stephen downey

From 1890-1911, the University of Wyoming faced an existential threat when legislators repeatedly attempted to establish a separate agricultural college in Lander that would receive critical federal funding. Read more about how political maneuvering nearly killed Wyoming’s flagship university before it could fully establish itself.

When, on July 9, 1867, James Whitehead pitched his tent on an empty plain next to Crow Creek, he became not only Cheyenne’s first resident but its first lawyer. The next day, lawyer W. W. Corlett stopped by. By afternoon, the two were partners: Corlett bought in with $5 greenback.

Scientist, scholar and poet June Etta Downey, an internationally recognized expert in personality testing, was longtime head of the University of Wyoming psychology department. She published seven books and scores of articles, and served on the UW faculty for 34 years before her death in 1932.