President Quigg Newton with Leo Hill

President Newton served from 1956 to 1963.

Although his administration was marred by political tension, Quigg Newton engendered a period of unsurpassed physical and academic growth for CU.

A former mayor of Denver, Newton had run unsuccessfully for a U.S. Senate seat just prior to becoming CU’s eighth president. Upon his arrival, Newton said CU should become a “full-scale modern university.”

He initiated bold steps for the improvement of faculty and offered higher salaries to attract respected professors. His initiatives gained the University recognition for high academic standards.

Newton prepared the University for increased enrollment; there were 9,844 students in 1956 and 12,300 by 1962. Newton was successful in obtaining funding from the legislature, and, notably, from the federal government to support the growth.

When the “Red Scare” came to campus, Newton was confronted with issues ranging from reprimanding student demonstrators to calming accusations of having “too liberal” a faculty. These disruptions, compounded by severe public criticism, placed the Newton administration under constant attack.

When he submitted his resignation, a Regent observed that Newton “had been a tremendous force for progress through a critical period.” Newton Court is named to recognize his service.