In 1863 Kansas Governor Thomas Carney signed a bill into law creating the second state university in Kansas. The university was to be built on 40 acres – the University of Kansas, KU. KU was founded in 1864.
This second university in the Sunflower State was constructed on Hogback Ridge in Lawrence. Hogback Ridge, later becoming, Mount Oread.
The relevance to Mount Oread and to Mount Oread’s role in that which Lawrence is most famous for is found under our feet.
Three years after Governor Carney signed into law the bill which would establish a Kansas university in Lawrence KU classrooms opened. KU started out as preparatory school fewer than 100 students.
Mount Oread sits on a bed of limestone.
Limestone is chalk rock. Chalk rock transposed becomes rock chalk.
Hence, our famous, Rock Chalk Jayhawk.
Rock chalk. Chalk rock. Chalk rock sits below KU’s classrooms as the foundation of the university.
The Rock Chalk chant comes from the chalk rock of limestone found in Mount Oread.
Rock Chalk was originally a KU science club slogan.
