The Location:
The boundaries of the University of Texas' main campus (also commonly referred to as UT) spreads north to south from Martin Luther King Boulevard to Dean Keaton Street. UT's east-to-west boundaries extend from Guadalupe Street to just east of Interstate 35. The Texas university's J.J. Pickle Research Campus is in North Austin, away from the main campus.
UT Then and Now:
The Texas university was founded in 1883 with one building, 221 students, two departments, and just eight teachers. UT currently has nearly 50,000 students, 21,000 faculty and staff, and 16 colleges and schools with around 170 areas of study.
Reputation:
The school has always been a well-regarded Texas university, but in recent years, admission at UT has become increasingly competitive and its academic reputation has grown much stronger. It's not surprising to meet high school valedictorians who chose the University of Texas over an Ivy League college.
The Texas university has an extremely strong Radio-TV-Film program, which is the alma mater of director Robert Rodriguez. The law school is consistently ranked one of the top 15-20 law schools in the country and its pharmacy school is also prestigious. UT is respected world-wide as a top-notch research institution.
Longhorn Athletics:
Austin bleeds burnt orange for the wildly popular University of Texas Longhorn athletic teams. The UT football team has won four national championships and ranks third in NCAA all-time victories, is beloved in the city. On game days, all the bars and restaurants near the Texas university become packed with passionate fans. While football is king, Longhorn basketball and baseball are also popular.
University of Texas athletics are a part of the Big 12 Conference, and has won more titles in men’s and women’s sports than any other school in the league since it began in 1996. This Texas university thrives off of sports.
The UT Tower:
Built in 1937, the UT tower, part of the campus' main administrative building, is both a beautiful symbol of the school and the spot of a tragedy. In 1966, student Charles Whitman went to the tower's observatory deck and killed 14 people and wounded 31 in a shooting rampage. He was shot and killed by a police offer, and it was later found that Whitman was suffering from a brain tumor that may have caused his behavior. The tower has since become a more positive symbol at the Texas university; whenever a UT sports team wins a game or there is a special event, the tower is lit up burnt orange and can be seen across town.
UT Traditions:
The University of Texas has many traditions.
- The Hook 'em Horns hand gesture is a recognized symbol for the Texas university, and has been since the head cheerleader began using it in 1955.
- Since 1903, the song "The Eyes of Texas" has been the school's alma mater, and is sung at all the games.
- The Longhorn Band is another staple of UT; called "the Showband of the Southwest," they are one of the most accomplished university bands and make athletic games even more exciting.
- Bevo, a Texas Longhorn, is the Texas university's mascot. He has been the mascot since 1916, though the actual longhorn is replaced from time to time.