Northwood University (NU) is a

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 ...

focused on business education with its main campus in

Midland, Michigan Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Michigan. The city's population was 42,547 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Comb ...

. Opened in 1959, more than 33,000 people have graduated from the institution.Northwood University: About Us-History
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History

Northwood University opened as Northwood Institute in 1959 by Arthur E. Turner and R. Gary Stauffer. One hundred students enrolled at the new school, which was initially located in a 19th-century mansion in

Alma, Michigan Alma is the largest city in Gratiot County, Michigan, Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,383 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It was incorporated as the Village of Alma in 1872 and became a city in 1905 ...

. Northwood Institute moved to Midland, Michigan, in 1961.Peterson's Four-Year Coilleges by Thomson Peterson, page 2101-2104, Northwood University
/ref> The

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

operated a

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

known as ''West Baden College'' at the former

West Baden Springs Hotel The West Baden Springs Hotel, formerly known as the West Baden Inn, is part of the French Lick Resort and is a national historic landmark hotel in West Baden Springs, Orange County, Indiana. It is known for the dome covering its atrium. Prior t ...

, in

Orange County, Indiana Orange County is located in southern Indiana in the United States. As of 2020, its population was 19,867. The county seat is Paoli. The county has four incorporated settlements with a total population of about 8,600, as well as several small u ...

, from 1934 until June 1964, when declining enrollment forced the closure of the facility. They sold the property to a Michigan couple, who in turn donated it to Northwood Institute, which operated a

satellite campus A satellite campus or branch campus or regional campus is a campus of a university or college that is physically at a distance from the original university or college area. This branch campus may be located in a different city, state, or countr ...

of their business management school under the great dome on the property from 1966 until 1983, when it was closed.French Lick Resort website: History-West Baden Springs Hotel
/ref> During the same time frame during which the Indiana campus was opened, a Northwood facility was also established in Texas, which continues to serve students in the Southwest United States. NorthwoodAdmin

In 1982, David E. Fry became president of the school. The Florida residential campus was added and the academic curricula was expanded. The school was 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 ...

.Higher Learning Commission
/ref> In 1993, the name was changed from ''Northwood Institute'' to Northwood University and The DeVos Graduate School of Management was created. A joint program with the

Hotel Institute Montreux Hotel Institute Montreux (HIM), founded in 1984, is a for-profit, private hotel school located in Montreux, Switzerland that provides an education for students wanting to gain an education in the hospitality industry. The school offers a bachel ...

was established in 2001 to combine Swiss hospitality traditions with American management practices. The school, located in

Montreux, Switzerland Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approxima ...

was Northwood University's first international venture. University College program centers were expanded for a total of 40 locations in eight states and program centers were begun in

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

, and Switzerland. In October 2007, Keith A. Pretty was named Northwood's third President and CEO.

Kent MacDonald Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

became president in 2019. In 2014, Northwood announced that it would close its residential operations at its Texas location, while continuing to expand its adult degree program and graduate program there. A year later in 2015, the university sold its Florida location to

Keiser University Keiser University is a private university with its main campus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and flagship residential campus in West Palm Beach, Florida. Additional branches are located in other parts of Florida and internationally. Keiser provides ...

.Keiser University to take over Northwood University's West Palm Beach campus
/ref>

Athletics

Current campuses

Michigan Timberwolves

The athletic teams of Northwood University's Michigan (main) campus are called the Timberwolves. The campus is a member of the

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

ranks, primarily competing in the

Great Midwest Athletic Conference The Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. It was named the 24th (at the time) NCAA Division II conference and oper ...

(G-MAC) since the 2022–23 academic year. The Timberwolves previously competed in the

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is a competitive List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level. ...

(GLIAC) from 1972–73 to 1986–87, and again from 1992–93 to 2021–22. Northwood competes in 16 varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. Club sports include men's ice hockey. On April 29, 2021, Northwood announced that it will leave the GLIAC to join the G-MAC in July 2022.

Former campuses

Texas Knights

The athletic teams of Northwood University's Texas campus were called the Knights. The campus was 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

Sooner Athletic Conference The Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Originally developed as a five-team conference of Oklahoma-based schools, the SAC now boasts 12 sc ...

(SAC) for the 2013–14 academic year. They also competed in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) from 1998–99 to 2012–13. Northwood–Texas competed in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports included baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, and track & field; while women's sports included basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, and track & field.

Florida Seahawks

The athletic teams of Northwood University's Florida campus were called the Seahawks. The campus was a member of the

(NAIA); primarily competing in the Sun Conference (formerly known as the Florida Sun Conference (FSC) until after the 2007–08 school year) from 1994–95 to 2014–15. Northwood–Florida competed in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports included baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, and tennis; while women's sports included basketball, cheerleading, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball.

Notable alumni

Jeffrey Ajluni Jeffrey Ajluni is the senior vice president, corporate partnerships, for the Major League Soccer club D.C. United in Washington, D.C., having joined the team in September 2021. Ajluni leads all partnership development and partner activation and se ...

, businessman *

Robb Brent Robert "Robb" Brent (born February 6, 1987) is an American professional stock car racing driver who most recently competed in what is now the ARCA Menards Series in 2011. He competed full-time in the same series in 2009 and 2010, finishing tenth ...

, NASCAR/ARCA driver * Julie Calley, politician and former Second lady from Michigan * Rob Childress,

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

coach *

Dick DeVos Richard Marvin DeVos Jr. (born October 21, 1955) is an American businessman and author. The son of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, he served as CEO of the multi-level marketing company from 1993 to 2002. In 2006, DeVos ran for Governor of ...

, 2006 Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate, son of

Amway Amway (short for "American Way") is an American multi-level marketing (MLM) company that sells health, beauty, and home care products. The company was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos and is based in Ada, Michigan. Amway and it ...

co-founder *

Dan DeVos Daniel G. DeVos (born ) is an American businessman and sports executive. He is the son of Helen June (Van Wesep) and Amway co-founder Richard DeVos. Business Since 1993, DeVos has served as president and chief executive officer (CEO) of DP Fo ...

, American businessman and sports executive *

Carole Gist Carole Anne-Marie Gist (born May 8, 1969) is an American TV host, model and first African American woman to win the Miss USA title. Gist first won the title of Miss Michigan USA and went on to win the Miss USA crown on March 2, 1990, in Wichita, ...

Miss USA 1990 Miss USA 1990 was the 39th Miss USA pageant, televised live from the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas on March 2, 1990. At the conclusion of the final competition, Carole Gist of Michigan was crowned by outgoing titleholder Gretc ...

* Rina Mohd Harun, Malaysian politician. *

Charleston Hughes Charleston Hughes (born December 14, 1983) is a professional Canadian football defensive end for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed by the Calgary Stampeders as a street free agent in 2008 and won two ...

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

All-Star defensive linemen and Grey Cup champion *

Maurice Jones Maurice Antonia Jones (born September 14, 1964) is the CEO of OneT a coalition of companies dedicated to creating one million jobs for African Americans by the end of the 2020s. Previously, he was president and CEO of the Local Initiatives Supp ...

NBL Canada The National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada; french: Ligue nationale de basketball du Canada) is a Canadian professional men's minor league basketball organization. The NBL Canada was founded in 2011, when three existing Premier Basketba ...

player, 2017 NBL Canada Rookie of the Year * Jose Jono Jumamoy, Former Municipal Mayor of

Inabanga, Bohol Inabanga, officially the Municipality of Inabanga ( ceb, Munisipyo sa Inabanga; tgl, Bayan ng Inabanga), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 48,534 people. The ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

Blake Koch Blake Koch (born August 7, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and businessman. He last competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing. He is also the founder of FilterTime, a r ...

, NASCAR driver *

Lisa McClain Lisa Carmella McClain ( Iovannisci; born April 7, 1966) is an American politician who serves as the U.S. representative for since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, she won election to the state's redrawn 9th district in the 2022 electio ...

, Representative of

Michigan's 10th congressional district Michigan's 10th congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, covering a region known as the Thumb. It consists of all of Huron, Lapeer, St. Clair, and Sanilac Counties; as well as most ...

Jermaine Middleton Jermaine "Stretch" Middleton (born January 15, 1984) was an American basketball player for the Harlem Globetrotters. Biography The 7'4" Middleton was born in Los Angeles and started playing basketball as a Crenshaw High School junior. His frien ...

, former basketball player for the

Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, and comedy in their style of play. Created in 1926 by Tommy Brookins in Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the name ''Harlem'' because of i ...

Candice Miller Candice Sue Miller ( née McDonald; born May 7, 1954) is an American politician serving as the Public Works Commissioner of Macomb County, Michigan since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Miller previously served as the U.S. representati ...

, Member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Jerry Pettway Jerry Pettway is a former American basketball player. Pettway was born in Detroit, Michigan on February 13, 1944. He played college basketball at Northwood Institute from 1963–1967. He is Northwood's all-time leading scorer and rebounder and i ...

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

Houston Mavericks The Houston Mavericks were a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA). They played in the upstart league's first two seasons, from 1967 to 1969. Their home arena was the Sam Houston Coliseum. In 1947–48, there was an unrela ...

guard *

Deborah Renshaw Deborah Renshaw-Parker (born October 28, 1975) is a former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver. Background and family life Renshaw grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky and has two brothers. She raced and drove in several types of motor vehicles ...

, NASCAR driver *

Jim Stamas Jim Stamas (born February 17, 1965) was a member of the Michigan State Senate and former Majority Floor Leader of the Michigan House of Representatives. He was inaugurated in the Michigan Senate on January 1, 2015 and left office on January 1, ...

, businessman and politician * Chris Wilson,

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

defensive end *

Ernie Zeigler Ernest Franklin Zeigler II (born January 31, 1966) is an American college basketball coach, currently an assistant at the University of Nebraska. He spent the previous eight seasons as an assistant coach at Mississippi State, and prior to that wa ...

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

coach

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{Coord, 43, 37, 50, N, 84, 16, 43, W, region:US-MI_type:edu, display=title Educational institutions established in 1959 Midland, Michigan Private universities and colleges in Michigan Education in Midland County, Michigan Buildings and structures in Midland County, Michigan 1959 establishments in Michigan Private universities and colleges in Texas