History
Three Eras of Valparaiso History
Pioneering Coeducation
In its 150-year history, Valparaiso University has passed through three distinct phases. Founded by Methodists in 1859 as an institution pioneering coeducation, the Valparaiso Male and Female College was forced by the reverses of the Civil War to close its doors in 1871.
Revival as “Poor Man’s Harvard”
It was revived in 1873 by an enterprising educator, Henry Baker Brown, as the Northern Indiana Normal School, renamed Valparaiso College in 1900, and rechartered in 1906 as Valparaiso University. During the next 20 years, it established business and law schools and won national recognition as a low-cost, no frills institution of higher learning; many alumni of this period achieved distinction in their fields as governors, legislators, scientists, business leaders, and other professionals.
Lutheran University Association to the Rescue
Despite its decades of success, the University again experienced financial hardship as the United States entered World War I. The Lutheran University Association, a group of clergy and church laity who saw a bright future for the University, purchased it in 1925, ushering in the modern era of Valpo’s history. Distinguished by its Lutheran heritage of scholarship, freedom, and faith, Valparaiso University continues to fulfill the dreams of these modern founders.
During this period, Valpo has established itself as a premier Midwestern university that combines a thorough grounding in the liberal arts with solid professional training. In the 1940s, the University, spurred by student action, established a school of engineering and adopted a student-administered honor system. The Christ College honors program and a school of nursing further enriched the University’s offerings.
In 1956, Valpo’s chapel-auditorium was destroyed by fire. In 1959, it was replaced by the majestic Chapel of the Resurrection, a fitting symbol of the University’s commitment to its Lutheran ideals—and of the thriving community’s renewed growth.
Important Dates
1859
Valparaiso Male and Female College is founded as one of the nation’s first coeducational colleges.
1871
Valparaiso Male and Female College closes as result of losses suffered during the U.S. Civil War.
1873
Henry Baker Brown reopens the school as Northern Indiana Normal School and Business Institute.
1879
The Valparaiso University School of Law is founded as the Northern Indiana Law School.
1900
Northern Indiana Normal School is renamed Valparaiso College.
1905
Valparaiso College is renamed Valparaiso University.
1916
Valpo participates in intercollegiate sports for the first time.
1917
After decades of success, Valparaiso University again experiences financial hardship as the United States enters into WWI.
1925
The University is purchased by the Lutheran University Association.
1943
A student-initiated, student-enforced Honor Code is created.
1949
Engineering students strike a deal with the University, offering to build an engineering facility if a four-year program, reduced during wartime, is reinstated.
1959
The Chapel of the Resurrection is dedicated.
1967
Christ College, the third oldest honors college in the United States, is founded.
1968
Valpo inaugurates its first two international study centers in Cambridge, England, and Reutlingen, Germany.
1971
LeBien Hall is dedicated as home for the College of Nursing, which graduates its first class.
1976
Valpo moves its athletics program to the NCAA’s Division I.
1988
In Homer Drew’s first year as head coach of the men’s basketball team, a record crowd of nearly 5,000 at the Athletics–Recreation Center sees the men’s basketball team defeat Notre Dame in overtime, 71-68. Coach Drew dubs the game the “Lutheran miracle.”
1995
The Center for the Arts is dedicated as the home for the visual and performing arts.
2004
The Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources is dedicated.
2008
Mark A. Heckler, Ph.D., is inaugurated as Valparaiso University’s 18th president.
2009
The Harre Student Union is completed.
2011
Donald V. Fites Engineering Innovation Center is completed.
2012
The College of Arts and Sciences building welcomes classes in the fall.
2013
The James S. Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility, designed and constructed by more than 50 Valpo students and alumni, is dedicated.
The 15,000-square-foot Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Welcome Center is dedicated, designed to create a front door for the University and support the needs of prospective students, alumni, and all guests visiting campus.
2014
Beacon Hall, a suite-style residence hall, opens for sophomore students.
2015
Construction begins on townhouse-style sorority housing units.
The Kathleen and Mark Helge Center, located adjacent to the Chapel of the Resurrection, is dedicated during Homecoming Weekend.
The University breaks ground on a science laboratory building.
2016
Forever Valpo: The Campaign for Our Future, a $250 million endowment campaign, is publicly launched during Homecoming Weekend.
Sorority chapters move into the newly opened Sorority Housing Complex.
2017
The Center for the Sciences: Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Innovation Hub at McMillan Hall are dedicated during Homecoming Weekend.
The University celebrates 100 years of sororities and 50 years of Christ College — The Honors College.
Valpo Athletics joins the Missouri Valley Conference, one of the oldest and most prestigious collegiate athletic conferences in the nation.
2020
Led by former University President Mark A. Heckler, Ph.D., Forever Valpo: The Campaign For Our Future, concludes after surpassing an ambitious $250 million goal more than one year ahead of schedule.
President Emeritus Mark A. Heckler, Ph.D., retires.
Colette Irwin-Knott ’81 assumes the role of interim president of Valparaiso University.
2021
Josè D. Padilla, J.D., is inaugurated as Valparaiso University’s 19th president – the first Latino and Catholic to serve in this role.
Valparaiso University retires the Crusader mascot.
A student-led committee works with faculty and staff to select a new nickname for Valparaiso University with intentions to honor Valpo’s history and the light Valpo graduates shine wherever they land after graduation. Leaning into the University’s motto, “In Thy Light We See Light,” and light motifs across campus, the committee puts forth the new Valparaiso University nickname: the Beacons.
2022
Beacon, a golden retriever, and Blaze, a chocolate lab, are introduced as Valpo’s new mascots.