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Crimson Tide – History

The University of Alabama’s athletic teams are known as Crimson Tide.

In 1818, congress authorized the newly-created Alabama Territory to set aside a township for the establishment of a seminary of learning. A second township was added in 1819 when Alabama was admitted to the Union. The total of the two townships brought to a total of 46 000 acres. The general assembly of Alabama established the seminary in late 1820 and named it “The University of the State of Alabama”, and created a board of trusted to manage the construction and operation of the university. Alabama opened its doors to students on April 18, 1831, with Reverend Alva Woods as President. There were around 100 students per year at the University in the 1830’s. As Alabama was a frontier state and a sizable amount of its territory was still in the hand various Native American tribes until the late 1840’s, it lacked the infrastructure to prepare students for the rigors of university education. Those whom graduated often had distinguished careers in Alabama and national politics. Early graduates of Alabama included Benjamin Porter and Alexander Meek.

The University had one of the largest libraries in the country at more that 5 000 volumes. There were several thriving literary societies, including the Erosophic and the Phi Beta Kappa societies, these societies frequently held lectures by politicians and literacy figures.

Discipline and student behavior was a major issue at the university from almost the day it opened. It became so violent that students were prohibited from drinking, swearing or playing musical instruments outside of one hour time frame, gun fights and riots were not an uncommon occurrence.