, mottoeng = Light and Truth , established = , type =

Private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

, religious_affiliation =

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, endowment = $45 million , staff = , faculty = , president = Polly Peterson , principal = , rector = , chancellor = , vice_chancellor = , provost = Paul J. Olson , head_label = , head = , students = 1290 , undergrad = , postgrad = , doctoral = , city =

Jamestown, North Dakota Jamestown is a city in Stutsman County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Stutsman County. The population was 15,849 at the 2020 census, making it the ninth largest city in North Dakota. Jamestown was founded in 1883 and i ...

, country = U.S. , coor = , campus = Urban, ) , former_names = Jamestown College (1883–2013) , free_label = , free = , colors =
Orange & Black , colours = , mascot = Knight , sports_nickname = Jimmies , athletics_affiliations = NAIA – GPAC – ACHA , academic_affiliations = APCU , website = , logo = UofJ Logo 69-98+k.jpg , logo_size = The University of Jamestown 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 ...

university in

. Founded in 1883 by the

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

, it has about 1,300 students enrolled and has been

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

from its founding. Until August 2013, the school was known as Jamestown College.

History

The University of Jamestown was founded as Jamestown College in 1883, but closed fairly quickly during the

depression of 1893 The Panic of 1893 was an Depression (economics), economic depression in the United States that began in 1893 and ended in 1897. It deeply affected every sector of the economy, and produced political upheaval that led to the political realignmen ...

. The school reopened in 1909 and has remained in operation ever since. In 1979, Jamestown College's football team went to the NAIA National Championships. Two graduates of the institution have become

Rhodes Scholars The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

. In 2013, in light of a new master's program and applied doctorate degree program, Jamestown College changed its name to the University of Jamestown. In 2018, Dr. Robert Badal retired from his position as university president after serving in the role for nearly 16 years. He was succeeded by Dr. Polly Peterson.

Athletics

The Jamestown athletic teams are called the Jimmies. The university is a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA), primarily competing in the

Great Plains Athletic Conference The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) is a List of college athletic conferences in the United States, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located ...

(GPAC) since the 2018–19 school year. The Jimmies previously competed in the

North Star Athletic Association The North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) that began play in the 2013–14 school year. The conference currently has eight full member ...

(NSAA) from 2013–14 to 2017–18, and in the defunct

Dakota Athletic Conference The Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) was a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). As the name implies, member teams were located in the states of North Dakota and South Dakota. T ...

(DAC) from 2000–01 to 2011–12, as well as an NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) during the 2012–13 school year. Jamestown competes in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey (Division 1 and Division II), soccer, track and field (indoor and outdoor), volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, track & field (indoor and outdoor), volleyball and wrestling; and co-ed sports include eSports and shotgun sports.

Ice hockey

Starting in the 2016–17 school year, the University of Jamestown introduced a men's ice hockey team that competes in the

American Collegiate Hockey Association The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is a college ice hockey association. The ACHA's purpose is to be an organization of collegiate affiliated non-varsity programs, which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes qualit ...

Division 1 (ACHA); a Division II men's team started competitive play in the 2020–21 season. The school announced in 2021 that they would field a women's hockey team for the 2022–23 season.

Notable people

Alumni

* Richard K. Armey (1962), U.S. Representative from Texas and House Majority Leader *

Ron Erhardt Ronald Peter Erhardt (February 27, 1931 – March 21, 2012) was an American football coach at both the collegiate and professional levels. From 1979 to 1981 he served as head coach of the National Football League's New England Patriots. Early l ...

(1953), head coach of the NFL New England Patriots * Ralph R. Erickson (1980), former chief judge on the

United States District Court for the District of North Dakota The United States District Court for the District of North Dakota (in case citations, D.N.D.) is the United States District Court or the Federal district court, whose jurisdiction is the state of North Dakota. The court is headquartered out of ...

and judge on the

United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (in case citations, 8th Cir.) is a United States federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts: * Eastern District of Arkansas * Western Dist ...

Jessica Haak Jessica Haak is a Democratic-NPL politician who served in the North Dakota House of Representatives The North Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly and is larger than the North Dakota Sena ...

, former member of the North Dakota House of Representatives * Donald D. Lorenzen (1920–80), Los Angeles, California, City Council member, 1969–77 * George W. Johnson, President of

George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...

(1979–1996) * John Knauf, justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (attended but graduated elsewhere) *

Cory Mantyka Cory Mantyka (born May 31, 1970) is a former professional Canadian football player with the Canadian Football League's the British Columbia Lions. After playing college football at Jamestown College , mottoeng = Light and Truth , estab ...

, Canadian football player *

Barbara McClintock Barbara McClintock (June 16, 1902 – September 2, 1992) was an American scientist and cytogeneticist who was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. McClintock received her PhD in botany from Cornell University in 1927. There s ...

(1976), illustrator and author of children's books * David Nething, Former member of the North Dakota State Senate *

Raquel Pa'aluhi Raquel Pa'aluhi Canuto (born October 14, 1990) is an American Brazilian jiu-jitsu grappler and former mixed martial artist. Canuto was awarded her Black Belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu by her coach Robert Drysdale. Raquel is the 2014, 2015, 2016, ...

, professional

Mixed Martial Artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

, currently competing for

Invicta FC Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to Women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is current ...

Alvin Plantinga Alvin Carl Plantinga (born November 15, 1932) is an American analytic philosopher who works primarily in the fields of philosophy of religion, epistemology (particularly on issues involving epistemic justification), and logic. From 1963 to 198 ...

(1950), John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. Author and philosopher * Jasper Schneider, former acting administrator of the USDA Rural Utilities Service *

Kurt Schork Kurt Erich Schork (January 24, 1947 – May 24, 2000) was an American reporter and war correspondent. He was killed in an ambush while on an assignment for Reuters in Sierra Leone together with cameraman Miguel Gil Moreno de Mora of Spain, who work ...

(1969), reporter * Kyle Schweigert, head football coach at the University of North Dakota * J. J. Syvrud, American football player

Faculty

Larry Woiwode Larry Alfred Woiwode (October 30, 1941April 28, 2022) was an American writer from North Dakota, where he was the state's Poet Laureate from 1995 until his death. His work appeared in ''The New Yorker'', '' Esquire'', ''The Atlantic Monthly'', '' ...

, accomplished author and poet, serving as

Poet Laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...

of the State of North Dakota since 1995 * William A. Wojnar, classical organist and Professor Emeritus of Music

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{authority control Private universities and colleges in North Dakota Educational institutions established in 1883 Education in Stutsman County, North Dakota Buildings and structures in Jamestown, North Dakota Universities and colleges affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) 1883 establishments in Dakota Territory Liberal arts colleges in North Dakota