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Chauvenet Hall 1015 14th Street |
Front Entrance
Plaque
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 After attending Washington University, Dr. Chauvenet received a graduate degree at Harvard University. He then established himself as an analytical chemist in St. Louis, Mo. During the summer of 1883, Dr. Chauvenet became president at CSM, an office he held for nine years. Dr. Chauvenet stepped down from his post to devote his attention to his practice as a mining engineer.
"Before his arrival, the school was floundering. He concentrated on turning it into a first-class mining school and didn't branch out into other engineering areas." To Chauvenet must go the credit of "putting CSM on the map." One of his first tasks was to indoctrinate an apathetic public to the advantages of an engineering education. Student complaints, according to Chauvenet in his unpublished history, started prior to his administration, and in 1883 the board of trustees held a meeting to "listen to complaints of students as to their grade of instruction." During his era at Mines, the school became a cultural center for the town. Local papers frequently referred to the SSMLS, the State School of Mines Literary Society, which featured lectures, recitations, recitals, and what have you. A Musical Club also formed on campus. For 20 years, students, faculty, and the administration would become embroiled in a series of clashes that had a demoralizing effect on the School. Very early, it became apparent that students at CSM were a :Give ‘Em Hell!" breed. According to the Colorado Transcript, Regis Chauvenet once found a cow locked in his office. Old graduates claimed it was on the balcony outside his office. No matter! The faculty at Mines learned a bit of engineering in getting that cow back down. During the week of March 20, 1902, Regis Chauvenet threw in the towel,
effective as of graduation |
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"It was Dr. Chauvenet who really established Regis Chauvenet the
school," says Sorgenfrei.