Whitworth 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 ...

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 ...

university affiliated with the

Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...

and located in

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Canada ...

. Founded in 1890, Whitworth enrolls nearly 3,000 students and offers more than 100 graduate and undergraduate programs. Whitworth competes athletically at the

NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their stu ...

level in the

Northwest Conference The Northwest Conference (NWC) is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in the states of Oregon and Washington. It was known as the Pacific Northwest Conference from 1926 to 1984. History ...

as the Pirates. Its colors are black and crimson.

History

In 1883,

George F. Whitworth George Frederick Whitworth (March 15, 1816 – October 6, 1907) was an American Presbyterian missionary, educated at Hanover College in Indiana. Whitworth worked as a minister in the Ohio Valley until 1853, when he and his family moved to the Wes ...

established the Sumner Academy in

Sumner Sumner may refer to: Places Antarctica * Mount Sumner, a mountain in the Rare Range, Antarctica * Sumner Glacier, southern Graham Land, Antarctica Australia * Sumner, Queensland, suburb of Brisbane New Zealand * Sumner, New Zealand, seaside sub ...

, a small town in

Washington Territory The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

, east of Tacoma. Incorporated as Whitworth College in 1890, it relocated to Tacoma in 1899. When a Spokane developer offered land just before

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the college moved once more, and classes were held for the first time in Spokane in September 1914. The college relocated due to persistent financial difficulties, local competition from

College of Puget Sound The University of Puget Sound (UPS or Puget Sound) is a private university in Tacoma, Washington. The university draws approximately 2,600 students from 44 states and 16 countries. It offers 1,200 courses each year in more than 50 traditional an ...

and the Pacific Lutheran Academy, and a lack of support from the Washington state Presbyterian Synod or the City of Tacoma. The college's leadership led by President Donald D. MacKay came to realize that a relocation would likely be necessary to secure Whitworth's future. When Whitworth was approached by Spokane boosters, the Spokane Presbytery, and railroad magnate Jay P. Graves with some land on his new Country Homes development outside the city, the trustees agreed to the move provided that the Spokane community donate $70,000 and the Synod of Washington donate $30,000 for facilities. Whitworth merged with Spokane Junior College in 1942, when the latter shut down due to financial difficulties during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The board of trustees voted to change the institution's name to Whitworth University in 2006, which became effective July 1, 2007.

Campus

Whitworth's campus in northern Spokane has of stately pines and wide-open green spaces. In 2009, Whitworth opened a University District (U-District) location near downtown Spokane, expanding program offerings for nontraditional evening students and providing an ideal location with shorter commutes for working professionals. Due to an expanding student body, the university has invested more than $170 million in campus improvements in recent years. In 2022, Whitworth completed construction on the new Dana & David Dornsife Health Sciences Building. Additionally, Whitworth completed construction of the Pines Café & Bookstore along Hawthorne Road and the $13 million Whitworth Athletics Leadership Team Center, also known as the WALT. The 28,000-square-foot facility houses all of the coaches and staff of the university's 22 athletic programs, who used to be spread out among six buildings, and includes coaches’ offices, a football locker room, conference rooms, public lounges and a 162-seat team room. The university finished renovation on the Megan E. Thompson Aquatic Center in 2019 and completed a renovation of the Beeksma Family Theology Center in 2018, which expanded the Seely G. Mudd Chapel and provided offices for more than 20 faculty, staff and student employees. In 2015, the university renovated the Cowles Music Center, which remodeled the existing space and added of new teaching studios, practice rooms, rehearsal rooms, and lobby space. In 2011, the Robinson Science Hall was dedicated. This building was built for biology and chemistry sciences, as well as math courses. The Robinson Science Hall is part of a three-phase expansion that includes renovations of the Eric Johnston Science Center, which is the current building for plant biology, physics, and other courses in the science, technology, engineering, and math degrees that Whitworth offers. Since 2010, all new facilities constructed on the Whitworth campus are

LEED-certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...

Academics

Whitworth offers over 100 undergraduate majors and programs, six graduate programs, two doctoral programs and seven adult bachelor's degree completion programs. Academics at Whitworth is organized in four branches: The College of Arts and Sciences supports Whitworth INQ, an innovative shared curriculum approach to general education and houses 18 undergraduate arts and science departments. The college offers 47 majors, the M.A in

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and M.S. in

Athletic Training Athletic training is an allied health care profession recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA)"What is an Athletic Trainer?". The Board of Certification Website. 2003. Athletic training is also recognized by the Health Resources Serv ...

graduate programs; Doctor of

Occupational Therapy Occupational therapy (OT) is a global healthcare profession. It involves the use of assessment and intervention to develop, recover, or maintain the meaningful activities, or ''occupations'', of individuals, groups, or communities. The field of ...

(OTD) and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs; and a number of interdisciplinary undergraduate programs, including

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

Chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

Communications Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...

Health Sciences The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to health sciences: Health sciences are those sciences which focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Health sciences relate to multiple acad ...

, and

Computer Science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

. The School of Business includes undergraduate programs in accounting, business management, economics, finance, and marketing. It also oversees two graduate programs, a

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

(MBA) and Master of Business Leadership (MBL). The Whitworth School of Business became

AACSB The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, also known as AACSB International, is an American professional organization. It was founded as the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business in 1916 to provide accreditation to ...

accredited in 2020. The School of Education includes the Department of Undergraduate Teacher Education; the Department of Graduate Studies in Education; the Master in Teaching (MIT) Program; the Evening Teacher Certification Program; the Center for Gifted Education; and the Special Education Program. The School of Continuing Studies provides bachelor's degree programs for non-traditional students through evening degree programs, accelerated-format classes and certificate programs. The university also offers 30-plus study abroad programs available to students over Jan Term, May Term, or during a full semester. 45 percent of Whitworth's 2021 graduates participated in one or more off-campus programs.

Admissions

Whitworth's admission standards are considered "more selective" by '' U.S. News & World Report''. The Class of 2026 had a middle 50% SAT score range of 1080-1280 and an average GPA of 3.71. Students on campus represent 33 states and 43 countries. As of 2022, international students make up 6 percent of undergraduate enrollment.

Rankings

In 2022, '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Whitworth #1 in Best Undergraduate Teaching (West), #1 in Best Value (West), #3 Best Regional University (West), and #2 Best Colleges for Veterans (West). ''

The Princeton Review The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981. and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,0 ...

'' also named Whitworth "Best in the West" on the 2022 Best Colleges list. In 2022, Whitworth was named to the

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society ( or PTK) is the international honor society of students attending open-access institutions and seeking associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, or other college credentials. Its headquarters is in Jackson, Mississipp ...

's Transfer Honor Roll for the third year in a row. ''INSIGHT into Diversity Magazine'' awarded Whitworth the 2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. The Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Whitworth as a Tree Campus USA® since 2018.

Athletics

Whitworth's athletics teams are the Pirates. The university offers 21 varsity sports and competes in the

of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association 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 ...

(NCAA)

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

. Men's sports include cross country, football, basketball, swimming, track and field (indoor and outdoor), golf, tennis, soccer and baseball; women compete in soccer, volleyball, basketball, swimming, track and field (indoor and outdoor), golf, tennis, lacrosse and softball. Whitworth has played their home football games at the Pine Bowl (an on-campus football stadium) since the 1930s. The field within the Pine Bowl was changed to turf from grass in 2017 and subsequently was dedicated to the parents of the main donors by being named Puryear Field in 2018. Whitworth began playing football in 1904, and has only missed 7 seasons since then, due to

(1917–1919) and

(1942–1945). Whitworth has won a total of 13 Northwest Conference McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports Trophies, including the last 12 in a row (2008–2019). Whitworth men's swimming won the Northwest Conference Swimming Championship in 2022.

Student life

The Associated Students of Whitworth University ("ASWU") is in charge of clubs and activities on campus. The ASWU is composed of four executive officers (President, Vice President, Finance Director and Communications Director) who coordinate the student government and lead the student body, several residence hall senators and representatives who represent specific living areas and hold voting power, and coordinators who are responsible for programming in specialized areas.

Campus media

''Whitworth.fm'' is the campus' online radio station, owned and operated by ASWU. The station includes music, talk shows and coverage of Whitworth sporting events. ''The Whitworthian'' is the weekly student newspaper. The paper has received a number of awards, including "Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper" from the National Mark of Excellence Awards sponsored by the

Society of Professional Journalists The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, letter ...

in 2009. ''Canopy'' is Whitworth's yearbook that has been in publication since 1914. The yearbook has won numerous awards including "Best in Show" awards from the

Associated Collegiate Press The Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) is the largest and oldest national membership organization for college student media in the United States. The ACP is a division of the National Scholastic Press Association. It awards the newspaper, mag ...

, and "Most Outstanding University Yearbook for 2017" and first-place award among universities with a student population of 1,701-2,500 from the American Scholastic Press Association.

Notable alumni

Sam Adams Samuel Adams ( – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in colonial Massachusetts, a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and ...

, former

CFL 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 ...

player for the

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first season ...

* Michael Allan (2007), professional football player *

Blaine Bennett Blaine Bennett (born c. 1964) is a former American football player and coach. He is the head football coach at Post Falls High School in Post Falls, Idaho, a position he has held since 2016. Bennett served as the head football coach at Western Or ...

, college football head coach at

Western Oregon University Western Oregon University (WOU) is a public university in Monmouth, Oregon. It was originally established in 1856 by Disciples of Christ pioneers as Monmouth University. Subsequent names included Oregon State Normal School, Oregon College of E ...

and

Central Washington University Central Washington University (CWU) is a public university in Ellensburg, Washington. Founded in 1891, the university consists of four divisions: the President's Division, Business and Financial Affairs, Operations, and Academic and Student Life ...

* Richard Carr, Chief of Chaplains of the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

* Richard Cizik (1973), vice president for governmental affairs for the

National Association of Evangelicals The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) is an association of evangelical denominations, organizations, schools, churches and individuals, member of the World Evangelical Alliance. The association represents more than 45,000 local churches ...

, was named one of ''Time'' magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2008 *

Zilfa Estcourt Zilfa Estcourt (born Zilpha Eugenie Phillips, May 3, 1883 – December 17, 1959) was an American newspaper columnist and editor. Described variously as "the dean of west coast woman writers" and as being "to newspapers what Ethel Barrymore is to ...

(1904), features writer and women's editor at the '' Tacoma Ledger'', the '' Tacoma Tribune'', and the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...

'' *

Leo Ezerins Leo Ezerins (born August 10, 1956) was a linebacker who played ten seasons in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Background Ezerins is a graduate of Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington ...

, former

player for the

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fiel ...

and

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...

* Brian Fennell, musician who co-founded indie band

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

and performs under the name "SYML" *

Sia Figiel Sia Figiel (born 1967 Apia, Samoa) is an American contemporary Samoan novelist, poet, and painter. Early life Sia Figiel grew up amidst traditional Samoan singing and poetry, which heavily influenced her writing. Figiel's greatest influence a ...

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

n novelist * Dave Holmes, college football head coach at

Eastern Washington University Eastern Washington University (EWU) is a public university in Cheney, Washington. It also offers programs at a campus in EWU Spokane at the Riverpoint Campus and other campus locations throughout the state. Founded in 1882, the university is ...

and

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa The University of Hawaii at Mānoa (University of Hawaii—Mānoa, UH Mānoa, Hawai'i, or simply UH) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Manoa, Mānoa, a neighborhood in Honolulu, Hawaii. It ...

Dan Inosanto Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoi ...

(1958), Filipino-American martial arts instructor best known as a training partner of Bruce Lee * Sara Jackson-Holman, singer-songwriter *

Edward Kienholz Edward Ralph Kienholz (October 23, 1927 – June 10, 1994) was an American Installation art, installation artist and assemblage (art), assemblage sculpture, sculptor whose work was highly critical of aspects of modern life. From 1972 onwards, he ...

, American Pop Art

installation art Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called ...

ist * Michael K. Le Roy (1989), Former President of

Calvin University Calvin University, formerly Calvin College, is a Private university, private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, Ch ...

* Doug Long, former NFL player for the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

* David G. Maloney (1977), physician, scientist and cancer researcher * Stephen C. Meyer (1981), executive officer and co-founder of the

Discovery Institute The Discovery Institute (DI) is a politically conservative non-profit think tank based in Seattle, Washington, that advocates the pseudoscientific concept Article available froUniversiteit Gent/ref> of intelligent design (ID). It was founded ...

and former philosophy professor at Whitworth *

Alfred Mutua Dr. Alfred Nganga Mutua (born 22 August 1970) is a Kenyan journalist and politician who has been serving as Cabinet Secretary of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs under President William Ruto since 27 October 2022. Prior to joining the government, ...

(1996), cabinet secretary of foreign and diaspora affairs, Kenya; former governor of

Machakos County Machakos County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya, which came into being because of the devolved system of governance occasioned by the 2010 constitution of Kenya. The country's first administrative headquarters are in Machakos Town, which is ...

* David Myers (1964), social psychologist and author * Jenna Lee Nardella (2004), author and co-founder of Blood: Water Mission * Kevin C. Parker (1996) owner of Dutch Bros Spokane, adjunct professor at Whitworth University and

Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) () is a private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Founded in 1887 by Joseph Cataldo, an Italian-born priest and Jesuit missionary, the univ ...

. Member of the

Washington House of Representatives The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, and along with the Washington State Senate makes up the legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 ...

from 2008 to 2016. * Ralph Polson (1952), professional basketball player * Mike Riley (1977, Master's Degree), former University of Nebraska football coach *

Trevor St. John Trevor Marshall St. John (born September 3, 1971) 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 primetime shows and films. He is known for his performanc ...

, American actor on ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...

'' *

Ray Stone Raymond Leon Stone (September 2, 1923 – June 17, 2013) was an American politician, educator and jazz musician. He served as the mayor of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, for two consecutive terms from January 1986 to January 1994. Stone was awarded the E ...

(1951), former mayor of

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Coeur d'Alene ( ; french: Cœur d'Alène, lit=Heart of an stitching awl, Awl ) is a city and the county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the largest city in North Idaho and the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolita ...

, bachelor's completed in 1951; master's degree from Whitworth in 1952. *

Ken Sugarman Ken Sugarman (born June 16, 1942) is a former professional Canadian football player with the Canadian Football League's the British Columbia Lions. After playing college football at Whitworth College, Sugarman spent his entire 9-year CFL career as ...

, former

player for the

* Bob Ward (1955), strength and conditioning coach in the NFL for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

Fullerton College Fullerton College (FC) is a Public college, public community college in Fullerton, California. The college is part of the California Community Colleges System and the North Orange County Community College District. Established in 1913, it is the ...

head track coach * Paul Ward, former NFL player for the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...

head track coach *

Austin Washington Austin Washington (born September 26, 1985) is an American professional soccer player who most recently played for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. Career College and amateur Washington attended Joel E Ferris High School Professional W ...

, professional soccer player. He transferred to

in 2005 *

Ray Washburn Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...

(1961), professional baseball player *

Patrice Wilson Patrice Iteke Wilson is a Nigerian-American record producer, songwriter, and singer. He has also adopted the stage name Pato for some of his performances. He founded ARK Music Factory with Clarence Jey in 2010. While there, he produced songs such ...

, record producer

References

External links

*
Whitworth Pirates athletics
{{authority control Universities and colleges accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Universities and colleges affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) Educational institutions established in 1890 Council for Christian Colleges and Universities 1890 establishments in Washington (state) Private universities and colleges in Washington (state)