Editing University of Washington (section)

===Founding===
In 1854, territorial governor [[Isaac Stevens]] recommended the establishment of a university in the [[Washington Territory]]. Prominent Seattle-area residents, including [[Methodist]] preacher [[Daniel Bagley]], saw this as a chance to add to the city's potential and prestige. Bagley learned of a law that allowed United States territories to sell land to raise money in support of public schools. At the time, [[Arthur A. Denny]], one of the founders of Seattle and a member of the territorial legislature, aimed to increase the city's importance by moving the territory's capital from [[Olympia, Washington|Olympia]] to Seattle. However, Bagley ultimately persuaded Denny that founding a university would better contribute to the growth of Seattle's economy. Two universities were initially chartered, but later the decision was repealed in favor of a single university in [[Lewis County, Washington|Lewis County]] provided that locally donated land was available. When no site emerged, Denny successfully petitioned the legislature to reconsider Seattle as a location in 1858.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kuow.org/post/founding-university-washington-one-student-time |title=Founding The University Of Washington, One Student At A Time |last=Banel |first=Feliks |date=October 8, 2012 |website=KUOW.org |publisher=[[KUOW-FM]] |access-date=December 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101194300/http://kuow.org/post/founding-university-washington-one-student-time |archive-date=January 1, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Speidel-1967">{{cite book |last1=Speidel |first1=William |title=Sons of the Profits |date=1967 |publisher=Nettle Creek Publishing Company |location=Seattle |pages=81–103 }}</ref>
[[File:Territorial University students, Seattle, 1864 (PEISER 89).jpeg|thumb|Territorial University students in 1864]]

In 1861, scouting began for an appropriate {{convert|10|acre|ha|0}} site in Seattle to serve as a new university campus. Arthur and Mary Denny donated eight acres, while fellow pioneers Edward Lander, and Charlie and Mary Terry, donated two acres on Denny's Knoll in [[Downtown, Seattle, Washington|downtown Seattle]].<ref name="Bhatt-2013">{{citation |last=Bhatt |first=Sanjay |title=UW has big plans for its prime downtown Seattle real estate |date=October 3, 2013 |url=http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2021960534_mettractxml.html |newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]] |access-date=October 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005022707/http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2021960534_mettractxml.html |archive-date=October 5, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> More specifically, this tract was bounded by 4th Avenue to the west, 6th Avenue to the east, Union Street to the north, and Seneca Streets to the south.

John Pike, for whom [[Pike Street (Seattle)|Pike Street]] is named, was the university's architect and builder.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2017/01/chs-retake-pikes-place-on-capitol-hill/ |title=CHS Re:Take – Pike's place on Capitol Hill |date=January 15, 2017 |access-date=October 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030205827/http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2017/01/chs-retake-pikes-place-on-capitol-hill/ |archive-date=October 30, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was opened on November 4, 1861, as the Territorial University of Washington. The legislature passed articles incorporating the university, and establishing its Board of Regents in 1862. The school initially struggled, closing three times: in 1863 for low enrollment, and again in 1867 and 1876 for shortage of funds. Washington awarded its first graduate [[Clara Antoinette McCarty Wilt]] in 1876, with a Bachelor of Science degree.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/222 |title=Clara McCarty becomes first person to graduate from the Territorial University (of Washington) in June 1876. |access-date=June 2, 2023 |archive-date=June 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602232108/https://www.historylink.org/File/222 |url-status=live }}</ref>