Olivet Nazarene University
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Olivet Nazarene University |
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| Motto | Education with a Christian purpose |
| Established | 1907 |
| Type | Private |
| Dr. John C. Bowling | |
| Faculty | Approximately 240 |
| Undergraduates | Approximately 2,500 |
| Postgraduates | Approximately 2,500 |
| Location | Bourbonnais, Illinois, USA |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Sports | NAIA, CCAC |
| Colors | Purple & Gold |
| Mascot |  |
| Website | www.olivet.edu |
- This article is about the university in Illinois. For the college in Michigan refer to Olivet College.
Olivet Nazarene University is a liberal arts university located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school is affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene.
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[edit] History
Olivet traces its roots to 1906 when a group of families in East-Central Illinois started a school to provide a Christian education for their children. Classes were first held in a house in Georgetown, Illinois.
In 1908, the school's founders acquired several acres in the village of Olivet. They built a small simple building on this land. In 1909, the liberal arts college was started and the school was given the name Illinois Holiness University. The school was given to the Church of the Nazarene in 1912. It was renamed Olivet College in 1915.
The economic solvency of the school became a problem in the 1920s, and the trustees were forced to declare bankruptcy in 1926. The school's treasurer Dr. T. W. Willingham purchased the school back at an auction and was elected president.
In 1938, the main building on campus was destroyed by fire. This prompted the school to look for a new location. The current campus was purchased in 1939, and the school moved in the summer of 1940. The present campus was previously the location of St. Viator's College from 1868 until it closed in 1938. With the move, the school's name was changed to Olivet Nazarene College.
The school grew rapidly from 1946 until 1975 with over twenty major buildings being built during this time. The school's name was changed again in 1986 to Olivet Nazarene University. Since 2003, the Chicago Bears have held their summer training camp at the university.
For the second consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report has named Olivet Nazarene University as one of "America's Best Colleges." Olivet is one of only ten Illinois colleges to be named in the "Best Universities – Master's" category[1]. According to U.S. News, schools within the "Best Universities – Master's" category provide a full range of undergraduate and master's programs, a category for which 557 U.S. schools were considered. Olivet, an accredited Christian liberal arts university, offers just over 120 areas of study, including the newly approved Doctor of Education degree in ethical leadership.
[edit] School presidents
- Dr. T. W. Willingham (1926 to 1938)
- A.L. Parrott (1938 to 1948)
- Dr. Selden Dee Kelley (1948 to 1949)
- Dr. Harold W. Reed (1949 to 1975)
- Dr. Leslie Parrott Sr. (1975 to 1991)
- Dr. John C. Bowling (1991 to current)
[edit] School Chaplains
- Dr. Bill Bray
- Dr. Michael Benson (current)
[edit] Athletics
The Olivet Tigers compete in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) and in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
[edit] Men's sports
Men's varsity teams include:
[edit] Women's sports
Women's varsity sports are:
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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Kankakee County, Illinois (County Seat: Kankakee) |
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| Cities, Towns and Villages | Aroma Park | Bonfield | Bourbonnais | Bradley | Buckingham | Chebanse | Essex | Grant Park | Herscher | Hopkins Park | Irwin | Kankakee | Manteno | Momence | Reddick | St. Anne | Sun River Terrace | Union Hill |
| Townships | Aroma Township | Bourbonnais Township | Essex Township | Ganeer Township | Kankakee Township | Limestone Township | Manteno Township | Momence Township | Norton Township | Otto Township | Pembroke Township | Pilot Township | Rockville Township | St. Anne Township | Salina Township | Sumner Township | Yellowhead Township |
| Points of Interest | Kankakee State Park | Sun River Terrace |
| Higher Education | Kankakee Community College | Olivet Nazarene University |
| Hospitals | Provena St. Mary's | Riverside Medical Center |
| Transportation | Amtrak | I-57 |
