University of Washington

University of Washington

Former name	Territorial University of Washington
Motto	Lux sit (Latin)
Motto in English	Let there be light
Type	Public flagship
Established	1861
Endowment	$3.076 billion (2015)
President	Ana Mari Cauce
Academic staff	5,803
Administrative staff	16,174
Students	45,213
Undergraduates	31,099
Postgraduates	14,114
Location	Seattle, Washington, U.S. 47°39′18″N 122°18′29″W / 47.655°N 122.308°W / 47.655; -122.308Coordinates: 47°39′18″N 122°18′29″W / 47.655°N 122.308°W / 47.655; -122.308
Campus	Urban, 703 acres (2.8 km2)
Colors	Purple & Gold
Athletics	NCAA Division I – Pac-12
Sports	21 Varsity Teams
Nickname	Huskies ("Dawgs")
Mascot	Harry the Husky, and Dubs (live Husky)
Affiliations	AAU APLU URA APRU UArctic
Website	www.washington.edu

The University of Washington, commonly referred to as simply Washington, UW, or informally U-Dub, is a public flagship research university based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast.

The university has three campuses: the oldest and largest in the University District of Seattle and two others in Tacoma and Bothell. Its operating expenses and research budget for fiscal year 2014–15 is expected to be $6.4 billion, continuing its historical record of being amongst the highest in the United States. UW occupies over 500 buildings, with over 20 million gross square footage of space, including the University of Washington Plaza, the 325-foot (99 m) UW Tower, over 26 university libraries, as well as numerous conference centers.

Washington is a member of the Association of American Universities and is consistently ranked among the top 15 universities in the world by a variety of international publications. In athletics, the university competes in the NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12). Its athletic teams are called the Huskies.

The city of Seattle was one of several settlements in the mid to late 19th century vying for primacy in the newly formed Washington Territory. In 1854, territorial governor Isaac Stevens recommended the establishment of a university in Washington. Several prominent Seattle-area residents, chief among them Methodist preacher Daniel Bagley, saw the siting of this University as a chance to add to the city's prestige. They were able to convince early founder of Seattle and member of the territorial legislature Arthur A. Denny of the importance of Seattle winning the school. The legislature initially chartered two universities, one in Seattle and one in Lewis County, but later repealed its decision in favor of a single university in Lewis County, provided locally donated land could be found. When no site emerged, the legislature, encouraged by Denny, relocated the university to Seattle in 1858.