The two-year School of Medicine begins accepting students. The 337 students debate women’s suffrage (it loses to a student vote), railroads, and Hawaii’s statehood. Fraternities grow, student clubs provide an outlet, and the growing social scene is aided by an electric trolley line to and from town.

Students complain that the school colors—pink and green, chosen in 1889 for the colors of the prairie rose and to symbolize UND’s rosy prospects — are too weak and affect athletic team success. By 1920, athletes wear green and white uniforms.

World War I leaves few faculty or students, and military training becomes a requirement. Enrollment declines, and the campus is converted to Army administrative and housing needs.

As the U.S. becomes a post war nation, returning veterans swelled enrollment to more than 1,000 students.

KFJM Radio goes on the air and sporting events are broadcast for the first time. The availability of automobiles and the proximity of the State’s Ballroom, in East Grand Forks, makes it impossible to control off-campus behavior.

Nationwide, UND’s influence expands. Margaret Kelly Cable, clay artist, UND instructor, and researcher, chairs the Industrial Arts Division of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. Two new publications are created: The Dakota Law Review and the North Dakota Engineer.

The 1929 stock market crash makes life difficult for students. Jobs are hard to find, so the University provides low-cost housing by converting railroad cabooses into makeshift dorms, known as "Camp Depression.” Grand Forks residents even provide Sunday dinners and food for students. The Flickertails nickname is discarded in favor of The Fighting Sioux.

Movies in town cost 15 cents for a triple feature, and with the onset of Prohibition, a "mickey" of bootleg alcohol costs $1 at Whitey's, the speakeasy in East Grand Forks. UND alumnus Fritz Pollard wins an Olympic bronze medal in track and is the first UND athlete to place on the U.S. Olympic team. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt visits UND in 1937.

In 1942, male students are mobilized for World War II. In the spring semester of 1944, the enrollment is 504 students, with 375 women. As in World War I, the UND campus is converted to military mode and will train 6,000 men and women.

By 1947, returning veterans swell enrollment to more than 3,000 students, bringing wives and children with them. Classrooms are crowded, and housing is so difficult to find that converted coal bins are highly sought. Even the museum attic, in Macnie Hall, is used for two faculty apartments. Surplus trailers and Quonset huts, both remnants from the war, are quickly constructed to accommodate families. The “temporary” tin huts will remain in use until 1982.

The Sioux win their first national hockey championship in 1958 and enthusiasm for the sport runs high. Many students have automobiles. The King Kold Karnival, a tradition featuring snow sculptures, a dance, and a queen pageant, continues until 1972.

The largest building program since UND was founded is under way as the campus expands westward. The available space on campus doubles during the post-war decade. The Memorial Student Union is completed, and faculty numbers grow to 250 by 1958. Thomas Clifford, age 29, is named head of UND’s business school and the youngest dean in UND history.

President John F. Kennedy visits UND on Sept. 25, 1963, two months before he is assassinated. UND grants its 25,0000th degree and funding is set aside for the 1st Annual Time Out Week and Wacipi.

A small mud fight begins on University Avenue, in 1962 and 900 students gather; they tear down and burn telephone poles, block traffic, break car windows, and throw co-eds into the coulee. The Grand Forks Police are called to campus, though this is a very rare occurrence. Shortly after the incident, UND institutes “Spring Break.”

UND students march for Civil Rights and against the Vietnam War. The Dakota Student prints articles considered offensive, sparking controversy and calls for censorship, but President Starcher defends free speech on campus. One of the largest demonstrations in UND’s history takes place in May 1970 and up to 2,000 students gather to protest the Kent State University killings.

Enrollment grows to 10,000 students. The medical school program becomes a four-year program and Thomas Clifford is named the new president. Professor John Little organizes the first Writer’s Conference: “Southern Writers Conference on the Arts.” INMED, the Indians into Medicine program, is established to help serve reservation populations.

The cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks flood as the Red River overflows it banks and fire rages through the downtown district. UND, though flooded as well, is transformed into headquarters for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the city of Grand Forks, and others. A total of 72 buildings are damaged by floodwaters. Quick action by the Facilities crew minimizes mold and water damage, allowing the University to reopen quickly.

President Baker resigns and Charles Kupchella is named president in 1999.

The football team moves to its new home in the Alerus Center, ending outdoor games at Memorial Stadium. The hockey team moves into the $100 million Ralph Engelstad Arena, built by Ralph Engelstad, former goalie for UND. The campus covers a total of 549 acres.

UND officials commit to raising the profile of research enterprises, demonstrating that research and scholarship are closely linked and enhance undergraduate and graduate education. In total, UND has granted 105,646 degrees since 1883, and 50 states and more than 50 countries are represented in the student body.