President Joseph R. Smiley served from 1963 to 1969.

Hired to calm the political tensions of the early 1960s, Joseph Smiley faced the even greater unrest of the end of the decade with patience and understanding.

The regents lured Joseph Smiley away from the presidency of the University of Texas in Austin in hopes that the soft-spoken academician would bring an “era of calm” to CU with his non-partisian approach.

CU continued to experience a large influx of students – from 13,380 in 1964 to 20,387 students in 1969 – resulting in further expansion of the campus and of the Denver and Colorado Springs extension centers. In Boulder, the Engineering Center and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics were completed, four dormitories were built, and additions were made to Norlin Library and the University Memorial Center.

By the late 1960s, lifestyles and viewpoints were shifting radically. The Vietnam War and student protests and activism drew criticism to the university and to Smiley for his subtle defense of academic freedom.

Smiley resigned under pressure and returned to Texas to assume the Presidency at the University of Texas at El Paso. Smiley Court is named in his honor.