Washburn University

Washburn University

Former names	Lincoln College Washburn College Washburn Municipal University
Motto	Non Nobis Solum
Motto in English	Not for Ourselves Alone
Type	Public university
Established	February 6, 1865; 156 years ago (1865-02-06)[1]
Academic affiliation	CNAHEC
Endowment	$155.3 million (2020)[2]
President	Jerry Farley
Provost	JuliAnn Mazachek
Academic staff	1,000
Students	6,285 (Fall 2019)[3]
Location	Topeka , Kansas , United States 39°02′02″N 95°41′56″W / 39.033786°N 95.698975°W / 39.033786; -95.698975Coordinates: 39°02′02″N 95°41′56″W / 39.033786°N 95.698975°W / 39.033786; -95.698975
Campus	Urban, 160 acres (0.65 km2)
Colors	Washburn Blue and White[4]
Nickname	Ichabods
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – MIAA
Mascot	The Ichabod
Website	washburn.edu

Washburn University (WU) is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,100 undergraduate students and nearly 800 graduate students. The university's assets include a $158 million endowment.

History[]

Washburn University was established at Topeka, Kansas, in February 1865 as "Lincoln College", by a charter issued by the State of Kansas and the General Association of Congregational Ministers and Churches of Kansas; the land on which the college stood was donated by abolitionist John Ritchie. The institution was renamed "Washburn College" in 1868, after Ichabod Washburn pledged $25,000 to the school. Washburn was a church deacon, abolitionist, and industrialist who lived in Worcester, Massachusetts.^[5]

Washburn College adopted a variation of the Washbourne arms as its emblem, substituting the school colors for the tinctures of the arms. Since becoming a university, however, Washburn has abandoned use of the family arms. Instead, the university now employs a stylized "W" as the emblem of the institution. The school mascot, "The Ichabod", is still in use.

"The Ichabod" honors the namesake and early benefactor of the institution, Ichabod Washburn. "The Ichabod" existed only in name until 1938, when alumnus (and later prominent graphic artist) Bradbury Thompson (B.A., 1934) created the studious-looking, tailcoat-wearing figure the university uses today. The athletic teams are nicknamed "the Ichabods".^[5]

In 1913, the medical department of Washburn College closed. The Kansas Medical School had become infamous on December 10, 1895, when the public discovered that some of the bodies used for anatomical study had been stolen from local cemeteries. As the news was being printed (eventually across the country), the governor, fearing riots, called out state troops to protect the school. Three of the doctors, including the dean of the school, and a student-janitor from the school were arrested, as was one man who was not a member of the school. Charges against the doctors were discharged, the janitor was convicted but had his conviction reversed on appeal, and the fifth man was convicted but later pardoned.^[5]

During World War II, Washburn Municipal University was one of 131 colleges and universities in the nation taking part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program, which offered students a path to a Navy commission.^[6]

On June 8, 1966, only a few days after classes were dismissed for the summer, much of the campus was demolished by a tornado, and completely denuded of trees.^[7] Three months before the tornado struck, the Washburn board of trustees had reinsured every building on campus for the maximum amount. A week after the tornado struck, summer classes began at Topeka West High School. By the fall of 1966, Stoffer Hall was repaired and trailers were in place. It took years to reconstruct the campus, with students attending classes in trailers well into the early 1970s.^[5]

Formerly a municipal university, the university's primary funding was moved from city property tax to county sales tax sources in 1999, with the school retaining status as a municipal subdivision of the state.^[5] Washburn is governed by its own nine-member Board of Regents.^[8]

President and the Board[]

The president of Washburn University is Jerry Farley, who has served as president since 1997 and taken an active approach in improving academics and student life. Washburn University is governed by a nine-member Board of Regents. Three, who must be residents of the state of Kansas, are appointed by the governor. Three residents of the City of Topeka, one from each of the state senatorial districts, are appointed by the mayor. One is the mayor or a member of the governing body of the city designated by the mayor. The Shawnee County Commission appoints one member, who must be a resident of Shawnee County but not of the City of Topeka. The Kansas Board of Regents annually selects one of its members to serve on the Washburn Board. Members of the board (with the exception of the Kansas Board of Regents' appointee) serve staggered four-year terms.^[8]

Presidents[]

These persons have served as presidents or interim presidents of Washburn College (1869–1940), Washburn Municipal University of Topeka (1941–1952), and Washburn University (1952–present).^[9]

Title	Name	Years
President	Horatio Q. Butterfield[10]	1869–1870
President	Peter McVicar	1871–1895
President	George M. Herrick	1896–1901
President	Norman Plass	1902–1908
President	Frank Knight Sanders	1908–1914
President	Parley P. Womer	1915–1931
President	Philip C. King	1931–1941
Interim president	Arthur G. Sellen	1941–1942
President	Bryan S. Stoffer	1942–1961
President	Harold E. Sponberg	1961–1965
President	John W. Henderson	1965–1980
President	John L. Green	1981–1988
President	John Duggan	1988
Interim President	Robert L. Burns	1988–1990
President	Hugh L. Thompson	1990–1997
President	Jerry Farley	1997–present
16 presidents; 2 interims		147 years

Law School[]

Formed in 1903^[11] the Washburn School of Law was one of the first in the country to have a legal clinic where students are able to actively practice the legal profession. Today, it is in the minority of law schools to employ a full-time faculty for its law clinic.^{[citation needed]} The Washburn School of Law had the highest pass rate of the Kansas State Bar Exam of any law school in the state of Kansas.^{[citation needed]} The Washburn Law Library houses over 380,000 volumes and is the largest in the state.^[12] Notable alumni include Bob Dole, Roy Wilford Riegle, Dennis Moore, Kim Phillips, Bill Kurtis and Fred Phelps.

Buildings[]

The main buildings of Washburn University are all dedicated to someone or are an important part of Washburn's history.^[13]

Building name	Function of building
Living Learning Center Lincoln Hall	Housing and dining Housing and dining
Memorial Union	Conference rooms, Dining services, Ichabod Shop (Bookstore)
Stoffer Science Hall	Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Information Sciences, and Physics/Astronomy
Mabee Library	Library, Washburn University Writing Center
Morgan Hall	Departments of Mathematics, English, Communication, and Modern Languages
Student Recreation & Wellness Center	Recreation activities
Garvey Fine Arts Center	Departments of Music, Theatre, Philosophy, and Religious Studies
Petro Allied Health Center	Athletics Department
Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center	Alumni Association
Bennett Computer Center	Information Technology Department, computer labs
Carnegie Hall	Department of Education, Curriculum Resource Center, Deay Computer Lab
Art Building	Art Department (painting, sculpting)
Carole Chapel	Open to public, classroom
International House	International programs, and Study Abroad programs
Benton Hall	Leadership Institution, Center for Community Service, and School of Applied Studies
Henderson Learning Resources Center	School of Business, Departments of History, Mass Media, and Sociology
KTWU Building	KTWU-TV
Law School Building	Washburn University School of Law
Foundation Building	Washburn University Foundation

Athletics[]

The athletic teams are known as the Ichabods. Prior to the 2013–14 season, the women's athletic teams were known as the "Lady Blues". On May 24, 2013, President Farley announced that all athletic teams will be known as the Ichabods for the first time in history.^[14] Washburn is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. The current athletics director is Loren Ferré.

Greek life[]

Greek Life at Washburn University has existed since 1909. Currently, the four Interfraternity Council and the three Panhellenic Council organizations are housed on or near campus.

Interfraternity Council chapters	Panhellenic Council chapters	NPHC chapters	Multicultural Greek Chapters
Alpha Delta 1912–Present Alpha Kappa Lambda 1965 - 1982 (inactive) Delta Chi 2008-2014 (inactive) Kappa Sigma 1909–Present Phi Delta Theta 1910–Present Sigma Phi Epsilon 1951–Present Tau Kappa Epsilon 1967-1978 (inactive)	Alpha Phi 1916–present Delta Gamma 1920–present Kappa Alpha Theta 1914-2014 (inactive) Zeta Tau Alpha 1922–present	Alpha Kappa Alpha 1923, (Recharter) 2003–present Delta Sigma Theta 1941 - 1999 (inactive) Kappa Alpha Psi 1921, (Recharter) 2018–present	2018–Present Sigma Lambda Gamma 2018–Present

Campus attractions[]

• KTWU, a non-commercial, public television station authorized by the Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C., and licensed to Washburn University. KTWU, the first public television station in Kansas, commenced telecasting October 21, 1965.
• Mulvane Art Museum opened in 1924. The museum's permanent collection, though international in scope, emphasizes the work of artists of Kansas and the Midwest.
• Crane Observatory houses an 1898 Warner & Swasey refracting telescope.

Notable alumni[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Washburn University.

Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Washburn College.

• Official website
• Washburn Athletics website
• "Washburn College" . Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.