History of ChE at the University of Washington

Abstract

The University of Washington as an educational entity is not old compared to many other institutions of higher learning in the United States. It was founded in 1861 at a time when the northwestern section of the United States was still being developed politically and geographically into the present states of Washington and Oregon. Approximately ten acres of land in what is now downtown Seattle was set aside for the territorial university. As the State grew and increased in population, so did the city of Seattle. The need for a university was present but the number of students with the right preparation to enter a university was minimal. The financing of the institution was shaky and during the first decades of its existence the University opened and closed at different times depending upon the availability of money to meet operating expenses. In spite of this rather erratic beginning, the university continued to grow and became stronger and more of a definite entity toward the end of the 19th century.