Qualla: University of North Dakota

University of North Dakota: Introduction

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit MatthewUND, CC BY-SA 3.0. In 1883, when the bill establishing a university in Grand Forks passed the Dakota Territorial Legislature, North Dakota did not yet exist as a state. The campus amounted to a few acres of property surrounded by farms and fields, nearly two miles west of town. Students living off campus rode the "Black Maria" -- a horse and carriage bus -- from downtown to class. Today the University of North Dakota sprawls across 240 buildings and 6.4 million square feet, holds R1 research classification, and serves as the state's only home for schools of law and medicine. It predates the state it serves, and that head start has shaped everything about it.

Image: MatthewUND | CC BY-SA 3.0

University of North Dakota: The Flu, the Flood, and the Fires Between

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Public domain. UND's history reads like a stress test. In 1918, the campus became the hardest-hit single institution in the country during the influenza epidemic that killed 1,400 North Dakotans. That same year, classes were suspended so the grounds could serve as an army base during World War ...

Image: Public domain

University of North Dakota: Where Pilots Learn to Fly Without Seeing the Plane

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Unknown author, Public domain. The John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences was the first program in the country to offer a degree in unmanned aircraft systems operation. That distinction alone would mark UND as unusual, but aviation runs deeper here than drones. Pioneer aviator Carl Ben Eielson, who made ...

Image: Unknown author | Public domain

University of North Dakota: Ice, Courts, and Eleven Championships

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Alexwcovington, CC BY-SA 3.0. The men's ice hockey team has won eight national championships and plays in the Ralph Engelstad Arena, which opened in 2001 and was funded by former Las Vegas casino owner and UND alumnus Ralph Engelstad. The women's basketball team captured three consecutive national titles in 1...

Image: Alexwcovington | CC BY-SA 3.0

University of North Dakota: The Phil Jackson Pipeline

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Jimmyjohnson90, CC BY-SA 3.0. Phil Jackson, widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history with 11 championships, played college basketball at UND. He is far from the only notable alumnus. Nine governors of North Dakota attended the university. Federal judge Ronald Davies, a UND graduate, order...

Image: Jimmyjohnson90 | CC BY-SA 3.0

University of North Dakota: Research on the Northern Edge

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Jimmyjohnson90, CC BY-SA 3.0. The Energy and Environmental Research Center, located on the eastern fringes of campus, has established itself as a leader in researching cleaner energy technologies and operates the National Center for Hydrogen Technology. The Chester Fritz Library anchors the largest research l...

Image: Jimmyjohnson90 | CC BY-SA 3.0