Whitworth University
Encyclopedia
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
located in Spokane
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, that offers Bachelor's and Master's degrees in a variety of academic disciplines. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
. The university, which has an enrollment of 2,675 students, offers 55 undergraduate and graduate programs.
Formerly Whitworth College, the board of trustees voted to change the institution's name to Whitworth University in 2006, which became effective July 1, 2007.
History
In 1883 founder George WhitworthGeorge Whitworth
George F. Whitworth was a Presbyterian missionary. He is considered to be the Father of the Presbyterian Church in the State of Washington. He was active in the founding of numerous Washington churches, including the first church in Grand Mound, Washington, which he co-pastored with J. W. Goodell...
established the Sumner Academy in Sumner
Sumner, Washington
Sumner is a city in northern Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,451 at the 2010 census. Nearby cities include Puyallup to the west, Auburn to the north, and Enumclaw to the east.-History:...
, a small town in Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
. The school was incorporated in 1890 as Whitworth College. In 1899, the college moved to Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
. When a Spokane developer offered land just before World War I, the college moved once more. In September 1914 classes were held for the first time in Spokane.
Residence halls
There are 11 residence halls for undergraduate students:- Arend Hall
- Baldwin-Jenkins Hall
- Ballard Hall
- Boppell Hall
- Cornerstone
- Duvall Hall
- East Hall (official name pending)
- McMillan Hall
- Stewart Hall
- The Village
- Warren Hall
In addition to its 11 residence halls, Whitworth sponsors a variety of theme houses each year.
Dorm life
Whitworth offers a unique program that is unlike most universities in the nation/world. The Resident Assistants hold a "primetime" from 8pm to 11pm each night in each dorm — a free opportunity for students to escape the books and relax, play games or partake in some other activity.Additionally, Whitworth students are given the unique opportunity to set their own rules regarding their dorms. In the beginning of the year, every student has the chance to meet in their dorm lounge and decide on the rules for their dorm for the year. Decisions include but are not limited to deciding if students from other dorms can always enter the dorm; if there will be specific times when the dorm will be closed off to others; choosing the dorms' quiet hours, etc. Unlike most Christian colleges, men and women are trusted individuals and can always spend time together.
Big 3
Whitworth's three main rules reflect Whitworth's commitment to putting Christ and His commandments above all else. 1) Alcohol is prohibited on campus, 2) Violence is prohibited, and 3) Cohabitation is prohibited.Little 3
Whitworth's "Little Three" are the three things that every student is supposed to accomplish by the end of their senior year. The first is to catch a virgin pinecone, the second is to break a dish in Saga, and the third is to get hit in the head with a frisbee. The campus does not want to encourage the old "ring by spring" so they changed it to getting hit by the frisbee.Intramurals
Whitworth offers a variety of intramural sport activities: ultimate frisbee, volleyball, soccer, tennis, etc. In fact, one can almost always expect to see a frisbee being thrown around in the loop or on the intramural field throughout the day, and late at night. Club frisbee is also offered to all students. If you can't tell, Whitworth loves frisbee!Athletics
Whitworth's athletics teams are the Pirates (or, unofficially, the Bucs). The university offers 20 varsity sports and competes in the Northwest ConferenceNorthwest Conference
The Northwest Conference is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in the states of Oregon and Washington.-History:...
of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division III. Men's sports include cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
, swimming, track and field (indoor and outdoor), golf, tennis, soccer and baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
; women compete in soccer, volleyball, basketball, swimming, track and field (indoor and outdoor), golf, tennis, and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
.
Men's basketball
The Whitworth men's basketball team has a history of successful seasons since Warren Friedrichs was hired as the head coach in 1986. In his tenure as the coach he led the school to five conference titles and was named Coach of the Year five times. During his 16 seasons, the Pirates made the NAIA national tournament three times--including an overtime loss in the 1996 NAIA Div. II National Championship game. At the conclusion of the 1995-96 season, Friedrichs was named NAIA Div. II National Coach of the Year.Upon Friedrichs' retirement from coaching basketball, Whitworth hired Jim Hayford who built the Pirates into a Northwest Conference power. Since 2000, Hayford has led the Pirates to eight 20-win seasons, six appearances in the NCAA Div. III Tournament (2007-2011), five Northwest Conference titles (2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011), three NCAA Div. III Sweet 16 appearances (2008, 2010, 2011) and one Elite Eight appearance (2011). The 2011 team reached No. 1 in the national polls twice, including the final poll of the regular season, but still were not selected as a campus host for the NCAA Div. III tournament past the second round. Instead the Pirates had to travel to Ohio where they were eventually beaten in the Elite Eight. The 2010-11 team also featured Michael Taylor, who was named the NCAA Div. III National Player of the Year.
Hayford was named Northwest Conference Coach of the Year five times and was named National Association of Basketball Coaches as the West Region Coach of the Year twice (2009-10, 2010-11) and coached two West Region Players of the Year (2009-10: Nate Montgomery, 2010-11: Michael Taylor). During Hayford's tenure, Whitworth also accumulated a 217-57 record (.792 winning percentage) and was home to six NWC MVP's during the 2000s (2003: Bryan DePew, 2006: Lance Pecht, 2007: Bryan Williams, 2008: Ryan Symes, 2010: Nate Montgomery, and 2011: Michael Taylor).
After the 2011 season Hayford left Whitworth to coach at NCAA Div. I Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University is an American public, coeducational university located in Cheney, Washington.Founded in 1882, the university is academically divided into four colleges: Arts and Letters; Business and Public Administration; Science, Health and Engineering; and Social & Behavioral...
. He has been replaced by Matt Logie, who grew up in Mercer Island, Wash., before attending Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
where he played and eventually coached as the top assistant.
Football
Whitworth were 2006 and 2007 NWC champions. Head coach John Tully was named NWC Coach of the Year in 2001, 2006, 2007.The 2006 Pirate football team had an 11-1 record, its best ever, finished the season ranked 9th in the nation, and made it to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. Tight end Michael Allan
Michael Allan
Michael Christopher Allan is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
was a top scorer in the year and later was drafted to the NFL Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
.
Other
- Men's golf: 2008 tied for first, NWC North Tournament; 2008 second place, NWC. 2005, 2006, 2007 NWC champions, 2007 NCAA DIII tournament participants. Coach Warren Friedrichs named NWC Coach of the Year 2005, 2006, 2007.
- Men's soccer: The Pirates have dominated the decade, winning NWC six titles in 10 years (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009). Head coach Sean Bushey has been named NWC Coach of the Year four times (2001, 2004, 2007, 2008). In 2005, they were NCAA Div. III Final Four participants and finished third in the nation .
- Women's soccer: 2008 15-4-1 record, second place in NWC behind undefeated UPS; 2007 17-2 record, competed in first round of NCAA Div. III playoffs; Head coach Sean Bushey named 2007 NSCAA West Region Coach of the Year and NWC Coach of the Year.
http://www.whitworth.edu/GeneralInformation/WhitworthFacts/AdditionalFacts.htm#Athletics.
- Men's swimming: The men's team has dominated the NWC, winning nine-straight titles (2003–2011). In 2006 and 2011, head coach Steve Schadt was named NWC Coach of the Year, and in 2011 Rory Buck was named NCAA Div. III Swimmer of the Year in only his junior season. Buck went on to compete for a spot on the South African national swim team.
- Women's swimming: 2008 finish 10th at NCAA DIII championships; head coach Steve Schadt has been named NWC Coach of the Year twice (2007, 2008). In 2006, swimmer Samantha Kephart won two national championships – in the 100- and 200 yards (182.9 m) butterfly events, respectively – at the 2006 NCAA Division III swim tournament, setting a Division III record in the 200 butterfly. They won the 2008, 2010 and 2011 NWC championships.
- Women's indoor track & field: Head coach Toby Schwarz named 2007 DIII Regional Coach of the Year. In 2004, track-and-field standout Kristen Shields was named U.S. College-Division Academic All-American of the Year (along with the University of Connecticut's Emeka Okafor).
- Men's outdoor track & field: 2008 third place, NCAA Division III nationals, 2008 Scholar Team of the Year, awarded by U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association; 2008 NWC champions; head coach Toby Schwarz named 2008 DIII Regional Coach of the Year, NWC Coach of the Year.
- Men's Cross Country: 2008 NWC Champions and 2008 NCAA West Region Champions. Toby Schwarz named 2008 NWC and DIII West Regional Coach of the Year. Nicholas Gallagher named DIII West Region Athlete of the Year.
- Women's Tennis: 2009 NWC Champions after going 18-0 in conference play. Jo Wagstaff was named 2009 NWC and DIII West Regional Coach of the Year. The Pirates repeated in 2010 and 2011, going 29-1 in regular season conference play during that stretch.
Notable alumni
- Austin WashingtonAustin WashingtonAustin Washington is an American soccer player who most recently played for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-College and amateur:...
, who was All-NWC his freshman year before transferring to Gonzaga UniversityGonzaga UniversityGonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
, now plays for the Chicago Fire - Michael AllanMichael AllanMichael Christopher Allan is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
(2007) was drafted as a tight end for the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... - Jena Nardella (2004), executive director at Blood:Water MissionBlood:Water MissionBlood:Water Mission is a grassroots organization that empowers communities to work together against the HIV/AIDS and water crises in Africa. History...
- Sia FigielSia FigielSia Figiel is a contemporary Samoan novelist, poet, and painter.Sia Figiel grew up amidst the traditional Samoan singing and poetry which heavily influenced her writing. Her formal schooling was conducted in Samoa and New Zealand where she also began a BA which was completed at Whitworth College...
, SamoaSamoaSamoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
n novelist - Stephen C. MeyerStephen C. MeyerStephen C. Meyer is an American scholar, philosopher and advocate for intelligent design. He helped found the Center for Science and Culture of the Discovery Institute , which is the main organisation behind the intelligent design movement. Before joining the DI, Meyer was a professor at...
(1980), executive officer and co-founder of the Discovery InstituteDiscovery InstituteThe Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
, a Seattle, WA based think tank that advocates the promotion of Intelligent DesignIntelligent designIntelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
in biological science, and one-time philosophy professor at Whitworth. - Mike RileyMike RileyMichael Joseph "Mike" Riley is an American football coach, currently the head coach of the Oregon State Beavers of the Pacific-12 Conference...
(1977) (Master's Degree), Oregon State football coach - Richard CizikRichard CizikRichard Cizik was the Vice President for Governmental Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals and one of the most prominent Evangelical lobbyists in the United States. In his position with the NAE, Cizik's primary responsibilities were setting the organization's policy on issues and...
(1973), vice president for governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2008 - Philip W. Eaton (1965), president of Seattle Pacific UniversitySeattle Pacific UniversitySeattle Pacific University is a Christian university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1891 by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary...
- David Myers (1964), social psychologist and author
- Ray WashburnRay WashburnRay Clark Washburn is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Washburn, a right-hander, pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals from to and the Cincinnati Reds in ....
(1961), pitcher for the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(1961–1969) and the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1970) - Myles KennedyMyles KennedyMyles Richard Kennedy is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge, and as the lead vocalist in Slash's current solo project...
lead singer/guitarist of Alter BridgeAlter BridgeAlter Bridge is an American rock band that was formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida by lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, who are all also members of Creed. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four and the frontman... - Edward KienholzEdward KienholzEdward Kienholz was an American installation artist whose work was highly critical of aspects of modern life. From 1972 onwards, he assembled much of his artwork in close collaboration with his artistic partner and wife, Nancy Reddin Kienholz...
, American Pop Art installation artist - Trevor St. JohnTrevor St. JohnTrevor Marshall St. John is an American actor. He portrayed Todd Manning/Victor Lord Jr. on the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live, and has starred in various prime time shows and film.-Career:...
American actor on One Life to Live - Patrice WilsonPatrice WilsonPatrice Wilson is a Nigerian singer and songwriter and co-founder of ARK Music Factory with Clarence Jey. He also adopted the name Pato as a stage name for his various performances.-Career:...
CEO of ARK Music Factory. He co-authored and co-produced "FridayFriday (Rebecca Black song)"Friday" is a song by American recording artist Rebecca Black, written and produced by Clarence Jey and Patrice Wilson. It was released as a single on March 14, 2011, by Ark Music Factory as Black's debut single. The music video for the song became a viral hit due to criticism of the song's lyrics,...
" sung by Rebecca BlackRebecca BlackRebecca Renee Black is an American pop singer who gained extensive media attention with the 2011 single "Friday". Her mother paid $4,000 to have the single and an accompanying music video put out as a vanity release through the record label ARK Music Factory. The song was co-written and produced...
which has had over 146 million views, making it one of the most watched videos on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos.... - Richard CarrRichard Carr (chaplain)Richard Carr was Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force.-Biography:Born in El Centro, California in 1925, Carr was an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. He was a graduate of Whitworth College and Fuller Theological Seminary. Carr married Jeanne Robertson, with whom he had...
, Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force