Students

“At no time in its past had enrollment increased at such a pace” (Sawyer 216). As more and more citizens came to understand the power of higher education and the opportunities it offers enrollment sky-rocketed. The student population numbers were as follows:
 
1960: 8,711 
1961: 9,436 
1962: 10,401 
1963: 11,466 
1964: 12,901 
1965: 15,179 
1966: 17,054 
1967: 18,067 
1968: 19,150 
1969: 19,618 
 
The “eternal issue” of the role of universities in students’ lives continued on in the 60s. “Concern regarding freedom of discussion and the expression of minority opinion will continue as a major theme in higher education so long as truth and reason are the objectives of higher education” (Sawyer 222). In one particular example, “the issue of student opinions on public issues became an issue of controversy. In 1961, the editor of the Daily Nebraskan urged the abolition of the United States House of Representatives Un-American Activities Committee”. The student editorial and the College of Journalism was immediately investigated for a possible Communist influence. Nebraska press rallied around the student in support of his freedom of expression, despite most people “wholly disagreeing with his opinion, but we would consider ourselves most un-American if we should deny his right to say what he thinks”. This was by no means an isolated event. As students gained confidence in the power of voicing their opinions, opposing opinions continued to cause friction within the University. 

Enrollment in the University was continuing to grow as we enter the 60s. The University had approximately 6,000 alumni offering monetary support for scholarships. By 1963, this number tripled in size. The increasing amount of alumni monetary support allowed for the University to grow and thrive more than ever.

Enrollment in the University was at an all time high. As a result of this, the pool of supporting alumni was also rapidly growing. Since 1961, the support that the University received has tripled in size. In 1963, UNL received $1.5 million for scholarships—this would be the equivalent of over $11 million today according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI inflation calculator.

Enrollment Expansion

The increased enrollment and continual growth forced Hardin and the Board of Regents to take drastic measures to ensure that the University could handle all of the students attempting to attend UNL.

Expansions had to be made in order for the University to keep up with the growing demands for higher education. Not only were dormitories added to accommodate the living spaces for the increasing number of students, but different colleges within the University such as the College of Dentistry and the College of Medicine were also put into a plan of action.

Much of the faculty believed that the students of the 60s would be no more active than the students in past decades. However, the UNL students of the 1960s proved them wrong. In 1969, a UNL crew team was formed. Few had ever heard of rowing as a sport, and without a large body of water nearby, a crew team was a peculiar club to begin.

Students