is...
. This gesture is made by UTEP Miners fans when UTEP players are shooting free throws at basketball games, or any time UTEP kicks off at a football game.
School songs
"The Eyes of TexasThe Eyes of Texas
"The Eyes of Texas" is the alma mater of the University of Texas at Austin. It is set to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad." Students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the University sing the song at Longhorn sports games and other events....
" was adopted by the 1920 student body after the song had been "declared the school anthem for the University of Texas at Austin" https://webspace.utexas.edu/dav332/www/003.jpg https://webspace.utexas.edu/dav332/www/002.jpg."
UTEP's fight song, "Miners Fight" was also borrowed from the Austin campus. However, in the late 1980s and with the blessing of the estate of Marty Robbins
Marty Robbins
Martin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
, the UTEP Music Department wrote a new song to the melody "El Paso."
"UTEP Fight Song"
Out in the west Texas town of El Paso,Home of the River they call Rio Grande.
Down on the border the town of El Paso,
Home of the Miners the best in the land.
Fighting to win, the Miners of UTEP,
Long live the College of Mines, GO COLLEGE OF MINES!
Loyal forever, we're standing together,
Onward to victory Orange and Blue, WE WILL BE TRUE!
(Repeat)
"The Eyes of Texas" (UTEP's Official Alma Mater)http://organizations.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=22489
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,All the live long day.
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them,
At night or early in the morn-
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
'Till Gabriel Blows His horn.
"Miners Fight"
Miners Fight! Miners Fight!And it's goodbye to (opponent).
Miners Fight! Miners Fight!
For we'll put over one more win.
Miners Fight! Miners Fight!
For it's Miners that we love best.
Hail! Hail! the gang's all here,
And it's goodbye to all the rest!
(repeat)
"The Shadows on the Mountains" (UTEP's Band Hymn)
The shadows on the mountains fall,across the desert sands.
We lift our voices to our home
Along the Rio Grande
With brothers standing ever near
And sisters by our side
Oh Alma Mater always true
Our hearts with thee abide.
Nickname
It is presumed that the nickname "Miners" came from the fact that the school was founded as the "State School of Mines and Metallurgy." In doing research on this project, early mention of "Ore Diggers" and "Muckers" for the nickname was found, but nothing to determine if the name "Miners" was voted upon by the student body, or if a faculty member, John W. (Cap) Kidd, chose the name. Kidd was a big booster of athletics, especially football, and in 1915, when funds were rather lean at the school, Kidd donated $800 to equip the football team. He also assisted with coaching, although he was not the head coach. The present track facility on campus bears Cap Kidd's name.Athletics
UTEP was the first college in the American South to integrate its intercollegiate sports programs. This breakthrough was made in the 1950s. When Don HaskinsDon Haskins
Donald Lee Haskins, nicknamed "The Bear" , was an American collegiate basketball coach and player. He played for three years under legendary coach Henry Iba at Oklahoma A&M...
became 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...
coach in 1961, he aggressively recruited black players. In 1966, Haskins' Miners won the NCAA Basketball championship, defeating an all-white Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
team in the final game.
This success story was retold in Haskins' autobiography Glory Road (2005), and in the 2006 movie Glory Road
Glory Road (film)
Glory Road is an American sports film directed by James Gartner, based on a true story dealing with the events leading to the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, in which the late Don Haskins – played by Josh Lucas – head coach of the Texas Western College led a team...
.
Notable athletic achievements
UTEP's sports programs have won a total of 21 NCAA Division I national championships. UTEP is currently tied for 10th overall among schools in Men's Sports Division I championships.- Men's Basketball: 1 (1966; the only NCAA Men's Basketball title won by a university from the state of Texas)
- Men's Cross country: 7
- Men's Indoor Track & FieldNCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field ChampionshipNCAA team champions for Men's Indoor Track and Field-See also:*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*Pre-NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champions...
: 7 - Men's Outdoor Track & FieldNCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field ChampionshipThe NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and...
: 6
Sports venues
UTEP owns the two largest stadiums in El Paso:- Sun Bowl StadiumSun Bowl StadiumThe Sun Bowl is an outdoor football stadium, on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso. It is home to the UTEP Miners of Conference USA , and the late December college football bowl game, the Hyundai Sun Bowl...
, seating capacitySeating capacitySeating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
52,000, opened its doors in 1963 and is currently the home to the UTEP footballAmerican footballAmerican 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...
team and to the annual Sun BowlSun BowlThe Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
game. Sun Bowl Stadium was also home to the Texas vs. The Nation GameTexas vs. The Nation GameThe NFLPA Game is a post-season college football all-star game that was established in 2006 as the concluding game of the college football post-season. The game is currently played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The game was previously known as the Texas vs...
, a college football all-star game. - Don Haskins CenterDon Haskins CenterThe Don Haskins Center is the home of UTEP Miners men's and women's basketball. The 'Don', as it is known by local residents, is located in the heart of El Paso, Texas. In addition to hosting sporting events, the Don is also used by many area schools, such as El Paso Community College, for...
, seating capacity 12,222, was built in 1976 and is primarily used by the men's and women's basketball teams. It is also known as "The Bear's Den" as well as "The Don." - University Field (UTEP)University Field (UTEP)University Field is the on-campus soccer stadium at the University of Texas at El Paso.The small stadium only seats 500 spectators, but room can be made for more if needed. It was built in 1996.-External links:*...
, seating capacity 500, was built in 1991 and hosts the women's soccer team.
Faculty
- Steven BestSteven BestSteven Best is an American animal rights activist, author, talk-show host, and associate professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at El Paso...
, professor of philosophy and co-founder of the North American Animal Liberation Press OfficeAnimal Liberation Press OfficeAnimal Liberation Press Offices relay anonymous communiques, photos and videos to the media about direct action undertaken by the Animal Liberation Front , Animal Rights Militia , Animal Liberation Brigade, Justice Department, and other leaderless resistance within the animal liberation movement... - John HaddoxJohn HaddoxJohn Herbert Haddox is an American Philosopher known for his thought in the area of ethics and social philosophy, and for his groundbreaking work of introducing Mexican philosophers to the English-speaking world. He has taught for over 50 years at the University of Texas at El Paso...
, American philosopher, Latin-Americanist - Urbici Soler y ManonellesUrbici Soler y ManonellesUrbici Soler was a Spanish-born American sculptor and art educator. He is remembered chiefly for Christ the King , a monumental statue of Jesus on the cross atop Mount Cristo Rey in the El Paso suburb of Sunland Park, New Mexico which he completed in 1939 and which is a site of Roman Catholic...
, Spanish sculptor - Benjamin Alire SaenzBenjamin Alire SaenzBenjamin Alire Sáenz is an award-winning American poet, novelist and writer of children's books.-Life:He was born at Old Picacho, New Mexico, the fourth of seven children, and was raised on a small farm near Mesilla, New Mexico....
, Writer - Zuill BaileyZuill BaileyZuill Bailey , Alexandria, Virginia, is an American cellist. A Juilliard graduate, he has appeared with a number of major orchestras internationally, and has an exclusive international recording contract with the Telarc label...
, Professor of Cello, Professional Cellist
Alumni
- F. Murray AbrahamF. Murray AbrahamFahrid Murray Abraham is an American actor. He became known during the 1980s after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. He has appeared in many roles, both leading and supporting, in films such as All the President's Men and Scarface...
– Academy Award Best Actor winner - Ana AliciaAna AliciaAna Alicia is an American actress. She is best known for her role as scheming heiress Melissa Agretti on the long-running primetime soap opera Falcon Crest.-Early life:...
– Actress - Nate ArchibaldNate ArchibaldNathaniel "Nate" Archibald is a former American professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the NBA, most notably with the Kansas City Kings and Boston Celtics....
– NBA Hall of FamerBasketball Hall of FameThe Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
, chosen as one of the Top 50 Greatest NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
Players - Charles A. Steen – Geologist whose Mi Vida Mine discovery started the American Uranium Boom of the 1950s
- Weronika BloczynskaWeronika BloczynskaWeronika Bloczynska is a Polish professional tennis player. She began playing tennis at the age of ten after being introduced to the sport by her mother. She speaks both Polish and English.-External links:* *...
; Professional Tennis Player - Derrick CaracterDerrick CaracterDerrick Caracter is a power forward–center for the Los Angeles Lakers.Caracter grew up in Fanwood, New Jersey. He played high school basketball at St. Patrick High School as a freshman, and attended Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School as a sophomore, to team with fellow SPF native, and subsequent...
- Los Angeles Lakers Forward - Antonio DavisAntonio DavisAntonio Lee Davis is a retired American National Basketball Association player. Davis is also the former president of the NBA Players Association .-College career:...
– NBA All-Star, president of the National Basketball Players Association - Joe DevanceJoe DevanceJoe Calvin Devance, Jr. is a Filipino-American professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who currently plays for the B-Meg Llamados.-Welcoat Dragons:...
, FilipinoFilipino peopleThe Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball AssociationPhilippine Basketball AssociationThe Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
who currently plays for the Alaska AcesAlaska Aces (PBA)The Alaska Aces is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of the Alaska Milk Corporation and the owner of 13 PBA championships with the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference as their latest... - Sam DonaldsonSam DonaldsonSamuel Andrew "Sam" Donaldson, Jr. is a reporter and news anchor, serving with ABC News from 1967 to the present, best known as the network's White House Correspondent and as a panelist and later co-anchor of the network's Sunday Program "This Week."-Early life and career:Donaldson was born in El...
– ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
News veteran - Bob BeamonBob BeamonRobert "Bob" Beamon is an American former track and field athlete, best known for his world record in the long jump at the Mexico Olympics in 1968, which remained the world record for almost 23 years until it was broken in 1991 by Mike Powell. This is the second longest holding of this record, as...
– Olympic gold medalistOlympic medalists in athletics (men)This is the complete list of men's Olympic medalists in athletics from 1896 to 2008.- 100 metres :- 200 metres :- 400 metres :- 800 metres :- 1500 metres :- 5000 metres :- 10,000 metres :- Marathon :...
, world recordWorld recordA world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
holder in track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area... - Joe DevanceJoe DevanceJoe Calvin Devance, Jr. is a Filipino-American professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who currently plays for the B-Meg Llamados.-Welcoat Dragons:...
– Basketball Player PBAPhilippine Basketball AssociationThe Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA... - Taurian FontenetteTaurian FontenetteTaurian J. Fontenette , also known as "Air Up There" and "Mr. 720", is a streetball player from Hitchcock, Texas. He is a former player on the AND1 Mixtape and Ball4Real Tours. Fontenette recently signed a contract to play for the Dallas Generals of the American Basketball Association. He is 6'2"...
- Streetballer - Greg FosterGreg Foster (basketball)Gregory Clinton Foster is a retired American professional basketball player.-College years:Foster was born in Oakland, California and attended Skyline High School where he played alongside future NBA point guard Gary Payton. He began his collegiate basketball career at UCLA, playing for the Bruins...
– Former NBA player and one time NBA champion with the Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... - Paul GibsonPaul Gibson (American football)Paul Dean Gibson is a former wide receiver in the National Football League.-Career:Gibson was drafted in the eighth round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills and was a member of the Green Bay Packers that season. He played at the collegiate level at the University of Texas at El...
- Former Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
wide receiver - Hector GuerreroHector GuerreroHéctor Manuel Guerrero Llanes is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, better known simply by his paternal name, Héctor Guerrero...
– Professional wrestler, performed on WWFWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
and NWANational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948... - Jack HandeyJack HandeyJack Handey is an American humorist. He is best known for his Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey, a large body of surrealistic one-liner jokes, as well as his "Fuzzy Memories" and "My Big Thick Novel" shorts. Although many people assume otherwise, Handey is a real person, not a pen name or ...
– Best known for his "Deep Thoughts" on Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture... - Tim HardawayTim HardawayTimothy Duane "Tim" Hardaway is a retired American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association and who in his prime was one of the league's best point guards...
– NBA All-Star, 2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
gold medalistBasketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics-Group B:-Championship bracket:-Classification matches:-Preliminary round:The four best teams from each group advanced to the quarterfinal round.-Group A:-Group B:-Championship bracket:... - Leon HardenLeon Harden-Biography:Harden was born Leon Maurice Harden Jr. on August 17, 1947 in Kansas City, Missouri.-Career:Harden was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the eleventh round of the 1969 NFL Draft and played that seasons with the team. He played at the collegiate level at the University of Texas at El...
- Former Green Bay Packers defensive back - Idris HaronIdris HaronDatuk Idris Haron is a Malaysian politician and is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Tangga Batu constituency in the State of Melaka...
, member of the Parliament of MalaysiaParliament of MalaysiaThe Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....
. - John HarveyJohn Harvey (American football)John Lewis Harvey is a former National Football League running back who played one season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Career:Harvey attended Spring Valley High School in Spring Valley, New York...
- Former 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...
running back - William D. HawkinsWilliam D. HawkinsWilliam Deane Hawkins was a United States Marine Corps officer who was posthumously awarded the United States' highest military honor — the Medal of Honor — for heroic actions and sacrifice of life during the World War II Battle of Tarawa.-Early years:Hawkins was born on April 18, 1914...
- U.S. Marine awarded the Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
posthumously during World War II. - J. P. Hayes – Professional golferProfessional golferIn golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
- Johnnie Lee HigginsJohnnie Lee HigginsJohnnie Lee Higgins is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round out of the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2007 NFL Draft.Higgins has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles...
– wide receiver & special team specialist for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Ed HochuliEd HochuliEdward G. Hochuli is an attorney for the firm of Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C. since 1983, and better known as an American football official in the National Football League since the 1990 NFL season. His uniform number is 85...
– National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
refereeRefereeA referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport... - Thomas HowardThomas Howard (football player)Thomas Howard is an American football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Raiders in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
– linebacker for the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... - Suzanna HuppSuzanna HuppDr. Suzanna Gratia Hupp, DC, is a former Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives, who represented traditionally Democratic District 54 for ten years from 1997-2007. Hupp is recognized as a leading advocate of an individual's right to carry a concealed weapon...
– Former RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
state representative from Lampasas CountyLampasas County, TexasLampasas County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 17,762. Its seat is Lampasas. The county is named for the Lampasas River....
and Second AmendmentSecond Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
advocate - Chris JackeChris JackeChristopher Lee Jacke is a former professional American football placekicker best known for playing for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League....
– BBA 1989, All-American place kicker, Super Bowl champion with Green Bay Packers - Shoshana JohnsonShoshana JohnsonShoshana Nyree Johnson is a Panamanian former United States soldier, and was the first black female prisoner of war in the military history of the United States. Johnson was a Specialist of the U.S. Army 507th Maintenance Company, 5/52 ADA BN, 11th ADA Brigade. During a gun fight that led to her...
– U.S. Army Specialist, former IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
POWPrisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict... - Ron JonesRon Jones (American football)Ron Jones is a former tight end in the National Football League.-Career:Jones was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1969 NFL Draft and played that season with the team. He played at the collegiate level at the University of Texas at El Paso.-References:...
, Former Green Bay Packers tight end - Seth JoynerSeth JoynerSeth Joyner is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. Joyner graduated from Spring Valley High School.-Professional career:Joyner was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the...
– 1991 NFL Defensive Player of the Year by Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, one-time Super Bowl champion - Don MaynardDon MaynardDonald Rogers Maynard is a former American football player who played collegiately for Texas Western College and professionally with the National Football League's New York Giants and the American Football League's New York Jets and the World Football League's Shreveport Steamer.After having been...
– Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees... - Lee MaysLee MaysLee Mays, Jr. is a former Professional American football wide receiver who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League.-High School Years:...
– Former National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
wide receiver - Paul MorenoPaul MorenoPaul C. Moreno was a Democratic state representative from El Paso, Texas. He was born in 1931 and grew up in “El Segundo Barrio” of El Paso. After high school he served six years in the U.S. Marine Corp and saw combat in the Korean War. He then received his BBA from the University of Texas El Paso...
– Former Texas DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
State Representative, longest serving Mexican American elected official in the United States - John D. Olivas – First UTEP alumnus to be selected as an astronautAstronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
by NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and a member of Space ShuttleSpace ShuttleThe Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
Mission STS-117STS-117- Crew Notes :The initial crew manifest before the Columbia accident was:Astronaut Mark Polansky was originally slated to pilot this mission, but was moved to STS-116, which he commanded...
crew aboard the AtlantisSpace Shuttle AtlantisThe Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
, launched on June 8, 2007 - Bob O'RearBob O'RearRobert O'Rear is a former employee of Microsoft, and is among the group of twelve early Microsoft employees who posed for a company photo in 1978. A Texan, he has degrees in mathematics and physics. He left Microsoft in 1993, and reportedly owns a cattle ranch in Texas...
– A founder of MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions... - Nolan RichardsonNolan RichardsonNolan Richardson is an American basketball head coach, who was elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He has coached teams to winning a NCAA Men's Division I Basketball National Championship, a NIT, and a Junior College National Championship, the only coach to do so. Most...
– Former NCAA champion collegiate men's basketballCollege basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
head coachHead coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
at the University of Arkansas - Billy StevensBilly StevensBilly Stevens is a former quarterback in the National Football League. Stevens was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 1968 NFL Draft. He played two seasons with the team.-References:...
– Former Green Bay Packers quarterback - Tony TolbertTony TolbertAnthony Lewis Tolbert is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was raised in Englewood, New Jersey, and graduated from Dwight Morrow High School. Tolbert was drafted in 4th round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...
– Three time world champion with the Dallas Cowboys - Susana MartinezSusana MartinezSusana Martinez is the 31st and current governor of New Mexico.A Republican, Martinez is the first female governor of New Mexico, as well as the first female Hispanic governor in the United States. She was formerly the district attorney for the 3rd Judicial District of the U.S. state of New Mexico...
- District Attorney for the 3rd Judicial district of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and Governor of New Mexico
See also
External links
- University Communications
- Student Newspaper of The University of Texas at El Paso
- University of Texas El Paso
- Horizons Online News, electronic news site
- UTEP Magazine
- UTEP Research Guide
- Official UTEP Athletics site
- MinerDigs UTEP Basketball & Football Discussion Boards
- Kyyote's Den UTEP Sports Message Board
- UTEP Basketball & Football Talk
- UTEP Marching Miners
- University of Texas at El Paso Film Studies Program
- 2007 UTEP football preview