William Penn University
Former names | Penn College (1873–1933) William Penn College (1933–2000) |
|---|---|
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1873 |
Religious affiliation | Quakers[1] |
| President | John E.E. Ottosson |
| Students | 1,372 |
| Location | , U.S. 41°18′32″N92°38′53″W/ 41.3090°N 92.6481°W |
| Campus | Rural |
| Colors | Navy Blue & Gold |
| Nickname | Statesmen |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA–Heart of America Conference |
| Mascot | Statesmen |
| Website | www |
Penn College Historic District | |
 Spencer Memorial Chapel (1923) | |
| Area | 13.75 acres (5.56 ha) |
| Architect | A. T. Simmons Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson |
| Architectural style | Prairie School Colonial Revival |
| MPS | Quaker Testimony in Oskaloosa MPS |
| NRHP referenceNo. | 96000391[2] |
| Added to NRHP | April 4, 1996 |
William Penn Universityis aprivate universityinOskaloosa, Iowa,United States. It was founded by members of theReligious Society of Friends(Quakers) in 1873 asPenn College.In 1933, the name was changed toWilliam Penn College,and finally to William Penn University in 2000.
History
[edit]Originally founded as Penn College, William Penn University opened on September 24, 1873.[3]The college's name was changed to William Penn College in 1933. In 2000, the name was changed again from William Penn College to William Penn University.
In 1916, a fire destroyed the original campus and caused two deaths when a four-ton bell crashed through the main building. Penn College's business manager Robert Williams and freshman student Harry Oakley were killed after being struck by the bell.
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 university returned to theNAIADivision II. William Penn University is currently accredited by theHigher Learning Commissionand a member of theNorth Central Association.[4]
In 2007,Musco Lighting,an Oskaloosa based lighting manufacturer, 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.[5]
Historic district
[edit]Part of the campus has been set aside as a nationally recognizedhistoric districtthat was listed on theNational Register of Historic Placesin 1996.[2]At the time of its nomination, it contained ten resources, which included onecontributing site,fourcontributing buildings,twocontributing structures,two non-contributing buildings, and one non-contributing structure.[6]The focus of the district is the Quadrangle, which is the main 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).Bloomington, IllinoisarchitectA. T. Simmonsdesigned 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 campus mainly features the use ofPrairie School architecture.[6]
Campus ministries
[edit]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."[7]
Athletics
[edit]The William Penn athletic teams are called the Statesmen. The university is a member of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics(NAIA), primarily competing in theHeart of America Athletic Conference(The Heart) since the 2015–16 academic year. The Statesmen previously competed in the defunctMidwest Collegiate Conference(MCC) from 2001–02 to 2014–15 (when the conference dissolved); as well as in theIowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference(IIAC; now known as the American Rivers Conference since the 2018–19 academic year) of theNCAA Division IIIranks from 1962–63 to 2000–01 (which they were a member on a previous stint from 1922–23 to 1953–54).
William Penn competes in 23 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; and co-ed sports include cheer & dance and shotgun sports.
Men's basketball
[edit]The men's basketball teams have had significant success, finishing as the runner-up in the2013 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament.In 2014 William Penn set a record for points scored in theNAIA National Basketball Tournament.[8]
Notable people
[edit]- Joseph Benavidez,professionalmixed martial artist[9][10]
- Casey Fien,professional baseball player[11]
- John M. Haines,tenth GovernorofIdahofrom 1913 to 1915[12]
- Damon Harrison,professional football player[13][14]
- Barb Kniff McCulla,member of theIowa House of Representatives
- Jerry Kutzler,professional baseball player[15]
- Clarence E. Pickett,20th-century AmericanQuaker[16]
- Lilly Peckham Pickett,[17]20th-century AmericanQuaker,graduated in 1908[18]
- Bruce Polen,college football player and coach[19]
- Kevin Ritz,professional baseball player[20]
- Andy Stokes,professional football player
- Rob Taylor,Iowa House of Representatives[21]
- Ed Thomas,football coach[22]
- Antonio Pérez,educator
- D. Elton Trueblood,20th-century AmericanQuaker[23]
- Abel Trujillo,four-time NAIA All-American wrestler; professional mixed martial artist[24]
- Kamaru Usman,professional mixed martial artist, formerUFCWelterweight Champion[25]
- Thomas E. Watson,United States Marine CorpsLieutenant General, commander of the2nd Marine Divisionduring theBattle of SaipaninWorld War II
- Mary Chawner Woody,president, North CarolinaWoman's Christian Temperance Union
- Wilbur Young,professional football player
- Miriam Were,Nobel Peace Prize nominee
References
[edit]- ^Quaker Colleges, Universities and Study Centers
- ^ab"National Register Information System – (#96000391)".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.July 9, 2010.
- ^Watson, S. Arthur (1971).William Penn College: A Product and A Producer.Oskaloosa, IA: William Penn College.
- ^[1]ArchivedMay 13, 2008, at theWayback Machine
- ^Schaffer, Michael."William Penn recipient of $12 million - Oskaloosa Herald - November 16, 2007".Oskaloosa Herald.RetrievedMarch 11,2011.
- ^abWilliam C. Page."Penn College Historic District".National Park Service.RetrievedMay 5,2016.
- ^[2]Official site
- ^"kiwaradio /sports/dordt-mens-season-ends-in-double-ot-at-national-tournament/".KIWA Radio.RetrievedApril 8,2014.
- ^"2002-2003 Wrestling Roster".RetrievedJanuary 1,2014.
- ^"Joseph Benavidez UFC Bio".RetrievedJanuary 1,2014.
- ^"Casey Fien has been a find for the Twins - Blogs - Minnesota Twins News & Rumors Forum".twinsdaily.Archived fromthe originalon December 21, 2013.
- ^"Idaho Governor John Michiner Haines".National Governors Association.RetrievedSeptember 19,2012.
- ^Slater, Darryl (September 3, 2013)."Jets nose tackle Damon Harrison took circuitous path to possible starting role in NFL".The Star-Ledger.
- ^Cimini, Rich (September 24, 2013)."New York Jets' Damon Harrison, from water boy to starting nose tackle".ESPN.
- ^"Jerry Kutzler Stats".Baseball Almanac.RetrievedDecember 3,2012.
- ^McK Miller, Lawrence (1999).Witness for Humanity: A Biography of Clarence E. Pickett.Pendle Hill Pubns.
- ^"MRS. CLARENCE PICKETT".The New York Times.September 24, 1973.RetrievedNovember 26,2018.
- ^Miller, Lawrence McK. (1999).Witness for Humanity.Wallingford, Pennsylvania: Pendle Hill Publications. p. 28.ISBN0-87574-934-8.
- ^DeArmond, Mike (December 6, 1972)."Polen Unnoticed in Suburban Days".The Kansas City Times.p. 34.RetrievedOctober 4,2020– viaNewspapers.
- ^"Kevin Ritz Stats".Baseball Almanac.RetrievedDecember 3,2012.
- ^Gifford, Jody (November 7, 2012)."Rob Taylor Wins Iowa House District 44 - Government - Waukee, IA Patch".Waukee.patch.RetrievedDecember 19,2013.
- ^"2,500 give final salute to coach Ed Thomas".Des Moines Register. February 10, 2010.RetrievedJanuary 14,2014.
- ^"Dr. D. Elton Trueblood, Quaker Scholar, Author".New York Times.December 25, 1994.RetrievedJanuary 14,2014.
- ^"Abel Trujillo UFC Bio".RetrievedJanuary 1,2014.
- ^Gray, Timothy (July 10, 2020)."Recalling Kamaru Usman's time with the UNK wrestling team ahead of his main event at UFC Fight Island".Lincoln Journal-Star.Lincoln, Nebraska.RetrievedAugust 21,2022.
External links
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| Public institutions | ||
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| Private institutions | ||
| Defunct institutions | ||
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| National | |
- William Penn University
- Quaker universities and colleges
- Liberal arts colleges in Iowa
- Education in Mahaska County, Iowa
- Oskaloosa, Iowa
- Historic districts in Mahaska County, Iowa
- Buildings and structures in Mahaska County, Iowa
- Educational institutions established in 1873
- National Register of Historic Places in Mahaska County, Iowa
- University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa
- Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa
- 1873 establishments in Iowa
- Private universities and colleges in Iowa
- Universities and colleges accredited by the Higher Learning Commission