Hamline University

Hamline University is an American private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota, founded in 1854 and named after Bishop Leonidas Lent Hamline of the United Methodist Church. Hamline is the oldest institution of higher learning in Minnesota and one of five Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities.

The university comprises five faculties, including Hamline University School of Law, and has an enrollment of 2,100 undergraduate and 2,800 postgraduate students. In 2011, Hamline was first in Minnesota and ninth in the U.S. in the Regional Universities—Midwest category of U.S. News and World Report's college rankings. Linda N. Hanson is the university's 19th president, inaugurated in 2005.

Red Wing location (1854–1869)
Hamline was named in honor of Leonidas Lent Hamline, a bishop of the Methodist Church whose interest in the frontier led him to donate $25,000 toward the building of an institution of higher learning in what was then the territory of Minnesota. Today, a statue of Bishop Hamline sculpted by the late professor of art Michael Price stands on campus. Hamline is also distinct for being founded as a coeducational institution, a rarity in 19th-century America. Hamline’s first home was in Red Wing, Minnesota. The school’s charter stipulated that Hamline be located "at some point on the Mississippi between St. Paul and Lake Pepin." The city of Red Wing pledged about $10,000 to enable construction of a building and the beginning of an endowment, and it also donated a tract of land on a hillside overlooking the Mississippi River.

The University of Minnesota is a disputably older institution (having been chartered in 1851), although it began as a college university-preparatory school and did not begin enrolling students until 1857.

The first classes at Hamline were held in rooms housed on the second floor of the village general store while the construction of the classroom building was in progress. Students moved into the Red Wing building in January 1856. The original building contained a chapel, recitation rooms, a school room, a library, laboratory, reading rooms, and dormitory quarters. Seventy-three students enrolled at Hamline in the opening year. The catalog lists them separately as “Ladies and Gentlemen,” but most of them were children or adolescents. All were enrolled in either the primary or the preparatory department. There was no collegiate division – the frontier had not yet produced students ready for college. Tuition ranged from $4.00 to $6.66 per term. The collegiate program was introduced in 1857, and in 1859, Hamline graduated its first class.

With the start of the American Civil War, enrollment in the college division dropped from 60 to 16 in one year. There was no graduating class in 1862. Records indicate that 119 Hamline men served in the Union armies during the war. In 1869, the university shut down. The first building at the Red Wing site was torn down in 1872.

Saint Paul campus (1880–1914)
It had been expected that Hamline would reopen on a new site within two years after the closing at Red Wing; however, indecision in the selection of a new site caused a delay. In the end, a 77 acre Saint Paul prairie plot halfway between the downtowns of Minneapolis and Saint Paul was selected. Construction began in 1873, but by then an economic depression had overtaken the planners, and there were repeated postponements and delays. University Hall, begun in 1873, was constructed in installments as money came in, and was not completed until the summer of 1880.

The doors opened on September 22, 1880, and Hamline’s history in Saint Paul began. The catalog for that year lists 113 students, with all but five of them being preparatory students. Tuition in the collegiate division was $30 per year. Two degrees were offered at the time: the B.A. and the B.S. In 1883, the bachelor of philosophy degree replaced the B.S., and remained in use until 1914, when the faculty dropped the PhB. and restored the B.S. degree.

On February 7, 1883, University Hall, barely two years old, burned to the ground. To replace the structure, plans for a new University Hall were prepared. Eleven months later, the new structure, the present Old Main, was completed. Emergency space for classrooms was provided by Ladies’ Hall, which had opened in 1882. Other new construction included Science Hall, which was completed in 1887, the Carnegie library in 1907, and the new gymnasium, which was completed in 1909.

World War I and postwar years (1915–1929)
When World War I came in April 1917, track and baseball schedules for spring were cancelled as enlistments and applications of officers’ training depleted the teams. Hamline was designated one of 38 colleges in the country to supply men for ambulance work in France. Twenty-six men were selected for the unit and served in France with the 28th Division of the French Army. In the fall of 1918, a unit of the Students’ Army Training Corps was established at Hamline, and almost every male student became an enlisted member. The Science Hall was used for military purposes, with the basement becoming the mess hall and the museum and several classrooms being marked for squad rooms and sleeping quarters.

The Great Depression and World War II (1930–1945)
The Great Depression and World War II created significant challenges for Hamline. The most difficult were the years in the early 1930s, in which the repercussions of the depression were intensified by conflicts over internal reorganization. Increased enrollments reflected the belief that it was better for students to be in college than to be sitting at home in idleness and despair. The college tried to help by providing jobs and financial aid, and by lowering charges for tuition and room and board. Jobs of any kind were at a premium, with the most prized being board jobs in the Manor House and at the Quality Tea Room on Snelling Avenue. Also in top demand were board and room jobs for women in private homes. In the meantime, the portion of the college endowment invested in farmlands turned unproductive, and the university's income fell following reductions in tuition. All of this led to annual deficits and substantial cuts in faculty salaries. It was not until 1935 that Hamline began to recover from the depression. During the war years, Hamline’s enrollment held above 600, except in 1943 and 1944. Although males registrations dropped as men entered the armed services, women's enrollment increased as nursing students arrived. Hamline and the Asbury Methodist Hospital of Minneapolis launched a new venture in 1940 when they collaboratively established the Hamline-Asbury School of Nursing, which offered a five-year program leading to a bachelor of science in nursing. Hamline moved with a growing trend to provide academic training for women preparing for careers in nursing. A three-year program leading to a diploma in nursing was also offered. In 1949, the Mounds-Midway School of Nursing joined the school, and the newly-enlarged institution took the name of the Hamline University School of Nursing.

Post World War II (1946–1966)
A flood of veterans entered or returned to college after World War II under the G.I. Bill of Rights. The first reached the campus in the fall of 1946, when registrations passed 1,000 for the first time. Enrollment reached a new high in 1949 when 1,452 students, including 289 in the nursing school. The nursing school, which had been an integral part of Hamline since 1940 and had won wide recognition for the excellence of its program, was discontinued in 1962 following a decision to concentrate resources and staff on liberal arts programs. The last class in the three-year program graduated in 1960 and the last class in the degree program graduated in 1962. A total of 447 women completed the degree program, and 758 women finished the three-year program.

After World War II, two new residence halls were built – Drew Residence for men and Sorin Hall for women. A new fine arts center was completed in 1950, and the Drew Hall of Science was dedicated in 1952. The old science building was taken over by the social science and other departments and was renamed Social Science Hall. In 1963, the A.G. Bush Student Center was completed, and at the time, its modern facilities made it at once the social, recreational, and cultural center of the campus. Throughout this period, buildings were enlarged or remodeled to keep pace with new needs and standards. Wings were added to the Manor House and Drew Residence. The seating capacity of the library was increased to 100 with the completion of a new periodical room, and the old student union was remodeled and turned into a laboratory with classrooms and office space for the language departments. In the summer of 1966, extensive alterations and improvements were made in Hutton Arena and in the theater of the fine arts center.

Between 1953 and 1966, faculty members received grants totaling more than $600,000 for special education and research programs.

New academic publications (1966–1987)
Hamline broke ground in May 1970 for the $2.6 million Bush Memorial Library. The library, a three-story, 83210 sqft building housing some 240,000 volumes, opened in the fall of 1971. The Paul Giddens Alumni Learning Center, linked to the Carnegie library and named for a former university president, opened in October 1972. The social science and humanities divisions and the department of education are now housed within the center, which also contains classrooms, study areas, and laboratories.



The university began construction on a new $4 million law school building in January 1979, which was dedicated in October 1980. The Hamline University School of Law received accreditation from the American Bar Association in 1975. The law school began publishing the Hamline Law Review in 1978 and a second, student-edited, journal in the spring of 1980 – the Journal of Minnesota Public Law (since 1986, it has been known as the Hamline Journal of Public Law and Policy). In 1983, in collaboration with the Council on Religion and Law at Harvard University Divinity and Law Schools, the Hamline School of Law launched a faculty-edited journal, the Journal of Law and Religion.

After the Charles M. Drew Fine Arts Center opened in 1950, Hamline began to gradually acquire a permanent art collection, especially after Paul Smith became chair of the fine arts department in 1965. By 2003, the permanent collection included more than 600 original works.

New construction and discoveries (1988–2003)
The $1.3 million Sundin Music Hall opened in October 1989. The Orem Robbins Science Center was dedicated on May 9, 1991, and became the home of the biology, chemistry, and physics departments. Old Main, the campus landmark, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places; it was renovated during the summer of 1978 and again after a fire on September 2, 1985, caused $10,000 worth of damage. In October 1990, workers began a $290,000 renovation. They removed and rebuilt a 24 ft-high section of the tower, covered the 106-year old building with new concrete shingles, and installed a four-sided clock in the tower. In 1993, an electric carillon was added to the tower that can ring a bell and play selected music.

Hamline broke ground on September 27, 1996, for the $5.6 million, 44000 sqft Law and Graduate Center/Conference Center, which was dedicated on October 10, 1997. Hamline began construction on a $7.7 million student apartment building at 1470 Englewood for 142 graduate and law students on September 29, 1998. The building was completed in 2000, in time for students to move in for the fall term. After four years of planning, ground was broken on October 18, 1996, for an $8.5 million sports, recreation, and health complex—Lloyd W. D. Walker Fieldhouse—though construction did not begin until the following spring. The completed fieldhouse, at Snelling and Taylor, opened on September 10, 1998. Klas Center, a modern, $7.1 million multi-use facility which includes the football field and a track, was built in 2003 to replace the aging Norton Field.

As the campus was transformed by construction projects, attention turned to Hamline's roots in the summer of 1996. An archaeological dig headed by John McCarthy of the Institute of Minnesota Archaeology and anthropology professor Skip Messenger began at the site of Hamline's original building in Red Wing. The three-story brick building, constructed in 1855 and open in time for classes to begin in January 1856, closed in 1869 and was demolished in 1871. Since few records exist from that time, the exact location and dimensions of the original building were unknown until the archaeological dig. The dig found that the original building's foundation was insufficient for its size, leading to speculation that structural problems might have contributed to the building's closing and eventual demolition.

A new era and schools (2004–present)
In 2004, Hamline celebrated its 150th anniversary. Throughout the year, every department held a public event related to the anniversary. The slogan for the event was "Looking back. Thinking forward."

College of Liberal Arts
The College of Liberal Arts houses Hamline’s undergraduate programs. College of Liberal Arts students can earn a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree in 38 areas of study. Hamline is one of only 276 Phi Beta Kappa institutions in the country. The majors offered are typical of a liberal arts college, and include the physical and social sciences, humanities and fine arts. Students may also minor in 35 areas of study within the college.

The foundation of Hamline’s undergraduate liberal arts program is the Hamline Plan, which is tied directly to graduation requirements and is designed to ensure that students receive a well-rounded education. The plan requires students to conduct independent studies, participate in internships and apprenticeships, and to develop their skills in such areas as writing, speaking, computing, and cultural awareness.

The student to faculty ratio is 14:1 and the median class size is 18. Almost all (94%) faculty hold the highest degree in their fields. Research opportunities are not restricted to the university’s graduate students, meaning the liberal arts students are afforded a chance to engage in research as well.

College of Liberal Arts students also have the option to participate in a variety of activities. Hamline competes in 19 intercollegiate sports in the NCAA Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. In addition to sports, Hamline has over 70 clubs and organizations. Hamline also has an alliance with Hancock-Hamline Collaborative Magnet School, which is a public elementary located across the street from the university.

School of Education
Hamline University’s School of Education houses only graduate programs. Undergraduate students interested in licensing in Minnesota are tracked through the undergraduate education department within the College of Liberal Arts.

The school offers the following programs:


 * Master of Arts in Education
 * Master of Arts in Education: Natural Science & Environmental Education
 * Master of Arts in English as a Second Language (ESL)
 * Master of Arts in Literacy Education
 * Master of Arts in Teaching
 * Doctorate in Education

The graduate programs are designed to accommodate professionals who are already teaching and are interested furthering their educations, and those who are looking to meet Minnesota licensing laws.

In addition to the above master's and doctoral degrees, the university also offers the following certificate programs:


 * Certificate in Urban Teaching
 * Certificate in Adult English as a Second Language (ESL)
 * Certificate in Gifted Education
 * Certificate in College Counseling
 * Certificate in Writing Education

These certificates provide current and future teachers with professional development in their chosen fields, or with a way to expand their expertise into a new area.

Graduate School of Liberal Studies
The Graduate School of Liberal Arts (GLS) offers three degrees:


 * Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS)
 * Master of Fine Arts in Writing (MFA)
 * Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults.

The GLS attempts to create a meaningful dialogue and inquiry across disciplinary boundaries, enabling students to gain a deeper understanding of the human cultural heritage and the issues of contemporary life. The school also prepares students who wish to specialize in creative writing and to teach writing at the college level.

The MALS program is designed to offer students opportunities to range freely among academic, spiritual, artistic, and professional issues and ideas. Students learn basic concepts in a range of disciplines such as literature, art, philosophy, history, psychology, sociology, and science, and learn how to relate these concepts to the broader world.

In contrast, the MFA program provides a terminal degree for students who wish to pursue careers as writers or want to teach writing at the college level. Despite their differences, the two programs share some common themes. They both require interdisciplinary study, elective courses and capstone projects, as well as significant amounts of writing.

Hamline University School of Law
Hamline University School of Law offers full and part-time legal education in pursuit of the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, as well as the Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree for international lawyers. The law school is well-recognized for its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program. The program, founded in 1991, offers courses in both domestic and international dispute resolution. The program is ranked second in the nation, just above Harvard Law. The 2014 U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Law Schools” ranked Hamline's overall law school program at #126, within the first tier of the nation's best law schools. The four-year average of first-time bar passage rate is over 90%.

Hamline University School of Business
Hamline University School of Business contains both the undergraduate and graduate business programs. The undergraduate program offers degrees in Business Administration (B.B.A.) and Economics. The B.A. also allows students to hold an emphasis in any of the following areas: general business, international business, finance, management, or marketing. The graduate program offers the following degrees:


 * Master in Business Administration
 * Master in Nonprofit Management
 * Master in Public Administration
 * Doctorate in Public Administration

Rankings
In 2010 Hamline was first in Minnesota and ninth in the U.S. in the Regional Universities—Midwest category of U.S. News and World Report's “America’s Best Colleges” rankings. As of 2012, Hamline is the top-ranked Minnesota university in those rankings for the 12th consecutive year.

Hamline has been ranked twentieth in the nation and is one of two Minnesota universities in its category in Washington Monthly’s 2012 College Rankings, which highlights institutions that value service to the community.

Forbes.com ranks Hamline among the "best" in success of graduates and quality of education.

Hamline has also been named as a top Fulbright scholar producing university, with 24 Fulbright winners from Hamline in the past 15 years. Hamline has been named one of the best colleges and universities in the Midwest by The Princeton Review. The New York City-based education services company selected the school as one of 153 institutions it recommends in the “Best in the Midwest” section of its feature "2013 Best Colleges Region by Region".

Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities
Hamline is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC), which is a consortium of five private liberal arts colleges, all located in either Minneapolis or Saint Paul. This program allows students to take classes at any of the associated campuses, as long as the class is not offered at their home university. Students are limited to one ACTC course per semester.

Bilateral exchange programs
Hamline also has partnerships with four foreign universities (Universität Trier in Germany, Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso in Chile, Universite Gaston Berger in Senegal, and Akita International University in Japan) which allow students to study abroad and pay the same rate that they would at Hamline. These programs also guarantee that credits earned abroad will transfer back to Hamline.

Student life
Hamline students have the opportunity to partake in various on-campus activities. All clubs, intermural teams, and student events are run through the Office of Residential Life. Hamline’s clubs include organizations with focuses on various academic subjects, the arts, journalism, culture, advocacy/social justice, recreation, and spirituality. Hamline also has two Greek organizations: Delta Tau sorority and Theta Chi fraternity, both of which are located a block west of campus. The two largest on-campus organizations are the Hamline University Student Congress (HUSC) and Hamline Entertainment and Activities Team (HEAT).

HUSC is the governing body of the undergraduate students, with the stated purpose of providing an organized medium for expressing student concerns to the administration. It is also responsible for overseeing and funding the majority of student organizations on campus. HEAT plans student events, such as the homecoming dance, End of the Semester Party, and a battle of the bands.

Dormitories
Drew Hall houses 200 undergraduate men and women. The hall is staffed by resident advisors on each floor, an assistant hall director and one area coordinator. Drew was built in 1946 as a men’s residence after a donation by Charles M. Drew.

Manor Hall is the oldest dormitory on the campus. It was built in 1922 as a women’s dormitory, although today it is co-ed. Manor is home to second-, third- and fourth-year undergraduates, graduate students, and law students.

Sorin Hall was built in 1958 and houses just over 100 men and women on single-gender floors, including two female floors and one male floor. Hamline’s main dining service is located on the first floor of the building.

Osborn, Peterson and Schilling Residence Halls collectively known as the Heights, are identical buildings built in the late 1960s. Each houses nearly 100 first-year men and women.

Dining facilities
The primary dining hall is located on the first floor of Sorin Hall. The facility is operated by a private food management firm, ARAMARK. The dining hall is all-you-can eat, charging a flat rate for entry, regardless of how much food is consumed. Meal plans are available for students. Included in the purchase of a meal plan is a certain amount of money that can be used at other facilities on campus ("declining balance" dollars). This money can be spent by using the student ID card like a debit card.

The Klas Center has a deli and a coffee shop, and is open longer than Sorin. Unlike Sorin, it does not accept meal plans. Instead, declining balance or a traditional form of payment must be used.

A food cart located in the law school basement sells sandwiches, hot soups, fresh salads, beverages and snack items, and it also does not accept meal plans.

Declining balance can also be spent at a convenience store located on the first floor of Sorin Hall. The store sells some food items, an assortment of toiletry items, and laundry soap.

Newspaper and other publications
Hamline's student newspaper is the Oracle. The Oracle was founded in 1888 and has been published regularly ever since. The paper began as a monthly journal of letters and evolved into a modern weekly college newspaper over the years. The Oracle receives its funding from and is published by the Student Media Board, which serves as an umbrella organization for the Liner, the university's yearbook, the Fulcrum, the university's literary magazine, and Hamline University Radio.

Men's basketball
Hamline University calls itself the "birthplace of intercollegiate basketball." In 1893, then-Athletic Director Ray Kaighn, who had played on James Naismith's very first basketball team, brought the sport to the university when it was barely a year old. A women's program was organized two years later. On February 9, 1895, Hamline hosted the first intercollegiate basketball game in history, when the Minnesota State School of Agriculture (now the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota) defeated Hamline by a score of 9–3. The game was played in the basement of the university's old science building using Naismith's original "peach basket" rules, and featured nine players to each side.

Hamline was once known for the strength of its basketball program, with the university considered to be a national power in the sport from the 1930s to the 1950s. Hamline produced a number of NBA players during this time, including Hall of Famer Vern Mikkelsen. Then-head coach Joe Hutton, Sr. (1931–65) was once offered and turned down a chance to coach the Minneapolis Lakers.

The men's basketball program, which has 1,154 total victories, ranks as the 23rd most winning team in NCAA Division III history (as of the 2004–05 season).

Hamline appeared in the NAIA National Tournament 12 times from 1940 to 1960
 * NAIA National Champions: 1942, 1949 and 1951
 * NAIA runner-ups: 1953
 * NCAA Division III Semifinalist: 1977 (Finished in fourth place)
 * NCAA Division III Quarterfinalist: 1975
 * NCAA Division III All-Tournament Selection: Phil Smyczek, 1977
 * NCAA Division III Academic All-Americans: Paul Westling, 1986; John Banovetz, 1989


 * University is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC).

Conference championships
This table displays the number of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) conference championships that have been won by Hamline sports teams. If a sport is not listed, then a championship has not been won in that competition. Hamline fields teams in the following men's sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, hockey, indoor track and field, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and outdoor track & field. Hamline also fields teams in the following women's sports: basketball, cross country, hockey, indoor track and field, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, outdoor track and field, and volleyball. All records were compiled from the MIAC website and are up to date as of November 2011.

Politicians/public servants

 * Patricia Anderson – former Minnesota state auditor and mayor of Eagan, MN.
 * Matt Bostrom - sheriff of Ramsey County.
 * Burnett M. Chiperfield – former member of U.S. House of Representatives representing Illinois.
 * Alan D. Clemmons – current member of South Carolina House of Representatives.
 * Bill Frenzel – former member of U.S. House of Representatives representing Minnesota.
 * Barb Goodwin - current member of Minnesota State Senate.
 * Martin Maginnis – former member of U.S. House of Representatives.
 * Adolphus Peter Nelson – former member of U.S. House of Representatives representing Wisconsin.
 * Anthony Sertich – former Majority Leader of Minnesota House of Representatives.
 * Van Tran – current member of California State Assembly.
 * Kerry Trask – current candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly.
 * Oscar Youngdahl – former member of U.S. House of Representatives.
 * Tom Dooher – current president of Education Minnesota, AFT, NEA, AFL-CIO.
 * Anna Arnold Hedgeman – Civil rights leader and Hamline's first African-American graduate.
 * Gordon Hintz - current member of Wisconsin State Assembly
 * Yi Gang - Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China

Athletes

 * Duane Benson – American football linebacker formerly of the Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, and Houston Oilers.
 * Carl Cramer – former professional football player.
 * Lew Drill – former professional baseball player.
 * Joe Hutton - former professional basketball player.
 * Vern Mikkelsen – former professional basketball player.
 * Marty Norton – former professional football player.

Actors, directors, playwrights

 * William Fawcett – film and television actor.
 * Coleen Gray – American movie and television actress
 * Paul Magers – television news anchor

Academics

 * John Bessler – professor of law and husband of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar.
 * Arthur Gillette – surgeon and namesake of Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare
 * John Kenneth Hilliard – academic and Academy Award recipient.
 * Robert LeFevre – libertarian theorist
 * Deane Montgomery - prominent mathematician and recipient of the Leroy P. Steele Prize

Business and finance

 * Dwight D. Opperman – chairmen of Key investments and one of Forbes 400 richest Americans
 * Max Winter – former part owner of Minneapolis Lakers and Minnesota Vikings

Veterans

 * Robert M. Hanson – Medal of Honor recipient
 * Edwin W. Rawlings – one of the USAF's youngest generals.

Religious leaders

 * James Newbury FitzGerald – former American bishop
 * Lester Mondale – former American Humanist and Unitarian, and only person to sign all three Humanist Manifestos.