View the Reels of Time Photo Gallery

Stories :: Coming Soon

Events Calendar

  • Celebration Scrapbook
  • Event Speeches
  • Post-Event Survey

Valparaiso University: Presidents

Thomas Bond Wood, 1867-1869

The talented Rev. Thomas Bond Wood led a funds campaign in 1867 that resulted in the construction of a new wing of the Main College Building that boasted an impressive tower. The new wing, an important addition, was used to house female students, but it also increased the College’s debt. The College’s curriculum was divided into several divisions: primary, preparatory, academic and collegiate. Because secondary education was not widely available, the College’s primary and preparatory teaching helped students prepare for higher education while providing the College with a valuable revenue stream. But in 1867, the Indiana state legislature passed a new law supporting public education, and this caused the Valparaiso Male and Female College’s pre-collegiate enrollment to decline. Facing a severe lack of revenue, Wood left the College and went onto a notable career as a missionary and developer of school systems in South American countries.

Founders Rock