150 Years of Nevada history

Celebrating 150 Years

Founded in 1874, Nevada is commemorating the events and people that have shaped its transformative history.

Land acknowledgement

We acknowledge that the University of Nevada, Reno is situated on the traditional homelands of the Numu (Northern Paiute), Wašiw (Washoe), Newe (Western Shoshone), and Nuwu (Southern Paiute) peoples. These lands continue to be a gathering place for Indigenous Peoples and we recognize their deep connections to these places. We extend our appreciation for the opportunity to live and learn on their territory.

Dusk falls on an illuminated Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center.

Celebrate with us on Oct. 10

Join us for A Journey Through 150 Years at the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, a milestone event that brings together students, faculty, alumni staff, donors and community members to honor the rich history and bright future of our beloved institution.

Thursday, October 10, 2024
Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center
Festivities will begin at 4 p.m.

RSVP

Upcoming events

Celebrate with us as we count down to the 150th anniversary on Oct. 12

Oct 08
State of the University 3:00 PM Glick Ballrooms
President Brian Sandoval delivers a state of the University Address from a lectern with senior leadership seated behind him on a stage.
Oct 09
150th Anniversary Album Premiere Party 7:30 PM University Fine Arts
An image of a musical note on a scale.
Oct 10
A Journey Through 150 Years 4:00 PM MIKC
University of Nevada, Reno 150th Anniversary Logo
Oct 10
Nevada Volleyball vs. Air Force 7:00 PM Virginia Street Gym
University of Nevada, Reno sport wolf logo
Oct 11
Coffee and donuts on The Quad with President Sandoval 8:30 AM The Quad
A donut with white icing and sprinkles.
Oct 11
Nevada Football Walkthrough on the Quad 8:30 AM The Quad
University of Nevada, Reno sport wolf logo
Oct 11
150 Years of Women's Contributions to the University 2:30 PM Joe Crowley Student Union
University of Nevada, Reno 150th Anniversary Logo
Oct 11
PACK! MidTown 5:30 PM Midtown
Five people stand on each side of a giant sign made of lights with the words "Go Pack" with white balloons hanging of the light word stucture.
Oct 12
Nevada Football vs. Oregon State 4:30 PM Mackay Stadium
University of Nevada, Reno sport wolf logo

Celebrate with art

The Great Basin Mural - Honoring Heritage Through Art

Church Fine Arts Mural - Soft Power

The University of Nevada, 1874-2024
150 Years of Inspiring Excellence

by John Trent

Since opening in October 1874 in Elko, Nevada, the University of Nevada, Reno has grown into an institution of more than 21,000 students pursuing their academic dreams. The 150th anniversary book is published in honor of this milestone, showcasing why the University has truly been a catalyst for success throughout the state’s history.

Available October 1, 2024

Purchase your copy

The cover to the book "The University of Nevada, 1874-2024: 150 Years of Inspiring Excellence" by John Trent. The cover has the title at the top above a sepia-colored version of Morrill Hall as it originally stood in 1886.

Sesquicentennial Celebration Film

Watch the exciting short film about the our journey that elebrates the rich history, achievement, and bright future of the University.

Watch the film

A walk through the University's history

The University of Nevada, Reno Quad fades from color in 2020 with large trees and grass lawn to a black and white version of the Quad from 1915, with the Mackay School of Mines visible at the end of the quad, lined with buildings no longer on campus.

The Nevada campus: Then and now

With centuries of tradition and natural beauty, the Nevada campus is one of the most stunning in the nation. Take a walk through that tradition with visual comparisons of historical and modern photos of some of the University's most famous locations.

Special Collections and University Archives Photograph Collection, Quad, 1915

See how the campus has changed
1911 black and white photo that looks north shows the following buildings from left to right: Stewart Hall, Lincoln Hall, Chemistry Building, Mackay School of Mines, Mechanical Building, and the Physics Building. A view of the University of Nevada, Reno Quad looking north, showing large trees surrounding the grass of the Quad. Mackay School of Mines is visible in the distance.

Use the slider bar above to compare both images

A black and white photo of Morrill Hall in 1886.

Explore the University's history

Experience 150 years of Wolf Pack history through stories of dynamic moments, transformative education, cutting-edge discovery and campus expansion.

Special Collections and University Archives Photograph Collection, Morrill Hall, 1886

Walk through a historical timeline
Black and white photo of Leroy Brown, the first president of the University of Nevada.

150 years of leadership

Seventeen presidents have guided the University from its humble beginnings as a one-building preparatory school in Elko to a modern Carnegie® R1 research institution with a global footprint.

Special Collections and University Archives Photograph Collection, President Leroy D. Brown, 1887

Meet the individuals who led the University

A more beautiful situation would be hard to find. In all directions the outlook is inspiring. To the west the great eastern flank of the Sierra, heavily wooded with pine and fir, forms the horizon from Peavine to the point where it is intersected by a higher wooded range standing boldly out the east, the Rose Spur of the Sierra. The mountains of this spur are bolder and higher. They...are seen from every part of the Campus and from almost every part of the valley, the great peak of Mount Rose, white with snow for three-quarters of the year rising over everything else.

S.B. Doten, History of the University of Nevada, 1924

1898 graduate and faculty member from 1900 until his retirement in 1946.

Black and white photo from the 1900s of Reno, a collection of wooden buildings, surrounded by trees, with the Sierra Mountain Range visible in the distance.