Grand View University

Grand View College and Seminary was started in 1896 by members of the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . In 1912, Grand View opened a high school academy department. Instruction at the junior college level began in 1924 and accreditation by the Iowa State Department of Public Instruction came in 1938 following the dissolution of the academy. It gained accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1959. In 1968, the school's theological seminary was relocated to Maywood, Illinois . In 1975, nursing programs were added along with baccalaureate programs, and the school, which had been called Grand View Junior College , dropped the "junior" from its name to become Grand View College . In 2008, after adding graduate programs, the college renamed itself Grand View University . The Grand View Danish Immigrant Archives houses a wide variety of information sources related to the Danish immigrant influence on the United States, including personal histories, photographs, writings, and a large collection of Danish American newspapers and magazines.

Grand View's 50- acre campus is located in the Union Park Neighborhood of Des Moines, Iowa , just northeast of downtown. Over 800 students live on campus in six different residential facilities. Notable landmarks include the Humphrey Center —built in 1895 in the style of Danish Renaissance architecture —and a 159-foot long skywalk across U.S. Route 69 in the heart of campus. Major buildings Old Main (now the Humphrey Center) circa 1900. Humphrey Center – Formerly Old Main, the Humphrey Center is the oldest building on campus, built in 1896. The offices of Admissions, Business, Financial Aid, Registrar, President, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Finance and Administration, and Vice President for Advancement are all located here. Humphrey is on the National Register of Historic Places , and was built in three different phases (1895, 1898, 1904). The facility underwent a complete renovation in 1998 and was named in recognition of alumnus Alice (Olson) Humphrey. The college's maintenance division is based out of a garage directly north of the building. Charles S. Johnson Wellness Center – Located at 1500 Morton Avenue, the 92,000-square-foot facility houses the nursing and kinesiology departments, recreational and athletic facilities, a community clinic, classrooms and faculty offices. The field house contains weight lifting equipment, a 1/10 mile track, and a double basketball court. Sisam Arena was renovated in 2002, while the wellness center was being constructed, and put in new bleachers, backboards, wall padding and a small media platform. The lobby of the arena showcases trophy cases featuring the Grand View Athletic Hall of Fame. Sisam Arena was named after David Sisam, longtime coach and athletic director. In 2008, a new two-level addition was added on the southeast corner bringing a new weight room, wrestling room and athletics staff offices.

Cowles Center – Located at 1331 Grandview Avenue, Cowles houses the Music Department with rehearsal spaces for band and choir teaching studios, mixed use practice room, and study space for students. Krumm Business Center – Located at 1330 Morton Avenue, and named after college benefactor and former Maytag CEO Daniel J. Krumm, this academic building houses general-purpose classrooms, a large lecture hall, computer lab, and faculty/staff offices. The university's information technology department is based out of the Krumm Center. Library – Located at the corner of Morton Avenue and East 14th Street ( U.S. Route 69 ), the two-story library was completed in 1968 with an addition added in 1992. The first floor contains a teaching classroom/computer lab, the reference collection, current periodicals and journals, the children's and young adult collection, private study rooms, study tables, DVD and video viewing rooms, the information desk, and the bank of research computers. The library's collection of books and journals as well as study tables are located on the second floor, along with the Danish Immigrant Archives. The library is also home to an Einstein Bros Bagels . Rasmussen Center for Community Advancement Professions – located at 2800 East 14th Street U.S. Route 69 ), north of the library., the Rasmussen Center opened in fall 2008 and houses the departments of art, education, history, criminal justice, political studies, psychology and sociology, as well as general-purpose classrooms, art studios, computer labs, the ALT Center, faculty offices, and various student amenities. The building is named after Jim and Sandra Rasmussen, long-time supporters of Grand View who contributed $3 million to the building campaign. The Kent L. Henning Student Center – Located at 2811 East 14th Street ( U.S.

Route 69 ), the Student Center was renovated and expanded in 2015 to accommodate the communication and theater departments, student dining, academic and career success centers, the bookstore, the Viking Theatre, student services and recreation, plus the Robert Speed Lyceum, a large multipurpose performance area.