MAC to Millennium

Cadets — The first students at the Maryland Agricultural College were called cadets. Military training was compulsory for all students. After 1916, military science became one part of the student's curriculum, rather than a central aspect of student life.

Calvert, Charles Benedict (August 23, 1808 - May 12, 1864) — Central figure in the founding of the Maryland Agricultural College, president of the Board of Trustees, and well-known philanthropist, planter, and congressman. Calvert served as acting president of the college from 1859 to 1860.

Calvert Cotillion — The UMD chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), a national honorary fraternity, held the first Calvert Cotillion on February 22, 1928, the first formal dance on campus that featured a promenade. One of the main features of the evening was the tapping of new ODK members. The Cotillion, originally organized to mark George Washington's birthday, was an annual affair until the mid-to-late 1960s when the tradition disappeared. It was revived in 1999 as a formal dance for all graduating seniors and had various sponsors, including the Alumni Association, Senior Council, ODK, and Pepsi.

Calvert Hall — The oldest dormitory on campus; constructed in 1914 and named for Charles Benedict Calvert. First building constructed after the great fire of 1912.

Cambridge Hall — Dormitory constructed in 1961; designed by Johannes and Murray. Named for Cambridge, Maryland, county seat of Dorchester County.

Cannon — During home football games, a small cannon is fired off each time the Terrapins score.

Capital One Field — Name for the football field inside Maryland Stadium. Sponsored by the Capital One banking and credit card company.

Career Center — The informal name for the University Career Center, which began operation in 1961 as the Placement and Credentials office designed to assist education majors in obtaining teaching jobs. The office was renamed and became the Career Development Center in 1972 and was again renamed in January 2006 to the University Career Center. For more information, visit the University Career Center site.

Caroline Hall — Dormitory constructed in 1954; named for Caroline County, Maryland.

Carroll Hall — Dormitory constructed in 1954; named for Carroll County, Maryland.

Cavalry, UMD — This member-run organization connected to the Department of Animal Sciences was founded in 1991 and offers training for mounted and unmounted equine activities for students, community members, and especially Animal Sciences undergraduates. The group constitutes the Second Regiment of the U. S. Active Cavalry Riders and is the mounted honor guard of the American Youth Horse Council.

Cecil Hall — Dormitory constructed in 1959; named for Cecil County, Maryland.

Cemetery — A small cemetery behind Maryland stadium and adjacent to the apiary holds members of the McNamee family, original owners of the land in that area of campus. One of the haunted locations on the UMD ghost tour.

Cemetery, Football — The Terps have memorialized their greatest football victories in a small cemetery created in 2005 near the Varsity Team House in the Byrd Stadium complex. The gravestones recognize wins over the following top-10 ranked teams: Michigan State (10/7/1950), UCLA (9/24/1955), Clemson (10/15/1960), Syracuse (10/7/1961), North Carolina (10/29/1983), Miami (11/10/1984), Virginia (11/17/1990), Florida State (10/30/2004), Rutgers (9/29/2007), and Boston College (11/10/2007).

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) — Stansfield Turner, former Senior Research Scholar at Maryland's Center for International and Security Studies, led the CIA from 1977 to 1981.

Centreville Hall — Dormitory constructed in 1962; named for Centreville, Maryland, county seat of Queen Anne's County. The building was nicknamed "The Nunnery" when it housed only female students. Designed by the architectural firm Walton & Madden.

Champions, Multi-sport — Two members of the D.C. Divas professional women's football team, Allyson Hamlin and Subrena Rivers, won ACC championships as student athletes and a national championship as pro athletes. While at Maryland, Hamlin was a catcher for the Terps softball team that won the ACC crown in 1999. Rivers was a member of the women's basketball team that represented the Terps in the Final Four in 1988. The Divas won the 2006 National Women's Foorball Association World Championship. Track star Renaldo "Skeets" Nehemiah won national championships as both a student and a pro athlete. Nehemiah won the NCAA championship in the 60-yard high hurdles in indoor track in 1978 and 1979 and the 110-meter hurdles outdoors in 1979. His championship at the professional level came in football, as a member of the 1984 San Francisco 49ers team that won the Super Bowl.

Chancellors — Between 1970 and 1988, the administrative hierarchy of the University System of Maryland changed to a structure in which chancellors headed each of the five existing USM campuses. During this time, five chancellors led the College Park campus. See the past presidents timeline on the Office of the President website for more information. John Brooks Slaughter, who served as chancellor from 1982 to 1988, was the first African American to head the University of Maryland, College Park, campus as its top administrator.

Chaos Concept — In 1975, James A. Yorke, Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics and Physics, and T.Y. Li coined the term "chaos" to describe a mathematical concept in on-linear dynamics for systems that vary according to precise deterministic laws but seem to behave in random fashion. Yorke shared the 2003 Japan Prize in recognition of his ground-breaking research.

Chapel — Memorial Chapel was dedicated October 12, 1952, to honor the men and women from the university who lost their lives during the country's wars; designed by Henry Powell Hopkins; the building consists of three chapels: the Main Chapel, the West Chapel, and the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. The Class of 1992 donated funds to restore the Chapel chimes and clock. The Class of 1997 sponsored the restoration of the Chapel's West Courtyard.

The first couple married in the Chapel was Albert E. Stott and Helen Ann Bump of Hyattsville, Maryland. The November 27, 1952, ceremony was performed by Rev. Myers. The first funeral, held there on March 3, 1954, was that of Alma Preinkert, the university's registrar, who was murdered during a robbery attempt in her home in Washington, DC.

Charles Hall — Constructed in 1954; named for Charles County, Maryland.

Charter — The General Assembly of Maryland granted the Maryland Agricultural College a charter on March 6, 1856 (Laws of Maryland, 1856, Chapter 97). View the original charter.

Charter Day — Anniversary celebrated at various times to commemorate the university's founding as the Maryland Agricultural College on March 6, 1856.

Cheers — Earlier in the 20th century, students chanted well-rehearsed cheers at campus sporting events. Many of the cheers were circulated to the students through their publication in the student handbooks.

Cheerleaders — Although specific college yells or cheers appear in the yearbook as early as 1898, actual cheerleaders are not depicted until 1917. The first cheerleaders appear to have been two unidentified young men, who are pictured in the 1917 Reveille yearbook laughing and leaning on each other, with two megaphones in front of them. Female cheerleaders do not appear in the yearbook until 1925.

Cheerleading, Competitive — The University of Maryland added women's cheerleading as a competitive sport in the fall of 2003, the first such varsity program in the United States. The team participates in intercollegiate competition across the country and was a separate group from the "spirit squad" that continues to cheer at football and men's and women's basketball games. The Terps won their first national competitive cheer championship on April 7, 2006, just edging out the five-time consecutive national champion Louisville Cardinals by .13 points. They were again crowned national champions in 2007, 2008, and 2010. The university eliminated the competitive cheer team (then known as acrobatics and tumbling) in 2012.

Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of — The current Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry originated early in the history of the Maryland Agricultural College with the addition of instruction in chemistry in the 1860s. For more information about the department’s history from 1850 to 1968, visit the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry website.

Chesapeake Building — Constructed in 1991; named for the Chesapeake Bay.

Chestertown Hall — Dormitory constructed in 1962; named for Chestertown, Maryland, county seat of Kent County. Designed by Johannes & Murray.

Chincoteague Hall — The only building on campus named for a location largely outside the state of Maryland. Formerly known as the Journalism Building.

Civil War — The campus was a campsite for troops from both sides of the conflict during the Civil War. Six thousand Union troops under the command of General Ambrose E. Burnside stayed overnight on the Maryland Agricultural College grounds in April 1864. Three months later, Confederate General Bradley T. Johnson and his men briefly occupied the campus. General Johnson used the Rossbourough Inn as his headquarters.

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center — At 318,000 square-feet, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, designed by Moore Ruble Yudell and located on 17 acres at the northwest end of campus, was the largest single building ever constructed by the State of Maryland at the time it opened. The Center, informally known as The Clarice, is a state-of-the-art performing arts "village," comprised of ten interconnected structures. It celebrated its official dedication on September 29, 2001, and the first public, ticketed performance was the "Happy Birthday Mozart" concert held on February 3, 2001. The Center is named for well-known Virginia artist and collector Clarice Smith, who attended the university before continuing her art studies at the Corcoran School in Washington and at George Washington University, where she taught watercolor and portrait painting to advanced degree candidates. Smith has had numerous solo exhibitions in galleries in the United States and abroad.

Class Gifts — See the list of class gifts, which includes some reunion gifts. The tradition of giving Senior Class gifts began at the university in 1910. By the late 2000s, this tradition evolved into an All-Student Giving initiative to encourage Terps to donate to any project or cause to which they are connected.

Class Pin — The Class of 1901 received the first-ever class pin, "a flag pin on which are the Maryland Colors," as noted in the 1901 Reveille yearbook.

Class Ring — The Maryland Agricultural College Class of 1900 was the first to introduce the concept of a class ring, as noted in the 1900 Reveille yearbook.

Climbing Center — Campus Recreation Services opened the new outdoor rock climbing facility in May 2001. At 55 feet, the Terrapin Climbing Center is one of the tallest university climbing walls in the United States.

Coaches, African American — George Raveling, assistant coach for men's basketball, was the first African American assistant coach at Maryland and the first in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Bob Wade was the first African American head coach at UMD, leading the men's basketball from 1986 to 1989.

Coast Guard Cutter — The Coast Guard Cutter Terrapin entered service on March 23, 2006, in Bellingham, Washington. It undertakes search and rescue, law enforcement, fishery patrol, drug interdiction, migrant interdiction, and homeland security missions up to 200 miles offshore. There is no known connection between the cutter's name and the University of Maryland.

Co-ed Housing — First introduced in Fall 1969 when the previously all-female Hagerstown Hall went co-ed on an experimental basis.

Cole Student Activities Building — Constructed in 1955; named for Judge William P. Cole, Jr., Class of 1910 and chairman of the Board of Regents from 1944 to 1956; commonly referred to as "Cole" or "Cole Field House;" capacity 14,596; the Terps defeated the University of Virginia in both the first (December 2, 1955) and last (March 3, 2002) games in Cole Field House. Andre Collins scored the last basket in Cole. This building has been converted into an indoor athletic practice facility, dedicated in August 2017, and has been expanded to include the Center for Sports Medicine, Health, and Human Performance and the Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Name changed to Jones-Hill House in April 2021.

College Bowl — A five-man team from the University of Maryland won the 1981 College Bowl national championship, a battle of the brains among schools from across the country as players race to provide the correct answer to questions from all academic disciplines. The College Park squad, consisting of Tom Rogers, Townsend Reese, Robert Whaples, Robert Saltzberg, and Brick Barrientos bested Davidson College by a score of 360 to 130 on March 23, 1981.

College Football Hall of Fame, National Football Foundation — Eleven Terrapins have been inducted into the Hall of Fame for college football players and coaches: Bob Ward (in 1980), Jack Scarbath (in 1983), Coach Jim Tatum (in 1984), Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant (1986), Dick Modzelewski (in 1993), Randy White (in 1994), Bob Pellegrini (in 1996), Coach Jerry Claiborne (in 1999), Stan Jones (in 2000), and former assistant coach Dick MacPherson (in 2009), and E.J. Henderson (in 2021).

College Park Academy — Public charter school the university launched in 2013 as part of the College Park City-University Partnership's "Vision 2020" project to create a top-20 college town. First high school class graduated in 2019. Features blended learning in a "bricks and clicks" model.

College Park Scholars — A two-year program for academically talented students who study and live together, founded in 1994. A more detailed history of College Park Scholars is available at the program's website.

Colleges and Schools — As of 2019, there are 13 colleges and schools on campus headed by deans. They are: College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation; College of Arts and Humanities; College of Behavioral and Social Sciences; Robert H. Smith School of Business; College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences; College of Education; A. James Clark School of Engineering; Philip Merrill College of Journalism; College of Information Studies; School of Public Health; and School of Public Policy. There are additional deans for the Graduate School and Undergraduate Studies.

Collins, Lt. Richard W., III, Plaza—area located outside Montgomery  and Annapolis Hall which honors the life and legacy of Lt. Richard Collins III, a Bowie State University student who was killed in an act of hate near the site in 2017. Plaza includes two walls, one featuring a laser-engraved granite plaque honoring Collins, and a fountain at the base. The second wall sends a message of hope through a replica of the Unity Mural that UMD and Bowie State students, faculty and staff created together to visually illustrate peace, justice and unity at The Clarice’s 2017 NextNOW Fest at UMD. Plaza was dedicated on May 16, 2022.

Colors — The official school colors are black, gold, red, and white, the colors of the Maryland state flag.

Columns — As of 2019, there were approximately 890 columns on campus.

Comcast Center — See Xfinity Center.

Commencement Speakers — See the lists of commencement speakers and student commencement speakers.

Community Learning Garden — Founded in 2011, the garden, located between the Eppley Recreation Center and the School of Public Health (SPH) building, is a project of SustainableUMD. Completely run by volunteers, it is a central meeting point for members of the SPH and greater UMD communities and a "living classroom where faculty, staff, and students can engage in experiential education on issues directly related to agriculture, community health, public health, and environmental health." Participants can also "put into practice lessons about the importance of environmental stewardship, agricultural sustainability, physical activity, balanced diets, and environmental exposures."

Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences; College of — The college was established in October 2010 through the merger of the former colleges of Chemical and Life Sciences and Computer, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences. For more information, visit the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences website.

Computer Science, Department of — Today's nationally and internationally known Department of Computer Science traces its origins to the first class in using computer for calculations offered in fall 1948 by Dr. Harry Polachek, a part-time associate professor in the Department of Mathematics. A written history and photo history are available at the Department of Computer Science website.

Computer Science Center — Opened in 1962 under the direction of Dr. Werner Rheinboldt.

Computer Vision — Computer science field that has fostered such technologies as facial recognition on cell phones and programming that allows robots to navigate warehouses. UMD professor Azriel Rosenfeld is considered the founder of this rea of research.

Congressmen and Senators, United States —  As of 2021, over 30 Terps have served in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Steny Hoyer, Class of 1963, became the highest-ranking Terrapin in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 16, 2006, when he was elected as the House Majority Leader under Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Cooperative Extension Service — Maryland became a formal member of the Cooperative Extension network in 1916, when the General Assembly passed legislation establishing the headquarters of the state's Cooperative Extension Service at the Maryland Agricultural College. For more information, visit the University of Maryland Extension website.

Counseling Center — Originally established as part of the Department of Psychology in 1938, the Counseling Center became a separate administrative unit in 1955. Thomas Magoon served as the center's first director from 1960 to 1988.

Cross Country — Cross country was first organized in the early 1920s; the team won the ACC Championship in 1955, 1964 to 1968, and 1973. The men's cross country team was eliminated in 2012 when the university cut seven sports.

Cumberland Hall — Dormitory constructed in 1963; designed by Ted Engelhardt, Johannes and Murray. Named for Cumberland, Maryland, county seat of Allegany County.

Curling — A winter Olympic sport involving a 42.5 pound stone slid along the ice as players wield brooms to guide its passage. Former Terrapin and NFL football player Vernon Davis was named the honorary captain of the U.S. Curling Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Cupcake Wars — Doron Petersan, Class of 2002, founder of the dessert company Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats, was a winner twice on the Food Network's show Cupcake Wars.

Cypress Building — Constructed in 1947 and acquired by the university in 2016. Located at 8320 Baltimore Avenue. Named for Cypress Creek and Swamp on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Occupied by units from the A. James Clark School of Engineering.