Hamline University

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Hamline University
Image:Hamline150Logo.jpg

Motto: Religio, Literae, Libertas
Established: 1854
Type: Private Liberal Arts University
President: Linda N. Hanson
Faculty: 106 full time, 85 part time
Undergraduates: 1,872
Postgraduates: 662 Law School
Location: Saint Paul, MN, USA
Campus: Urban (residential), 44 acres
Endowment: US $ 152.5 million (10/2004)
Mascot: The Piper
Website: www.hamline.edu
University Hall-Old Main, Hamline University
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location: 1536 Hewitt Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Coordinates: 44°57′57″N 93°9′56″W / 44.96583, -93.16556Coordinates: 44°57′57″N 93°9′56″W / 44.96583, -93.16556
Built/Founded: 1883
Architect: Warren H. Hayes
Architectural style(s): Ruskinian Victorian Gothic
Added to NRHP: September 22, 1977
NRHP Reference#: 77000767[1][2]
Governing body: Private

Coordinates: 44°58′1.76″N, 93°9′58.96″W

Hamline University was founded in 1854 in Red Wing, Minnesota, USA, as the first institution of higher education in the state. The University of Minnesota is disputably older (having been chartered in 1851) although it did not begin enrolling students until 1857. Hamline is thought of as one of the most elite institutions in Minnesota. Hamline is also distinct for being founded as a coeducational institution, a rarity in nineteenth century America. Its first graduates were, in fact, women - the Sorin sisters. They have since been honored with a building named for them, Sorin Hall, which houses the cafeteria and dorms.

The college at Red Wing was closed in 1869 and reopened at its current location in the Midway district of Saint Paul in 1880. Hamline has a total enrollment of approximately 4,000 students, including its College of Liberal Arts, the Hamline University School of Law, and Graduate Studies programs. The university is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

A student newspaper called The Oracle is published weekly.

The liberal arts college has The Pied Piper of Hamelin as its mascot, due to the similarity of names (Hamline/Hamelin).

Contents

[edit] History

  • In 1854, Hamline University was founded and named after Methodist Bishop Leonidas Lent Hamline, who provided US$25,000 of his own money to launch the school. The university opened in Red Wing, MN, with the premise that the school would eventually move to Saint Paul. A statue of the bishop, sculpted by the late Professor of Art Michael Price, stands on campus.
  • In 1869, the university shut down its operations after enrollment dropped drastically due to the Civil War. The first building at the Red Wing site was torn down in 1872.
  • A new building opened in 1880 in Saint Paul's Midway neighborhood housing 113 students. The building burned in 1883, and the following year, a new building was developed: Old Main, Hamline's oldest remaining building.
  • In 1917, Hamline actively responded to the call of World War I by incorporating an Army Training Corps at the university. More buildings developed after WWI. By 1928, Hamline consisted of Old Main (classrooms and administration), Manor House (women's residence hall), a Methodist Church, and Goheen Hall (men's residence hall).
  • Hamline faced tough challenges during the U.S. economic depression of the early 1930s. After World War II, Hamline's choir and theater department became a musical reference in Minnesota. The choir would eventually become nationally renowned, and would travel overseas.
  • By 1950, enrollment surpassed 1000 students, and the board of directors decided on further development. New developments included two new residential halls (Sorin and Drew halls), a cultural center (Bush Student Center), a new carpentry center (VanHemert Hall) a new arts center, and a new science center (Drew Hall of Science). All of these projects were completed in the mid 1960s.
  • In 2004, Hamline celebrated its 150th anniversary. Throughout the year, every department held a public event related to the anniversary. The slogan for the event was "Looking back. Thinking forward."
  • July 2005 marked the arrival of Linda N. Hanson, the university's first female president.

[edit] Schools and Colleges

[edit] Athletics

Hamline University calls itself the "birthplace of intercollegiate basketball." In 1893 then-Hamline Athletic Director Ray Kaighn (who had played on James Naismith's very first basketball team) brought the sport to the university, when it was barely a year old. A women's program was organized two years later. On February 9, 1895 Hamline hosted the first intercollegiate basketball game in history when the "Minnesota State School of Agriculture" (now known as the Saint Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota) defeated Hamline by a score of 9-3. The game was played using Naismith's original "Peach Basket" rules in the basement of the school's old science building (long since demolished), and featured nine players to each side.

Hamline was once known for the strength of its basketball program, with the university considered to be a national power in the sport from the 1930s to the 1950s. Hamline produced a number of NBA players during this time (including Hall of Famer Vern Mikkelsen), and then-Head Coach Joe Hutton, Sr. (1931-65) was once even offered -- and turned down -- a chance to coach the Minneapolis Lakers.

  • 1,154 total victories ranks Hamline as the 23rd winningest team in NCAA Division III history (as of the 2004-05 season)
  • NAIA runner ups: 1953
  • NCAA Division III Semifinalist: 1977 (Finished in fourth place)
  • NCAA Division III Quarterfinalist: 1975
  • NCAA Division III All-Tournament Selection: Phil Smyczek, 1977
  • NCAA Division III Academic All-Americans: Paul Westling, 1986; John Banovetz, 1989

Hamline has had recent success with its cross country team. In 2005, it won the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and then went on to a seventh place finish at the NCAA Division III national cross country meet. It was Hamline athletics' first MIAC championship title since the 1980s although it has had a number of second place finishes in recent years (including men's indoor track - 2006, men's cross country - 2006 and men's soccer - 2006).

Hamline has also had much success with its gymnastics program, earning an NCGA Championship in 2000. The subsequent years have included many trips back to the national stage, with the Pipers most recently finishing fifth in the 2007 national meet.

[edit] References

  1. ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
  2. ^ Nord, Mary Ann (2003). The National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN 0-87351-448-3. 
  3. ^ Hamline University. (April 23, 2008). Hamline Announces Launch of School of Business. Retrieved May 10, 2008, from Hamline University News.

[edit] External links