[23][24] On November 17, 1882, the cornerstone of the Old Main building was laid at the original "College Hill" location, and University President Ashbel Smith expressed optimism about Texas's untapped resources.

The old Main Building of the university was built in a Victorian-Gothic style and served as the central point of the campus's 40-acre (16 ha) site, and was used for nearly all purposes.

Subsequently, Ferguson was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives, convicted by the Senate on charges including misapplication of public funds, and removed from office.

"[40] In 1965, the Texas Legislature granted the university Board of Regents to use eminent domain to purchase additional properties surrounding the original 40 acres (160,000 m2).

[45] In early 2020, following a major outbreak of the new coronavirus, the university restricted travel to Wuhan province in China, aligning with the U.S. Department of State's recommendation.

[55][56] At a UT Austin Faculty Council meeting on April 15, 2024, in response to mounting criticism, President Jay Hartzell stated the additional changes were made in response to the threats from the Republican-led State Legislature and the University of Texas System Board of Regents, and to restore "confidence" in the university, reacting to changing tides in public opinion towards higher education amongst Republicans.

[64] A large student and faculty Pro-Palestinian protest occurred on April 24, 2024, demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War and that the university divest from companies profiting from Israel's actions.

[80] This decision received sharp backlash, including from general faculty, staff, students, several Democratic legislators for the region, and First Amendment advocacy groups,[81][82] including an official statement from the UT Faculty Council Executive Committee denouncing it,[83] in part due to the extreme, chaotic, and violent police response that ensued and alleged violations of First Amendment rights.

[87] Travis County Attorney Delia Garza stated that the way that the university handled the protests put a strain on the local criminal justice system, specifically reprimanding the sending of protestors to jail for low-level charges.

Songs are played on weekdays by student carillonneurs,[92] in addition to the usual pealing of Westminster Quarters every quarter-hour between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.[93] In 1998, after the installation of security and safety measures, the observation deck reopened to the public indefinitely for weekend tours.

[95] The holdings of the university's Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center include one of only 21 remaining complete copies of the Gutenberg Bible and the first permanent photograph, View from the Window at Le Gras, taken by Nicéphore Niépce.

[106][107] The new LEED gold-certified, 110,000-square-foot (10,000 m2) Student Activity Center (SAC) opened in January 2011, housing study rooms, lounges and food vendors.

The university operates two public radio stations, KUT with news and information, and KUTX with music, via local FM broadcasts as well as live streaming audio over the Internet.

[146] A "payback" analysis published by SmartMoney in 2011 comparing graduates' salaries to tuition costs concluded the school was the second-best value of all colleges in the nation, behind only Georgia Tech.

[154] Energy is a major research thrust, with federally funded projects on biofuels,[155] battery and solar cell technology, and geological carbon dioxide storage,[156] water purification membranes, among others.

[162] The J.J. Pickle Research Campus (PRC) is home to the Texas Advanced Computing Center which operates a series of supercomputers, such as Ranger (from 2008 to 2013[163]), Stampede (2013–2017[164]), Stampede2 (since 2017[165]), and Frontera (since 2019).

Founded in 1946, the university's Applied Research Laboratories at the PRC has developed or tested the vast majority of the Navy's high-frequency sonar equipment.

It won a fourth title under head coach Mack Brown in 2005 after a 41–38 victory over previously undefeated Southern California in the 2006 Rose Bowl.

In literature and journalism, the school boasts over 25 Pulitzer Prizes credited to alumni and faculty members,[217] including Gail Caldwell and Ben Sargent.

Janis Joplin, the American singer posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame who received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, attended the university,[222] as did February 1955 Playboy Playmate of the Month and Golden Globe recipient Jayne Mansfield.

Noted film director, cinematographer, writer, and editor Robert Rodriguez is a Longhorn, as are actors Eli Wallach and Matthew McConaughey, the latter of which now teaches a class at the university.

[224] Founding members of psychedelic rock band The Bright Light Social Hour Jackie O'Brien and Curtis Roush both received master's degrees from the university in 2009 while completing their debut self-titled album.

This broadcast coincided with MTV emerging as a medium for record production companies to use music videos to promote the albums of Rock and Pop stars.

Karen Earle Lile, niece of Tony Terran, received her Bachelor of Arts Degree with Highest Honors in English in 1982.

[230] He, along with graduate Matt Hullum,[230] also founded the Austin-based production company Rooster Teeth, that produces many hit shows, including the award-winning Internet series, Red vs. Blue.

Another notable writer, Rob Thomas graduated with a BA in history in 1987 and later wrote the young adult novel Rats Saw God and created the series Veronica Mars.

Legendary pro football coach Tom Landry attended the university as an industrial engineering major but interrupted his education after a semester to serve in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II.

Seven-time Cy Young Award-winner Roger Clemens entered the MLB after helping the Longhorns win the 1983 College World Series.

Other notable alumni include prominent businessman Red McCombs, Diane Pamela Wood, the first female chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, chemist Donna J. Nelson, and neuroscientist Tara Spires-Jones.

Also an alumnus is Admiral William H. McRaven, credited for organizing and executing Operation Neptune's Spear, the special ops raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden.