Transformation Tuesday: UTD Edition

Founders Building in the mid 1960s. (Photo courtesy of Richardson Public Library.)

Campus began with a single structure — Founders Building — in a field of blackland prairie north of Dallas in 1964. We’ve grown up and outward since then. Take a look at what campus was — and what could have been.

An early vision of campus. Founders Building is the foremost structure.

An architect’s rendering of campus called for more Brutalist-style buildings, similar to Founders Building.

Spoiler alert: That plan didn’t happen.

Another vision of campus included a monorail.

A 1971 campus development plan envisioned the future look and feel of UTD — complete with a monorail à la Disneyland, balconies and skywalks. We have the skywalks, but alas, we’re still waiting on monorails.

Campus in 1981.

From the 1970s until recently, UTD’s campus was described as a concrete canyon. “You walked out on the campus at noon when I got here and you were lucky you saw anybody,” said Dr. Robert H. Rutford — UTD’s second president — during a panel discussing the University’s first 40 years. “I mean, you could fire a cannon down the street and not only wouldn’t hit anybody but nobody would hear you.”

Campus today.

Gone are the days of the concrete canyon (thanks to a campus transformation plan). We’re quite pleased with the end result!