Students on today’s University of North Texas campus join campus organizations in large numbers. These groups include fraternities, sororities, academic-focused groups, and intermural sports, among other groups. In the early days of the university, groups included club sports, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and groups formed around music performances. An early array of clubs were the… Read more »
The University of North Texas was founded in Denton, a town that was largely built of wood and had a long history of fires. Denton endeavored to deal with the problem by replacing wood with brick and organizing a Fire Department in 1874. The firefighters were volunteers who were equipped with buckets and a hand… Read more »
There have been four structures that held administrative offices on campus. These include the Normal Building, the Main Building, the Administration Building (now the Auditorium Building), and the Administration Building (now the Hurley Administration Building). One of the structures faces Hickory Street and is now known as the Auditorium Building. The Texas Legislature appropriated $300,000… Read more »
A group of female students at North Texas Normal College met on October 12, 1902, to form the Mary Arden Club. The organization was named for William Shakespeare’s mother. The faculty member responsible for this new literary group was Miss Edith Lanier Clark. Clark, an English instructor at the time, wanted a club that would… Read more »
Students walking on the south side of the University Union, near Highland Street, have the opportunity to view a sculpture by a world-famous artist and UNT alumnus, Jesús Moroles. Jesús Bautista Moroles (1950-2015) was born in Corpus Christi. He was the eldest child in a family of six children. He was named after an uncle,… Read more »
(1924-1989) Generations of students learned to ride and care for horses at the University of North Texas thanks to a woman named Sweet Estes. Ms. Estes was born in Ennis, Texas. She was named Sammie Jean Estes and acquired the nickname “Sweet” from her big sister, Queena Jo Estes, shortly after birth. Sweet started selling… Read more »
One of the most celebrated coaches of UNT history was the aptly named Charles C. Sportsman (Choc). Born in 1902 in McKinney, Texas, he attended Texas University in the fall of 1922 before transferring to North Texas State Normal College (now known as the University of North Texas) in the summer of that same year…. Read more »
Students on campus will find Bain Hall located on Highland Street and used primarily by music students as practice rooms. The structure was originally built in 1947 as part of the Quadrangle, a dormitory for men. It was renovated and renamed in 1991 to honor the former Dean of School of Music. Dr. Bain has… Read more »
Transportation has always been a concern for students, but also for the citizens of Denton. In 1908, the Denton Traction Company sought to solve this problem with the introduction of street cars. The corporation was headed by H. M Griffin. R. J. and W. W. Wilson purchased control of the operation in 1909. The streetcars… Read more »
The Current Literature Club, an organization for women who shared an interest in literature, decided to bring the arts and lectures on current events to campus. The goal was to expand access to drama, music, and knowledge of world events to the student body. In 1903, the Current Literature Club sponsored the first “Lyceum… Read more »
