Our History
Inspired by our past. Focused on your future.
As the eighth-oldest business college in the country, the Daniels College of Business has helped graduates achieve their career aspirations for more than a century. We boast an active network of more than 40,000 alumni worldwide, thanks to our long and successful history.
Inspired by our past. Focused on your future.
As the eighth-oldest business college in the country, the Daniels College of Business has helped graduates achieve their career aspirations for more than a century. We boast an active network of more than 40,000 alumni worldwide, thanks to our long and successful history.
1881
University of Denver welcomes first business students
- Four women are admitted to the University of Denver Business Department, which includes a six-month class in bookkeeping.
1908
DU creates a business school
- The new academic unit is known as the School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance.
1911
First graduating class
- The class features 30 graduates, two of whom are women.
1922
Business to the heart of Denver
- The School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance moves to a building on 20th St. and Glenarm Pl. in downtown Denver.
1923
AACSB accreditation
- Daniels is the first institution in the Rocky Mountain Region—and the only one until 1938—to receive a stamp of approval from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International.
1938
School of Real Estate and Construction Management created
- Today, the Franklin L. Burns School is the only institution in the country that combines real estate and construction management within a business school.
1947
First MBA class graduates
1948
School of Hotel and Restaurant Management graduates first class
- In 2010, the school becomes known as the Knoebel School of Hospitality Management.
1951
Downtown Denver relocation
- The College moves to Civic Center, near the intersection of 15th St. and Cleveland Pl.
1964
First virtual classes
- Daniels faculty teach accounting classes via videotape.
1968
Relocation to the main DU campus
1973
Executive MBA program launched
1976
School of Accountancy established
1982
First part-time programs for working professionals
1989
Ethics incorporated into core curriculum
- Bill Daniels, known as the “father of cable television,” presents the University of Denver with a challenge grant to update its graduate business curriculum. The result is a redesigned program that combines traditional business subjects with a new emphasis on ethics, leadership and professionalism. Daniels becomes one of the first business schools to include these topics in its core curriculum.
1994
Name changed to the Daniels College of Business
- The faculty unanimously votes to change the college’s name in recognition of Bill Daniels’ numerous contributions.
1999
Daniels College of Business building opens
- The new building is recognized as a model of technology-enabled and collaborative learning. Bill Daniels donates $11 million toward its construction, which is funded entirely by private donations.
2000
Bill Daniels’ legacy continues
- Before his death in March 2000, Bill Daniels establishes the Daniels Fund, Colorado’s largest philanthropic foundation. In addition to supporting projects that aid the homeless, the elderly and underprivileged students, the fund endows the Daniels Chair in Business Ethics.
2004
Race and Case established
- Students develop the concept of the annual event, which combines an ethics-based business case competition with a downhill ski race.
2004
Women in Business Club created
- The graduate Women in Business club helps female students develop leadership skills, serve the community and cultivate strong professional networks.
2005
Joy Burns Center opens
- The $18-million, 46,000-square-foot, three-story structure is a “living laboratory” with a fully equipped commercial kitchen and a 160-person Tuscan ballroom. In 2011, the building is named for longtime DU Trustee Joy Burns.
2008
Daniels celebrates 100 years of business excellence
2008
Daniels moves into Margery Reed Hall
2009
Daniels granted membership in Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME)
- The PRME are inspired by internationally accepted values to establish a process of continuous improvement among institutions of management education.
2011
Voices of Experience debuts
- The College's signature speaker series brings CEOs and other leaders into the DU community to share the lessons they’ve learned throughout their careers.
2012
Ready for American Hospitality (RAH) program enrolls its first class
- The Knoebel School of Hospitality Management establishes RAH in partnership with the Ethiopian Community Development Council’s African Community Center. The program equips refugees from all over the world with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate American culture and obtain jobs in the food service industry.
2012-2014
Margery Reed Hall renovation
- One of the campus' oldest buildings is completely remodeled, with a renovated theater for speakers, student space, offices and upgraded classrooms.
2014
4impact Challenge established
- Originally titled the Madden Challenge, this quarterly competition gives all Daniels undergraduates experience developing and pitching their own business idea.
2014
The University of Denver celebrates 150 years
- Founded in 1864, DU is the oldest private university in the Rocky Mountain region.
2017
Consumer Insights and Business Innovation Center (CiBiC) opens
- The Consumer Insights and Business Innovation Center offers resources for faculty and students to perform research and analysis of consumer behavior for community partners.
2018
Executive PhD launched
- DU becomes only the third university in the nation to offer an Executive PhD program.
2019
Online MBA introduced
2020
Sales Leadership Center Established
- The SLC is a crucial conduit between the University of Denver and the private sector, creating partnerships that focus on solving problems related to sales research, education and recruiting.
2021
DU gains R1 status
- The University of Denver achieves R1 status in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, reflecting its very high research activity. Fewer than 150 American universities—and no other private institution in the Rocky Mountain West—hold this distinction. DU’s R1 status is reaffirmed in 2025.
2024
Executive Certificate in Affordable Housing created
- Daniels partners with the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute and the Sturm College of Law to launch the certificate, the first of its kind in the Rocky Mountain region.