Are you asking about the first 3d animation program (as in series of courses) at a University?

Or are you asking about the first piece of software that could create a 3d image? Or that could create a 3d image in real time?

Well, I don't really have a direct answer for you. But, all you would need for 3d animation is a CRT monitor with reasonable refresh rate, the mathematics of a 3d projection on a 2d plane, and a fast enough computer to render a few frames together.

The problem is, the definition of "software" becomes arbitrary. As computers became faster, it's natural that 3d modeling "software" would have more features, and become easier to use. Seems to me that any program that can model a 3d cube moving for a couple frames, is fair game to be be considered 3d animation "software"?