History of Auburn University in Timeline

Auburn University, a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, is the state's second-largest university and one of its two flagship public universities. It has over 34,100 students and 1,435 faculty members. Auburn is classified as an 'R1: Doctoral University,' indicating very high research activity.

1913: Recognized as national champions

Auburn's 1913 team was recognized as national champions.

1913: First Perfect Season

In 1913, Auburn's football team had its first perfect season, going 8-0 and claiming a second SIAA conference championship and the first national championship in school history.

1914: Recognized as national champions

Auburn's 1914 team was recognized as national champions.

October 1, 1918: API Students Join the United States Army

On October 1, 1918, nearly all of API's able-bodied male students 18 or older joined the United States Army for short-lived military careers on campus and formed the academic section of the Student Army Training Corps.

1929: Initial Campus Master Plan Designed

In 1929, Auburn's initial campus master plan was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.

1937: First Bowl Appearance

In 1937, Auburn's football team made its first bowl appearance in the sixth Bacardi Bowl in Havana, Cuba.

1939: Jordan-Hare Stadium opened as "Auburn Stadium"

In 1939, Jordan-Hare Stadium opened as "Auburn Stadium".

1940: API Joins "Crash" Program for Engineers and Scientists

In 1940, API became an early participant in the Engineering, Science, and Management War Training (ESMWT) program due to a shortage of engineers and scientists needed for the defense industries. The program was funded by the government and coordinated by Auburn's Dean of Engineering. College-level courses were given in concentrated, mainly evening classes at sites across Alabama.

1941: API trains U.S. military personnel on campus

Between 1941 and 1945, API also trained U.S. military personnel on campus; between 1941 and 1945, 32,000 troops attended the university in some manner.

1945: API experiences massive growth after WWII

Following the end of World War II in 1945, API experienced a period of massive growth caused by returning military personnel taking advantage of their GI Bill offer of free education, which caused enrollment to more than double.

1957: Recognized as national champions

Auburn's 1957 team was recognized as national champions.

1958: Recognized as national champions

Auburn's 1958 team was recognized as national champions.

1960: University Status Granted and Name Changed

In 1960, the Alabama Legislature granted the school university status and officially renamed it "Auburn University".

1960: Auburn University Name Change

In 1960, the school's name was changed to Auburn University, recognizing that it had grown beyond its agricultural and mechanical roots.

1963: Auburn University was racially segregated

Auburn University was racially segregated prior to 1963, with only white students being admitted.

1964: Integration Began with Harold A. Franklin

In 1964, Auburn University began integration with the admittance of its first African-American student, Harold A. Franklin.

1967: First Degree Granted to an African-American Student

In 1967, Auburn University granted its first degree to an African-American student.

1967: Publication of Southern Humanities Review

In 1967, Auburn's literary journal, the Southern Humanities Review, began being published at the university.

1967: Establishment of Auburn University at Montgomery

In 1967, the Alabama Legislature chartered an additional Auburn campus in Montgomery, now known as Auburn University at Montgomery.

1971: Pat Sullivan wins Heisman Trophy

In 1971, Auburn player Pat Sullivan won the Heisman Trophy.

1972: Jim Kennedy Graduated from Auburn

In 1972, Jim Kennedy graduated from Auburn with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

1982: First Appearance in NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament

In 1982, Auburn's women's basketball team made their first appearance in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

1982: Eight teams have claimed national championships in women's swimming and diving

Since 1982, only eight teams have claimed national championships in women's swimming and diving.

1983: Recognized as national champions

Auburn's 1983 team was recognized as national champions.

1985: Bo Jackson wins Heisman Trophy

In 1985, Auburn player Bo Jackson won the Heisman Trophy.

1987: Last Outright Title

Auburn's 2004 SEC championship was the school's first outright title since 1987.

1988: Played in three consecutive national championship games

In 1988, Auburn's women's basketball played in three consecutive national championship games from 1988 to 1990.

1989: Last Conference Title

Auburn's 2004 SEC championship was the school's first conference title since 1989.

1989: Women's Golf Team SEC Championship

In 1989, Auburn's women's golf team won the SEC Championship.

1990: Played in three consecutive national championship games

In 1990, Auburn's women's basketball played in three consecutive national championship games from 1988 to 1990.

1992: SEC Conference Division

Since the division of the conference in 1992, AU football has won eight western division championships and six trips to the SEC Championship game.

1993: Recognized as national champions

Auburn's 1993 team was recognized as national champions.

1993: Undefeated Season on Probation

In 1993, Auburn went 11-0 under Terry Bowden, but was on probation and not allowed to play in the SEC Championship game.

1996: Women's Golf Team SEC Championship

In 1996, Auburn's women's golf team won the SEC Championship.

1997: AU men's swimming wins eight NCAA national championships

In 1997, the Auburn men won the SEC Championship fifteen out of the last sixteen years, including the last thirteen in a row, and also won eight NCAA national championships.

1999: Auburn and Georgia each won nine straight between 1999 and 2007

Auburn and Georgia each won nine straight between 1999 and 2007.

1999: Auburn's Economics Department Ranked 123rd Worldwide

In 1999, Auburn's Economics Department was ranked 123rd in the world by the Journal of Applied Econometrics, surpassing international institutions such as INSEAD and the London Business School.

1999: Start of high win percentage for women's golf

Since 1999, Auburn's women's golf team holds an 854-167-13 (.826 win percentage) record.

2000: Women's Golf Team SEC Championship

In 2000, Auburn's women's golf team won the SEC Championship.

2000: Ongoing construction began around the year 2000

The current period of ongoing construction at Auburn University began around the year 2000. All recently constructed buildings have used a more traditional architectural style.

2001: Samuel Ginn's Gift to the College of Engineering

In 2001, Samuel L. Ginn donated $25 million to the College of Engineering and announced plans for additional support, leading to Auburn offering the first Bachelor of Wireless Engineering degree program in the United States.

2001: First African-American Initiated into White Sorority

In 2001, the first African-American student was initiated into a historically white sorority at Auburn.

2002: Highest Finish in NCAA Tournament

In 2002, Auburn's highest finish in the NCAA women's golf tournament was a tie for second place.

2003: Disappointing Baseball Season

After a disappointing 2003-2004 season, Auburn's baseball program named former assistant coach Tom Slater as the new head coach.

2003: African-American Faculty percentage in 2003

In 2003, African-American faculty percentage at Auburn University was 4.3%.

2003: Consecutive NCAA Championships for Men and Women

In 2003, Auburn's swimming and diving program achieved consecutive NCAA championships for both the men's and women's teams.

2003: Won the WNIT

In 2003, Auburn's women's basketball team won the WNIT.

2003: Women's Golf Team SEC Championship

In 2003, Auburn's women's golf team won the SEC Championship.

2004: Disappointing Baseball Season

After a disappointing 2003-2004 season, Auburn's baseball program named former assistant coach Tom Slater as the new head coach.

2004: Nell Fortner Hired as Head Coach

At the end of the 2003-2004 season, Nell Fortner was hired as the new head coach for Auburn's women's basketball team.

2004: SEC Championship Season

Auburn completed the 2004 football season with a 13-0 record, winning the SEC championship, the school's first conference title since 1989.

2004: Recognized as national champions

Auburn's 2004 team was recognized as national champions.

2004: Consecutive NCAA Championships for Men and Women

In 2004, Auburn's swimming and diving program achieved consecutive NCAA championships for both the men's and women's teams.

2004: Closure of Thach Avenue to vehicular traffic

In 2004, a significant portion of Thach Avenue was closed to vehicular traffic due to increasing interaction issues between pedestrians and vehicles.

2004: Recipient of the Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy

In 2004, the Auburn University Marching Band was the recipient of the Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy.

October 2005: Women's Golf Team Ranked #3 Nationally

In October 2005, Auburn's women's golf team was named the #3 team nationally out of 229 total teams since 1999 by GolfWeek magazine.

2005: "It Begins at Auburn" Growth Campaign Started

In 2005, Auburn began the "It Begins at Auburn" growth campaign, which raised to $778.2 million by 2018.

2005: First Round NFL Draft Picks

In 2005, Jason Campbell, Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown, and Carlos Rogers were drafted in the first round of the NFL draft after playing for Auburn in 2004.

2005: Closure of Roosevelt Drive to vehicular traffic

In 2005, a similarly sized portion of Roosevelt Drive was also closed to vehicles in an effort to make a more appealing walkway.

2005: AU men's swimming wins eight NCAA national championships

In 2005, the Auburn men won the SEC Championship fifteen out of the last sixteen years, including the last thirteen in a row, and also won eight NCAA national championships.

2005: Science Center Complex Completion

In 2005, the Science Center complex was completed. This complex contains chemistry labs, traditional classrooms, and a large lecture hall.

May 2006: Physicians Executive M.B.A. Program Ranked

In May 2006, Modern Healthcare ranked Auburn University's Physicians Executive M.B.A. (PEMBA) program in the College of Business ninth in the nation among all degree programs for physician executives.

September 2006: Jordan-Hare Stadium Capacity Ranking

As of September 2006, Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium had a capacity of 87,451, ranking as the ninth-largest on-campus stadium in the NCAA.

2006: Consecutive NCAA Championships for Men and Women

In 2006, Auburn's swimming and diving program achieved consecutive NCAA championships for both the men's and women's teams.

2006: Women's Golf Team SEC Championship

In 2006, Auburn's women's golf team won the SEC Championship.

2006: Settlement of legal challenges to the underrepresentation of African Americans in AU's faculty

In 2006, settlement of legal challenges to the underrepresentation of African Americans in AU's faculty in 2006.

2006: Mention in State of the Union Address

In 2006, the work of David Bransby on the use of switchgrass as a biofuel led to its mention in the State of the Union Address.

2007: Consecutive NCAA Championships for Men and Women

In 2007, Auburn's swimming and diving program achieved consecutive NCAA championships for both the men's and women's teams.

December 13, 2008: Gene Chizik Hired as Head Coach

On December 13, 2008, Gene Chizik was hired as Auburn's new head football coach.

2008: Brazilian César Cielo Filho won bronze and gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

In 2008, Brazilian César Cielo Filho won bronze (100m freestyle) and gold medal (50m freestyle) at the Beijing Olympic Games.

2008: John Pawlowski Replaces Tom Slater

In 2008, John Pawlowski replaced Tom Slater as the head coach for the Auburn baseball program.

2008: Shelby Center Phase I and New Student Center Opened

In 2008, Phase I of the Shelby Center for Engineering Technology opened, with regular classes being held starting with the Summer 2008 term, and a new Student Center also opened.

2009: AU men's swimming wins eight NCAA national championships

As of 2009, the Auburn men have won the SEC Championship fifteen out of the last sixteen years, including the last thirteen in a row, and also won eight NCAA national championships.

2009: Women's Golf Team SEC Championship

In 2009, Auburn's women's golf team won the SEC Championship.

2010: Recognized as national champions

Auburn's 2010 team was recognized as national champions.

2010: Defeated South Carolina 56-17 in the 2010 SEC Championship Game

In 2010, Auburn defeated South Carolina 56–17 in the 2010 SEC Championship Game, claiming the school's eleventh conference championship.

2010: Cam Newton wins Heisman Trophy

In 2010, Auburn player Cam Newton won the Heisman Trophy.

2011: Auburn ranked fourth among peer public universities

Among the other 12 pre-2024 merger peer public universities, Auburn was ranked fourth in the 2011 edition of U.S. News & World Report.

2011: BCS National Championship Win

In 2011, Auburn defeated Oregon 22–19 in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game to secure the school's second national championship.

2012: African-American Faculty in 2012

As of 2012, African-Americans comprised 49 of the 1,192 full-time faculty (4.1%) at Auburn University.

2013: African-American Undergraduates in 2013

As of 2013, African-Americans comprised 1,828 of the university's 24,864 undergraduates (7.35%).

2013: 2013 SEC Championship Game Win

In 2013, Auburn won the 2013 SEC Championship Game over Missouri to win the SEC West.

2014: Campus Recreation Center Named Facility of Merit

In 2014, Athletic Business named Auburn's 240,000 square foot campus recreation center as one of its Facilities of Merit.

2014: 2014 BCS National Championship Game Loss

In 2014, Auburn fell short in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game to the Florida State Seminoles 34–31 in Pasadena, California.

April 2015: Auburn University Receives FAA Approval for UAS Flight School

In April 2015, Auburn University received the nation's first FAA approval to operate a new Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight School as part of the Auburn University Aviation Center.

August 2017: Mell Classroom Building Completed

In August 2017, the Mell Classroom Building was completed and attached to the Ralph Brown Draughon Library, offering a new flexible learning space, along with a new 89,000 square foot building for the school of nursing.

2017: "Because This is Auburn" campaign raised over $1.2 billion

By 2017, the university raised over $1.2 billion in the "Because This is Auburn" campaign.

2018: Growth in Auburn's Funds

By 2018 Auburn's funds had risen to $778.2 million due to the growth campaign that began in 2005.

2018: Critical Conversations Speaker Series Began

In 2018, Auburn University initiated a speaker series named Critical Conversations to foster racial diversity.

2018: First Person of Color President of White Greek Organization

In 2018, an African-American student became the first person of color president of a historically white Greek organization on campus at Auburn.

2019: Ranked Happiest Students on College Campuses

In 2019, Auburn was ranked first by The Princeton Review's list of happiest students on college campuses.

2019: Brown Kopel Engineering Student Achievement Center and Graduate Business Building Completed

In 2019, the Brown Kopel Engineering Student Achievement Center, which includes classrooms, student study spaces, a wind-tunnel laboratory, meeting spaces, and departmental spaces for professional development and labor relations; and a new Graduate Business Building, which includes flexible classrooms and lecture halls, student study pods, team areas, and offices for the college's MBA program were completed.

2020: Greek population reaches 7,541 members

As of Fall 2020, Auburn's total Greek population is 7,541 members, representing about 33.6% of all undergraduate students.

2020: Auburn University Ranked LGBTQ-Unfriendly

In 2020, Auburn University was ranked the 6th most LGBTQ-unfriendly campus by The Princeton Review in its rankings of 386 American campuses.

2020: Harold A. Franklin Awarded Master's Degree

In 2020, Harold A. Franklin was finally awarded his master's degree in history after being denied it initially despite completing his thesis.

2021: The Auburn Plainsman primarily publishes online

As of 2021, The Auburn Plainsman, the student-run newspaper, is primarily an online publication, with only special editions being printed.

2021: Opening of Central Dining Hall

In 2021, Auburn opened the $26 million Central Dining Hall, a 48,000 square feet facility with capacity for more than 800 seats and eight different meal stations.

August 2022: Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center Completed

In August 2022, the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center was completed. It combines instructional and laboratory space with operational food venues and hotel spaces.

November 2022: Hugh Freeze Named New Football Head Coach

In November 2022, Auburn named Hugh Freeze as the new football head coach.

2024: Auburn is a charter member of the Southeastern Conference

Auburn is a charter member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), currently composed of 15 of the largest Southern universities in the U.S.

2024: Office of Inclusion and Diversity Eliminated

In 2024, Auburn University eliminated its Office of Inclusion and Diversity in compliance with SB 129, which banned DEI and was signed by Governor Kay Ivey.

2024: New College of Education Building Scheduled to Open

In 2024, the new College of Education Building is scheduled to open on the site of the former Hill dorms. It will include collaborative classrooms, instructional laboratories, up-to-date technology, and administrative spaces for faculty and staff.

2025: African-American Faculty percentage in 2025

In 2025, African-American faculty percentage at Auburn University was 4.7%.

2025: STEM+Ag Complex Scheduled to Open

In 2025, the new 265,000 square foot $200 million STEM+Ag Complex is scheduled to open, replacing older STEM-related and agricultural science facilities on the former Hill site.

2025: U.S. News & World Report Ranking

The 2025 edition of U.S. News & World Report ranks Auburn as tied for the 105th best national university overall in the U.S., 51st among public universities, and 171st in "Best Value Schools".