History of the University of Chicago

The University of Chicago was founded in 1891, using the same name as the Old University of Chicago (then known as the University of Chicago), which was founded in the 1850s but closed in 1886. Supporters of a new university raised money, selected a new campus in Hyde Park, and opened its doors in 1890, with classes beginning in 1892. Most of the original financing came from oil magnate John D. Rockefeller and the American Baptist Education Society The university's first president was William Rainey Harper.

Major educational reforms were instituted during the tenure of the university's fifth president Robert Maynard Hutchins during the 1930s and 1940s, including the creation of the university's Common Core curriculum for undergraduates.

Recently, the university has begun major campus expansion projects.