When someone mentions Reno, the words “college town” don’t automatically spring to mind. Yet The Biggest Little City is home to the flagship campus of University of Nevada.
Founded as the State University in 1874 in Elko, the university moved to more populated Reno in 1885. Presently, University of Nevada, Reno — or UNR, as it is commonly called in-state — boasts a delightful mix of old and new architecture on its pretty campus, just north of downtown Reno.
If you park in the multi-level garage or surface lots near the Lawlor Events Center, some of the first buildings you’ll see are the modern, “green” Joe Crowley Student Union, which opened in 2007 and the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center (library) which opened in 2008.
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| Joe Crowley Student Union |
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| Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center |
At the far south end of the UNR campus, facing “the quad,” is Morill Hall which dates back to the late 1800s.
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| The UNR Quad, with historic Morill Hall at the south end |
You don’t have to be a student or faculty member to enjoy a stroll around the grounds at UNR. My family did just that on a recent sunny day. It was refreshing to see signs of spring all around us.
And we had just eaten lunch elsewhere, but if that had not been the case, there are several restaurants in UNR's student union, serving bagels, sub sandwiches, Mexican, Italian and Asian foods.
A few months back, my husband and I attended a wonderful performance by UNR orchestra students at Nightingale Concert Hall. Tickets were inexpensive and the concert included a guest soloist from the Reno Philharmonic.
I’ve also been impressed by UNR’s L-Cubed series: “Look, Lunch, Listen.” These are free, noontime music recitals in the Rotunda at the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. Community members are invited to bring a lunch or snack, while advanced music students and professors play chamber music. (Several of these sessions happened last fall; I'm not sure when they will be scheduled again.)
Some fun facts about the UNR campus: In the 1940s, several Hollywood movies were filmed there, including “Mr. Belvedere Goes To College," “Andy Hardy’s Blonde Trouble” and “Mother is a Freshman.”
And Gutzon Borglum, who carved Mount Rushmore with his son Lincoln Borglum, was the artist who carved the bronze statue of John Mackay that stands in front of UNR’s Mackay School of Mines. Irish immigrant John Mackay was instrumental in directing the extraction of more than $100 million in ore during Virginia City’s glory days in the 1870s. Mackay's heirs funded many facilities at UNR and the football stadium is named for the family, as well.
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| John Mackay statue at Mackay School of Mines |
I’ve always known that UNR had a strong mining program, an award-winning journalism school, a respected medical school and so on. More recently, I’ve learned that UNR is a leader in earthquake research — and nature conservation studies, aided by Reno’s proximity to Lake Tahoe.
It’s obvious, too, that Nevada’s athletic teams, the Wolf Pack, generate a lot of pride and excitement here in Reno.
If you’re a local who has ignored the UNR campus or a visitor to Reno, don't be a stranger! Take some time to discover what the university has to offer.
A campus map and much more information are online at http://www.unr.edu/discover-nevada .
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