William Penn University

William Penn University is a private university in Oskaloosa, Iowa. It was founded by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1873 as Penn College. In 1933, the name was changed to William Penn College, and finally to William Penn University in 2000.

This article is about the private university in Iowa. For other educational establishments with a similar name, see William Penn School.

William Penn University
TypePrivate university
Established1873
AffiliationQuakers[1]
PresidentJohn E.E. Ottosson
Students1,050
Location
Oskaloosa
,
Iowa
,
United States
CampusRural
ColorsNavy and Gold    
AthleticsNAIA
MascotStatesmen
Websitewmpenn.edu
Penn College Historic District
Spencer Memorial Chapel (1923)
Area13.75 acres (5.56 ha)
ArchitectA.T. Simmons
Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson
Architectural stylePrairie School
Colonial Revival
MPSQuaker Testimony in Oskaloosa MPS
NRHP reference No.96000391[2]
Added to NRHPApril 4, 1996

The university's athletic teams compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The university is a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Before 2000, the school was a part of the NCAA Division III.

History

Penn College opened September 24, 1873.[3] The college's name was changed from Penn College to William Penn College in 1933, sparking a controversy whether or not the institution had ceased to exist as an educational institution. That matter was settled once and for all by the Iowa Supreme Court which ruled that Penn College had not ceased to exist as an educational institution.[4] In 2000, the name was changed again from William Penn College to William Penn University.

In 1916, fire destroyed the original campus and Penn's business manager Robert Williams and freshman student Harry Oakley were killed when the four-ton college bell crashed through the main building and buried them beneath it.

In 1995, William Penn's 'College for Working Adults' was founded, which enrolls non-traditional students in an evening program of accelerated study. In January 2000 the college returned to the NAIA Division II. William Penn is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.[5]

In 2007, Musco Lighting, also in Oskaloosa, donated $12 million to the school for various projects—the biggest single gift in the school's history. The money was to be used for 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) of new structures including student recreation, classrooms, laboratories, and a stand-alone Industrial Technology Center building called the Musco Technology Center (MTC), which is home for the expanding Digital Communication Program.[6]

Historic district

Part of the campus has been set aside as a nationally recognized historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.[2] At the time of its nomination it contained ten resources, which included one contributing site, four contributing buildings, two contributing structures, two non-contributing buildings, and one non-contributing structure.[7] The focus of the district is the Quadrangle, which is the contributing site. Penn Hall (1917), Lewis Hall (1917), the Central Heating Plant (1917), and Spencer Memorial Chapel (1923) are the historic buildings. The historic structures are two Memorial Gates (c. 1918). The Southeast Memorial Gate is located at the intersection of North Market Street and Trueblood Avenue. The Southwest Memorial Gate is located at the entrance to a vehicular drive off of Trueblood Avenue. They were gifts of the classes of 1918–1920 to honor their classmates who died in World War I. Bloomington, Illinois architect A.T. Simmons designed the conceptual plan for the campus and the plans for individual buildings. He also designed the memorial gates; which were erected on May 20, 1918. The use of Prairie School architecture is an unusual choice for a collegiate setting, and it exemplifies how its influence grew beyond Illinois.[7] The Spencer Memorial Chapel is an exception. It was designed by the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson in the Colonial Revival style.

Student life

Campus Ministries

Per the school's website: "At William Penn University, students are encouraged, but not required, to participate in religious life programming. Programming sponsored by Campus Ministries is Christian in orientation and interdenominational in nature. Campus Ministry assists students to explore questions of faith in a nurturing environment and discover spiritual resources to face life's challenges."[8]

International students

William Penn University offers international students the experience of total immersion into American academic and cultural life. Countries currently represented in the student population include Colombia, Rwanda, Brazil, South Africa, Philippines, Australia, Bahamas, Burma (Myanmar), Canada, France, China, Ireland, South Korea, Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Athletics

William Penn teams, nicknamed the Statesmen, compete at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division I level, in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HACC); The Statesmen formerly competed in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III level until 2000. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, soccer, track & field and wrestling. Women's sports include basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross country, dance, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball. In 2018, William Penn University added Men's and Women's Lacrosse as well as Men's Volleyball.

The men's basketball teams have had significant success, finishing as the runner-up in the 2013 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament. In 2014 William Penn set a record for points scored in the NAIA National Basketball Tournament.[9]

Notable alumni

References
  1. Quaker Colleges, Universities and Study Centers
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. Watson, S. Arthur (1971). William Penn College: A Product and A Producer. Oskaloosa, IA: William Penn College.
  4. "In Re Hagan's Will, 234 IOWA 1001, 14 N.W.2d 638". Westlaw. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  5. Archived May 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Schaffer, Michael. "William Penn recipient of $12 million - Oskaloosa Herald - November 16, 2007". Oskaloosa Herald. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
  7. William C. Page. "Penn College Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  8. Official site
  9. "kiwaradio.com/sports/dordt-mens-season-ends-in-double-ot-at-national-tournament/". KIWA Radio. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  10. "2002-2003 Wrestling Roster". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  11. "Joseph Benavidez UFC Bio". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  12. http://twinsdaily.com/entry.php/4086-Casey-Fien-has-been-a-find-for-the-Twins
  13. "Idaho Governor John Michiner Haines". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  14. Slater, Darryl (September 3, 2013). "Jets nose tackle Damon Harrison took circuitous path to possible starting role in NFL". The Star-Ledger.
  15. Cimini, Rich (September 24, 2013). "New York Jets' Damon Harrison, from water boy to starting nose tackle". ESPN.
  16. "Jerry Kutzler Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  17. McK Miller, Lawrence (1999). Witness for Humanity: A Biography of Clarence E. Pickett. Pendle Hill Pubns.
  18. "MRS. CLARENCE PICKETT". Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  19. Miller, Lawrence McK. (1999). Witness for Humanity. Wallingford, Pennsylvania: Pendle Hill Publications. p. 28. ISBN 0-87574-934-8.
  20. DeArmond, Mike (December 6, 1972). "Polen Unnoticed in Suburban Days". The Kansas City Times. p. 34. Retrieved October 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Kevin Ritz Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  22. Gifford, Jody (2012-11-07). "Rob Taylor Wins Iowa House District 44 - Government - Waukee, IA Patch". Waukee.patch.com. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
  23. "2,500 give final salute to coach Ed Thomas". Des Moines Register. 10 February 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  24. "Dr. D. Elton Trueblood, Quaker Scholar, Author". New York Times. 25 December 1994. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  25. "Abel Trujillo UFC Bio". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
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