Colorado Mesa University’s Century Celebration brought Mavericks together throughout the year to recognize the people, milestones and community support that shaped the university’s first 100 years.
Nearly 20,000 people attended centennial events during fiscal year 2026, gathering for historical presentations, documentary screenings, facility openings and community celebrations. At the same time, donors contributed over $25 million to support scholarships, athletics, academic programs, student organizations and other areas across the university.
“The Century Celebration was an incredible milestone for CMU and for the community that has supported this institution for 100 years,” said Senior Vice President of Development and CEO of the CMU Foundation Robin Brown. “Now we have an opportunity to build on that momentum, invest in more students and continue creating the programs, scholarships and experiences that will shape CMU’s next century.”
A Year of Celebration
The Century Celebration began with the Century Kickoff and continued throughout the year with events that invited alumni, students, employees and community members to celebrate CMU’s history and look toward its future.
- Century Kickoff
- Becoming CMU: 100 Years in the Making
- Screening of Long May We Live Documentary
- CMU Tech Then and Now Tours
- Bootleg Ball in Brownson
- Centennial Finale Weekend
- Publishing of Colorado Mesa University - A Century of the Maverick Spirit
The year culminated with the 10th annual Day of Giving, the Mary Rait statue unveiling, the reopening of the Moss Performing Arts Center, Through the Decades: The Party of the Century and the Maverick Days Spring Festival.
CMU's Century by the Numbers
- $25,833,824 raised during fiscal year 2026
- 19,294 event attendees
- 5,602 total donors
- 3,389 athletics donors
$10 Million for Students
The Century Scholarship surpassed its $10 million fundraising goal during CMU’s centennial year.
Supported by 176 donors, the endowed scholarship helps Mesa County students attend CMU and pursue a college education. Established in 2017 as the Mesa Scholarship Initiative, the fund continues to grow as donors invest in local students and the future of western Colorado.
A New Gathering Place
Supported by Ron Davis, the historic Davis House opened during the Century Celebration following the renovation of the 1920s-era home along 7th Street next to Confluence Hall.
The Davis House now provides a gathering place for faculty dinners, community events and student groups, including Guardian Scholars, preserving a piece of CMU’s history while creating a space that will serve the university community for years to come.
Honoring a CMU Pioneer
CMU honored the legacy of Mary Rait with the unveiling of a new statue outside the renovated Moss Performing Arts Center. Rait was an impactful figure in CMU's history — becoming a full-time college instructor and dean of women in 1933, then one of Colorado's first female college vice presidents in 1937.
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) helped support the statue project, while Jean Koons Yale established an AAUW Women Veterans Scholarship endowment and a Century Scholarship in her name. CMU also created the Mary Rait Leadership Award, presented for the first time to CMU Trustee Kasia Iwaniczko-MacLeod during the Through the Decades: The Party of the Century.
Shaw Construction’s generosity made a century of celebrations possible. As the presenting sponsor of both the Bootleg Ball and the Through the Decades Party, Shaw Construction played an important role in celebrating CMU’s past and supporting its future.