1 8 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



the House on the same date, 1 and became a law through the signature 

 of Governor Gilpin on November 7, 1861. 2 



The "Act to establish the University of Colorado," 3 states that it 

 was "designated to promote and encourage the diffusion of knowl- 

 edge, in all the branches of learning, including the scientific, literary, 

 theological, legal and medical departments of instruction." For this 

 purpose a Seminary Fund was created, to "consist of all moneys 

 arising from the sale of all lands which may be donated by the Con- 

 gress of the United States for seminary purposes, and all moneys 

 which may be donated for that purpose from any and all sources." 

 This fund was to be under the control of a commission composed of 

 the governor, the secretary of the territory and the district attorney. 

 The government of the university was to be in the hands of a board 

 of trustees, 4 which should have the power to hold property, elect 

 officers, fill vacancies, locate the university, appoint its officers and 

 prescribe the course of study. The university was located at Boulder 

 City, as the present Boulder was then called. 



For years this act of the legislature remained a dead letter. The 

 first board of trustees never met, no site for a university was selected 

 and, except in name, the University of Colorado did not exist. These 

 were the troubled days of the Territory of Colorado, the days of the 

 waning of the first mining enthusiasm and of the distress caused by 

 the Civil War. The university project suffered in the midst of the 

 general depression. On the eve of the meeting of the eighth session 

 of the territorial legislature an attempt was made to assemble the 

 people of Boulder for the purpose of taking measures to secure a 

 meeting of the incorporators of the university. 5 This meeting was 

 held on December 26, 1869, but was very poorly attended. 6 A com- 

 mittee was appointed to ascertain the necessary steps to be taken. 

 Of this committee nothing further is heard. 



1 Souse Journal, ist session, p. 373. > Ibid., p. 387. 



* General Laws, ist session, pp. 144-46. 



< The names of the incorporators follow: D. P. Wallingford, J. Feld, A. O. Patterson, A. A. Bradford, 

 Wm. Gilpin, Edwin Scudder, C. Dominguez, Byron M. Sanford, William Hamind, J. B. Chaffee, Chief Justice 

 B. F. Hall, Amos Steck, Jesus M. Barela, G. F. Crocker, J. S. Jones, M. Goss. 



* Boulder News, December 21, 1869. 6 Ibid., December 28, 1869. 



