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.