Washburn University

Washburn University was established at Topeka, Kansas , in February 1865 as "Lincoln College", by a charter issued by the State of Kansas and the General Association of Congregational Ministers and Churches of Kansas; the land on which the college stood was donated by abolitionist John Ritchie . The institution was renamed "Washburn College" in 1868, after Ichabod Washburn pledged $25,000 to the school. Washburn was a church deacon , abolitionist , and industrialist who lived in Worcester, Massachusetts . [ 7 ] Washburn College adopted a variation of the Washbourne arms as its emblem, substituting the school colors for the tinctures of the arms. Since becoming a university, however, Washburn has abandoned use of the family arms. Instead, the university now employs a stylized "W" as the emblem of the institution. The school mascot, "The Ichabod", is still in use. "The Ichabod" honors the namesake and early benefactor of the institution, Ichabod Washburn. "The Ichabod" existed only in name until 1938, when alumnus (and later prominent graphic artist) Bradbury Thompson (B.A., 1934) created the studious-looking, tailcoat-wearing figure the university uses today. The athletic teams are nicknamed "Ichabods", although women's teams did not use that nickname until the 2013–14 school year. [ 7 ] In 1913, the medical department of Washburn College closed. The medical school had become infamous on December 10, 1895, when the public discovered that some of the bodies used for anatomical study had been stolen from local cemeteries. [ 8 ] As the news was being printed (eventually across the country), the governor, fearing riots, called out state troops to protect the school. Three of the doctors, including the dean of the school, and a student-janitor from the school were arrested, as was one man who was not a member of the school.

Charges against the doctors were discharged, the janitor was convicted but had his conviction reversed on appeal, and the fifth man was convicted but later pardoned. [ 7 ] During World War II , Washburn Municipal University was one of 131 colleges and universities in the nation taking part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program , which offered students a path to a Navy commission. [ 9 ] On June 8, 1966, only a few days after classes were dismissed for the summer, much of the campus was demolished by a tornado , and completely denuded of trees. [ 10 ] Three months before the tornado struck, the Washburn board of trustees had reinsured every building on campus for the maximum amount. A week after the tornado struck, summer classes began at Topeka West High School. By the fall of 1966, Stoffer Hall was repaired. It took years to reconstruct the campus, with students attending classes in trailers well into the early 1970s. [ 7 ] Formerly a municipal university , the university's primary funding was moved from city property tax to county sales tax sources in 1999, with the school retaining status as a municipal subdivision of the state. [ 7 ] Washburn is governed by its own nine-member Board of Regents. [ 11 ]

Aerial view of Washburn campus in 1948 Class of 1900 in front of Rice Hall Washburn University is governed by a nine-member board of regents. Three, who must be residents of the state of Kansas, are appointed by the governor. Three residents of the City of Topeka, one from each of the state senatorial districts, are appointed by the mayor. One is the mayor or a member of the governing body of the city designated by the mayor. The Shawnee County Commission appoints one member, who must be a resident of Shawnee County but not of the City of Topeka. The Kansas Board of Regents annually selects one of its members to serve on the Washburn Board. Members of the board (with the exception of the Kansas Board of Regents' appointee) serve staggered four-year terms. [ 11 ] Presidents These persons have served as presidents or interim presidents of Washburn College (1869–1940), Washburn Municipal University of Topeka (1941–1952), and Washburn University (1952–present). [ 12 ] More information Title, Name ... Title Name Years Horatio Q. Butterfield [ 13 ] 1869–1870 Peter McVicar 1871–1895 George M. Herrick 1896–1901 Norman Plass 1902–1908 Frank Knight Sanders 1908–1914 Parley P. Womer 1915–1931 Philip C. King 1931–1941 Arthur G. Sellen 1941–1942 Bryan S. Stoffer 1942–1961 Harold E. Sponberg 1961–1965 John W. Henderson 1965–1980 John L. Green Jr. 1981–1988 John Duggan 1988 Robert L. Burns 1988–1990 Hugh L. Thompson 1990–1997 Jerry Farley 1997–2022 Marshall Meek 2022–2023 JuliAnn Mazachek 2023–present background-color:#002E5E;color:#FFFFFF; "}]]}"> 15 presidents; 3 interims 154 years Close

Main article: Washburn University School of Law Formed in 1903, [ 14 ] the Washburn School of Law was one of the first in the country to have a legal clinic where students are able to actively practice the legal profession. The Washburn Law Library houses over 380,000 volumes and is the largest in the state. [ 15 ] Notable alumni include Bob Dole , Roy Wilford Riegle , Dennis Moore , Kay McFarland , Bill Kurtis , and Fred Phelps .