Moll coined the phrase in his 1985 book, Public Ivys: A Guide to America's Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities. The phrase has since come to include many more universities who offer an Ivy League education at a public university price.

UT earned such a distinction by providing a quality education for undergraduates since it opened its doors in 1883. As far back as 1839, the government of Texas set aside 40 acres of real estate in Austin for the purpose of starting a public university. They named the area College Hill. Construction did not begin until 1881, when Austin was officially made the main campus for the new university. By this time, Texas A&M had already beaten it to being the first university in Texas.

Unfortunately, one of the most memorable points in the history of the University of Texas was when Charles Whitman barricaded himself and a rifle at the top of the Main Building Tower in 1966. He shot and killed 14 people. After this unfortunate incident the tower at the University of Texas was closed for a number of years. Only recently has the University allowed visitors back into the tower and extra security precautions have been put in place.

Today, UT is one of the largest universities in the U.S. Enrollment reaches nearly 50,000 each year and the sprawling campus covers 350 acres near downtown Austin. Students and the public have access to seven museums and 17 libraries with over eight million volumes. Among its collections, the university owns one of only 21 copies of the Gutenberg Bible and the first photograph ever taken, created by Nicephore Niepce.

UT also has many strong academic programs. Its Business School is consistently ranked as one of the top programs in the country. Additionally, the computer science program and the architecture school are nationally ranked programs.

The University of Texas along with the state capitol offers a steady economic base to the city of Austin that is able to stabilize Austin as other industries in Austin ebb and flow. For instance during the tech downturn in 2000/2001 which affected many cities in the United States part of the brunt of the economic downturn was mitigated by the employment base of University of Texas and the state capitol.

UT is an integral part of the city of Austin. Residents enjoy the atmosphere of prestigious athletics and academics that the school adds to their city.