The University of Chicago has a rich past and a promising future. By exploring UChicago across the decades following its 1890 founding, we glean a sharpened sense of where we have been, where we are headed, and who we are now.
The links below represent a range of resources for tracing UChicago’s history of inquiry and impact through the present day—from the evolution of our community, to key figures in our intellectual and institutional growth, to major achievements over time, to our ongoing traditions of civic and global engagement.
UChicago’s singular focus on rigorous, evidence-based inquiry has made it a model among universities that seek to use knowledge to enrich people’s lives. Explore UChicago-related breakthroughs and accolades.
- UChicago Breakthroughs
- UChicago Accolades
- The University of Chicago Faculty: A Centennial View
- Enrico Fermi and the Nuclear Chain Reaction
- UChicago and Nuclear History
- Charles Otis Whitman: His Science, His Special Birds, and the Marine Biological Laboratory
- Science at the University of Chicago: A History from the Library's Archival Photofiles
UChicago’s diverse community comprises students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends from all over the world. Learn how our community has grown and changed since the University’s early years.
- The University of Chicago Faculty: A Centennial View
- We Are Chicago: Student Life in the Collections of the University of Chicago Archives
- Life on the Quads: A Centennial View of the Student Experience at the University of Chicago
- Integrating the Life of the Mind: African Americans at the University of Chicago, 1870–1940
- On Equal Terms: Educating Women at the University of Chicago
- The Presidents of the University of Chicago: A Centennial View
- Building for a Long Future: The University of Chicago and Its Donors, 1889–1930
UChicago’s campus includes neo-Gothic quadrangles, glass-walled libraries, Brutalist structures, and postmodern performance spaces. Explore the history of campus architecture.
UChicago has long engaged with its South Side community and the city of Chicago. Explore our history as it connects to Chicago’s history, and learn more about the University’s ongoing civic engagement.
As an intellectual destination, the University of Chicago has been globally engaged for more than a century. Explore UChicago’s intellectual collaborations around the world.
- Global Engagment (PDF)
- Timeline of Research and Collaboration between UChicago and South Asia
- History of Research and Collaboration between UChicago and China
- Researching Mexico: University of Chicago Field Explorations in Mexico, 1896–2014
- Clues for an Archive: The University of Chicago, Mexico, the Social Sciences, and Language
- The Oriental Institute Photographic Archives
Explore documents and reports pertaining to and chronicling the University of Chicago’s heritage and history.
- Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and Statutes
- University Emblems
- The Presidents of the University of Chicago: A Centennial View
- History of the Office of the President
- University Reports
- The University of Chicago Record Archive (contains official University documents from 2000 through 2008)
UChicago spans over a dozen divisions, schools, and other units, each with its own history of inquiry and impact. Read more about the schools, divisions, and other units.
- Chicago Booth: History
- Chicago Harris: History
- The College: History
- Divinity School: History and Mission
- Graham School of Continuing and Professional Studies: About
- Humanities Division: History
- Institute for Molecular Engineering: Vision and Mission
- Law School: History
- Physical Sciences Division: About
- Pritzker School of Medicine: Mission and History
- School of Social Service Administration: History
- Social Sciences Division: About
- The University of Chicago Library: History of the John Crerar LIbrary
- The University of Chicago Medicine: The Evolution of Medicine at the University of Chicago's Hospitals
- The University of Chicago Press: History
