 In 2003, the University of Colorado Museum received accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, an honor achieved by only 18 of 500 university natural history museums and only 5% of all 17,500 US museums.The museum was founded in 1902, when Judge Junius Henderson was appointed its first curator.The University of Colorado Museum fosters exploration and appreciation of the natural environment and human cultures through research, teaching, and community outreach.