Pacific Lutheran University
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Former names
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Pacific Lutheran Academy Columbia College Spokane College Pacific Lutheran College |
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| Motto | Educating for Lives of Thoughtful Inquiry, Service, Leadership, and Care |
| Type | Private Coeducational |
| Established | 1890 |
| Affiliation | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| Endowment | $83.1 million |
| President | Thomas Krise |
| Provost | Rae Linda Brown |
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Academic staff
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283 |
| Students | 3300 |
| Undergraduates | 3100 |
| Postgraduates | 200 |
| Location |
Parkland, Washington, United States 47°08′41″N 122°26′34″W / 47.144854°N 122.442809°WCoordinates: 47°08′41″N 122°26′34″W / 47.144854°N 122.442809°W |
| Campus |
Suburban 156 acres (630,000 m2) |
| Colors | Black & Gold |
| Athletics | Division III, Northwest Conference |
| Sports | 19 Varsity teams |
| Nickname | Lutes |
| Mascot | Knight |
| Website | www.plu.edu |
Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), founded by Norwegian Lutheran pioneers in 1890, is a private university offering liberal arts and professional school programs located in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington, United States. PLU is sponsored by the 580 congregations of Region I of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. PLU has approximately 3,300 students enrolled. As of 2016, the school employs approximately 220 full-time professors on the 156-acre (630,000 m2) woodland campus.
PLU consists of the College of Arts and Sciences (including of the Divisions of Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences), the School of Arts and Communication, the School of Business, the School of Education and Kinesiology, and the School of Nursing.
Pacific Lutheran University was chartered by the State of Washington on December 11, 1890. In naming the university, the Norwegian pioneers who founded it recognized the role that a Lutheran educational institution on the Western frontier could play in the region. They wanted the institution to help immigrants adjust to their new land and find jobs, but they also wanted it to produce graduates who would serve church and community. Education—and educating for service—was a venerated part of the Scandinavian traditions from which these pioneers came.
Classes first began in 1894 with the student body consisting of 30 students. Tuition at the time cost $1 per week.Bjug Harstad was the school’s first president. The entire university was housed in one building from 1894-1912. This building was formally known as Old Main but has since been renamed Harstad Hall in honor of the school’s founding president.
In 1898 the university's name was changed to Pacific Lutheran Academy and Business College. Attempting to eliminate the debt plaguing the school, Bjug Harstad left for Alaska to search for gold. He spent one and one half years there but was unable to discover any gold. In 1902 the PLA athletic club celebrated its first victory in men's basketball with a 15-12 win over the University of Washington. Five years later women would be allowed to play basketball.
In 1912 a second building, a gymnasium, was constructed on the university campus. It included a track, a stage, and a science laboratory in the basement. Two years later students built a tennis court in what is now Red Square. By 1914 PLA received full accreditation meaning students could transfer to universities and retain their credits.
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