Insight/Report on Private Giving

Spring 2005

Legacy Began with Creation of Department of Veterinary Science in 1901

When Dr. George H. Glover joined Colorado Agricultural College (CAC now Colorado State University) as a part-time instructor in 1899, veterinary medicine was little more than an afterthought to agricultural studies. His main focus was the health of the College’s dairy herd, and his hiring was seen as a measure to placate stockmen who criticized the school for being remiss in meeting the needs of their expanding industry.

Little could the governing board imagine that the shy man from Longmont, Colorado, who at one time was too timid to register for classes, would use his tenuous toe hold to force the creation of a full-fledged Department of Veterinary Science, a precursor to our College of Veterinary Medicine and Bio-medical Sciences.

Dr. Glover graduated from CAC in 1884 and then completed his DVM degree in 1885 at Iowa State Agricultural College. In 1886, he was hired as quarantine inspector for Colorado and Montana, working summers as an inspector and the rest of the year in private practice in Denver. When he joined the College and eventually became Department Head, he was determined to create a respected program in veterinary science.

Despite opposing forces, Dr. Glover moved forward, his respected status elevated even more by his proactive work in public health and research at the Agricultural Experiment Station. The Department of Veterinary Science was established in 1901, with Dr. Glover at the helm. In 1908, a USDA accreditation committee accorded a Class A rating to CAC’s new veterinary program.

Dr. Glover oversaw the creation of a four-year course of study, the establishment of the Pathology Department, the construction of the first veterinary hospital, and the formation of a master’s program in the veterinary field.

Dr. Glover also contributed to veterinary medicine nationally. He served as president of the American Veterinary Medical Association and worked to standardize veterinary education. He had a strong interest in food safety and worked tirelessly to ensure basic standards of health and safety were adhered to by producers and distributors.

Today, Dr. Glover’s legacy is apparent throughout the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and on Colorado State’s Main Campus. His devotion to the College, and his persistence and dedication are apparent in the College’s missions of teaching, research and outreach. Dr. Glover is the namesake of the Glover Building – the veterinary teaching hospital from 1950 to 1979 – which was subsequently remodeled and assigned to the College of Engineering. In addition, to honor his work and to honor those who follow in his footsteps, the George H. Glover Gallery was established in the Pathology Building. Deserving faculty and alumni are inducted into the Gallery where their pictures are displayed alongside those of the man who made it all possible.