The city of Seattle was one of several settlements in the mid to late 19th century vying for primacy in the newly formed Washington Territory. In 1854, territorial governor Isaac Stevens recommended the establishment of a university in Washington. Several prominent Seattle-area residents, chief among them Methodist preacher Daniel Bagley, saw the siting of this University as a chance to add to the city's prestige.

They were able to convince early founder of Seattle and member of the territorial legislature Arthur A. Denny of the importance of Seattle winning the school. The legislature initially chartered two universities, one in Seattle and one in Lewis County, but later repealed its decision in favor of a single university in Lewis County, provided locally donated land could be found.

When no site emerged, the legislature, encouraged by Denny, relocated the university to Seattle in 1858. The original University of Washington building on Denny's Knoll, c. 1870 In 1861, scouting began for an appropriate 10 acres (4 ha) site in Seattle to serve as the campus for a new university. Arthur and Mary Denny donated eight acres, and fellow pioneers Edward Lander and Charlie and Mary Terry donated two acres to the university[9] at a site on Denny's Knoll in downtown Seattle.

This tract was bounded by 4th and 6th Avenues on the west and east and Union and Seneca Streets on the north and south. UW opened officially on November 4, 1861, as the Territorial University of Washington. The following year, the legislature passed articles formally incorporating the University and establishing a Board of Regents. 

The University of Washington educates a diverse student body to become responsible global citizens and future leaders through a challenging learning environment informed by cutting-edge scholarship. Discovery is at the heart of our university. We discover timely solutions to the world's most complex problems and enrich the lives of people throughout our community, the state of Washington, the nation and the world.

Notable alumni of the University of Washington include architect Minoru Yamasaki (1934); US Senator Henry M. Jackson (JD 1935); Baskin & Robbins co-founder Irv Robbins (1939); Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marilynne Robinson (PhD 1977), saxophonist Kenny G (1978); and actor and comedian Joel McHale (1995, MFA 2000). Notable faculty of the University of Washington include eight nobel laureates and five Pulitzer Prize winners.

Alumni Association:www.washington.edu/alumni

The University of Washington, Seattle campus, is situated on the shores of Union and Portage Bays, with views of the Cascade Range to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west. The main campus is bounded on the west by 15th Avenue N.E., on the north by N.E. 45th Street, on the east by Montlake Boulevard N.E., and on the south by N.E. Pacific Street. East Campus stretches east of Montlake Boulevard to Laurelhurst and is largely taken up by wetlands and sports fields.

South Campus occupies the land between Pacific Street and the Lake Washington Ship Canal which used to be a golf course and is given over to the health sciences, oceanography, fisheries, and the University of Washington Medical Center.