Frederick Thieme was a strong leader who created the four-campus system and opened the university to minorities, despite the intense unrest of the times.

When he came to CU, Thieme faced campus discord resulting from Vietnam, Watergate and widespread social change. He worked a careful balance between enforcing rules and preserving academic freedom.

Thieme made profound changes and improvements on the Denver and Colorado Springs campuses. Chancellors were appointed for each campus, making Thieme the first president of CU as a multi-campus system.