Fact vs. Fiction: The Lore of DU
What's true, what's not, and what falls somewhere in between? From ghost stories to campus conspiracies, we investigated DU’s most legendary tales.
Every university worth its salt has its share of larger-than-life stories about its students, faculty, campus, and traditions—but what happens when those tales grow taller and taller over time?
It’s not always easy to sort fact from fiction when it comes to university lore, so we created a DU lore cheat sheet to set the record straight. Read on for more about what’s true—and what isn’t—about dear old DU.
The Mary Reed building is haunted.
Visitors to the building’s beautiful Renaissance Room have no doubt felt the watchful eye of Mary Reed as they pass by her large portrait. DU alum Phil Goodstein (MA ’75) , “The Ghosts of University Park, Platt Park, and Beyond,” that visitors to the Renaissance Room report Mary’s watchful eyes actually follow them around the room.
Since there’s no concrete way to prove or disprove the presence of the supernatural, we’ll leave this one for you to discover for yourself.
Students ski to class.
Anyone who lives on campus can tell you—this one’s a myth. As much as students may wish it were true, the fact is that DU is in Denver, not the mountains, and doesn’t have the slope to warrant putting on those uncomfy ski boots just to get to Psych 101.
DU does have a storied ski team, though—drawing student-athletes from all over the world, it boasts 96 national individual collegiate champions. So, while you can’t ski to class, some of your classmates might just be some of the best winter sports athletes in the world.
Looking to go skiing on a budget? We’ve got you.
Evans Chapel was moved to its current location brick by brick.
Legend says that when Evans Chapel was moved to campus from downtown Denver in 1958, workers painstakingly disassembled the brick building stone by individual stone. This one is true!
The workers moved the chapel, which would have weighed more than 400 tons if it had been transported intact, piece by piece. They numbered each brick and windowpane so that Evans Chapel could be reassembled almost exactly as it was originally built. Just a few years ago, a team carefully repaired and restored the chapel’s beautiful stained-glass windows.
“Hip hip, hooray!” was coined by a DU grad.
A popular story attributes the first use of “Hip hip, hooray!” to the University’s first-ever graduate, John Hipp, . The story says that as Hipp collected his diploma, he yelled, “Hip hip, hooray!”—ostensibly as a nod to his last name.
Sadly, this one is a dud. The celebratory saying .
The winding brick paths on campus represent the student journey.
This one is true! One of former Chancellor Daniel Ritchie’s contributions to the campus aesthetic was replacing DU’s gravel paths with rich red bricks. The gentle curvature of the brick walkways was intentional. “We tried to put a straight walk in, but Dan said, “No, it’s got to have a bit of a curve,’” recalled former DU architect Cab Childress. Ritchie wanted the winding paths to evoke the ups and downs of students’ educational journeys.
The football team has been undefeated since 1960.
Okay, this one is technically true—but only because 1960 was the last year of DU football, ever. The Pioneers played their first football game in 1885 against present-day hockey rival Colorado College. The program was discontinued in 1961, but not before 12 players went on to go pro!
DU fought a “war” against the Colorado School of Mines.
Igniting sticks of dynamite on campus might seem a little extreme to be considered a prank, but that’s exactly what newspapers called it when Mines ne’er-do-wells “bombed” DU’s campus.
At 4:15 a.m. on Nov. 6, 1919, a series of huge dynamite explosions shattered the quiet DU dawn, blowing out about 100 windows in University Hall, the Iliff School of Theology, Carnegie Library, and Memorial Chapel.
Luckily, no one was injured in the blasts. In retaliation, a group of DU students attempted to paint Mines’ famous hillside “M” a crimson color but were “captured” by Mines students, who shaved their heads and paraded them throughout the streets of Golden. Who are we to dispute what newspapers called “an intercollegiate war”?
The Ritchie Center tower is made of solid gold.
Wouldn’t that be something? No, the tower that houses the Williams carillon is not comprised of solid gold—but it is covered in gold leaf. The paper-thin layer of gold sits on top of copper, a much more common material used on buildings across campus, including the exterior of the Community Commons. Another famous structure made of copper-covered gold? The Colorado State Capitol’s beautiful dome.
Interested in more fun facts? Check out our.
