Award Criteria
The nominee must advance the quality of education or the student experience at CU Boulder.
The nominee should model the integrity and ethical conduct that we expect of our CU Boulder students.
The nominee should demonstrate a high degree of respect for the contribution of every member of the CU Boulder community.
The nominee's actions should benefit the CU Boulder community by demonstrating excellence in their service and fostering a campus environment of inclusion, collaboration and personal responsibility.
History of the Award
The award is named after Marinus Smith, a 19th century Boulder resident who made significant contributions of land and money to support the establishment of the University of Colorado Boulder. Marinus G. Smith is a Colorado pioneer who made significant financial and land donations that made it possible for the university to locate in Boulder at the base of the Flatirons. In 1872, Marinus G. Smith, Anthony Arnett, and George and Mary Andrews donated 52 acres on the barren bluff south of town.
Two years later, the territorial legislature appropriated $15,000 for a building if the people of Boulder could match it. When Marinus G. Smith was asked by Professor J. Raymond Brackett if he would live to see the tree he was planting bear fruit, Smith replied , “Old men plant trees; young men can’t wait.” Smith, whom everyone called “Marine,” donated part of his University Hill acreage to the University of Colorado. Marine Street has been named in his honor.