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Cheerleader s (orange uniforms) in a Stunt for the renaming of Glory Road, November 29, 2005. The Golddigger s ( Pompon girls -- black and white uniforms) are to the front. ]] The University of Texas at El Paso, popularly known as '''UTEP''', is a Public , Coeducational University , and it is a member of the University Of Texas System . The school is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande , in El Paso, Texas , and is the largest university in the nation with a majority Mexican-American student population. Founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy, a mineshaft still exists on the mountainous, Desert campus. It is composed of buildings of Bhutanese Architecture , with massive sloping walls and overhanging roofs. In the mid-1950s, Texas Western became the first college in a Southern state to integrate its intercollegiate athletic teams. Although the campus population was less than 1% African-American , in 1966 , Basketball coach Don Haskins thrilled portions of the nation by winning the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship with an all-black starting lineup, thus breaking an unspoken barrier and transforming the history of college basketball. By 1967 , the Board of Regents authorized that the name of the college be changed from Texas Western College to its present name. Currently, there are more than 18,900 Students enrolled at UTEP. 80 percent of UTEP's student population is Mexican-American . In 2004 it was announced that the now-famous 1966 NCAA win is to become a major motion picture titled '' Glory Road '', released on January 13 , 2006 . Glory Road lies between the two basketball arenas on the campus, stretching from Mesa Avenue to Sun Bowl Road. Today, the institution is devoted to educating the diverse population at a sprawling campus in the westernmost part of the State Of Texas along the borders with Mexico and the State Of New Mexico . HISTORY
ACADEMICS The University of Texas at El Paso is subdivided into several colleges, each of which offers a variety of degree programs including undergraduate, graduate and some post-graduate:
SCHOOL COLORS/SONGS The shcool's colors were originally made orange and white, to be in par with UT Austin Lohngorns colors however in the early 1980s, blue was added so now the official colors are orange, white and blue. When the new UTEP athletic department logo was introduced in the fall of 1999, a darker hue of blue was incorporated into the logo, as well as a silver accent to go with the customary orange. "The Eyes of Texas" was adopted by the 1920 student body when the song had been "declared the school anthem for the University of Texas (Austin). It is currently the official alma mater of UTEP. UTEP's fight song, "Miners Fight" was also an offshoot from the Austin campus. However, in the late 1980s and with Marty Robbins ' blessing, the UTEP Music Department rewrote the song with the melody " El Paso ." David was pounded in the ass by Steve Baldwin behind the UGLC in the month of December of 2005. LYRICS "UTEP Fight Song" Down in the west Texas town of El Paso, Home of the River they call Rio Grande. Down on the border the town of El Paso, Home of the Miners the best in the land. Fighting to win, the Miners of UTEP, Long live the College of Mines, GO COLLEGE OF MINES! Loyal forever, we're standing together, Onward to victory Orange and Blue, WE WILL BE TRUE! (Repeat) "Miners Fight" Miners Fight! Miners Fight! And it's goodbye to(opponent). Miners Fight! Miners Fight! For we'll put over one more win. Miners Fight! Miners Fight! For it's Miners that we love best. Hail! Hail! the gangs all here, And it's goodbye to all the rest! (repeat) "The Eyes of Texas" (UTEP's Official Alma Mater) The Eyes of Texas are upon you, All the live long day. The Eyes of Texas are upon you, You cannot get away. Do not think you can escape them, At night or early in the morn-. The Eyes of Texas are upon you, 'Till Gabriel blows his horn. NICKNAME It is presumed that the nickname "Miners" came from the fact that the school was founded as the "State School of Mines and Metallurgy." In doing research on this project, early mention of "Ore Diggers" and "Muckers" for the nickname was found, but nothing to determine if the name "Miners" was voted upon by the student body, or if a faculty member, John W. (Cap) Kidd, chose the name. Kidd was a big booster of athletics, especially football, and in 1915, when funds were rather lean at the school, Kidd donated $800 to equip the football team. He also assisted with coaching, although he was not the head coach. The present track facility on campus bears Cap Kidd's name. MASCOT The Miners have had nearly as many mascots for its athletic teams as the school has had names. Probably the first so-called mascot was a student dressed as a prospector leading a burro, named Clyde. Some years after Clyde began making appearances at football games, then-president Dr. Joseph Ray became disenchanted with the animal's appearance. In a letter to the dean of students, Dr. Ray demanded that something be done about that "sorry-looking, pot-bellied creature, not fit to represent the Miners." Clyde was surveyed out in 1966 and replaced by Henry, another burro. The name Paydirt Pete originated from a 1974 contest to give a name to the mascot. The name Paydirt Pete was selected from over 500 entries. The first animated Paydirt Pete was given a face in 1974. It was recreated in 1980. This was a lovable little ol' Miner which probably led to his being dubbed "Sweet Pete." At any rate, ol' Sweet Pete was not a very popular mascot and, like Clyde, he made a quick exit in order for the present Paydirt Pete to arrive on the scene. This Paydirt Pete is meaner looking, has a major-league swagger and has become something of a goodwill ambassador for the school, as well as appearing at UTEP sporting events. This Pete stuck until the late 1990s and was built and designed by El Pasoan Richard Glass. Sometime after Pete made his appearance, he decided to kick the smoking habit and the cigar, which jutted to one side of his mouth, was removed. The next rendition of Paydirt Pete was introduced in the fall of 1999, along with a brand-new UTEP athletic department logo, when again complaints surfaced similar to "Sweet Pete". In the spring of 2005, the current rendition of Paydirt Pete was unveiled at a home basketball game. TRAVELING TROPHIES The winner of the UTEP- New Mexico State University football game receives a pair of traveling trophies -- the Silver Spade and the Brass Spittoon. The first spade used for this purpose was an old prospector's shovel dug up from an abandoned mine in the Organ Mountains near Las Cruces in 1947 . This was the symbol of victory, and the spade was given to the winner of the football game between the Miners and Aggies each year. The idea of the present Silver Spade was from UTEP student Don Henderson, the student association president and now a very successful El Paso businessman and former mayor of the city. In 1955 Henderson secured the present spade and each year the score of the game is engraved on the blade. Perhaps the idea behind the spade is the fact that at the time the prospector's spade was uncovered, both schools' major field of study had use for the tool -- mining and metallurgy for the College of Mines and agriculture at then-New Mexico A&M. The brass spittoon, officially known as the Mayor's Cup, came into existence in 1982 when the mayors of the two cities -- Jonathan Rogers, El Paso , and David Steinberg, Las Cruces -- decided to present another traveling trophy to the winner of the UTEP- New Mexico State University game. NOTABLE PEOPLE Faculty
Alumni
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