Pacific Lutheran University

Pacific Lutheran University was chartered by the State of Washington on December 11, 1890. In naming the university, the Norwegian pioneers who founded it recognized the role that a Lutheran educational institution on the Western frontier could play in the region. They wanted the institution to help immigrants adjust to their new land and find jobs, but they also wanted it to produce graduates who would serve church and community. Education—and educating for service—was a venerated part of the Scandinavian traditions from which these pioneers came.[5]

Classes first began in 1894 with the student body consisting of 30 students. Tuition at the time cost $1 per week.[6] Bjug Harstad was the school's first president. The entire university was housed in one building from 1894 to 1912. This building was formerly known as Old Main but has since been renamed Harstad Hall in honor of the school's founding president.

In 1898 the university's name was changed to Pacific Lutheran Academy and Business College. Attempting to eliminate the debt plaguing the school, Bjug Harstad left for Alaska to search for gold. He spent one and one half years there but was unable to discover any gold.[6] In 1902 the PLA athletic club celebrated its first victory in men's basketball with a 15–12 win over the University of Washington.[7] Five years later women would be allowed to play basketball.

In 1912 a second building, a gymnasium, was constructed on the university campus. It included a track, a stage, and a science laboratory in the basement. Two years later students built a tennis court in what is now Red Square.[8] By 1914 PLA received full accreditation meaning students could transfer to universities and retain their credits.

Although founded as a university, the institution functioned primarily as an academy until 1918, when it suspended instruction for two years.[9] It reopened as the two-year Pacific Lutheran College, after merging with Columbia College, previously located in Everett. Further consolidations occurred when Spokane College merged with PLC in 1929.[5] Four-year baccalaureate degrees were first offered in education in 1939 and in the liberal arts in 1942. The institution was reorganized as a university in 1960, reclaiming its original name.[5]

The PLC initials can still be seen on this weather vane atop Xavier Hall.

In 1920 the school merged with Columbia College in Everett, Washington, and reopened as Pacific Lutheran College. The reopening of the school also saw the construction of a new building, the Chapel. Classes were held in the Chapel until 1967. The Chapel was also the home of Trinity Lutheran Church until the congregation built its own church in 1937.[10]

The school's first football team was launched in 1926. They were originally known as the "Greyhounds", then the "Gladiators" (although they are unofficially referred to as the "Lutes").[11] That same year Polly Langlow, a member of PLC's women's basketball team, scored 270 points in 12-games setting a national record.[12] A year later in 1927 the college's great musical tradition, the Choir of the West, was founded. The Choir acquired its name on a trip to the Great Lakes region.[11]

Another merger occurred in 1929 when Spokane College, another Northwest Norwegian Lutheran school, closed. Its academic records were merged with PLC's, and several of its faculty members came to PLC.[11] In 1937 the university acquired the golf course through a generous donation. The same year the cornerstone was laid for the new library.[13] 1939 saw the first of several visits by Norwegian royalty when Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha came to PLC's campus.

Rear view of Anderson University Center, showing the garden behind the building.

During the early 1940s PLC's student body was almost all female as most men were fighting in World War II. People returning to college post-war, specifically veterans using the G.I. Bill, caused a boom in enrollment. The student body at that time was half veteran and no longer mostly female.[14] A number of new buildings were completed in the following years including Ramstad Hall, Memorial Gymnasium, and the Student Union Building (now renamed as Anderson University Center). In 1952 the new Chapel-Music-Speech Building was constructed and later named Eastvold Chapel (renamed in 2013 as the Karen Hille Phillips Center for the Performing Arts). Chapel became mandatory for the first time with attendance being taken and seats being assigned.[15] Two years later North and South Halls, the first dormitories, were built (later renamed Hong Hall and Hinderlie Hall, respectively.) Until that time students had lived in Old Main or boarded with Parkland families.[15]

Reclaiming the original name, Pacific Lutheran College became known as Pacific Lutheran University in 1960. Along with the name of the school being changed the PLU mascot was also changed from the Gladiators to the Knights.[16] The 1960s saw decade-long construction boom as ten buildings were built by 1970, almost as many as had been built in the previous 70 years.

The 1960s and 1970s were a time of great change on PLU's campus when restrictions on student life began to loosen. Chapel was no longer required and two dormitories become coed. Girls' dormitories' restrictive hours were replaced with a card-key system, and opposite-sex visitation was allowed 3 times a week instead of 2 times a year.[17] Dancing was allowed for the first time on campus in 1963.[16] Several well known entertainers performed at PLU including Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, The Steve Miller Band, The Righteous Brothers, B.B. King, Ike & Tina Turner, and Bob Hope.[17][18]

Throughout its history PLU has remained close to its Scandinavian roots. In 1975 the school played host to King Olav V of Norway. Three years later in 1978, 14 members of Stortinget, the Norwegian Parliament, visited PLU.[19] In 1982 King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden visited PLU and the following year Princess Astrid of Norway also paid a visit to the university. That same year a monument was erected in Valle, Norway, to honor the Rev. Bjug Harstad, founder of PLU.[20] By 1989 a Scandinavian Cultural Center would be completed on the lower floor of the University Center. King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway came to PLU in 1995 with Queen Sonja receiving an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.[21] Crown Prince Haakon of Norway visited PLU in 1999.[22] To mark its 125th anniversary in 2015, PLU awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree upon King Harald V of Norway.

The first President of the Pacific Lutheran University was Rev. Bjug Harstad. The entire university was housed in one building from 1894 to 1912. This building was formerly known as Old Main but has since been renamed Harstad Hall in honor of the founding president.[23]

The 14th and current President of the Pacific Lutheran University is L. Allan Belton, appointed in 2017.[24]

In June 2020, PLU was added to the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) list of censured administrations.[25] An AAUP report [26] found that a long-serving PLU faculty member had been dismissed in violation of the AAUP's 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure.

PLU is a member of The New American Colleges and Universities, a national consortium of 22 selective, medium-sized (2,000–7,500 students) independent colleges and universities dedicated to the purposeful integration of liberal education, professional studies, and civic engagement.

This type of institution was called a New American College by Ernest Boyer in a series of influential essays and speeches in the 1990s. Since Boyer coined this term, most of the institutions that have aligned with this identity are referred to as universities; so, the term has tended to become New American University.

In 2009 PLU received the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization.[32][33] In the same year PLU matched a $1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create an endowment to assist low-income students to participate in study away programs.[32] The Wang Center for International Programs opened in 2002 as the result of a $4 million donation from Peter, a 1960 PLU graduate, and Grace Wang.[34] Nearly 50% of PLU students study away.[35]

PLU requires that all students under 20 years of age or junior status on or before September 1 live on campus or at home with a parent, spouse or child. Approximately half of all students enrolled at PLU live on campus. There are ten residence halls at PLU, with six located on upper campus and four located on lower campus.

Every year, the PLU Football team helps move new students into their PLU home.

The ten on campus residence halls:

• Harstad Hall, built in 1894, is the oldest building on campus and housed the entire university from 1894 to 1912. It became a residence hall in 1960. It is an all-female hall, the only single sex hall on campus. Harstad is five stories tall and houses approximately 200 female residents. In 1984 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Hinderlie Hall, built in 1954, Hinderlie Hall was first named South Hall but changed to Hinderlie in 1966 in honor of Berent and Ragna Hinderlie, university staff members between 1923 and 1955. The hall is four stories tall, with resident rooms on each floor including the south side of the basement, which is open to the hillside. Approximately 130 residents reside in Hinderlie.
• Hong International Hall, built in 1954, was originally named North Hall. In 1966 the building was renamed in honor of Nils Joseph Hong, president from 1898 until 1918 and a faculty member at Pacific Lutheran College until he retired in 1938.[6] The hall has five language wings (Norwegian, Chinese, French, German, and Spanish) and the International Honors wing. Approximately 75 residents reside in Hong.
• Kreidler Hall, built in 1957, was originally named West Hall. In 1966 the hall was renamed Kreidler Hall after Lora Bradford Kreidler, the Dean of Women and teacher of arts from 1921 to 1943. All rooms in Kreidler are single rooms and students must be 20 years of age or junior standing to reside in Kreidler. Approximately 65 students reside in Kreidler.
• Stuen Hall, built in 1966, is named after Ole J. Stuen, faculty member and administrator from 1913 to 1952. Approximately 100 residents reside in Stuen.
• Ordal Hall, built in 1967, is named in honor of Ola J. Ordal, president of Pacific Lutheran College from 1921 to 1928. The Hall was originally built to house 187 female students but has since become co-ed.
• Pflueger Hall, built in 1962, was the first residence hall built on lower campus. The building is named after Jesse P. Pflueger, professor of religion and philosophy from 1930 to 1958. It was designed to be a three-story hall to house 212 men, but since then has been converted to house both men and women.
• Foss Hall, built in 1965, is named after Rev. Halfdan L. Foss, chairman of the Pacific Lutheran Board of Trustees from 1942 to 1964. The hall originally housed 188 men but has since become co-ed. It was taken offline after Spring 2015.
• Tingelstad Hall, built in 1967, was originally designed to house 396 men but has since then become co-ed. The hall was named to honor Oscar A. Tingelstad, president of Pacific Lutheran College from 1928 to 1943. Standing nine stories tall Tingelstad is the tallest building in Parkland. The hall is divided into four houses, Alpine, Cascade, Evergreen and Ivy with every two floors sharing a common lounge.
• South Hall, built in 2000, is an apartment-style complex located on the south edge of campus. Students must be 20-years of age or junior standing to reside in South.

360° panorama of Pacific Lutheran University's campus as seen on a summer afternoon.

PLU has a long history of being committed to a sustainable campus and leading the way as an example for institutions around the world. A certification program in environmental studies was developed in the 1970s, and a major was established in the 1990s. On April 22, 2004 PLU President Loren Anderson signed the Talloires Declaration, making PLU the first Pacific Northwest University to sign the declaration. Leading the nation as a charter signatory to the American College and University presidents Climate Commitment in 2007, PLU accepted the challenge, showing commitment to achieving carbon neutrality. The agreement called for universities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but PLU has taken the initiative to set their goal of becoming carbon neutral by December 31, 2020.[41] The 2015 edition of The Princeton Review's Guide to 353 Green Colleges recognized PLU as a green college leader.[42] Highlights of the review include PLU dining services using 25 percent of its food budget to buy local and/or organic food and 95 percent of the products used by the cleaning services crew being Green Seal Certified.[43]

Morken Center at night

PLU is currently in the process of remodeling and reconstructing multiple buildings throughout campus. The goal is for each building to obtain a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating of Gold. Currently two buildings have been awarded a Gold rating by LEED. In 2006 the Morken Center for Learning and Technology became the first building to earn the award.[44] The Morken Building is home to the School of Business and the Computer Science department. This 55,000 square foot (5,100 m²), $21 million building requires no fossil fuel to operate and is heated and cooled by using a geothermal heat-pump system that regulates its temperature with water stored in 85 wells located 300 feet (100 m) underground.[45] In 2009 a second building would earn the LEED Gold rating when the Martin J. Neeb Center was completed. This building was home to the radio station 88.5 KPLU and at the time of the award being presented it was the only radio facility in the nation with a LEED Gold ranking.[46] The University Center was the third building to receive a LEED rating. Following the completion of the 2006–2007 academic year, the University Center underwent $14 million in construction renovations and as a result earned a LEED Silver rating.[47]

As of 2013, PLU diverted more than 70% of its waste.[48] For its record on sustainability, the university was recognized with a Gold Award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).[49] In 2008, a student-led initiative brought awareness about saving money by consuming tap water instead of buying bottled water.[50] Bottled water is not sold in campus restaurants as a result of the student-run initiative in 2011.[51] All of the programs in the PLU Sustainability Office are student-led i.e. Bike Coop,[52] Community Garden,[53] surPLUs store,[54] and habitat restoration.[50]

PLU's instrumental groups include the University Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, and Chamber Music. Along with these groups the university has a variety of vocal groups which include the Choir of the West, University Chorale, University Singers, University Men's Chorus, Choral Union, and Chapel Choir.[55]

Founded in 1925, the Choir of the West has toured in America, Europe, and Asia. In 1964 the choir performed the world premier of Hungarian composer Miklós Rózsa's major vocal piece, "The Vanities of Life." A decade later the choir performed the west coast premier of Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki's Passion According to St. Luke. In 1987, the choir gave the first performance in the northwest of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem. The choir has been chosen to perform at several American Choral Directors Association conventions, performing most recently in 2013.[56] In 2015, the Choir of the West won the Anton Bruckner Choir grand prize in an international competition in Linz, Austria.[57] The choir recorded a professional album in April 2018 with composer Eriks Esenvalds[58] and recording artist Adrian Peacock[59] which is expected to be released in fall 2018. Since its founding in 1925 the Choir of the West has had six conductors. They are Joseph Edwards (1927–1935), Gunnar Malmin (1937–1964), Maurice Skones (1964–1983), Richard Sparks (1983–2001), Kathryn Lehmann (2001–2006) and Richard Nance (2006–present).[60]

The Pacific Lutheran University Chorale is a mixed choir composed primarily of freshmen and sophomore singers. The choir tours regionally and appears on PLU Christmas compact discs. The Chorale performed for conferences of the Washington Music Educators Association (2010) and American Choral Directors Association (2006). In March 2012, the ensemble performed for the ACDA Northwest Division Conference. University Chorale is conducted by Brian Galante.[61]

The Mast is PLU's student-run newspaper. It was first printed in 1924 in the basement of the university chapel. It is now a converged media group which includes Mast TV and Lute Air Student Radio. It was originally named "The Mooring Mast," but was changed in Fall 2015 to simply "The Mast." The unusual, original name "The Mooring Mast" came from the USS Shenandoah, a U.S. Navy airship. In nearby Fort Lewis there was a large mooring structure for the airship and the students derived the name from this in honor of the famed ship.[10]

PLU has a US Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) detachment that each year commissions officers into the active Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve. In addition to Army scholarships, PLU provides a room and board scholarship. The Lute Battalion of Army ROTC won the McArthur Award—the highest award available—in 2010, 2012 and 2013.[62]

On November 12, 2015, it was announced to KPLU staff that PLU intended to sell the radio station to the University of Washington, which already operated KUOW.[64] On May 26, 2016, Friends of 88.5 FM announced that they had raised $7 million to match the offer made by the University of Washington.[65] On June 28, 2016, PLU announced that it had reached an agreement to transfer the license for 88.5 FM to Friends of 88.5 FM.[66] The sale was consummated on August 30, 2016.

• Lisa Cole, 1997: Head coach of the Boston Breakers in the National Women's Soccer League
• Chris Egan, 1995: 7-time Emmy award-winning sports anchor/reporter for KING-TV
• Ken Flajole, 1977: National Football League coach, formerly the inside linebacker coach for the Cleveland Browns.[71][72]
• Craig Fouhy, 1975: Sports broadcaster
• Marv Harshman, 1942: Nation's winningest college basketball coach at the time of his retirement.[73]
• Doug Herland, 1973: American Rowing Coxswain, and winner of bronze medal for the coxed pair at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
• Megan Jendrick, 2008: American swimmer, record holder, and winner of two gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[74][75]
• Craig Kupp, 1990: Former National Football League quarterback.[76][77]
• Don Poier, 1974: The radio and television voice for the Vancouver and Memphis Grizzlies from 1995 to 2005.[78]
• Scott Squires, 1995: CFL football coach
• Kirk Talley, 1982: College football coach
• Marv Tommervik, 1941: Professional football player and college coach
• John Zamberlin, 1979: Former National Football League linebacker and head football coach at Central Washington University and Idaho State University.[79]

• Crystal Aikin, 1997: American gospel singer-songwriter and reality television personality.[80]
• Angela Meade, 2001: Operatic soprano.[81]
• Marissa Meyer; Writer of The Lunar Chronicles
• Aaron Padilla, 1996, American artist and art educator.[82]
• Michael Peterson, 1980: American country music artist.[83]
• Connor Trinneer, 1991: Actor most notable for playing Commander 'Trip' Tucker in Star Trek: Enterprise.[84]

• Brad Tilden, 1983: CEO of Alaska Airlines.[85]

• Joyce A. Barr, 1976: American diplomat; Assistant Secretary of State for Administration, and former ambassador to Namibia.[86]
• Lois Capps, 1959: United States Representative, 22nd Congressional District, California.[87]
• Calvin Goings, 1995: Served as the youngest ever elected Washington State Senator.[88][89]
• Rick Larsen, 1987: United States Representative, 2nd Congressional District, Washington.[90]
• Jack Metcalf, 1951: Former United States Representative, 2nd Congressional District, Washington.[91]
• John Nilson, 1973: Canadian politician in Saskatchewan. Currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.[92]
• Sean Parnell, 1984: Governor of Alaska and lawyer.[93]

• William Foege, 1957: Worked with World Health Organization to eradicate smallpox, former director of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Carter Center.,[94] a 2012 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient.[95][96]
• Martin W. Johnson, 1918: Renowned marine biologist and author.[97]
• Gene Strandness, 1950: Pioneer in the field of vascular surgery, and "founding father" of the University of Washington School of Medicine and Medical Center.
• David B. Wake, 1958: Professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley and internationally respected expert on speciation.[98]
• Scott Ransom, 1984: Partner in the Health Industries Advisory at PricewaterhouseCoopers | Strategy&; past President of the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
• Neil L. Kelleher, 1992: is the Walter and Mary Elizabeth Glass Professor of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and Medicine at Northwestern University.

• Shannon Brinias, 1985: Anchor at KOVR-TV in Sacramento.[99]
• Lute Jerstad, 1958: American mountaineer and mountain guide and one of the first Americans to climb Mount Everest.[100]
• Rosanna Pansino: Youtuber and cookbook author.[101]