Founding UND was founded in 1883, six years before North Dakota became a state. UND was founded with a liberal arts foundation and expanded to include scientific research. Grand Forks native
George H. Walsh submitted the bill to the Territorial Legislature of
Dakota Territory that called for the new state of North Dakota's university to be in Grand Forks. In the 1880s, UND consisted of only a few acres of property, surrounded by farms and fields, nearly two miles west of the city of Grand Forks. Students living off campus had to take a train or a horse and carriage bus, dubbed the "Black Maria", from downtown to the campus.
20th century As the university grew, more buildings were constructed on campus and a trolley system was built to connect the growing university to
downtown Grand Forks. However, there were several major interruptions in the life of the university. In 1918, UND was the country's hardest-hit single institution by the flu epidemic that killed 1,400 people in North Dakota alone. Later that year, classes were suspended so the campus could become an army base for soldiers during World War I. "Camp Depression," as it was called, consisted of railroad
cabooses that each housed eight male students. A large amount of housing and several academic buildings had to be built on campus. In the 1960s and 1970s, many student protests occurred at UND. The largest was in May 1970 when over 1,500 students protested the
Kent State shootings. However, the devastating
1997 Red River flood inundated numerous buildings on campus and forced the cancellation of the remainder of the school year.
21st century The start of the 21st century was marked by the opening of two major venues for
UND athletics. The
Ralph Engelstad Arena, home of men's and women's hockey, and the
Alerus Center, home of UND football, both opened in 2001. The
Betty Engelstad Sioux Center opened in August 2004, and serves as home to UND volleyball and men's and women's basketball. Millions of dollars' worth of construction and renovation projects have dotted the campus landscape. As part of a plan to improve student facilities on campus, UND constructed a Wellness Center, a parking garage, new Memorial Union, renovated library, renovated Gershman Center for graduate students, and an apartment-style housing complex. Other construction projects around campus have included a new LEED Platinum-certified alumni center, a renovated and expanded College of Education and Human Development, and an expanded
Energy and Environmental Research Center. In 2016, a $124-million Medicine and Health Services building was built on the north end of campus. In 2015, UND's economic impact on the state and region was estimated to be more than $1.4 billion a year according to the NDUS Systemwide Economic Study by the School of Economics at North Dakota State University. It was the fourth-largest employer in the state of North Dakota, after the
Air Force. In August 2021, UND became the first participant in the
United States Space Force's University Partnership program. ==Campus==