The University of Houston (UH)

The University of Houston (UH) is a state research university and the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, UH is the third-largest university in Texas with nearly 41,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of Houston University Park from 1983 to 1991. The Carnegie Foundation classifies UH as a Tier One research university. The U.S. News & World Report ranks the university No. 189 in its National University Rankings, and No. 106 among top public universities.

The university offers over 300 degree programs through its 12 academic colleges on campus including programs leading to professional degrees in law, optometry, and pharmacy.The institution conducts nearly $130 million annually in research, and operates more than 40 research centers and institutes on campus.

Interdisciplinary research includes superconductivity, space commercialization and exploration, biomedical sciences and engineering, energy and natural resources, and artificial intelligence. Awarding more than 8,200 degrees annually, UH's alumni base exceeds 260,000. The economic impact of the university contributes over $3 billion annually to the Texas economy, while generating about 24,000 jobs.

The University of Houston hosts a variety of theatrical performances, concerts, lectures, and events. It has over 400 student organizations and 17 intercollegiate sports teams. Annual UH events and traditions include The Cat's Back, Homecoming, and Frontier Fiesta. The university's varsity athletic teams, known as the Houston Cougars, are members of the American Athletic Conference and compete in the NCAA's Division I in all sports.

The football team regularly makes bowl game appearances, and the men's basketball team has made 19 appearances in the NCAA Division I Tournament including five Final Four appearances. The men's golf team has won 16 national championships the second-most of any NCAA golf program.

The junior college became eligible to become a university in October 1933 when Governor of Texas, Miriam A. Ferguson, signed House Bill 194 into law. On April 30, 1934, HISD's Board of Education adopted a resolution to make the school a four-year institution, and Houston Junior College changed its name to the University of Houston.

UH's first session as a four-year institution began June 4, 1934, at San Jacinto High School with an enrollment of 682. In 1934, the first campus of the University of Houston was established at the Second Baptist Church at Milam and McGowen. The next fall, the campus was moved to the South Main Baptist Church on Main Street between Richmond Avenue and Eagle Street where it stayed for the next five years.In May 1935, the institution as a university held its first commencement at Miller Outdoor Theatre.