In 1886, the University at Buffalo adopted white and blue as the official university colors when the school expanded from consisting of solely the medical school to incorporating a College of Pharmacy. The Medical Department had been tying its graduatesí diplomas with a white ribbon for the forty years it had been graduating students and the College of Pharmacy made the decision to tie their diplomas with a blue ribbon to distinguish those from the Medical Departmentís. The school colors were properly referred to as ìwhite and blue.î However, the school colors are now referred to as ìblue and white.î

Athletics began at UB with the first football team in 1894 and was followed by basketball in 1915. Originally the teams were referred to as the Bisons, however with the presence of the International Leagueís Buffalo Bisons baseball team, UBís teams took on the title of UB Bulls in 1931. When womenís sports came to UB in 1970, the teams were known as the Lady Blues for seven years until they adopted the name of Royals in 1977. In 1996, the women joined the men as Bulls.

Some notable firsts:

First commencement ñ June 1847

First chancellor of UB, Millard Fillmore, inaugurated as Vice President of United States ñ March 1849

First female graduate, Mary B. Moody, received MD ñ February 1867

First known black graduate, J. Robert Love, received MD ñ February 1880

School of Pharmacy established ñ March 1886

School of Law established ñ May 1887

School of Dentistry established ñ May 1892

College of Arts and Sciences established ñ June 1913

School o Education established ñ February 1931

Graduate School established ñ June 1939

School of Engineering established ñ March 1946

First WBFO broadcast ñ January 1959

First student sit-in to protest the war in Vietnam begins in President Furnas' office ñ May 1966

Campus Metro station opened ñ November 1986

First classes held at the Amherst Campus ñ September 1973

SOURCE: University Archives