California Lutheran University
 |
|
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Established | 1959 |
| Affiliation | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| Endowment | $83.3 million |
| President | Chris Kimball |
|
Academic staff
|
410 (168 full time, 242 part time) |
| Undergraduates | 2,888 |
| Postgraduates | 1,394 |
| Location | Thousand Oaks, CA, USA |
| Campus | Suburban – 225 acres (91 ha) |
| Athletics | NCAA Division III |
| Colors | Purple and gold |
| Nickname | Kingsmen (men), Regals (women) |
| Affiliations | Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) |
| Website | http://www.callutheran.edu/ |
California Lutheran University (also CLU or Cal Lutheran) is a private, liberal arts university located in Thousand Oaks, California. It was founded in 1959 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but is nonsectarian. Their mission is "to educate leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment, confident in their identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice."
In 1954, a committee was first formed jointly by the American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church in America (These two organizations much later joined with another organization to become the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.) to plan a Lutheran college in California. Five churches served on the committee, dubbed the California Lutheran Education Foundation, which still owns the university. Richard Pederson, son of Scandinavian immigrants, donated 130 acres of farmland for the university in 1957. In 1959, the college was officially incorporated, with Orville Dahl, Ed. D. instituted as the first president. The college opened to its first incoming class in September 1961, and was accredited by the Western Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in March 1962. Dahl served as president until 1962, bringing the university's first football coach, Robert Shoup, to the campus in his final year.
Around the range of about 200 students in February 20, 1967 create a sit-down in front the gymnasium while the chapel was in service to protest things that they believed that needed to be changed such as the attendance policy, library, bookstore and coffee shop which were closed during chapel services. Also in April 19, 1968 300 Cal Lutheran students commemorate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. an African American activist, by marching down Moorpark Boulevard in his memory.
CLU grew in size, and in debt, steadily through the 1960s. In 1970, the college was $3,600,000 in debt and predicted to go bankrupt. However, belt tightening by the school and enrollment increases pushed finances into the black by the end of the year. Fates turned around further when the school won its first, and only, NAIA football championship, in 1971.
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