Creighton University
Encyclopedia
Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha
, Nebraska
, United States
. Founded by the Society of Jesus
in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
. The university is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Creighton is the largest private religious university in Nebraska.
Sitting on a 132 acres (53.4 ha) campus just outside Omaha's downtown business district, the university currently enrolls about 7,730 graduate and undergraduate students.
The College of Arts & Sciences is the largest school, boasting about 35% of the university's enrollment. Though Creighton offers some Ph.D. degrees, it is considered a "Master's level" university by U.S. News & World Report
due to its undergraduate emphasis. This same magazine consistently ranks the school #1 in the Midwestern Regional Universities category. Creighton's School of Law program of Dispute Resolution has climbed to the rank of 12th in the nation.
In 2006, PC Magazine
and The Princeton Review
ranked Creighton as the 5th most "wired" university in the country.
Creighton boasts an undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 11-to-1 as well as 33 endowed chairs in various disciplines. Creighton University is included among colleges and universities that produced the most 2009–2010 U. S. Fulbright Fellows. The University also has had students awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship each year from 2006 to 2010.
, who stipulated in her will that a school be established in memory of her husband, prominent Omaha businessman Edward Creighton
. Edward's brother, John A. Creighton
, is credited with fostering and sustaining the university's early growth and endowment.
Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics, within the Missouri Valley Conference
. Nicknamed the Bluejays (or Jays), Creighton fields 14 teams in eight sports. Bruce Rasmussen is the Director of Athletics.
The men's basketball team is the most popular athletic program at Creighton. The Creighton Bluejays men's basketball team has led the Missouri Valley Conference in attendance each of the last seven years, while ranking in the top-25 nationally each of the past four campaigns. They play all home games at Qwest Center Omaha
. Greg McDermott
is the program's current head coach. Famous basketball alums include Paul Silas
, Benoit Benjamin
and Kyle Korver
, while famous former Bluejay coaches include Eddie Sutton
and Willis Reed
.
In addition, the women's basketball team won the WNIT
championship in 2004. They play all home games on campus at the new D. J. Sokol Arena
.
The men's soccer team maintained an impressive stream of 17 straight NCAA tournament appearances, between 1992 and 2008, before the streak was snapped in 2009. During that time, the Bluejays made three College Cup appearances, including one championship game appearance (2000). They play all home games on campus at Morrison Stadium
. Johnny Torres
was a two-time National Player of the Year with the Bluejays.
Creighton's baseball team has one appearance in the NCAA College World Series (1991). Creighton also serves as the annual host institution of this event. They play all home games at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Jim Hendry
, the former general manager of the Chicago Cubs, was Creighton's head coach for its 1991 CWS appearance. The program's graduates include Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson
.
The women's softball team has two appearances in the Women's College World Series
(1982 & 1986), and has appeared in six of the past eight NCAA Tournaments. Tara Oltman (2007–2010), the best pitcher in MVC history, was a three-time league Pitcher of the Year and finished her career with conference records for wins, innings pitched, starts, appearances, strikeouts and complete games. She remains the only student-athlete in Bluejay history to earn first-team all-conference honors in four consecutive seasons.
In addition to its success on the court/field/course, Creighton is well-known for its student-athlete success in the classroom as well. The program has won the MVC All-Academic Award in five of the past six years, and the school boasts 30 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans all-time.
and owner of the Chicago Cubs
, J. Joseph Ricketts
, the former president and chief operating officer of Coca Cola, Donald Keough
, the former chief executive officer of Nationwide Insurance, Jerry Jurgensen, the former chief executive officer of ConAgra, Bruce Rohde, astronaut killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster
, Michael Philip Anderson, and several professional athletes, including Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, Bob Gibson
. Marcia M. Anderson, the first African-American woman to attain the rank of major general
in the United States Army Reserve
is a Creighton graduate.
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded by the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities is a consortium of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and two theological centers in the United States committed to advancing academic excellence by promoting and coordinating collaborative activities, sharing resources, and advocating and...
. The university is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Creighton is the largest private religious university in Nebraska.
Sitting on a 132 acres (53.4 ha) campus just outside Omaha's downtown business district, the university currently enrolls about 7,730 graduate and undergraduate students.
Academics
The current schools and colleges at Creighton are:- College of Arts & Sciences
- College of Business AdministrationEugene C. Eppley College of Business AdministrationThe Eugene C. Eppley College of Business Administration is the business school at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 1962, today 150 students annually complete degrees in Masters in Business Administration); Masters of Science in information technology; and Masters of Securities and...
- School of Nursing
- School of DentistryCreighton University School of DentistryThe Creighton University School of Dentistry is an American school of dentistry located at Creighton University in the city of Omaha, Nebraska, United States...
- School of MedicineCreighton University School of MedicineThe Creighton University School of Medicine is the medical school at Creighton University and grants the Doctor of Medicine degree. The school of medicine is one of four Jesuit Catholic medical schools in the United States. The principal campus is located in Omaha, Nebraska, but the school will...
- School of Pharmacy & Health Professions
- School of LawCreighton University School of LawCreighton University School of Law is a part of Creighton University. Founded in 1904, Creighton Law is one of 14 Jesuit Catholic law schools in the U.S. One out of every 10 American law students is enrolled in a Jesuit law school. Situated primarily in urban centers, these schools were...
- Graduate School
- University College
The College of Arts & Sciences is the largest school, boasting about 35% of the university's enrollment. Though Creighton offers some Ph.D. degrees, it is considered a "Master's level" university by U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
due to its undergraduate emphasis. This same magazine consistently ranks the school #1 in the Midwestern Regional Universities category. Creighton's School of Law program of Dispute Resolution has climbed to the rank of 12th in the nation.
In 2006, PC Magazine
PC Magazine
PC Magazine is a computer magazine published by Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009...
and The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
ranked Creighton as the 5th most "wired" university in the country.
Creighton boasts an undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 11-to-1 as well as 33 endowed chairs in various disciplines. Creighton University is included among colleges and universities that produced the most 2009–2010 U. S. Fulbright Fellows. The University also has had students awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship each year from 2006 to 2010.
History
The university was founded as Creighton College on September 2, 1878 through a gift from Mary Lucretia CreightonMary Lucretia Creighton
Mary Lucretia Creighton was born Mary Lucretia Wareham in Dayton, Ohio. Creighton was a philanthropist who left a bequest of $200,000 in her will to found Creighton University in honor of her husband, Omaha, Nebraska pioneer banker Edward Creighton.-Biography:Edward's brother John married Sarah...
, who stipulated in her will that a school be established in memory of her husband, prominent Omaha businessman Edward Creighton
Edward Creighton
Edward Creighton was a prominent pioneer businessman in early Omaha, Nebraska. The brother of John A. Creighton, the Creightons were responsible for founding many institutions that were central to the growth and development of Omaha...
. Edward's brother, John A. Creighton
John A. Creighton
Count John A. Creighton was a pioneer businessman and philanthropist in Omaha, Nebraska who founded Creighton University...
, is credited with fostering and sustaining the university's early growth and endowment.
Athletics
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
. Nicknamed the Bluejays (or Jays), Creighton fields 14 teams in eight sports. Bruce Rasmussen is the Director of Athletics.
The men's basketball team is the most popular athletic program at Creighton. The Creighton Bluejays men's basketball team has led the Missouri Valley Conference in attendance each of the last seven years, while ranking in the top-25 nationally each of the past four campaigns. They play all home games at Qwest Center Omaha
Qwest Center Omaha
CenturyLink Center is an arena and convention center facility in the North Downtown neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. The 1.1 million ft² facility has an 18,300-seat arena, a 194,000-ft² exhibition hall and 62,000 ft² of meeting space....
. Greg McDermott
Greg McDermott
-External links:***...
is the program's current head coach. Famous basketball alums include Paul Silas
Paul Silas
Paul Theron Silas is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. He attended Creighton University, where he set an NCAA record for the most rebounds in three seasons and averaged 20.6 rebounds per game in 1963...
, Benoit Benjamin
Benoit Benjamin
Lenard Benoit Benjamin is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1st round of the 1985 NBA Draft. A 7'0" center from Creighton University, Benjamin played for nine NBA teams in 15 seasons from 1985-2000...
and Kyle Korver
Kyle Korver
Kyle Elliot Korver is an American basketball player, who currently plays for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association...
, while famous former Bluejay coaches include Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton is an American former college head coach with 36 years of Division I basketball coaching experience at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State , and the University of San Francisco...
and Willis Reed
Willis Reed
Willis Reed, Jr. is a retired American basketball player, coach and manager of basketball teams. He spent his entire professional playing career with the New York Knicks. In 1982, his outstanding record and achievements were recognized by his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall...
.
In addition, the women's basketball team won the WNIT
WNIT
WNIT is the PBS member television station for South Bend, Indiana. Its studios are located in South Bend. WNIT broadcasts on digital channel 35 ....
championship in 2004. They play all home games on campus at the new D. J. Sokol Arena
D. J. Sokol Arena
D. J. Sokol Arena is a multi-purpose student recreational facility in Omaha, Nebraska. It was opened on August 28, 2009. It currently hosts the Creighton Bluejays women's basketball and volleyball teams. It has a seating capacity of 2,950 spectators....
.
The men's soccer team maintained an impressive stream of 17 straight NCAA tournament appearances, between 1992 and 2008, before the streak was snapped in 2009. During that time, the Bluejays made three College Cup appearances, including one championship game appearance (2000). They play all home games on campus at Morrison Stadium
Morrison Stadium
Michael G. Morrison, S.J., Stadium is a 6,000-seat soccer-specific stadium located at 2500 California Plaza in the NoDo neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. The stadium is home to the Creighton Bluejays men's and women's soccer teams.-History:...
. Johnny Torres
Johnny Torres
Johnny Torres is a Colombian-American soccer midfielder and coach who is currently the interim head coach of his alma mater, Creighton University. Torres has played in Major League Soccer, USL-1, and currently also plays for the Omaha Vipers of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He has also earned...
was a two-time National Player of the Year with the Bluejays.
Creighton's baseball team has one appearance in the NCAA College World Series (1991). Creighton also serves as the annual host institution of this event. They play all home games at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Jim Hendry
Jim Hendry
Jim Hendry is da greatest white guitar player there ever was. both herman li and thomas dookul and brandon co-oper agree...
, the former general manager of the Chicago Cubs, was Creighton's head coach for its 1991 CWS appearance. The program's graduates include Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
.
The women's softball team has two appearances in the Women's College World Series
Women's College World Series
The Women's College World Series is the final portion of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship for college softball in the United States. The tournament format consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket then compete in a best-of-three title game series...
(1982 & 1986), and has appeared in six of the past eight NCAA Tournaments. Tara Oltman (2007–2010), the best pitcher in MVC history, was a three-time league Pitcher of the Year and finished her career with conference records for wins, innings pitched, starts, appearances, strikeouts and complete games. She remains the only student-athlete in Bluejay history to earn first-team all-conference honors in four consecutive seasons.
In addition to its success on the court/field/course, Creighton is well-known for its student-athlete success in the classroom as well. The program has won the MVC All-Academic Award in five of the past six years, and the school boasts 30 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans all-time.
Demographics
Creighton's total enrollment is 7,385, of which 4,133 are undergraduates. For the 2010–2011 academic year, 20 percent of Creighton’s freshman class is first-generation college students and 25 percent is students of color. Fifty-seven percent of the freshman class is from more than 200 miles (321.9 km) away from Omaha; 38 percent is from more than 400 miles (643.7 km) away.Student clubs and organizations
The university has more than 200 student organizations in various fields of interest:Selected academic honor societies
- Alpha Sigma NuAlpha Sigma NuAlpha Sigma Nu was founded at Marquette University in 1915 by John Danihy, S.J., Dean of Journalism. In his travels and reading, Father Danihy had encountered and admired honor societies...
– Jesuit Honor society - Sigma Pi SigmaSigma Pi SigmaSigma Pi Sigma is the National Physics Honor Society. It strives to promote physics at all stages, to promote fraternity between those who excel at physics, and to promote service among its members. It is closely associated with the Society of Physics Students .- External links :*...
– physics - Psi ChiPsi ChiPsi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. With over 1,050 chapters, Psi Chi is one of the largest honor societies in the United States...
– psychology - Phi SigmaPhi SigmaPhi Sigma is an honor society for students of biological sciences. Phi Sigma was founded on March 17, 1915 at Ohio State University. It became a member of the Association of College Honor Societies in 1950. The Greek letter, Phi and Sigma, signify "fellows in science." The coat of arms contains...
– biology - Phi Sigma TauPhi Sigma TauPhi Sigma Tau is an international honor society for philosophers. Its essential purpose is to promote ties among philosophy departments in accredited institutions and students in philosophy nationally...
– philosophy - Pi Sigma AlphaPi sigma alphaPi Sigma Alpha , the National Political Science Honor Society, is the only honor society for college and university students of political science in the United States. Its purpose is to recognize and promote high academic achievement in the field of political science...
– political science - Sigma Tau DeltaSigma Tau DeltaSigma Tau Delta is an international collegiate honor society for students of English. It presently has over 800 active chapters located in Europe, the Caribbean, the United States, and 1 chapter in the Middle East , with more than 1,000 faculty sponsors...
– English - Beta Alpha PsiBeta Alpha PsiΒΑΨ is a national honors business organization for highly successful accounting, finance and information systems students and professionals. It was founded on February 12, 1919 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is currently headquartered in Durham, North Carolina...
– accounting - Eta Sigma PhiEta Sigma PhiEta Sigma Phi is a College honor society which grew out of a local undergraduate classical club founded by a group of students in the Department of Greek at the University of Chicago in 1914. This organization later united with a similar organization at Northwestern University and became Phi Sigma...
– classics - Alpha Psi OmegaAlpha Psi OmegaAlpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society is an American recognition honor society recognizing participants in collegiate theatre. The Alpha Cast was founded at Fairmont State College on August 12, 1925 by professor Paul F...
– theatre
Student government
- Creighton Students Union (CSU) has served as the official voice of the student body to university administration since 1922. CSU also promotes and sponsors campus events and supports other student organizations. CSU was formerly known as the Student Board of Governors.
- Each school has its own separate student advising body for strictly academic affairs.
- Inter Residence Hall Government (IRHG) was formed in 1984 by Steven Conroy and serves as the student voice for all students living on Creighton's campus. IRHG provides a cohesive structure which brings all of Creighton's residence halls together to enhance the Creighton experience through sponsoring large programs and legislative actions.
Student Center for Service and Justice
The Creighton Center for Service and Justice (CCSJ) engages students in community service, reflection and action on behalf of justice and sustainability as an integral part of their Jesuit, Catholic university education. The Center promotes weekly local community service projects, Fall and Spring Break service trips, student leadership development and education about contemporary justice issues to serve this purpose. The 7 pillars include: Service, Justice, Community, Simplicity, Reflection, Solidarity, and Sustainability. The center helped develop the Cortina Community, an intentional living sophomore community.Performing arts
- Several vocal groups exist. The Department of Fine and Performing Arts, within the College of Arts and Sciences, houses a Chamber Choir (selective), Gospel Choir, Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra and University Chorus. The men's a cappella ensemble is known as the Creightones.
- The Creighton Dance Company sports an eclectic repertoire drawing on classical ballet, contemporary and modern dance, jazz and musical theatre dance.
- The Department of Fine and Performing Arts offers undergraduate degrees in Art, Dance, Music, Theatre, and Musical Theatre.
- Several theatrical productions are held each year in the University’s Lied Education Center for the Arts.
Student media
- The student newspaper, the Creightonian, has been published every Friday during the school year since 1924. Student reporters, editors, photographers and designers produce the paper, covering campus news, features, sports, entertainment, opinion and photos. In 2007 and 2008, the Creightonian was named top college newspaper in Nebraska in the Nebraska Press Association contest. Staff members won numerous individual awards. The Creightonian was named a finalist for the 2007 and 2010 Pacemaker Award, one of the top awards in college journalism.
- Creighton's literature and arts publication Shadows, recently received one of college journalism’s top honors, a 2007 Silver Crown award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA). Shadows, which is published twice a year, selects literary and visual art by Creighton students, faculty, and staff. The magazine is the oldest student organization on campus.
Common interest
Many organizations exist for students to share their common interests. Examples include:- Cultural – Hui O Hawaii, International Student Association, Spanish Club, LGBT
- Political – NAACP College Chapter, College Republicans, College Democrats
- Professional – Premedical Society, Fellowship of Christian Law Students, Academy of Student Pharmacists, Business Law Society, International Relations Club
- Religious – Canisius Society, Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship, Muslim Student Organization, Rosary Club, Jays for Christ, Knights of Columbus, Student Jewish Organization
- Service – Alpha Phi OmegaAlpha Phi OmegaAlpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
, Colleges Against Cancer, Habitat for Humanity, Best Buddies of America - Sports – lacrosse, soccer, hockey, cycling, dance, jujitsu, martial arts, rowing, rugby, running, ski & snowboard, Ultimate Frisbee, volleyball
Notable alumni
There are more than 57,765 living alumni of Creighton University in 93 countries. Nearly 30 percent live in Nebraska. The largest number of alumni that live outside the United States reside in Canada, Japan and Malaysia. Famous alumni include the founder of TD AmeritradeTD Ameritrade
TD Ameritrade is an American online broker with over 6 million U.S. customers, and many more internationally, that has grown rapidly through acquisition to become the 746th-largest US firm in 2008. TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation is the owner of TD Ameritrade Inc...
and owner of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, J. Joseph Ricketts
J. Joseph Ricketts
J. Joseph Ricketts is the founder, former CEO and former chairman of TD Ameritrade, one of the largest online discount brokerages in the world, based in Omaha, Nebraska...
, the former president and chief operating officer of Coca Cola, Donald Keough
Donald Keough
Donald R. Keough is Chairman of the Board of Allen & Company Incorporated, a New York investment-banking firm. He was elected to that position in April 1993....
, the former chief executive officer of Nationwide Insurance, Jerry Jurgensen, the former chief executive officer of ConAgra, Bruce Rohde, astronaut killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members...
, Michael Philip Anderson, and several professional athletes, including Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
. Marcia M. Anderson, the first African-American woman to attain the rank of major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
is a Creighton graduate.
See also
- Education in North Omaha, Nebraska
- Edward CreightonEdward CreightonEdward Creighton was a prominent pioneer businessman in early Omaha, Nebraska. The brother of John A. Creighton, the Creightons were responsible for founding many institutions that were central to the growth and development of Omaha...
- Mary Creighton
- Eugene C. Eppley College of Business AdministrationEugene C. Eppley College of Business AdministrationThe Eugene C. Eppley College of Business Administration is the business school at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 1962, today 150 students annually complete degrees in Masters in Business Administration); Masters of Science in information technology; and Masters of Securities and...
- Saint Joseph Hospital at Creighton University Medical Center