University Timeline

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  1913

   

  Classes began September 13, 1913 in the Mennonite church on the corner of 13th Avenue and 8th Street in Nampa, Idaho. It was called the Idaho Holiness School, later to be named Northwest Nazarene College.

   

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  1915

   

  The groundbreaking for the first building on what was to become the NNU campus took place in 1915.

   

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  1916

   

  H. Orton Wiley became the first president of NNC in 1916. John C. Riley characterized him as "a scholar, a writer, a preacher, a teacher, and an administrator with a touch that both fitted his time and gave the college its character."

   

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  1917

   

  Harvard graduate Olive M. Winchester joined NNC's Department of Hebrew and Bible Literature in 1917. She was referred to as "one of the foremost critical and exegetical scholars in the holiness movement."

   

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  1918

   

  Thomas Mangum, M.D., and his wife, Emily, took charge of the Medical Missionary Department in 1918. Their course offerings included first aid, nursing, hygiene and surgery.

   

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  1923

   

  NNC founder Eugene Emerson was elected mayor of Nampa in 1923. His slogan was "post-election service is better than pre-election promises."

   

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  1926

   

  26-year-old Russell V. DeLong accepted a faculty position at NNC in 1926 to teach philosophy and theology. By the end of the year he became Acting President after President J.G. Morrison resigned to accept a position as Executive Missionary Secretary for the General Church of the Nazarene.

   

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  1930

   

  Hattie E. Goodrich, head of the commercial department, led the nation in the Remington speed and accuracy test in 1930. She typed 73 words per minute for 15 minutes without error and was awarded a portable typewriter.

   

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  1931

   

  The administration building was restructured in the summer of 1931. A second story and auditorium were added. Some of the work was done by students, including the manufacturing of over 100,000 bricks.

   

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  1932

   

  R. Eugene Gilmore was inaugurated as NNC's 4th president in 1932.

   

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  1932

   

  United States senator William E. Borah spoke to an audience in the new NNC auditorium on October 25, 1932. He spoke on economic issues, including his plan to cancel allied war debts in exchange for reduced armaments.

   

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  1935

   

  Russel V. Delong returned as NNU's 5th president in 1935.

   

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  1937

   

  The Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools voted full accreditation to NNC as a four-year institution on April 7, 1937.

   

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  1941

   

  On the day that the United States declared war on Japan, President DeLong expressed confidence in the leadership of President Roosevelt and reminded the student body that staying in college would prepare them for leadership after the war.

   

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  1942

   

  L.T. Corlett was inaugurated as NNC's 6th president in 1942.

   

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  1942

   

  The Civil Aeronautics Authority established a Ground School at NNC in 1942 and offered studies in aviation for noncombat pilots.

   

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  1946

   

  Thelma B. Culver became Academic Dean in 1946. She was the first woman to earn a Doctorate in Education from the University of Colorado.

   

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  1948

   

  President Corlett taught a course for seniors in 1948 designed to help them make the transition after graduation from college into everyday life.

   

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  1949

   

  History professor Francis Sutherland resigned to return to China as requested by the Nazarene Missionary Board in 1949. However, he was forced to postpone the assignment when the Communist movement took over China.

   

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  1950

   

  Alumnus Byron Lee, army chaplain, died by enemy fire in the Korean War in 1950. Professor Sutherland wrote: "we cannot know the full story of the comfort and help his presence there may have brought to the boys facing the agonizing situation of the battle line." The NNC athletic complex was later dedicated in his memory.

   

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  1952

   

  John E. Riley became NNC's 7th president in 1952.

   

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  1961

   

  The National Science Foundation granted NNC $37,000 to develop the mass spectrometer in 1961.

   

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  1963

   

  Idaho Governor Robert E. Smylie spoke at convocation in 1963. He was quoted as saying "Idaho needs you and your college. Your vision and spirituality help lead us through the labyrinth of problems which often defy logic."

   

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  1973

   

  Kenneth H. Pearsall was inaugurated as NNC's 8th president in 1973.

   

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  1974

   

  150 educators from southwest Idaho surprised Dean Emerita Thelma B. Culver by honoring her for her contribution to education in 1974.

   

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  1978

   

  Oxford Hall was renamed Sutherland Hall in 1978 in remembrance of Francis Sutherland.

   

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  1979

   

  Senator Frank Church addressed the student body at convocation in 1979. The students applauded his statement that he did not favor extending the draft for military service.

   

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  1979

   

  NNC's social work program received full accreditation by the Council on Social Work in 1979 through the effort of Professor Ben Sherrill, head of the department. NNC was the first liberal arts college in the Northwest to have an accredited program.

   

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  1981

   

  Many students who chose to enroll in 1981 cited Bruce Webb, Director of Admissions, as the "deciding factor." That year he sent out almost 5,000 handwritten letters and postcards.

   

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  1982

   

  Jeff Hanway became the first NNC student to receive the honor of academic All-American in 1982. He was a premed student and soccer goalie with a 4.0 GPA.

   

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  1983

   

  A. Gordon Wetmore was inaugurated as NNC's 9th president in 1983.

   

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  1985

   

  Rick Hieb (77) became one of 120 chosen for consideration by NASA in 1985. After the elimination process he became one of 13 astronauts to fly in space.

   

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  1990

   

  Myron Finkbeiner became Director of Development in 1990 after 12 years as Executive Secretary of the NNC Alumni Association. His major accomplishment as Executive Secretary was the preservation of the Alumni House.

   

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  1992

   

  Kurtz Park was annexed in 1992 as the result of a seven-year process. President Gordon Wetmore (1983-1992) said "The planning included building partnership with the city of Nampa, the Nampa school system and Mercy Medical Center. As a result NNC is being recognized as a force for community development."

   

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  1992

   

  Leon Doane became NNC's 10th president in 1992.

   

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  1993

   

  Dr. Gayman Bennett was inducted in to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993. His poem "The Young Southpaw Delivers" is on display next to his photograph in the hall.

   

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  1994

   

  Dr. Richard A Hagood was inaugurated as the 11th President of NNC in 1994.

   

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  1996

   

  The prayer chapel and garden were constructed in 1996 through the donations of Mr. Ralph Little.

   

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  1997

   

  The Lady Crusaders were crowned the NAIA Women's Division II National Champions in 1997. Coach Roger Schmidt was named national Coach of the Year.

   

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  1999

   

  Northwest Nazarene College became Northwest Nazarene University September 1, 1999.

   

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  2001

   

  NNU was among the first universities in Idaho to go wireless in 2001.

   

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  2009

   

  Ashley Puga swept the Women's 800 Meter Run and Mile Runs title at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in February of 2009. In March she took the National NCAA Division II indoor 800 race and later the Outdoor Championship. Ashley was declared All-American five times during her time at NNU.

   

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  2009

   

  Dr. David Alexander was inaugurated as NNU's 12th president in 2009.

   

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  2013

   

  The Northwest Nazarene University Centennial Celebration begins in the Fall of 2012 and culminates in the Fall of 2013. NNU starts its second century with the continued mission to instill habits of heart, soul, mind and strength to enable each student to become God's creative and redemptive agent in the world.

   

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  2014

   

  Adding onto the John E. Riley Library, the Leah Peterson Learning Commons construction is completed. The new 57,000-square-foot facility is dedicated to assisting students as they learn and educators as they teach.

   

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  2015

   

  Howard and Mary Conrad, long time supporters of NNU, make a transformational gift to the university that exceeds $18 million dollars.

   

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  2016

   

  Following a one year term as interim president, Joel Pearsall accepts a four-year term as president in March 2016.

   

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  2017

   

  On October 16, 2017, NNU unveiled its new mascot the “Nighthawks,” officially retiring the “Crusader.”

   

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  2017

   

  Idaho's first satellite, MakerSat-0, is scheduled to launch into space aboard a Delta II rocket at 2:47 a.m. MST Tuesday, Nov. 14, from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

   

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  2018

   

  A team of engineering students created a lawn care robot designed to navigate and mow autonomously. It became known as the “Roomba for lawns.”

   

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  2018

   

  In February, NNU installed a new soccer turf, FieldTurf CORE 2.0, a top of the line surface that is similarly used at Gillette Stadium where the New England Patriots and New England Revolution play.

   

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  2019

   

  In June, the women's basketball team traveled to Cuba to play in a tournament. Their trip occurred shortly after the U.S. lifted travel restrictions making them one of the first U.S. teams to ever play in the country.

   

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  2019

   

  NNU introduced its men’s and women’s Club Sports program. The program offers both Club Lacrosse and Club Soccer.

   

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  2019

   

  Howard and Mary Conrad Student Commons Dedicated. November 8, 2019

   

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  2019

   

  Second Satellite Launch days after 50 Anniversary of Apollo 11

   

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  2020

   

  On March 14, the NNU campus was closed and students transitioned to online-learning as the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading in the U.S. Students completed their 2020 spring semester remotely.

   

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  2020

   

  In April, the NNU Engineering Department began using its 3D printer to make Uses 3D printer to make face shields for healthcare workers. The global pandemic caused a momentary shortage of personal protective equipment.

   

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  2020

   

  NNU Implements Campus-Wide Surveillance Screening for Covid 19. September 2020

   

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  2021

   

  NNU launched a new Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree in Clinical Psychology. This is the third doctoral program offered at NNU.

   

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  2022

   

  NNU's forensic team competed in the National Christian College Forensics Invitational (NCCFI) in Lynchburg, VA and swept the interpretive and platform events, earning an overall second-place finish among Division II Christian universities.