History
The roots of the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) date back to 1934, blooming alongside the inception of higher education in the state of Paraíba. In January of that year, the so-called Northeastern Agronomy School started its activities in the city of Areia to become the first higher education institution in Paraíba. In mid-1947, the Faculty of Economic Sciences was founded in the city of João Pessoa, thus unfolding a transitional stage from high school education, mostly provided by isolated schools, to higher education.
From a State Law, UFPB was born on December 2, 1955, under the name of University of Paraíba, as a result of the unification of several higher education schools that were formerly at work in the state. UFPB was taken over by the Federal Government on December 13, 1960, when it was given its current name. At that moment, the university held campuses in the cities of João Pessoa and Campina Grande.
The first Teaching Centers and Departments were established over the 1970s and were organized according to predefined knowledge areas. Thenceforward, teaching, research, and extension activities grew significantly so that, in 2002, three campuses were set up in the cities of João Pessoa (capital), Areia, and Bananeiras. In 2005, the fourth campus came into operation in the northern region of the state, shared by the municipalities of Mamanguape and Rio Tinto.
Timeline
The content below reproduces, with small adaptions, the information provided by the UFPB Memorial website.1
1934 - Foundation of the Northeastern Agronomy School (NAS) in Areia
Description: Primary buildings of the NAS in 1936. The budget for its construction was authorized in 1934 through the Paraíba State Decree 478. Photo: Jornal A União, April 15, 1936. Digital copy available here.
1947 - Foundation of the Faculty of Economic Sciences (FES) in João Pessoa
Description: Façade of the Epitácio Pessoa Commerce Academy (left) and the former 12 undergraduates of the FES in 1951 (right). Photo: Eveline Gonçalves' thesis (CCSA/UFPB), 2016, p. 150. Digital copy available here.
1949 - Foundation of the Faculty of Philosophy (FP)
Description: Construction of the FP, cradle of Paraíba's future intellectuals in the fields of literature, philosophy, and sciences. Photo: UFPB Memorial website.
1951 - Foundation of the Faculty of Law
Description: Architectural complex of Paraíba's former Faculty of Law (monastery, chapel, and school), whose origin dates back to 1725, when it was used by Jesuit priests. Photo: Direito UFPB: 70 Anos (CCJ/UFPB) celebratory website.
1951 - Foundation of the Social Work School
Description: Façade of the former Social Work School under administration of the so-called "Universidade da Paraíba" (University of Paraíba). Photo: UFPB Memorial website.
1951 to 1953 - Foundation of the Faculties of Pharmacy, Dentistry, and Medicine
Description: During the 1950s, the Faculties of Pharmacy (top-left), Dentistry (bottom), and Medicine were founded in Paraíba as a result of joint efforts of medical doctors and surgeons. At the end of that decade, a number of classes in medical sciences had already been established. The photography at the top-right shows a professor lecturing a microscopy course in 1969. Photo: Eveline Gonçalves' thesis (CCSA/UFPB), 2016, p. 157 – digital copy available here – and UFPB Memorial website.
1952 - Foundation of the Engineering School and Polytechnic School
Description: In 1952, both the Engineering School (left) and the Polytechnic School were founded in Paraíba. The former, established in João Pessoa, offered courses to prepare future army cadets; the latter, in Campina Grande, was intended to cope with challenges that hindered the economic development. The photo on the right shows technicians at the Laboratory of Electrical Engineering at the Polytechnic School. Photo: UFPB Memorial website.
1953 - Foundation of the Nursing School
Description: Façade of the Nursing School, in João Pessoa, devoted to educating and training nurses and healthcare professionals. Later, the School became a Girls' Dormitory.
1960 - Federalization of the former University of Paraíba
At the moment of its federalization in 1960 by the Federal Law No. 3835, UFPB comprised 11 superior schools, namely:
- Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters;
- Faculty of Odontology;
- Polytechnic School;
- Faculty of Law;
- Faculty of Medicine;
- Nursing School;
- Faculty of Economic Sciences;
- Engineering School;
- Social Work School of the University of Paraíba;
- Faculty of Economic Sciences of Campina Grande; and
- Pharmacy School of Paraíba.
Ed.: Full details on the historical background of the Federal University of Paraíba can be found in the following account published by the UFPB's Documentation and Regional Historical Information Nucleus (NDIHR): LIMEIRA, M.D. and FORMIGA, Z. S. "UFPB: Implicações Políticas e Sociais de sua História", Textos UFPB/NDIHR, No. 11, April 1986. Available on: <http://www.ndihr.ufpb.br/programa/ufpb_implicacoes.html> (Portuguese only).
1 The project, entitled "Memorial UFPB: Pessoas e Legados" (Memorial UFPB: People and Legacy), is intended to preserve and conserve UFPB collections and repositories that record the university's history. This initiative is managed by UFPB's "Arquivo Central" (Central Archive). Access the project's website on: www.ufpb.br/memorialufpb (Portuguese only).