Then and now

The Golden Eagles celebrating their 50th reunion at Homecoming 2007 will find a few changes on campus since their days at North Texas. You’ll notice some changes, too, when you compare our latest eagle-eye view of the Administration Building (color photo) with a similar photo taken in 1957.

The campus additions reflect the ever-growing student population, which has increased from 6,213 students in 1957 to more than 34,200 students this fall.

In front of the then-new Administration Building in 1957, Chestnut Street and Avenue B were still open to traffic, and an empty lot marked the spot where the Biology Building would stand 10 years later.

Looking at the photographs counterclockwise, you’ll notice that behind the Administration Building was the old athletic field, then used as the Lab School play area. Today, that section is our Library Mall, which contains the Grace W. Cartwright Plaza, the Onstead Plaza and Promenade, Jody's Fountain and, on the right, Willis Library. The newly renovated area provides today’s campus community with a peaceful place to relax.

To the left of the athletic field in 1957 were the swimming pool and Lab School Gym, the eventual site for the Eagle Student Services Center that opened in 1997.

Next door was the Women’s Gym, now Stovall Hall. And the space behind and to the left of the Administration Building today contains the University Union’s Lyceum and the Shrader Pavilion, which provides an outdoor space for campus ceremonies, student performances and weddings.

Our thriving university has opened numerous buildings in the last several years. So far in 2007, we’ve added two new residence halls and Chestnut Hall, which includes an expanded Student Health and Wellness Center as well as the UNT Career Center and the Student Money Management Center.

Homecoming is the perfect time to come back and enjoy the latest changes on campus. See our homecoming page for a schedule of this year's events, and visit www.unt.edu/homecoming for the latest information.