Creighton University () is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kno ...

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. Founded by the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

in 1878, the university is accredited by the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergraduate students on a campus just outside of downtown Omaha. It is classified among " R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". It comprises nine undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools and colleges, including a law school, medical school, dental school, pharmacy school, nursing school, and business school. The university operates the

Creighton University Medical Center Creighton University Medical Center - Bergan Mercy (formerly known as Creighton University Medical Center-Saint Joseph Hospital) is a hospital located in Central Omaha, Nebraska in the United States. On April 24, 2012, CUMC signed an agreement to ...

. It has a second campus focused on health sciences located in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

History

The university was founded as Creighton College on September 2, 1878, through a gift from

Mary Lucretia Creighton Mary Lucretia Creighton (February 3, 1834 – January 23, 1876) 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, ...

, who stipulated in her will that a school be established in memory of her husband, prominent Omaha businessman

Edward Creighton Edward Charles Creighton (August 31, 1820 – November 5, 1874) was a prominent pioneer businessman in early Omaha, Nebraska. The elder brother of John A. Creighton, the Creightons were responsible for founding many institutions that were cen ...

. The college began with 120 students, taught by five Jesuits and two lay teachers. Edward's brother,

John A. Creighton John Andrew Creighton (October 15, 1831 – February 7, 1907) was a pioneer businessman and philanthropist in Omaha, Nebraska who founded Creighton University. The younger brother of Edward Creighton, John was responsible for a variety of instituti ...

, is credited with fostering and sustaining the university's early growth and endowment. In 1878, the College of Arts and Sciences was established, and remains the largest college today. Shortly after, in 1885, the Creighton University Observatory was built on campus. Women were first admitted in 1913. In 1958, the college split into Creighton Preparatory Schools and Creighton University.

Academics

The schools and colleges at Creighton are: * College of Arts & Sciences *

Heider College of Business The Heider College of Business (formerly known as the Creighton University College of Business) is the business school at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Opened in 1920, it offers degrees in accounting, economics, finance, ...

(formerly known as the College of Business Administration) * College of Nursing * School of Dentistry *

School of Medicine A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, MB ...

* School of Pharmacy & Health Professions * School of Law * Graduate School * College of Professional Studies The College of Arts & Sciences is the largest school, containing about 28% of the university's enrolled students.2015-2016 Creighton University Fact Book
Creighton.edu. Retrieved August 22, 2016. Creighton's acceptance rate is 72.7%. In 2018, the university announced a Phoenix Health Sciences Campus, which opened in 2021.

Athletics

Creighton competes in

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

athletics as a member of the Big East. Nicknamed the Bluejays, Creighton fields 14 teams in eight sports. Notable basketball players at the university were

Paul Silas Paul Theron Silas (July 12, 1943 – December 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he was a two-time NBA All-Star and earned five selections to the NB ...

Benoit Benjamin Lenard Benoit Benjamin e-NOYT(; born November 22, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1st round (3rd overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft. A 7'0" center from Creighton Univers ...

, Kyle Korver, and coach Greg McDermott's son Doug McDermott, while popular Bluejays coaches included Eddie Sutton,

Willis Reed Willis Reed Jr. (born June 25, 1942) is an American retired basketball player, coach and general manager. He spent his entire professional playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks. In 1982, Reed was inducted into the Naismith Memo ...

, and

Dana Altman Dana Dean Altman (born June 16, 1958) is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach of the Oregon Ducks men's basketball, Oregon Ducks men's team. Previously he was head coach at Creighton Bluejays men's basketball, Creighton, Ka ...

. The women's basketball team won the WNIT championship in 2004. It plays all home games on campus at

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 spect ...

. The men's soccer team maintained 17 straight

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

tournament appearances between 1992 and 2008. During that time, the Bluejays made three College Cup appearances, including one championship game appearance (2000). It plays home games on campus at

Morrison Stadium Morrison Stadium is a 6,000-seat soccer-specific stadium located between 17th and 19th Streets to the north of Cass Street, on the east side of the Creighton University campus in the NoDo neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. The main entrance and ti ...

. Creighton's baseball team has one appearance in the College World Series (1991). Jim Hendry, the former general manager of the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

, was Creighton's head coach for its 1991 CWS appearance. The program's graduates include

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

pitcher

Bob Gibson Robert Gibson (born Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935October 2, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959–1975). Nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot" ( ...

. The women's softball team has had two appearances in the Women's College World Series (1982 and 1986) and appeared in six of eight NCAA Tournaments. Tara Oltman (2007–2010), the best pitcher in

MVC MVC may refer to: Science and technology * Maximum-value composite procedure, an imaging procedure * Multivariable calculus, a concept in mathematics * Multivariable control, a concept in process engineering * Mechanical vapor compression, a desal ...

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 Bluejays history to earn first-team all-conference honors in four consecutive seasons.

Demographics

, Creighton's enrollment was 8,435, of whom 4,163 were undergraduates. From Creighton's Class of 2020, 14% count themselves as first-generation college attendees in their families. 26% are students of color, and 56% of the class is female; 82% of the class have taken part in volunteer service.

Student clubs and organizations

The university has more than 200 student organizations:

Residence halls

There are eight residence halls. They are all co-educational. Graves Hall, completed in August 2023, accommodates up to 400 first-year students.

Student government

* Creighton Students Union (CSU) is Creighton University's comprehensive student government, consisting of students from each of Creighton University's schools and colleges, founded in 1922. * Inter Residence Hall Government (IRHG) was formed in 1984 to represent Creighton's residence halls.

John P. Schlegel, S.J. Center for Service and Justice

The John P. Schlegel, S.J. Center for Service and Justice (SCSJ) promotes service projects and education about justice. The center helped develop the Cortina Community, a sophomore intentional-living community named for Jesuit priest

Jon de Cortina Jon Cortina Garaigorta, S.J. (Bilbao, December 8, 1934 – Guatemala City, December 12, 2005) was a Jesuit priest, engineer, and activist, founder of Pro-Búsqueda, an organization dedicated to searching for the missing children of the Salvado ...

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's repertoire draws on classical ballet, contemporary and modern dance, jazz and musical theatre dance. * The Department of Fine and Performing Arts offers undergraduate degrees in Art History, Studio 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 is called ''The Creightonian.'' It was a finalist for the 2007 and 2010 Pacemaker Award for college journalism. * ''Shadows'' is Creighton's literature and arts publication.

Notable alumni

There are more than 68,470 alumni of Creighton University living in 93 countries. Nearly 30 percent live in Nebraska. The largest number of alumni outside the United States reside in Canada, Japan, and Malaysia. Alumni include * Marcia Anderson, the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

woman to attain the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed F ...

Michael P. Anderson Michael Phillip Anderson (December 25, 1959 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. Anderson and his six fellow crew members were killed in the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster when the craft disintegrat ...

, an astronaut killed in the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster * Mary Nicholas Arnoldy, mathematician *

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher * Ron Hansen, novelist * Cathy Hughes, second wealthiest African American woman ; * Mike Johanns, former Governor of

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

, former United States Senator, and former

United States Secretary of Agriculture The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments. The department includes several organi ...

Donald Keough Donald Raymond Keough (September 4, 1926 – February 24, 2015) was an Irish-American businessman and Chairman of the Board of Allen & Company LLC, a New York investment banking firm. He was elected to that position in April 1993. Keough retired ...

, chief operating officer of

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

* Kyle Korver, basketball player * Doug McDermott, basketball player * John W. Pehle, director of the War Refugee Board * Joe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade and owner of the

Symone Sanders Symone D. Sanders-Townsend (born December 10, 1989) is an American political strategist and commentator. She served as national press secretary for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign. She left t ...

, spokesperson for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign *

J. Clay Smith Jr. John Clay Smith Jr. (April 15, 1942 – February 15, 2018) was a lawyer, author, and American educator. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He graduated from Creighton University in 1964. He received his master's and doctorate's degree from Geo ...

, dean of

Howard University School of Law Howard University School of Law (Howard Law or HUSL) is the law school of Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country and the oldes ...

Anthony Tolliver Anthony Lamar Tolliver (born June 1, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays, and played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 11 different franchis ...

, basketball player *

Mark Walter Mark Walter is an American businessman and the chief executive officer of Guggenheim Partners, a privately held global financial services firm with more than $325 billion in assets under management and headquarters in Chicago and New York. H ...

, founder and chief executive officer of

Guggenheim Partners Guggenheim Partners is a global investment and advisory financial services firm that engages in investment banking, asset management, capital markets services, and insurance services. Organization The firm is headquartered in New York City ...

, and part owner of the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

Theodore Wheeler Ted Wheeler (January 30, 1931 – November 17, 2022) was an American middle-distance runner Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres ...

, novelist

Notable faculty

Raymond J. Bishop Raymond J. Bishop (January 15, 1906 – February 19, 1978) was a Catholic priest who was one of the several involved in the case of exorcising a boy in Maryland, who allegedly was possessed after using a ouija board. The case inspired author William ...

Virgil Blum Virgil Clarence Blum (1913–1990) was an American Jesuit and professor of political science at Marquette University. Early life and education Virgil Clarence Blum was born on March 27, 1913, in Defiance, Iowa, one of twelve children of John ...

Patrick Borchers Patrick J. Borchers (born 1961) is a lawyer, university administrator and politician from the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. He is a member of the faculty of the Creighton University School of Law in the city of Omaha. In 201 ...

* Raymond A. Bucko * Judith M. Burnfield * John Calvert *

Edward P. J. Corbett Edward P.J. Corbett (October 29, 1919 – June 24, 1998) was an American rhetorician, educator, and scholarly author. Corbett chaired the 1970 Conference on College Composition and Communication, and was chair of the organization and a member of ...

Frank Crawford Frank Crawford (March 12, 1870 – November 25, 1963) was an American college football coach, lawyer, and law professor. He served as the first full-time head football coach at both Michigan and Nebraska, and also coached Wisconsin, Baker, and Tex ...

Blase J. Cupich Blase Joseph Cupich ( ; March 19, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, a cardinal who serves as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Cupich was ordained a priest there in 1975. He was named ...

Ross Horning Ross Charles Horning Jr. (October 10, 1920 – April 1, 2005) was an American historian and baseball player. He played professional baseball in the Minor League Baseball, minor leagues while completing his studies. Horning was a professor of Russ ...

Henry T. Lynch Henry Thompson Lynch (January 4, 1928 – June 2, 2019) was an American physician noted for his discovery of familial susceptibility to certain kinds of cancer and his research into genetic links to cancer. He is sometimes described as "the fat ...

D. S. Malik Davender S. Malik is an Indian American mathematician and professor of mathematics and computer science at Creighton University. Education Malik attended the University of Delhi in New Delhi, India, receiving his bachelor's and master's degre ...

* Francis I. McKenna *

R. R. Reno Russell Ronald Reno III (born 1959), known as R. R. Reno, is the editor of ''First Things'' magazine. He was formerly a professor of theology and ethics at Creighton University. Biography Reno was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1959, and ...

Joseph F. Rigge Joseph F. Rigge, Society of Jesus, S.J. (July 5, 1842 - April 17, 1913) was the first president of Marquette College (now Marquette University) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Early life Joseph Frigge was born in Paderborn, Province of Westphalia, Westph ...

William J. Riley William Jay Riley (March 11, 1947 – January 27, 2023) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Education and background Riley received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Ne ...

Robert F. Rossiter Jr. Robert Francis Rossiter Jr. (born July 16, 1956) is the Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska. Biography Rossiter received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1978 from Purdue University. ...

Roger Lawrence Schwietz Roger Lawrence Schwietz, OMI (born July 3, 1940) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. Schwieta served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Anchorage in Alaska from 2001 to 2016. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Du ...

Hugh Sidey Hugh Swanson Sidey (September 3, 1927 – November 21, 2005) was an American journalist who worked for ''Life (magazine), Life'' magazine starting in 1955, then moved on to ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine in 1957. He covered presidents, from E ...

Constantine Joseph Smyth Constantine Joseph Smyth (December 4, 1859 – April 14, 1924) was Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia. Education and career Born on December 4, 1859, in County Cavan, Ireland, Smyth read law Reading law was the ...

William O. Stephens William O. Stephens (born 10 June 1962), is an American philosopher and scholar of Stoicism. He is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Creighton University after retiring from teaching at their Omaha Campus in 2020. Biography Stephens was born ...

Lyle Elmer Strom Lyle Elmer Strom (born January 6, 1925) is an inactive Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska. Education and career Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Strom received a Bachelor of Arts degree ...

LaNada War Jack LaNada War Jack (born LaNada Vernae Boyer, 1947), also known as LaNada Boyer and LaNada Means, is an American writer and activist. She was the first Native American student admitted to the University of California at Berkeley in 1968. She led th ...

Notes

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{Authority control Jesuit universities and colleges in the United States Universities and colleges established in 1878 Landmarks in North Omaha, Nebraska Buildings and structures in Omaha, Nebraska Education in Omaha, Nebraska Catholic universities and colleges in Nebraska Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha Creighton family 1878 establishments in Nebraska Universities and colleges accredited by the Higher Learning Commission