University History

"The Deserted Village"

Founded by Judge John J. Harper in 1836, the city of Auburn takes its name from a line in “The Deserted Village,” a poem by Oliver Goldsmith. “Sweet Auburn, the loveliest village of the plain” is a line that has become so synonymous with the community that it is sometimes difficult to recall which inspired the other.
 

Over 100 Years Of Excellence

The proud spirit of Auburn, inspired by the beauty of the picturesque landscape and persevering character of the people, has been continually enhanced by the deep-rooted traditions cultivated by the Auburn Family. Though the economic and social events of the South inspired several transformations in the University closely following its founding, the enduring spirit of the people of this community has triumphed and is celebrated in traditions dating back to the 19th century.

Auburn University began as a men’s college under the wing of the Episcopal Methodist Church South before graduating the first 5 Auburn alumnae in 1860. After a brief closure in the final years of the Civil War, Auburn was reopened as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama. The college continued to grow and evolve, admitting its first female students and forming its first football team in 1892.

The university became Auburn University in 1960, boasting a comprehensive curriculum fusing fine arts and science. Currently offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in 13 schools of study, AU was the first university in the country to offer degrees in Wireless Communication, and the first in the Southeast to offer degrees in Software Engineering. At the forefront of technology, Auburn University is the alma mater of 6 NASA astronauts, and the past 2 directors of the Kennedy Space Center.

Now one of the largest universities in the South, Auburn continues to successfully meld the rich traditions of its past with the dynamic possibilities of the future.