Former names
|
Dakota School of Mines South Dakota School of Mines |
---|---|
Motto | Invent tomorrow |
Type |
Public Space-Grant |
Established | 1885 |
Endowment | $34,000,000 |
President | Dr. Jan Puszynski (interim) |
Academic staff
|
159 |
Students | 2,311 |
Location |
Rapid City, South Dakota, United States 44°4′26″N 103°12′22″W / 44.07389°N 103.20611°WCoordinates: 44°4′26″N 103°12′22″W / 44.07389°N 103.20611°W |
Campus | 120 acres (49 ha) |
Colors | Blue & Old Gold |
Athletics | NCAA Division II (2011–present) |
Nickname | Hardrockers |
Mascot | Grubby the Miner |
Website | www |
The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology — commonly referred to as SDSM&T, Tech, or Mines — is a public institution of higher learning in Rapid City, South Dakota, governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents. Founded in 1885 as the Dakota School of Mines, Tech offers degree programs in engineering and science fields. 2,311 students were enrolled in fall 2011, rising to 2,843 in 2015. The school athletic teams are called the Hardrockers.
The cornerstone of the first School of Mines (then known as the Dakota School of Mines) building was dedicated on August 19, 1885, with the first classes being held February 21, 1887. John W. Hancher received the first bachelor of science degree at the first commencement on May 31, 1888. The school became known as the South Dakota School of Mines in 1889 after admission of South Dakota as a state to the United States.
The School of Mines presented exhibits during the 1904 World's Fair and the first licensed radio station in the state of South Dakota was established on campus in December 1911, a full decade before WCAT (the precursor the current campus station KTEQ-FM). The first "M-Day" homecoming celebration occurred on October 5, 1912 with the construction of the "M" on M-Hill, the school's mountain monogram. The school's ROTC battalion was formed in 1918 in response to World War I. The football stadium began construction in 1931 and was completed as "O'Harra Field" in 1938.
The school formally became the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in February 1943.
In September 2012, SDSM&T made national news when Bloomberg announced that it had passed Harvard in the category of starting salaries for graduates. On September 19, Tech President Dr. Robert A. Wharton died due to complications of cancer treatments. During the presidential search, Duane C. Hrncir was the interim President.