The Empty Chair Memorial ( Japanese : 空席の椅子の記念碑 , Kūseki no Isu no Kinenhi ) is a memorial located at Capital School Park in downtown Juneau, Alaska , United States . It is dedicated to the 53 Juneau residents of Japanese origin who were forcibly relocated and imprisoned in inland internment camps during World War II , as well as to recognize Juneau citizens for their helpful response when the families returned after the war. It is the first memorial in Alaska regarding the internment of Japanese Americans during the war.
80-496: The title of the memorial refers to a student named John Minoru Tanaka, a Juneau High School valedictorian who was relocated a month before his graduation in May 1942. His classmates left an empty chair to recognize him, and, by extension, other local Japanese families, at their graduation ceremonies. Much like the rest of the West Coast , Japanese immigrants began arriving at Alaska in
160-462: A Bachelor of Science degree. By the time Washington state entered the Union in 1889, both Seattle and the university had grown substantially. Washington's total undergraduate enrollment increased from 30 to nearly 300 students, and the campus's relative isolation in downtown Seattle faced encroaching development. A special legislative committee, headed by UW graduate Edmond Meany , was created to find
240-558: A Transition School and Early Entrance Program on campus, which first began in 1977. UW is an elected member of the American Association of Universities , and has been listed as a " Public Ivy " in Greene's Guides since 2001. The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) has consistently ranked UW as one of the top 20 universities worldwide every year since its first release. In 2019, UW ranked 14th worldwide out of 500 by
320-582: A United States Army transport ship to Seattle for processing at Puyallup Assembly Center and then onto Minidoka War Relocation Center in Idaho , where they were incarcerated during the remainder of the war. Shonosuke would later be sent to the United States Department of Justice prison in Lordsburg, New Mexico for a few years before rejoining his family in 1944. While at Minidoka, John volunteered for
400-420: A yield rate (the percentage of accepted students who choose to attend the university) of 27.8%. UW's freshman retention rate is 93%, with 84% going on to graduate within six years. Of the 19% of the incoming freshman class who submitted SAT scores; the middle 50 percent Composite scores were 1240–1450. Of the 8% of enrolled freshmen in 2021 who submitted ACT scores; the middle 50 percent Composite score
480-440: A chance to add to the city's potential and prestige. Bagley learned of a law that allowed United States territories to sell land to raise money in support of public schools. At the time, Arthur A. Denny , one of the founders of Seattle and a member of the territorial legislature, aimed to increase the city's importance by moving the territory's capital from Olympia to Seattle. However, Bagley ultimately persuaded Denny that founding
560-480: A new campus to better serve the growing student population and faculty. The committee eventually selected a site on the northeast of downtown Seattle called Union Bay , which was the land of the Duwamish , and the legislature appropriated funds for its purchase and construction. In 1895, the university relocated to the new campus by moving into the newly built Denny Hall . The University Regents tried and failed to sell
640-438: A new university campus. Arthur and Mary Denny donated eight acres, while fellow pioneers Edward Lander, and Charlie and Mary Terry, donated two acres on Denny's Knoll in downtown Seattle . More specifically, this tract was bounded by 4th Avenue to the west, 6th Avenue to the east, Union Street to the north, and Seneca Streets to the south. John Pike, for whom Pike Street is named, was the university's architect and builder. It
720-563: A number of the university's most historical academic, research, housing, parking, recreational and administrative buildings. With UW's continued growth, administrators proposed a new, multimillion-dollar, multi-phase development plan in late 2014 to refine portions of the North Campus, renovating and replacing old student housing with new LEED-certified complexes, introducing new academic facilities, sports fields, open greenery, and museums. The UW Foster School of Business , School of Law , and
800-702: A partnership with Seattle City Light as part of their Green Up Program, ensuring that all of Seattle campus' electricity is supplied by and purchased from renewable sources. In 2010, then UW President Emmert furthered the university's efforts with a host of other universities across the U.S., and signed the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment . UW created a Climate Action Team, as well as an Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee (ESAC) which keeps track of UW's greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint. Policies were enacted with environmental stewardship in mind, and institutional support
880-524: A preliminary proposal to the Empty Chair Project Steering Committee which has met with their approval. His design was inspired by a wooden folding chair that would have been used for John Tanaka, who left Juneau a month before the actual graduation ceremony in 1942 in which his classmates left for him to honor his absence. The project then took over a span of two years through fundraising and grants from various organizations including
SECTION 10
#1732848126195960-539: A previously unavailable option of transportation into and out of the campus, designed specifically to reduce dependence on private vehicles, bicycles and local King County buses. In January 23, 1939, the University of Washington was criticized for hiring Economics Professor Harold J. Laski , a British Marxist , as a visiting lecturer in between the First Red Scare and Second Red Scare . The University of Washington
1040-507: A special ceremony was held on the 15th at the school gymnasium where John received his diploma. During the official graduation in May 1942, Tanaka's classmates placed an empty wooden folding chair to symbolize his absence. By the end of April, a total of 53 persons of Japanese ancestry left their homes and businesses in Juneau to internment camps inland. John, his brother (William), his mother (Nobu), and his two sisters (Alice and Mary) were taken on
1120-515: A testament to the decency of the people living in Juneau in the mid 20th Century. Following his military discharge in 1946, John enrolled and graduated at the University of Washington where he later went to the St. Louis University School of Medicine and became an anesthesiologist. He died in 1978, survived by his wife, Jeanne Tanaka, and his five children. In July 2012, Seattle artist Peter Reiquam submitted
1200-476: A time, activists had been passionate as to incite a response from school administration to occupy the campus after the activists harmed 17 persons. African American Dr. Robert Flennaugh was appointed to the UW Board of Regents on March 25, 1970 and later on June 22 the University of Washington Daily eliminated gender-based help ads. Activism peaked in 1975 when 2,000 students protested university hiring practices on
1280-521: A top recipient of federal research funds in the United States. The establishment of technology giants such as Microsoft , Boeing and Amazon in the local area also proved to be highly influential in the UW's fortunes, not only improving graduate prospects but also helping to attract millions of dollars in university and research funding through its distinguished faculty and extensive alumni network. In 1990,
1360-564: A university would better contribute to the growth of Seattle's economy. Two universities were initially chartered, but later the decision was repealed in favor of a single university in Lewis County provided that locally donated land was available. When no site emerged, Denny successfully petitioned the legislature to reconsider Seattle as a location in 1858. In 1861, scouting began for an appropriate 10 acres (4 ha) site in Seattle to serve as
1440-646: Is also the location of the UW light rail station . West Campus consists of mainly modernist structures located on city streets, and stretches between 15th Avenue and Interstate 5 from the Ship Canal, to N.E. 41st Street. It is home to the College of Built Environments, School of Social Work, Fishery Sciences Building, UW Police Department as well as many of the university's apartments such as Stevens Court and Mercer Court and residence halls Alder, Lander, Maple and Elm Hall. Also near
1520-403: Is complete in 2025. The Board of Regents is currently searching for a replacement . In 2017 the university reported $ 4.893 billion in revenues and $ 5.666 billion in expenses, resulting in an operating loss of $ 774 million. This loss was offset by $ 342 million in state appropriations, $ 443 million in investment income, $ 166 million in gifts, and $ 185 million of other non-operating revenues. Thus,
1600-414: Is largely taken up by wetlands and Huskies sports facilities and recreation fields, including Husky Stadium , Hec Edmundson Pavilion , and Husky Ballpark . The area directly north of the sports facilities is home to UW's computer science and engineering programs, which includes computer labs once used by Paul G. Allen and Bill Gates for their prior venture before establishing Microsoft. In 2019,
1680-406: Is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the United States . The university has a 703-acre (284 ha) main campus located in the city's University District . It also has satellite campuses in nearby cities of Tacoma and Bothell . Overall, UW encompasses more than 500 buildings and over 20 million gross square footage of space, including one of the largest library systems in
SECTION 20
#17328481261951760-525: Is one of two high schools for the Juneau School District , the other being Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi Alternative High School . As of the 2021–2022 school year, the school's principal is Paula Casperson. In 2019, the phrase "Yadaa.at Kalé" was appended to the school's name to honor the original Tlingit heritage of Juneau. The phrase means "beautifully adorned face" in the Tlingit language , and refers to
1840-643: Is recognized as a top producer of Fulbright Scholars , ranking 2nd in the US in 2017. The university does not require submission of either SAT or ACT scores for admission. The university's undergraduate admissions process is rated 91/99 by the Princeton Review , and is classified "more selective" by the U.S. News & World Report . For the Class of 2025 (enrolled fall 2021), UW received 48,840 applications and accepted 26,121 (53.5%). Of those accepted, 7,252 enrolled,
1920-632: Is situated in Seattle , by the shores of Union and Portage Bays with views of the Cascade Range to the east, and the Olympic Mountains to the west. The site encompasses 703 acres (2.84 km ) bounded by N.E. 45th Street on the north, N.E. Pacific Street on the south, Montlake Boulevard N.E. on the east, and 15th Avenue N.E. on the west. Red Square is the heart of the campus, surrounded by landmark buildings and artworks, such as Suzzallo Library ,
2000-533: The Broken Obelisk , and the statue of George Washington . It functions as the central hub for students and hosts a variety of events annually. University Way, known locally as " The Ave ", lies nearby and is a focus for much student life at the university. North Campus features some of UW's most recognized landscapes as well as landmarks, stretching from the signature University of Washington Quad directly north of Red Square to N.E. 45th Street, and encompasses
2080-653: The ARWU , 26th worldwide out of 981 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings , and 28th worldwide out of 101 in the Times World Reputation Rankings . Meanwhile, QS World University Rankings ranked it 68th worldwide, out of over 900. U.S. News & World Report ranked UW 6th out of nearly 1,500 universities worldwide for 2024, with UW's undergraduate program tied for 40th among 389 national universities in
2160-812: The Bill & Melinda Gates Center For Computer Science & Engineering opened in East Campus. The area northeast of the sports facilities is occupied by components of the UW Botanic Gardens, such as the Union Bay Natural Area , the UW Farm, and the Center for Urban Horticulture. Further east is the Ceramic and Metal Arts Building and Laurel Village, which provides family housing for registered full-time students. East Campus
2240-524: The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture , which houses a significant number of exhibits including a 66-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex fossil skull – one of only 15 known to exist in the world today and part of an ongoing excavation, are also located in North Campus. South Campus occupies the land between Pacific Street and the Lake Washington Ship Canal . The land was previously
2320-965: The Gairdner Foundation International Award , 5 winners of the National Medal of Science , 8 Nobel Prize laureates, 5 winners of Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research , 4 members of the American Philosophical Society , 2 winners of the National Book Award , 2 winners of the National Medal of Arts , 2 Pulitzer Prize winners, 1 winner of the Fields Medal , and 1 member of the National Academy of Public Administration . Among UW students by 2012, there were 136 Fulbright Scholars, 35 Rhodes Scholars, 7 Marshall Scholars and 4 Gates Cambridge Scholars. UW
2400-583: The National Park Service 's Japanese American Confinement Sites program. On July 12, 2014, the Empty Chair Memorial was dedicated at Capital School Park in Juneau, with 200 people in attendance. More than 1,000 origami cranes were made for the ceremony. The memorial is a bronze reproduction of a simple folding chair and has a spartan aura, sequestered in the park with a jagged chunk of planked flooring. Reiquam said that: [T]he irregular edge of
2480-471: The US Federal Government . Oppenheimer never accepted the invitations, and President Dr. Henry Schmitz disapproved of his nomination. From 1958 to 1973, the University of Washington saw a tremendous growth in student enrollment, its faculties and operating budget, and also its prestige under the leadership of Charles Odegaard . During this period, the faculty was sharply divided over the issues of
Empty Chair Memorial - Misplaced Pages Continue
2560-885: The Western Defense Command . One of the notable ethnic Japanese from Juneau was John Minoru Tanaka, a Juneau High School valedictorian , who later served as an inspiration for the Empty Chair Memorial. His father, Shonosuke Tanaka, owned the popular City Cafe in the city for decades and was among the 15 Japanese nationals arrested by the FBI immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack, where they were incarcerated along with two German citizens for several months at Fort Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska . In April 1942, when all ethnic Japanese in Alaska were ordered to leave for internment camps inland,
2640-462: The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . 58°18′19″N 134°25′47″W / 58.3052°N 134.4298°W / 58.3052; -134.4298 University of Washington The University of Washington ( UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub ) is a public research university in Seattle , Washington , United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington
2720-637: The Advancement of Science, 68 members of the National Academy of Sciences , 67 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences , 53 members of the Institute of Medicine , 29 winners of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers , 21 members of the National Academy of Engineering , 15 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators, 15 MacArthur Fellows , 9 winners of
2800-522: The Board of Regents approved a five-year contract for Cauce, awarding her yearly compensation of $ 910,000. Cauce's compensation package includes an annual salary of $ 697,500, $ 150,000 per year in deferred compensation, an annual $ 50,500 contribution into a retirement account, and a $ 12,000 annual automobile allowance. She was the Interim President before her appointment, fulfilling the position left vacant by
2880-523: The Governor appoints a successor. Officers of the Board are elected annually at the September meeting. One of the most notable former regents is William Henry Gates II , the father of Bill Gates . William Henry Gates II served as a Regent from 1997 to 2012. The president of the University of Washington, Ana Mari Cauce , was selected by the Board of Regents, effective October 13, 2015. On November 12, 2015,
2960-566: The JDHS Cross Country team won the state championship for the 2018–2019 season. In November 2017, the Juneau School District voted to merge JDHS's football team with Thunder Mountain High School 's, citing travel costs and declining roster numbers. In February 2018, students from both schools voted on a nickname for the newly merged team, with "Thunder Bears" winning. In March, the nickname caused controversy when an alternate definition of
3040-588: The Japanese population in Alaska was generally small of roughly 200. Also, Japanese residents in Juneau were fairly well treated by their white neighbors. Their children were popular in school and most ethnic Japanese were well integrated into the city's community. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan and the U.S. entry into World War II , President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, which gave military commanders
3120-461: The Pacific Coast to help them avoid the mass incarceration. Nevertheless, many Japanese American students and "soon-to-be" graduates were unable to transfer successfully in the short time window or receive diplomas before being incarcerated. It was only many years later that they were recognized for their accomplishments, during the University of Washington's Long Journey Home ceremonial event that
3200-506: The U.S. Army and served with the 442nd Infantry Regiment in Europe. After the war, most Juneau Japanese families returned to the city and re-established themselves, including the Tanaka family. Welcomed back, they found that residents had watched out for their interests in their absence. Unlike Japanese elsewhere in the country, they were able to resume their prior lives without serious difficulties,
3280-517: The U.S. and tied for 19th among 209 public universities. In 2019, it ranked 10th among the universities around the world by SCImago Institutions Rankings . In 2019, Kiplinger magazine's review of "top college values" named UW 5th for in-state students and 10th for out-of-state students among U.S. public colleges, and 84th overall out of 500 schools. In the Washington Monthly National University Rankings UW
Empty Chair Memorial - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-531: The University of Washington opened its additional campuses in Bothell and Tacoma . Originally designed for students who had completed two years of higher education, both schools have since evolved into four-year universities with the authority to award degrees. The first freshman classes were admitted in the fall of 2006. Today, both the Bothell and Tacoma campuses also offer a range of master's degree programs. In 2012,
3440-520: The University's reputation was damaged." The original proposal of the University included increases for research scientists of about 10% over three years plus changes in the pay structure and a catch-up increase of 3.25% for those who did not get a merit raise last year. For postdocs, the original UW offer was an average 15% total wage increase in 2023, including 13% in January when new minimums were introduced, plus higher minimum salaries. UW's main campus
3520-433: The authority to exclude specified persons from certain areas, paving way for the incarceration of Japanese Americans . Unlike California , Oregon , and Washington which were designated as military exclusion zones that evicted all Japanese residents there to inland internment camps, Alaska was not included on the list due to its small Japanese populace. Nevertheless, the territory's Japanese residents were forced to leave by
3600-462: The boys' soccer team repeated in 2011 for a second straight state championship. The women's basketball team beat Wasilla to become the state champions in 2010. JDHS women's basketball lost to Wasilla the next year, in 2011, in the state championship game. In 2016, the JDHS boys varsity beat Dimond High School for the state title. JDHS Girls Varsity Soccer won the state title for the 2017–2018 school year, and
3680-440: The campus grounds for the exposition, surrounding today's Drumheller Fountain facing towards Mount Rainier . In exchange, organizers agreed Washington would take over the campus and its development after the fair's conclusion. This arrangement led to a detailed site plan and several new buildings, prepared in part by John Charles Olmsted . The plan was later incorporated into the overall UW campus master plan, permanently affecting
3760-568: The campus is the U District Station . The University of Washington Board of Regents governs the University of Washington per the Revised Code of Washington 28B.20.130 statute. The Board is responsible for selecting, overseeing, and assessing the University President . Generally, the Board of Regents entrusts the President with the daily operations of the University, in collaboration with
3840-560: The campus layout. Both World Wars brought the military to campus, with certain facilities temporarily lent to the federal government. In spite of this, subsequent post-war periods were times of dramatic growth for the university. The period between the wars saw a significant expansion of the upper campus. Construction of the Liberal Arts Quadrangle , known to students as "The Quad," began in 1916 and continued to 1939. The university's architectural centerpiece, Suzzallo Library ,
3920-539: The campus through May 13 and 14. Further opposition to the Vietnam War occurred, and in response to anti-Vietnam War protests by the late 1960s, the University Safety and Security Division became the University of Washington Police Department whose administrative change would be well founded as on June 29, 1969, a bomb detonated on campus, causing $ 100,000 damages and no injuries. No group claimed responsibility for
4000-492: The dedication ceremony along with her extended family, as well as Alice Tanaka Hikido, and Jeanne Tanaka, John's widow. 58°18′10″N 134°24′39″W / 58.3028°N 134.4107°W / 58.3028; -134.4107 Juneau-Douglas High School Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé (abbreviated JDHS and named Juneau-Douglas High School through 2019) is one of two high schools in Juneau, Alaska . It
4080-645: The faculty and in line with legal provisions. The Board of Regents is made up of eleven members, including one student member and one faculty member. Regents are appointed by the Governor of the State of Washington for six-year terms, except for the Student Regent (who serves for one year) and the Faculty Regent (who serves for three years). Regents continue to serve after their terms have ended until either they resign or
SECTION 50
#17328481261954160-474: The floor was intended to represent a section of the gymnasium floor that had just been ripped out of the gymnasium as a metaphor for the way that the people were ripped from their homes and their community. The names of the 53 people forced to leave their homes for internment camps during World War II are etched into the floor planks. The communal, military-style camps were ringed by barbed wire and guard towers. Mary Tanaka Abo, one of John Tanaka's sisters, attended
4240-568: The high school state soccer championship in the 2005–2006 season. In 2008, the Crimson Bears won state titles in baseball , softball, and boys' soccer. In the '06 summer season, the tennis team enjoyed victory in Fairbanks in an Alaska-wide tournament. In 2008 the Bears baseball, softball, and boys' soccer programs all won state titles. In 2010 both baseball and boys' soccer won state championships, and
4320-501: The incident. Odegaard instituted a vision of building a "community of scholars", convincing the Washington State legislatures to increase investment in the university. Washington senators , such as Henry M. Jackson and Warren G. Magnuson , also used their political clout to gather research funds for UW. The results included an increase in the operating budget from $ 37 million in 1958 to over $ 400 million in 1973, solidifying UW as
4400-547: The investigations. A year after, another second investigation was commenced by the Joint Legislative Fact-finding Committee on Un-American Activities in the State of Washington, leading to investigations into other professors with a response of "One hundred and three professors [signing] an open letter to the University of Washington Board of Regents that stated the firings were based on guilt by association. The letter also declared that faculty morale and
4480-457: The late 19th and early 20th centuries, where they were drawn by fisheries, mining, logging, agriculture, and other labor-intensive industries. At the time of the Japanese immigration to Alaska, it was under a district status since 1884 and under a territorial status since 1912. Some migrated to Juneau , where they later operated businesses within the city. Unlike most of the West Coast, by 1941,
4560-421: The name of the mountain which faces the school. The mascot of Juneau-Douglas High School is a fiercely roaring bear ; the school's teams compete as the Crimson Bears. JDHS has undergone extensive renovations, most notably to its main hall. The Crimson Bears have seen success and won championships across several sports, including being the state champions in baseball two years in a row in 2002 and 2003,
4640-699: The nation. Its 22 varsity sports teams compete as the Huskies in the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA Division I , and represent the United States at the Olympic Games and other competitions. In 1854, territorial governor Isaac Stevens recommended the establishment of a university in the Washington Territory . Prominent Seattle-area residents, including Methodist preacher Daniel Bagley , saw this as
4720-557: The old campus, eventually settling with leasing the area. This later became one of the university's most valuable pieces of real estate in modern-day Seattle, generating millions in annual revenue with what is now called the Metropolitan Tract . The original Territorial University building was torn down in 1908, and its former site now houses the Fairmont Olympic Hotel . The sole-surviving remnants of Washington's first building are four 24-foot (7.3 m), white, hand-fluted cedar, Ionic columns. They were salvaged by Edmond S. Meany , one of
4800-409: The previous President Michael K. Young when he was announced to be Texas A&M University 's next President on February 3, 2015. Phyllis Wise , who had served at UW as Provost and Executive Vice President, and as Interim President for a year, was named the Chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in August 2011. Cauce has announced she plans to step down after her second term
4880-473: The role of the faculty in faculty appointments, and the conflict of who should run the University, the faculty or the parents and taxpayers. Henry Schmitz characterized the matter as "an internal power struggle." UW student enrollment had more than doubled to 34,000 as the baby boom generation came of age. The University of Washington has a long history with civil rights starting from 1874, through 1899 with civil activism and through 1968 to 1975. This era
SECTION 60
#17328481261954960-510: The site of the University Golf Course but was given up to construct a building for the School of Medicine . Today, South Campus is the location of UW's health sciences and natural sciences facilities, including the UW Medical Center and the Magnuson Health Sciences Center as well as locations for instruction and research in oceanography, bioengineering , biology, genome sciences, hydraulics, and comparative medicine. The East Campus area stretches east of Montlake Boulevard to Laurelhurst and
5040-434: The state champions in boys' cross-country two years in a row in 2004 and 2005, the state softball champions during the 2004–2005 and 2009–2010 seasons, the 2004–2005 boys' track and field state champions, the 2004–2005 boys' swim and diving state champions and the girls' state champions the following year, and the state football champions in the 2005–2006 and 2007–2008 seasons. The Crimson Bears finished second overall in
5120-507: The term was discovered to be a slur for someone "usually of Native American descent" who drank too much alcohol . On March 10, the school board voted 5–4 to reject the nickname, ordering the committee to pick a new one. The merged football team ultimately entered the 2018-2019 season without a mascot. In January 2019, the students choose the "Juneau Huskies" as the new mascot for the merged team. JDHS's girls' soccer team won three consecutive state championships, in 2018, 2019, and 2021, where
5200-400: The top medical school in the United States. The University of Washington's role as a medical school sharply drew more attention after the World War II boom in wartime industry and economics. J. Robert Oppenheimer was nominated in 1954 by the University of Washington's Physics Department to lecture physics students for one week, but was unable to attend because of loyalty checks asked for by
5280-462: The university began exploring plans and governmental approval to expand the main Seattle campus, including significant increases in student housing, teaching facilities for the growing student body and faculty, as well as expanded public transit options. The University of Washington light rail station was completed in March 2015, connecting Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood to the UW Husky Stadium within five minutes of rail travel time. It offers
5360-456: The university's Consolidated Endowment Fund, managed by an internal investment company at an annual cost of approximately $ 6.2 million. The university reported $ 443.383 million of investment income in fiscal year 2017. In 2018, the university claimed to have nearly $ 1 billion in new construction underway. Environmental sustainability has long been a major focus of the university's Board of Regents and Presidents. In February 2006, UW joined
5440-673: The university's Honor Roll of Donors recognized top contributors as including Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft , the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation , and the late Paul G. Allen . Additional notable donors include Amazon , AstraZeneca , Bayer , BlackRock , Boeing , Burroughs Wellcome Fund , Carnegie Corporation of New York , Chan Zuckerberg Initiative , China Medical Board , Eli Lilly and Company , Gilead Sciences , GlaxoSmithKline , Merck , Monsanto , Novartis , Open Philanthropy , Open Society Foundations , Pfizer , Rockefeller Foundation , and Wellcome Trust . Endowed gifts are commingled in
5520-495: The university's first graduates and former head of its history department. Meany and his colleague, Dean Herbert T. Condon, dubbed the columns as "Loyalty," "Industry," "Faith", and "Efficiency", or "LIFE." The columns now stand in the Sylvan Grove Theater . Organizers of the 1909 Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition eyed the still largely undeveloped campus as a prime setting for their world's fair . They came to an agreement with Washington's Board of Regents that allowed them to use
5600-414: The university's net position increased by $ 363 million in 2017. The university is funded in part by donations from philanthropists , foundations, and corporations, as well as individual donors. Bill Gates Sr. and his son Bill Gates , as well as Melinda French Gates and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , are described as having an "unmatched" impact across the entire university. As of 2020,
5680-477: The world with more than 26 university libraries, art centers, museums, laboratories, lecture halls, and stadiums. Washington is the flagship institution of the six public universities in Washington state . It is known for its medical, engineering, and scientific research. Washington is a member of the Association of American Universities . According to the National Science Foundation , UW spent $ 1.73 billion on research and development in 2024, ranking it fifth in
5760-422: Was also marked by high levels of student activism , as was the case at many American universities. Much of the unrest focused around civil rights , actively seen when football coach Jim Owens suspended four Black football players on October 30, 1969, for "[a] lack of commitment to the team," after which activists demanded Owen's resignation and the rest of the black football players on the team refused to play. For
5840-518: Was between 29 and 34. In the 2020–2021 academic year, 24 freshman students were National Merit Scholars . The university uses capacity constrained majors, a gate-keeping process that requires most students to apply to an internal college or faculty. New applications are usually considered once or twice annually, and few students are admitted each time. The screening process is based on cumulative academic performance, recommendation letters and extracurricular activities. UW's research budget surpassed
5920-451: Was built in 1926 and expanded in 1935. In 1942, all persons of Japanese ancestry in the Seattle area were forced into inland internment camps as part of Executive Order 9066 following the attack on Pearl Harbor . During this difficult time, university president Lee Paul Sieg took an active and sympathetic leadership role in advocating for and facilitating the transfer of Japanese American students to universities and colleges away from
6000-520: Was held in May 2008. In October 2, 1946, the University of Washington formally opened a medical school as part of a School of Health Sciences against the Washington State Medical Association's oppositions, who did not wish to create a competitive surplus of physicians. The operation was spearheaded by President Henry Suzzallo based on plans created by Gideon Weed , Rufus Willard , and Thomas Minor earlier in 1884. The G.I. Bill
6080-589: Was highly suspect by the Truman Administration in 1948 and 1949. Thomas H. Bienz , a Democratic State senator , declared that "At least 150 [University faculty members] are Communists " and soon thereafter two investigations were started by the Canwell Committee and the University. Professor of philosophy Herbert Phillips , professor of old English literature Joe Butterworth and professor of social psychology Ralph Gundlach were dismissed after
6160-525: Was later created and passed, establishing the School of Health Sciences while providing $ 3.75 million for buildings and $ 450,000 for salaries. This was the foundation for the University of Washington Medical Center , ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top ten hospitals in the nation. The School of Health Sciences was later renamed the School of Medicine in 1946, which is now consistently ranked as
6240-465: Was opened on November 4, 1861, as the Territorial University of Washington. The legislature passed articles incorporating the university, and establishing its Board of Regents in 1862. The school initially struggled, closing three times: in 1863 for low enrollment, and again in 1867 and 1876 for shortage of funds. Washington awarded its first graduate Clara Antoinette McCarty Wilt in 1876, with
6320-504: Was provided to assist with campus sustainability. Overall, the University of Washington was one of several universities to receive the highest grade, "A−", on the Sustainable Endowments Institute's College Sustainability Report Card in 2011. The university offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees through its 140 departments, themselves organized into various colleges and schools. It also continues to operate
6400-488: Was ranked 15th domestically in 2018, based on its contribution to the public good as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service. In 2017, the Leiden Ranking , which focuses on science and the impact of scientific publications among the world's 500 major universities, ranked UW 12th globally and 5th in the U.S. Among the faculty as of 2012, there have been 151 members of American Association for
#194805