The University of Northern Colorado began in 1889 as the Colorado State Normal School, an institution dedicated to training the state's teachers. Over the next century the institution grew from a relatively small normal school into an acclaimed state university with several nationally recognized graduate and undergraduate programs. During this period of transformation, the Greeley school experienced several name changes. It was renamed the State Teachers College of Colorado in 1911, followed by the Colorado State College of Education in 1935, then simply the Colorado State College in 1957, and finally, the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) in 1970, in recognition of the institution's broadened mission. UNC's first 100 years saw dramatic changes to the physical and academic environments on campus, including advancements in the fields of education, health, music, theater arts, and human sciences.
