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Jacksonville University history
Jacksonville University company history timeline
October 1, 1934: First convocation of William J. Porter University in 3rd floor auditorium of First Baptist Educational Building.
1935: Porter University officially changes to Jacksonville Junior College (JJC). Classes move to Haddock Business University classrooms at 517 Laura Street.
The school changed its name to Jacksonville Junior College, in 1935.
The College’s first ten years were a struggle for survival, but by 1944, the first full-time president and faculty had moved into the Kay Mansion in Jacksonville’s fashionable Riverside area.
1944: JJC colors change from scarlet and white to green and white.
September 23, 1946: The Fledgling school newspaper starts.
January, 1947: JJC beats Army-Navy Recruiting team 22-16 in first basketball game in the City Recreation League.
June 24, 1947: Carl S. Swisher elected Chairman of Board of Trustees.
In 1947, the Board of Trustees commissioned a master plan for development of a new campus in suburban Arlington.
In 1947 the administration purchased land in Jacksonville's Arlington neighborhood on which to establish the current campus.
May 27, 1949: Green Key Society founded.
December 7, 1950: JJC earns full accreditation from the Southern Associations of Colleges and Secondary Learning.
The first building was completed in 1950 and classes officially began.
November 23-24, 1951: First Homecoming banquet is held at the George Washington Hotel, with Congressman Charles E. Bennett as the speaker.
March 31, 1953: The board authorizes the first fraternity, Kappa Tau Kappa.
The new campus expanded quickly, with Swisher Gymnasium opening in 1953, followed by the Nelms Science Building and Swisher Auditorium just a few years later.
April, 1956: Nelms Science building and Swisher Auditorium are dedicated within a week of each other.
April 29, 1956: Franklyn A. Johnson is named president-elect of JJC. He develops school into a fully accredited senior college in five years.
With the decision to expand into a four-year program in 1956, Jacksonville Junior College became Jacksonville University.
With the expansion of the college to a four-year program, Jacksonville Junior College became Jacksonville University, in 1956.
February 27, 1958: Board approves merger of Jacksonville College of Music with Jacksonville University.
In 1958, it merged with Jacksonville College of Music; the combined college was renamed Jacksonville University and relaunched as a four-year institution.
June 6, 1959: The first 4-year class of 100 graduates.
December 11, 1961: Ground is broken for the first dorms.
In 1961, JU was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the College of Music was renamed the College of Fine Arts due to the addition of programs in drama, art, and fine arts.
1961: College of Fine Arts established.
January 8, 1962: Wayne Corbin appointed first Dean of Men.
March 11, 1963: Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson arrives on campus by helicopter and addresses students in Swisher Gym.
May 9, 1963: JU becomes integrated by trustee vote.
The first student dormitories (Williams, McGehee, Brest, Merrill and Grether Halls) opened for the fall semester of 1965 on the south part of campus for a combined total of $2.4 million.
In May 1967, the College of Arts and Sciences was established by combining the academic divisions of business administration, education, humanities, science and mathematics, and social sciences.
November 9, 1967: Dionne Warwick performs in Swisher gym.
The sixth dormitory, Botts Hall, opened in 1968.
Homecoming, 1969: JU welcomed Neil Diamond to the stage to play in front of students, alumni and faculty.
The university’s athletic department rose to national prominence in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, as breakout basketball star Artis Gilmore led the JU Dolphins to the NCAA championship game in 1970.
September 21, 1971: NROTC established.
December, 1972: John Denver performs for students during the festivities.
1972: Florida First National Bank donates GE-225 Computer (originally worth $385,000) to be used by admissions and registrar in converted classroom.
However, the opening of the public University of North Florida in 1972 eroded JU's enrollment, while the removal of public funding hurt the school financially.
March 7, 1974: Duke Ellington performs in concert with special composition he wrote for the event.
March, 1975: Billy Joel plays in a packed Swisher Gym.
August, 1975: The Rathskeller opens.
September 7, 1979: K.C. and the Sunshine Band record a live performance in Swisher Gym for an album.
The Davis College of Business opened in 1979.
1979: College of Business established.
April 9, 1980: Doctor Frances B. Kinne inaugurated as the seventh president of Jacksonville University.
1981: New majors introduced: dance, photography and communications.
Homecoming, 1981: Bruce Springsteen brought more than 10,000 fans to the coliseum and the Doobie Brothers also performed for students as part of the celebration.
June 24, 1982: W. Ashley Verlander is named Chairman of Board of Trustees.
1982: Volleyball sets JU record, placing 3rd in AIAW Reg.
April 12, 1983: Golden Anniversary Celebration begins with appearance by former President Gerald Ford.
September 9, 1983: Artis Gilmore Day is celebrated.
December, 1983: Davis gift of $3.5 million given to the University.
In 1983, JU established its Division of Aeronautics, now the School of Aviation.
1983: The Division of Aeronautics is created.
November 18, 1984: Charlton Heston and Ann Landers visit JU and receive honorary doctorates.
The Davis College of Business added the Executive MBA program in 1984.
In 1986, an adult studies program was established as the College of Weekend Studies under the administrative supervision of the Davis College of Business.
September 5, 1990: University Center dedicated to Doctor Frances B. Kinne by Winston Churchill III.
September 19, 1992: Former JU Student Leanza Cornett wins the title of Miss America.
January 3, 1993: The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart performs in Snickers Lounge at JU comedy night.
1996: Aeronautics develops one-of-a-kind training partnership with Delta Connection Academy.
In 1997 a new cafeteria was constructed, a Visual Arts Annex opened, and the on-campus Villages Apartments finished construction and opened for students on the north part of campus.
September 12, 1998: JU football’s first game is a 19-14 win against Davidson, more than 5,000 fans show up to cheer.
2001: Renovations are made to Council Building and Kinne Center.
In 2003, the School of Orthodontics was established and is now part of the Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences.
October 13, 2007: Negaard Rowing Center opens.
2007: Nursing expands to include Family and Emergency Nurse Practitioner sub-specialization, first in Florida, sixth in country.
2008-09: Football, basketball, baseball, soccer, track and crew all win their conference championships.
May 2, 2009: JU graduates more than 600 new alumni.
In 2012, JU created a Public Policy Institute (PPI), offering the first and only Master of Public Policy (MPP) program in the state of Florida.
June 3, 2013: JU Breaks ground on the $8 million College of Health Sciences, more than doubling the available space for the college.
September 11, 2014: JU Football plays its first home game at the newly renovated D.B. Milne Field.
Graduate studies leading to the Master of Business Administration degree began the following year and the Doctor of Business Administration degree started in the fall 2014.
May 28, 2015: Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences is named after Brooks Rehabilitation's $4 million commitment.
August 21, 2015: North Hall opens to first-year students.
The Coastal is a local magazine in Jacksonville, FL, founded in 2015 to bring you stories about the past, present, and future of the First Coast.
March 13, 2016: JU Women's Basketball defeats Florida Gulf Coast to capture first conference championship in school history, and earn a bid to the 2016 NCAA Tournament, another first for the women's program.
March 2, 2017: JU School of Nursing receives largest gift in program history, and is named Keigwin School of Nursing after the benefactors.
In Fall 2017, Jacksonville University returned to its roots in Downtown Jacksonville establishing Jacksonville University Downtown at 76 S. Laura Street.
December 8, 2018: Naming of the Linda Berry Stein College of Fine Arts in recognition of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar gift, among the largest investments in the University's history, from alumna Linda Berry Stein '69 and her husband, David Stein.
October 2019: JU celebrates its largest Homecoming & Family Weekend.
May 10, 2020: The Jacksonville University family and community mourn the loss of Chancellor Emerita Frances Bartlett Kinne.
July 6, 2020: JU creates two schools within the Linda Berry Stein College of Fine Arts: the School for Performing Arts and the School of Art & Design.
September 16, 2020: The first executive committee meeting for the Jacksonville University Black Alumni Network.
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Jacksonville University competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elon University | 1889 | $289.4M | 2,872 | 47 |
| Coastal Carolina University | 1954 | $147.3M | 2,571 | 37 |
| Florida Southern College | 1883 | $120.7M | 954 | - |
| Palm Beach Atlantic University | 1968 | $108.5M | 500 | 61 |
| Stetson University | 1883 | $136.9M | 1,562 | - |
| Quinnipiac University | 1929 | $343.7M | 33 | 95 |
| Baker University | 1858 | $50.4M | 481 | 16 |
| Central Washington University | 1891 | $12.0M | 1,000 | 94 |
| University of Dayton | 1850 | $521.6M | 5,178 | 132 |
| Mercy College | 1950 | $146.7M | 2,004 | 15 |
Jacksonville University history FAQs
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