University System of Maryland Timeline
The University System of Maryland was created in 1988 from the merger of University of Maryland (UM) and Board of Trustees of State Universities and Colleges (BTSUC). Following is a timeline of important events in USM's history.
1807
College of Medicine founded in Baltimore; rechartered in 1812 as the University of Maryland.
College of Medicine founded in Baltimore; rechartered in 1812 as the University of Maryland.
Read more about UMB's history1840
Maryland General Assembly charters an independent Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, the first dental college in the world
(predecessor of the Dental School, University of Maryland at Baltimore)
1856
Maryland General Assembly charters the Maryland Agricultural College at College Park
the country's third college of agriculture (predecessor of University of Maryland, College Park); achieves land-grant status in 1865.
1865
Baltimore Normal School founded as a training school for black teachers
(predecessor of Bowie State University)
1866
Maryland State Normal School for teachers founded .
(predecessor of Towson University)
1886
Delaware Conference Academy founded
(predecessor of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore); achieves land-grant status in 1890.
1888
Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station opens
1898
State Normal School No. 2 at Frostburg founded as a teacher-training school
(predecessor of Frostburg State University)
1900
Coppin State College founded as a training school for black elementary school teachers in Baltimore
Read more about CSU's history
1914
Maryland Cooperative Extension Service established
1920
Maryland General Assembly merges the professional schools in Baltimore with the Maryland State College of Agriculture at College Park to create the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
1925
Salisbury State College (predecessor of Salisbury University) founded as a two-year teacher-training school.
Read more about Salisbury Unversity's history
1925
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, founding component of the UMCenter for Environmental Science, established.
1925
1949
College of Special and Continuation Studies established (becomes University of Maryland University College in 1959).
1963
Maryland General Assembly creates the Board of Trustees of the State Colleges to assume control of five former state teachers colleges: Bowie State, Coppin State, Frostburg State, Salisbury State, and Towson State.
1966
University of Maryland, Baltimore County founded.
1970
Maryland General Assembly establishes a five-campus University of Maryland network comprising University of Maryland at Baltimore, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and University of Maryland University College.
1975
University of Baltimore, a private institution, joins the Board of Trustees of the State Colleges System as an upper-division institution.
1976
Maryland General Assembly changes the name of the Board of Trustees of the State Colleges System to the State University and College System of Maryland.
1977
University of Maryland Sea Grant Program established; designated a Sea Grant College in 1982.
Read more about the Maryland Sea Grant Program
1985
University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute established.
1988
University of Maryland System created from the merger of the five University of Maryland institutions and the six members of the State University and College System of Maryland.
John S. Toll appointed first chancellor of the new system.
Read more about the merger of Maryland institutions and the USM
1990
Donald N. Langenberg appointed as second chancellor of the system.
1997
University of Maryland System becomes University System of Maryland.
Read more about the USM1999
Legislation provides USM institutions greater autonomy, particularly in the creation of new programs, and grants the USM the status of a public corporation.
2000
Opening of the Universities at Shady Grove, USM's first regional center.
2002
William E. Kirwan appointed third chancellor of the system.
2005
Opening of the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown, USM's second regional center.
Read more about USMH2008
USM celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Read more about USM's 20th anniversary2008
USM Launches Way2GoMaryland.
Visit Site for Way2GoMaryland2010
Strategic realignment implemented to integrate former UMBI centers with USM institutions for enhanced collaborative research.
Read more about UMBI2012
Launch of University of Maryland: MPowering the State (a structured collaboration between UMB and UMCP).
Visit Site for MPower2012
USM Launches Center for Academic Transformation.
Visit Site for the Center for Academic Innovation2013
USM celebrates its 25th anniversary.
2015
Robert L. Caret (appointed December 2014) begins as fourth chancellor of the system.
Read more about Bob Caret becoming USM's chancellor2019
University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland joins USM as its third regional higher education center.
March 1, 2019
2020