UTSA launches 50th anniversary celebration

(Jan. 2, 2019) – Thousands of Roadrunners will return to campus today to witness a fresh look in the new year. Over winter break, crews were busy installing new signage across the UTSA Main and Downtown Campuses to signify the start of UTSA’s 50^th anniversary celebration.

A giant banner now hangs from the Bauerle Road Garage on the Main Campus. Bold orange and blue pole banners featuring a 1969 and 2019, a big 5-0 and an image of the Rowdy statue line campus walkways on the Main and Downtown Campuses.

To encourage the San Antonio community to join UTSA in its 50^th anniversary, colorful 50^th billboards will soon be displayed across the city and flags will be hung on poles along San Antonio streets.

UTSA will officially turn 50 on June 5, 2019. To commemorate the historic milestone, the university has a yearlong celebration planned that includes a slate of exciting activities and events.

The university encourages students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends to join the celebration by raising awareness of UTSA’s 50^th anniversary on social media. Members of the Roadrunner community should take photos or videos of themselves in front of UTSA 50^th banners and billboards, post those photos on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn channels, and bring the posts to North Paseo Building 5.102 to receive a free t-shirt. One t-shirt will be provided per person per post while supplies last.

Members of the Roadrunner community are also encouraged to share their memories with UTSA. Stories, photos and video may be submitted online, and the best memories will be featured on a 50^th anniversary website set to launch on January 14.

Texas Governor Preston Smith signs HB 42 in a 1969 ceremony at the Alamo, officially founding UTSA.

UTSA’s 50^th anniversary website will also be packed full of archival photos, videos and stories depicting UTSA’s first 50 years and serving as a sneak peek of what’s to come. It will also include an extensive timeline featuring interesting facts about the university and a list of signature events for members of the San Antonio community who want to celebrate UTSA’s birthday.

Founded by the 61^st Texas Legislature on June 5, 1969, UTSA was commissioned as a university of the first class. Until UTSA was established, San Antonio was the only major city in the nation not served by a public university. Leaders, legislators and the public knew that if San Antonio was to achieve its full potential, a nationally recognized research university was needed to offer a comprehensive array of courses and degrees.

Today, UTSA offers nearly 160 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees to more than 32,000 students through nine colleges and The Graduate School. The university has internationally respected academic programs, award-winning faculty and sophisticated science, technology and recreational facilities, along with recognized arts and humanities programs and diverse, dynamic student life. Increasingly, UTSA is recognized as a leader in higher education and research. The university is ranked among the top 400 universities in the world and one of the top four young universities in the nation, according to Times Higher Education.

As an intellectual and creative resource center and a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property for Texas and beyond, UTSA is committed to becoming an urban serving discovery enterprise that provides access to educational excellence and prepares leaders for the global environment.

— Courtney Clevenger

Roadrunners, their families and friends are encouraged to share their UTSA 50^th anniversary experiences on social media using #UTSA and #UTSA50.

Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.