The Capstone

“The Capstone,” probably, is the most-often-used word around the campus. It is embedded in many names of programs, scholarships, and even colleges. Obviously, there is no gigantic impressive-stone-liked landmark labeled “Capstone”. But if there is no such a landmark, what does it mean? Why do people here love to name names after it? Where does it come from? Or where is it? If you ask these questions, most students may not be able to tell you anything other than, “It is the nickname of the University of Alabama.” But I believe that it must be so much more than that, in reality.
With these questions in mind, we started our research and tried to figure it out.
The capstone, technically, is an architecture term which means “the top stone of a structure or wall”, and the derivative meaning is “the crowning achievement or final stroke; the culmination or acme.”[1] Dr. George Hutcheson Denny, the University's 14th president and “an extraordinarily popular president,”[2] gave this nick name to the University of Alabama. You may recognize Dr. Denny’s name when you visit the famous campus landmarks of the University of Alabama—the Bryant-Denny Stadium and the Denny Chimes on the Quad. (Now you may understand that the football stadium was actually named after two very important public figures of the University of Alabama: one is the popular former President and another was the most famous football coach.) Dr. Denny once said that the University of Alabama was the “capstone of the public school system of the state” in 1913.[3] He firmly believed that the University of Alabama was truly the crowning achievement of the education system here in the state of Alabama.
Since that time, “the Capstone” becomes the symbol and spirit of the University of Alabama. It connects all the members of the University of Alabama and encourages them to “pursue knowledge; act with fairness, honesty, and respect; foster civic responsibility; and strive for excellence."[4] You now know that the University of Alabama was the crown jewel of the State of Alabama’s education system. But you may be wondering if the University of Alabama is still considered “the capstone of the public school system of the state?”
You bet! Did you know that according to the statistics of the U.S. News and World Report’s annual college rankings, fall 2009, “the University of Alabama is ranked among the top 50 public universities in the nation for the ninth consecutive years?” Another study, conducted by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity and published in Forbes magazine, May 2008, ranks “the University of Alabama seventh in the nation among public universities.” The standard which they used included “student evaluations, graduation rates, the percentage of students winning top national awards, and professional achievement of graduates.”[5] The University of Alabama is also “the #1 in the nation in enrollment and graduation of minority doctoral students under the Southern Regional Education Board’s Minority Doctoral Scholars Program.”[6] This is just a small list (for more detail, please reference Did You Know). The University of Alabama has been recognized for many more achievements, honors, and awards. Due to this large number of achievements, the University of Alabama has accrued her reputation as “the Capstone”.
Yes, we are still “the Capstone” today and we will be “the Capstone” tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. This nickname has been immortalized in the words of Dr. George Denny when he called the University of Alabama “the capstone of the public school system of the state.” The spirit of “the Capstone” will shine the University of Alabama—the flagship of the Alabama education system forward forever.

References:
[1]. http://www.answers.com/topic/capstone
[2]. http://ua.aboutgiving.net/the-denny-society
[3]. http://www.ua.edu/quickfacts/creed.html
[4]. http://quickfacts.ua.edu/creed.html
[5] . http://quickfacts.ua.edu/know.html
[6]. http://www.ua.edu/quickfacts/know.html
7. Capstone picture: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/capstone
8. Capstone Creed: http://www.ua.edu/quickfacts/creed.html