View source for Organization:Valparaiso University

{{Short description|Lutheran university in Valparaiso, Indiana, US}}
{{Infobox university
| name = Valparaiso University
| image = Valparaiso University seal.png
| image_size = 175px
| former_names = Valparaiso Male and Female College<br />(1859–1871)<br />Northern Indiana Normal School and Business Institute (1873–1900) Valparaiso College<br />(1900–1906)
| motto = ''In luce tua videmus lucem'' {{small|([[Social:Latin|Latin]])}}
| mottoeng = ''In Thy light we see light''
| type = Private university
| academic_affiliations = [[Organization:National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program|Space-grant]]
| established = {{start date and age|1859}}
| religious_affiliation = [[Religion:Lutheranism|Lutheran]]
| endowment = $254.2 million (2020)<ref>As of June 30, 2020. {{cite report |url=https://www.nacubo.org/-/media/Documents/Research/2020-NTSE-Public-Tables--Endowment-Market-Values--FINAL-FEBRUARY-19-2021.ashx |title=U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA |date=February 19, 2021 |access-date=February 20, 2021}}</ref>
| president = José Padilla
| faculty = 220
| students = 2,800
| undergrad = 2,270
| postgrad = 500
| city = Valparaiso, Indiana
| country = U.S.
| coor = {{coord|41|27|49|N|87|02|37|W|region:US_type:edu|display=inline,title}}
| campus = Suburban, {{convert|350|acre|ha|1}}
| colors = {{color box|#381E0E}}&nbsp;{{color box|#FFCC00}} Brown and gold<ref>{{cite web|title=Color Palette and Typography|url=http://www.valpo.edu/brand/color-palette-typography/|website=Valpo.edu|access-date=June 14, 2021}}</ref>
| sports_nickname = Beacons
| free_label1            = Newspaper
| free1                 = ''The Torch''
| free_label2           = Radio
| free2                 = WVUR-FM
| website = {{url|www.valpo.edu}}
| logo = Valparaiso University logo.svg
| footnotes = {{notelist|group=nickname}}
}}

'''Valparaiso University''' ('''Valpo''') is a private university in Valparaiso, Indiana. It is an independent [[Religion:Lutheranism|Lutheran]] university with five undergraduate colleges and a graduate school. It enrolls nearly 2,900 students and has a {{convert|350|acre|ha|adj=on}} campus.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title = Viewbook|publisher = Valparaiso University|year = 2014}}</ref>

The university is known for its Lutheran Christian heritage and has one of the largest chapels on a U.S. college campus. It accepts 94% of applicants for enrollment.<ref>{{cite web |title=College Tuition Compare |url=https://www.collegetuitioncompare.com/trends/valparaiso-university/admission/ |website=College Tuition Compare}}</ref>

==History==

===Valparaiso Male and Female College===
In 1859, citizens of Valparaiso were so supportive of the placement of the college that they raised $11,000 to encourage the Methodist Church to locate there. The school opened on September 21, 1859, to 75 students, and was one of the first coeducational colleges in the nation.<ref name=timeline>{{Cite web |url=http://www.valpo.edu/150/timelineconfig/timeline.xml |title=Valparaiso University Timeline |access-date=October 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019013704/http://www.valpo.edu/150/timelineconfig/timeline.xml |archive-date=October 19, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Students paid tuition expenses of $8 per term (three terms per year), plus nearby room and board costs of approximately $2 per week. Instruction at the college actually began with young children, and most of the students were in elementary and grade levels. Courses at the collegiate level included math, literature, history, sciences, and philosophy. Courses stressing the Christian faith included "moral philosophy" and "moral science." During the Civil War, many students and administrators enrolled in the army. Financing problems led to closing the school in 1871.

[[Image:ValparaisoMaleFemaleCollege.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Valparaiso Male and Female College, circa 1870]]

===Northern Indiana Normal School and Business Institute===

The school, reopened by Henry Baker Brown in 1873, was named the Northern Indiana Normal School and Business Institute. In 1900, the school was renamed Valparaiso College and gained its current university status after being rechartered in 1906.

===Valparaiso College, then Valparaiso University===

Henry Baker Brown bought the American College of Medicine and Surgery from [[Organization:Northwestern University|Northwestern University]]; he later changed the name to Chicago College of Medicine and Surgery. Students could save money by spending their first two medical college years in Valparaiso.<ref name=timeline />

In 1905 the university formed an affiliation with Chicago College of Dental Surgery to provide dental education for its students. For the next two decades, Valpo gained a national reputation as an economical institution of higher learning, earning its positive nickname ''The Poor Man’s Harvard''. At the height of enrollment in 1907, it was the second-largest school in the nation, behind only Harvard University. In 1914, monthly literary magazine ''The Torch'' was founded; it became the university's weekly student newspaper in 1915.<ref name="Torch">{{cite web|title=About Us|url=http://www.valpotorch.com/site/about.html|website=The Torch|publisher=The Torch, Valparaiso, IN|access-date=21 October 2014}}</ref>

The university began intercollegiate athletic competition in 1916. Valpo's first game was a basketball game against the Chicago YMCA Training School, in which VU fielded players from intramural teams.<ref name="timeline" />

In 1917, World War I and the death of President Brown took its toll, and the school was forced into bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Valpo Magazine|edition=150th Anniversary|pages=13–41|location=Valparaiso, IN|date=2008}}</ref> Valparaiso University sold the Chicago College of Medicine and Surgery to Loyola University Chicago. In 1923, a fire destroyed the original 1860 Old College Building, and VU could not afford to clean the site.<ref name="timeline" /> This was one of many financial problems Valparaiso faced in 1923, as President Horace M. Evans tried to settle a $375,000 debt. Evans appealed to the Rockefeller Foundation and other wealthy individuals before asking the Indiana state legislature to make VU public. The legislature refused, and Evans almost sold the university to the [[Religion:Ku Klux Klan|Ku Klux Klan]], but the deal was stopped due to "legal technicalities", likely cited to save face for both organizations.

Valparaiso University was eventually bought by the Lutheran University Association, a conglomerate of National Lutheran Education Alliance and American Luther League.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.valpo.edu/150/history-presidents/evans.php|title=Profile of Horace M. Evans, President from 1923-1926|website=www.valpo.edu|access-date=2018-03-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://blog.newspapers.library.in.gov/ku-klux-u-how-the-klan-almost-bought-a-university/|title=Ku Klux U: How the Klan Almost Bought a University|last=Taylor|first=Stephen|date=2016-01-06|work=Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Newspaper Program|access-date=2018-03-18|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Lutheran revival===

In July 1925 the Lutheran University Association, affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, took over ownership of the school. The association was a group of [[Social:Clergy|clergy]] and church [[Religion:Laity|laity]] that saw promise in the school and wanted to create an academic institution not controlled by any church denomination. Valparaiso is still operated by the Lutheran University Association, and remains an independent [[Religion:Lutheranism|Lutheran]] institution that enjoys close relations with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

On March 13, 1929, the [[Organization:North Central Association of Colleges and Schools|North Central Association of Colleges and Schools]] accredited the university. Two years later, President Kreinheder created the Valparaiso University Guild, a volunteer and philanthropy organization to help students, and in 1934 the Alumni Association began operation. The university's College of Engineering started a cooperative education program with [[Organization:Purdue University|Purdue University]] in 1938. At the end of the 1930s, the university completed a new gymnasium. In 1941, VU instituted its Department of Art. Coincident with the beginning of World War II, Valparaiso University renamed its yearbook from ''The Uhlan'' (a German soldier) to ''The Beacon''. The next year Valpo changed its athletic team name from the ''Uhlans'' to the ''Crusaders.''

===Modern era===

In 1940, O. P. Kretzmann became president of the university. During his 28 years in office, he marshaled significant changes, many of which remain in place.<ref>{{cite web|title=Valpo 150th|url=http://www.valpo.edu/150/history-presidents/kretzmann.php|access-date=2 December 2014}}</ref> Valparaiso University bought about {{convert|90|acres}} of land in 1944 east of campus near the corner of Sturdy Road and US Highway 30. The large oak tree occupying this land was named "Merlin" and remains a central feature of campus.<ref name=valpomag2014fall>{{cite journal|title=Only at Valpo; From the Archives|journal=Valpo Magazine|pages=5–9|volume=31|number=1|date=Fall 2014}}</ref> This purchase would transform campus, as the university moved to its current location over the course of many years.

Kretzmann increased enrollment from 400 to more than 4,000. Academic rigor increased along with enrollment. VU created its Honor Code in 1943 and remains in place today, as students continue to write the code on top of assignments.<ref>{{cite web|title=Honor Code|url=http://www.valpo.edu/student/honorcouncil/honorcode.php|access-date=2 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719041717/http://www.valpo.edu/student/honorcouncil/honorcode.php|archive-date=2014-07-19|url-status=dead}}</ref> After the Second World War, Valparaiso offered its first four-year degrees: mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering. On November 27, 1956, the Chapel-Auditorium burned down. The university quickly rebuilt its worship space: the Chapel of the Resurrection was dedicated on September 27, 1959. VU installed a subcritical nuclear reactor in 1958, and in the 1970s the University Branch of the United States Atomic Energy Commission called Valpo's nuclear physics lab "a model for all small universities wishing to provide excellent training in the field of undergraduate physics."<ref name=valpomag2014fall />

President Kretzmann founded Christ College, the honors college of Valparaiso University, in 1967. Christ College was only the third such honors college in the nation. The campus radio station WVUR-FM began broadcasting in 1960. Robert F. Kennedy spoke before 5,000 people in 1968 at VU while campaigning, and in the same year, the university began its long-standing international study centers in Cambridge, England, and Reutlingen, Germany. During student protests in 1970, Kinsey Hall burned. The first class of the College of Nursing graduated in 1971. In 1976, Valparaiso University began NCAA Division I competition.

In 1991, Valpo became home to the Lilly Fellows Program, a national program that supports young scholar-teachers, during its inaugural year. This program has grown to almost 100 universities. The 1998 men's basketball team reached the Sweet Sixteen of the Division I national tournament. In 2002, a new international study center was established in Hangzhou, China. Phi Beta Kappa established a chapter at Valparaiso University in 2004.<ref name=timeline /> In 2013 the university completed a [[Engineering:Solar furnace|solar furnace]] and research facility, the only undergraduate institution to operate a solar furnace, and one of only five solar furnaces in the US.<ref name=valpomag2014fall />

In 2008, Mark Heckler became Valparaiso University's 18th president. During his initial years in office, Heckler led the "most comprehensive and collaborative strategic-planning endeavor in the University’s history".<ref>{{cite web|title=Heckler bio|url=http://www.valpo.edu/president/about/|website=Valpo|access-date=2 December 2014}}</ref> The plan includes goals such as increasing enrollment to 6,000 students, multiple building initiatives, and increased global engagement. President Heckler announced his retirement as of September 2020, and Colette Irwin-Knott was named as Interim President.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mason|first=Anna|title=VU announces Colette Irwin-Knott as Interim-President Elect|url=http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_d9725fea-d1ce-11ea-8f87-e755ec052ae2.html|access-date=2020-08-05|website=The Torch|date=29 July 2020 |language=en}}</ref> José Padilla became President-Elect on January 1, 2021, and assumed the university presidency on March 1, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lavalley|first=Amy|title=Search takes Valparaiso University to Colorado to find new president|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-valparaiso-new-president-st-1203-20201202-cxz5kpmrorfafcyiit6i7n3b7y-story.html|access-date=2020-12-12|website=chicagotribune.com|date=2 December 2020 }}</ref> In 2021, Valpo adopted ''Beacons'' as its athletic team name.

Since 2015, Valparaiso University has struggled with enrollment and retention of students. The student population dropped from 4,544 in Fall 2015 to 2,939 in Fall 2022. The university's enrollment and budgetary problems reached an acute point during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the discontinuances of multiple undergraduate programs (secondary education major, theatre major and minor, Chinese minor, French major, Greek and Roman studies major and minor). Due to financial stress, the university also laid off numerous lecturers and more than a dozen other tenure-track faculty in remaining programs, and offered a retirement incentive buy-out package to long-term faculty and staff to incentivize voluntary departures. Meanwhile, the student retention rate also fell to 77%.<ref>{{Cite web |first=William |last=Skipworth |title=Valparaiso University's VP of enrollment, marketing and communications resigns |url=https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/education/valparaiso-universitys-vp-of-enrollment-marketing-and-communications-resigns/article_112d0c04-6991-56d0-a32e-354030c70467.html |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=nwitimes.com |date=22 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

Amid these enrollment struggles, the university has also faced controversy. In 2021, the Indiana Attorney General's office announced an investigation into the university's Confucius Institute, alleging that it promotes Chinese propaganda.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Herron|first1=Arika|last2=Magdaleno|first2=Johnny|date=September 9, 2021|title=Valparaiso University responds to AG's concern China is 'infiltrating' Indiana schools|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/08/11/rokita-investigates-valparaiso-university-over-chinese-propaganda-fear/5566188001/|access-date=December 27, 2021|website=The Indianapolis Star}}</ref> The university closed the institute and denied the allegations.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Herron|first=Arika|date=August 30, 2021|title=Valparaiso University denies wrongdoing but will close Confucius Institute|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2021/08/30/valparaiso-university-denies-wrongdoing-close-confucius-institute/5654197001/|access-date=December 27, 2021|website=The Indianapolis Star}}</ref> In 2023, the board of directors decided to sell three paintings, including one by Georgia O'Keeffe, from the Brauer Museum of Art in order to renovate freshman dorms.<ref>{{Cite web |first=William |last=Skipworth |title=Valparaiso University under fire for plans to sell treasured artwork |url=https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/valparaiso-university-under-fire-for-plans-to-sell-treasured-artwork/article_58615d5e-535b-57cf-81e0-1fc5198211e3.html |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=nwitimes.com |date=14 February 2023 |language=en}}</ref> This raised opposition from the namesake of the museum and protest from some faculty and students about the erosion of the arts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Valparaiso University students protest plan to sell three paintings, including a Georgia O'Keeffe |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-vu-art-protest-st-0216-20230216-roo2u5hrcjdadjrgz3r4out4yu-story.html |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=Chicago Tribune|date=15 February 2023 }}</ref>

==Campus==

===Old campus===
[[Image:VU-OldCollegeBuilding-1918.jpg|thumb|200px|Old College Building, Valparaiso University, circa 1918]]
The Old Campus of Valparaiso University is adjacent to and a part of the historic downtown district of the city. Old Campus is the site of the School of Law, made up of Wesemann Hall and Heritage Hall. Heritage was the oldest remaining building on the campus, and was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In 2009, the school started a restoration project, essentially rebuilding the facility. The school's fraternities and the Kade-Duesenberg German House and Cultural Center are on old campus as was the Martin Luther King, Jr., Cultural Center before acts of vandalism and arson destroyed the building in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kosky|first=Ken|title=It's the Law: Arson Is Considered Serious Crime|date=20 April 2009 |url=http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/it-s-the-law-arson-is-considered-serious-crime/article_e85ce6df-39fa-5dc9-a0af-9dacfc20f0f2.html|publisher=NWI Times|access-date=28 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Times staff|title=Top Stories of 2009|date=27 December 2009 |url=http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/the-top-stories-of/article_a78d97f7-e5b7-5cc4-b9d4-d718b661b168.html|publisher=NWI Times|access-date=28 October 2013}}</ref> Old Campus is also the site of Valpo's [[Physics:Doppler effect|Doppler]] [[Earth:Weather radar|weather radar]]. North of Old Campus is Lebien Hall, home to the College of Nursing and Health Professions.

===New campus===
[[File:Chapel of the Resurrection - 06.JPG|thumb|upright|Chapel of the Resurrection]]
{{Commons and category|Category:Valparaiso University buildings}}
Beginning in the 1950s, the school expanded eastward to occupy what is now known as "new campus". Today, it is center of the university, home to thousands of students in nine dormitories as well as most of the academic buildings.

At the center of campus is the Chapel of the Resurrection, a {{convert|98|ft|m|0|adj=on}}-high building that is the home of Valparaiso University's many worship services and convocations. Built on the highest elevation on the university's campus, it has been a Northwest Indiana landmark since 1959. In 2011, Rev. Mark and Kathy Helge gave a $15-million gift for a major expansion to the chapel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.valpo.edu/chapel/news/chapel_addition.php|access-date=28 November 2014|title=The Chapel is Where Our Relationship with Valpo Begins: Valparaiso University breaks ground on a new addition and a new era for the Chapel of the Resurrection|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225065857/http://www.valpo.edu/chapel/news/chapel_addition.php|archive-date=2015-02-25|url-status=dead}}</ref> The {{convert|11000|sqft|adj=on}} addition opened in the fall of 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title = Helge Center completed, dedication set for homecoming|url = http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_3ffe2680-5359-11e5-ba03-0bcc83e1ee23.html|website = The Torch| date=4 September 2015 |access-date = 2015-10-21}}</ref>

The Christopher Center Library (built 2004) houses over 500,000 books and numerous video and audio resources. It is a popular place for students to gather and study. The Valparaiso University Center for the Arts (VUCA) offers multiple performance facilities, which are most notably used by students to produce full scale theatrical performances every year. The performances and exhibits in the Center for the Arts are always open to the public, and the Center houses the nationally renowned Brauer Museum of Art.

Kallay-Christopher Hall opened in 2004 and is home to the Department of Geography and Meteorology. Kallay-Christopher has an observation deck and large weather lab facilities. Adjoining Kallay-Christopher Hall is Schnabel Hall, which is home to communications students, WVUR-FM, the university's student-run radio station, and [http://www.valpo.edu/student/vutv/ VUTV], the university's student-run television station.

The Donald V. Fites Innovations Center, an addition to the College of Engineering's Gellersen Hall, was completed in the summer of 2011. The [[Engineering:LEED|LEED]]-certified building has two suites of labs that support advanced undergraduate research in areas such as materials science and energy systems.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.valpo.edu/college-of-engineering/facilities/innovation-center/|access-date=28 November 2014 |title=Donald V. Fites Engineering Innovation Center |website=Valparaiso University}}</ref> The Department of Physics and Astronomy has a {{convert|16|in|mm|0|adj=on}} computerized [[Astronomy:Reflecting telescope|reflecting telescope]] to aid in [[Organization:NASA|NASA]] research and VisBox-X2, a [[Virtual reality|virtual reality]] system used to immerse students in a visualized [[3D computer graphics|three-dimensional]] image.

The {{convert|52000|sqft|adj=on}} Arts and Sciences Building, adjacent to the Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources, opened in 2012 and houses classrooms and offices for faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The James S. Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility was dedicated in September 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.valpo.edu/news/2013/10/04/5990/|publisher=Valparaiso University|date=2013-10-04|access-date=2013-12-19|title=Reflect the Crusader Light}}</ref> Professors and students use the energy research facility, profiled in ''The Atlantic'', in developing methods to produce low-carbon magnesium with 90 percent less fossil fuel energy than standard production methods.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/04/this-sun-powered-furnace-can-reach-3-000-degrees/360423/ |website=The Atlantic |date=April 15, 2014 | title=This Sun-Powered Furnace Can Reach 3,000 Degrees | last=Woody | first=Todd}}</ref>

The {{convert|202000|sqft|adj=on}} Harre Union opened in 2009. Named in honor of former University President Alan F. Harre, who retired in 2008, it is more than three times the size of the previous union. The Harre Union has consolidated all dining services on campus, with the exception of the law school. It has room for all student organizations, as well as a new bookstore, lounge areas, student mailboxes for every student on campus, entertainment areas, a large ballroom, a career center, and an outdoor terrace overlooking the chapel. The design architect was Sasaki Associates, Inc. and the architect of record was Design Organization.

In June 2013, the Duesenberg Welcome Center on campus was completed for visitors coming to campus. The creation of this building was funded by Valparaiso University alumni, Richard and Phyllis Duesenberg.<ref>{{cite web|title = Welcome to VU|url = http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_b09c0294-b410-11e2-8e9d-0019bb30f31a.html|website = The Torch| date=3 May 2013 |access-date = 2015-10-20}}</ref>

A new residence hall, Beacon Hall, opened in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.valpo.edu/reslife/halls/beacon.php|website=Valparaiso University|title=Beacon Hall|access-date=2014-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011001911/http://www.valpo.edu/reslife/halls/beacon.php|archive-date=2014-10-11|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A "[[Engineering:Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics|STEM]] village" of three new buildings will soon replace Neils Science Center and become the new home for the biology, chemistry, and physics departments. The first of these buildings was completed in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title = STEM Village Phase I - Hastings+Chivetta|url = http://www.hastingschivetta.com/projects/stem-village-phase-i/|access-date = 2015-08-11}}</ref> Neils Science Center was erected in 1974 and includes a planetarium, greenhouse, and a now decommissioned sub-critical nuclear reactor that helped the facility receive an Atomic Energy Commission citation as a model undergraduate physics laboratory. The new {{convert|55000|sqft|m2|0|adj=on}} Center for the Sciences: Chemistry and Biochemistry opened in fall 2017.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso-university-s-new-science-building-honored-for-energy-efficiency/article_2f9a7ae9-ac29-5849-9a59-372b33d3b1ee.html | title = Valparaiso University's new science building honored for energy efficiency | newspaper = Northwest Indiana Times | date = August 2, 2017 | access-date = August 2, 2017 }}</ref>

==Academics==

===Undergraduate programs===
Valparaiso is organized into five undergraduate colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, Nursing and Health Professions, and Christ College.

====College of Arts and Sciences====
The College of Arts and Sciences integrates liberal arts and professional development. It provides hands-on, undergraduate research opportunities and internships to accompany the classroom experience. With more than 70 academic programs in 21 departments, the College of Arts and Sciences supplies the liberal arts core for all programs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.valpo.edu/cas/index.php |title=College of Arts & Sciences - Valparaiso University |publisher=Valpo.edu |date=2014-05-30 |access-date=2014-08-23}}</ref>

====College of Business====
The College of Business is among the elite 25 percent of undergraduate business programs nationally accredited by the AACSB International — The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The College of Business offers focused majors in accounting, business analytics, finance, international business, management, and marketing. Starting 2018 Fall, the college of business is offering a new major and minor in supply chain and logistics management.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.valpo.edu/cba/index.php |title=College of Business |publisher=Valpo.edu |date=2014-06-20 |access-date=2014-08-23}}</ref>

====College of Engineering====
The 2021 ''U.S. News & World Report'' named the College of Engineering the 13th-best undergraduate engineering program among institutions that do not have doctorate programs. The College of Engineering won the 2012 Engineering Award presented by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering. About 90 percent of undergraduates complete the program within four years. The college provides several service learning opportunities as well as undergraduate research opportunities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.valpo.edu/engineering/students/index.php |title=College of Engineering - Valparaiso University |publisher=Valpo.edu |date=2014-06-09 |access-date=2014-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718123607/http://www.valpo.edu/engineering/students/index.php |archive-date=2014-07-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====College of Nursing and Health Professions====
The Virtual Nursing Learning Center offers patient stations complete with interactive mannequins, beds and equipment simulating a hospital environment. The baccalaureate, master's, and DNP programs at Valpo are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.valpo.edu/nursing/index.php |title=College of Nursing - Valparaiso University |publisher=Valpo.edu |date=2014-03-17 |access-date=2014-08-23}}</ref>

====Christ College====
Christ College is the interdisciplinary Honors College of Valparaiso University. Known on campus as "CC", Christ College was chartered by President O. P. Kretzmann in 1967. In 1964, Kretzmann convened a committee<ref>{{cite journal|title=Happy Anniversary, Christ College! |journal=The Spillikin: Alumni Newsletter of Christ College, the Honors College of Valparaiso University |date=2008 |volume=25|page=1}}</ref> to plan a successor to the Directed Studies Program, which was established to better serve the influx of gifted students to the institution. This new college within VU would seek students who had "a passion for learning and the pursuit of excellence generally."<ref name="The Beginnings of Christ College">{{cite web|title=The Beginnings of Christ College|url=http://thecresset.org/2008/Michaelmas08/Baepler_M08.html|website=thecresset.org|access-date=17 February 2015}}</ref>

The Christ College curriculum was to be based, in part, on the University of Chicago's "Liberal Arts" core model. Incoming freshmen would read classical texts and use the Socratic Method to discover "that they did not know what they thought they knew."<ref name="The Beginnings of Christ College"/> In later years, courses that transcend assignment to a particular academic discipline challenged students to explore important questions from an imaginative perspective. This structure remains intact as every freshman enrolls in the Freshman Program, which consists of a 16-credit, two semester course that introduces students to classic works of history, literature, art, music, philosophy, religion and theology, and social science.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Freshman Program|url=http://www.valpo.edu/christcollege/academics/freshprogram.php|website=valpo.edu|access-date=17 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005121448/http://www.valpo.edu/christcollege/academics/freshprogram.php|archive-date=October 5, 2013}}</ref>

In addition to classes, a number of traditions create camaraderie and foster the intellectual formation of students. The most notable of these annual events are the fall Christ College Freshman Production and the spring Christ College Oxford Debates. The Freshman Production is an original play or musical that is written, scored, choreographed, directed, produced, and performed exclusively by members of the Christ College freshman class.<ref>{{cite web|title=Christ College Freshman Production|url=http://www.valpo.edu/christcollege/academics/production/index.php|publisher=Valparaiso University- Christ College|access-date=23 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005215835/http://www.valpo.edu/christcollege/academics/production/index.php|archive-date=2013-10-05|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Christ College Oxford Debates are a series of formal debates in which two groups of students represent either the affirmative or negative side of a topic they have researched for five or six weeks. Following debate, the debate moderator asks the audience members to "vote their minds" and decide the winner of the debate.<ref>{{cite web|title=Freshman Debates|url=http://www.valpo.edu/christcollege/academics/debates/index.php|publisher=Valparaiso University- Christ College|access-date=23 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005220058/http://www.valpo.edu/christcollege/academics/debates/index.php|archive-date=2013-10-05|url-status=dead}}</ref> Another notable academic opportunity offered by Christ College is the Student Scholarship Symposium, in which undergraduates present research in a formal lecture setting. It features student-selected research projects, from a diverse set of academic fields, delivered in a critical and interactive environment. Students in the college often spend a semester studying at one of Valpo's overseas study centers; many take a Christ College Abroad course, which are led by faculty each spring break.

Approximately 90 students, or 10 percent of the university's incoming class, are admitted each year. Students in the honors college concurrently enroll in another undergraduate college at VU, and can complete their study with a major or a minor in humanities to complement the major received in their main field of study.

===Graduate school===
Valparaiso University offers a variety of master's programs.

===Law school===
Founded in 1879 the Law School was accredited by the ABA in 1929 and the AALS in 1930. In 2010, Valparaiso Law Students had an 83 percent first-time bar pass rate. After a censure by the [[Organization:American Bar Association|American Bar Association]] in October 2016, the university sought to downsize the law school or merge it with another institution. In November 2017, the university announced the law school would not enroll a new class in 2018,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/46463-valpo-deans-resignation-latest-of-troubled-law-schools-woes|title=Valpo dean's resignation latest of troubled law school's woes|website=The Indiana Lawyer|date=20 March 2018 }}</ref> and in October 2018 the university announced it will close the law school and is developing a plan to allow the remaining students to complete their degrees.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Odendahl |first1=Marilyn |title='Very sad day' at Valparaiso Law School |url=https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/48579-very-sad-day-at-valparaiso-law-school |website=The Indiana Lawyer |access-date=2018-11-02 |date=2018-10-31}}</ref>

===Study abroad===
More than a third of all undergraduate students study abroad, placing Valparaiso University among the top 40 institutions in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.valpo.edu/studyabroad/|title = Valpo study abroad|access-date = April 3, 2015|publisher = Valpo}}</ref> VU offers more than 40 study-abroad programs around the world, and the duration of study-abroad programs ranges from a week to a full academic year.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://valpo-sa.terradotta.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ListAll|title = Valpo study abroad|access-date = April 3, 2015|publisher = Valparaiso University}}</ref> In 2013, the U.S. Department of State named VU as one of the colleges and universities that produced the most Fulbright scholars.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.valpo.edu/news/2013/11/05/valparaiso-university-honored-by-department-of-state-for-student-achievements-as-fulbright-scholars/|title = Valpo news|date = 5 November 2013|access-date = April 3, 2015}}</ref> Between 2003 and 2013, 26 Valparaiso students studied abroad as a Fulbright scholar.

Valpo maintains four global study centers (Cambridge, England; Reutlingen, Germany; Hangzhou, China; and San José, Costa Rica), each of which provides group trips and excursions, a course on the life and culture of the host country, and specialized housing, all under the guidance of an on-site resident director. Valpo partners with International Education Programs, or IEP.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.valpo.edu/study-abroad/get-started/|title=Get Started {{!}} International Programs - Study Abroad|website=www.valpo.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-29}}</ref> Other sites students can study in include Athens, Greece; Granada, Spain; Zaragoza, Spain; Cergy-Pointoise, France; La Rochelle, France; Paris, France; Limerick, Ireland; Newcastle, Australia; Rottenburg am Neckar, Germany; Tübingen, Germany; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Delhi, India; Coimbatore, India; Osaka, Japan; Viña Del Mar, Chile; Puebla, Mexico; and Windhoek, Namibia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.valpo.edu/studyabroad |title=Study Abroad Programs - Valparaiso University |publisher=Valpo.edu |date=2014-05-12 |access-date=2014-08-23}}</ref>

===Distance learning===
The university offers online degree programs such as the Post-MSN Doctorate in Nursing Practice. The accelerated degree programs are Web-based.

==Reputation and rankings==
{{Infobox US university ranking
| Forbes = 384
| THE_WSJ =  261
| USNWR_NU = 160
}}

In the 2022 ''U.S. News & World Report'' university rankings, Valpo was ranked 176 among national universities.<ref name="USNWR">{{Cite web |title=Valparaiso University |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/valparaiso-university-1842 |access-date=26 November 2022 |website=US News and World Report}}</ref> ''U.S. News & World Report'' rated Valpo 43rd in "Best Value Schools", #186 in Top Performers on Social Mobility, and #15 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs.

''Washington Monthly'', which publishes its College Guide annually, ranked Valpo #149 for social mobility, #182 for research, and #291 for service among national universities in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Valparaiso University |url=https://washingtonmonthly.com/2021college-guide/national/ |website=Washington Monthly}}</ref>

==Student body==

===Students===
Valparaiso University Students are from geographically diverse backgrounds. Of the nearly 3,000 students, only one-third is from the school's home state of {{wipe|Indiana}}. The remainder come from almost every other state of the United States and from nearly 50 countries. Over half graduate in the top quarter of their high school class, and 77 percent return to Valpo after their freshman year. Annually, more than $26 million is awarded by the university to more than 80 percent of the student body, which is administered based on factors such as community involvement, interests, recommendations, and personality, as well as grade point average, class ranking, and standardized test scores.

Sixty-one percent of Valparaiso University students live on the school's city campus, all students who do not have senior status are requird to live in residence halls. Twenty-seven percent of students are Lutheran, and 75 percent participate in faith-related activities. Valpo supports more than 100 student-administered organizations, clubs, and activities. Fifty percent participate in intramural athletics, and more than 1,000 students give more than 45,000 hours of community service to the region each year.

===Greek life===
More than 25 percent of Valpo students are members of one of the school's ten national fraternities or six national sororities.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://twitter.com/ValpoGreekLife/status/588768392632500224|title = Valpo Greek Life Twitter|access-date = 2015-04-16}}</ref> The 2013-2014 Fraternity & Sorority Life Annual Report documented more than 10,000 hours of community service and $45,000 of financial report to local and national non-profits. All but one organization had a cumulative GPA above 3.0 during the spring semester, and the average GPA across all Greek Life was 3.247.<ref>{{cite web|title=Valparaiso University 2013-2014 Fraternity & Sorority Life Annual Report|url=http://www.valpo.edu/greek/about/2013-2014%20Annual%20Report.pdf|website=www.valpo.edu|access-date=17 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217190539/http://www.valpo.edu/greek/about/2013-2014%20Annual%20Report.pdf|archive-date=2015-02-17|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Honor societies===
Valparaiso hosts chapters of all major honors fraternities, including Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society.

===Student activism===
Valparaiso University has a history of [[Social:Student activism|student activism]]. Prominent examples with long-lasting effects include:

;Kinsey Hall fire

While many colleges amended or canceled the remainder of the 1969–1970 school year after the Kent State shootings due to unrest, the Valparaiso administration ignored student calls for seminars and forums about violence at other campuses. A large group of students then organized a protest march from the campus Victory Bell to the Porter County courthouse. Continued protests led to discussions between the administration and student leaders. When these talks failed, still-unidentified students set fire to the empty Kinsey Hall administrative building in the early morning. The fire destroyed the building.

;Student-led restoration of engineering college

The existence of Valparaiso University's College of Engineering is the result of student activism. The university's engineering program had been reduced to a two-year associate degree in response to reduced enrollment during economic depression, which dominated the 1930s. When students began inquiring in 1948 regarding the possibility of restoring a four-year degree program, university president O.P. Kretzmann cited a lack of space and lack of resources to build a new facility. Students responded with an offer to build the new facility if he would guarantee faculty positions, to which the president agreed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.valpo.edu/news/news.php?releaseId=232 |title=News |publisher=Valpo.edu |access-date=2014-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105022342/http://www.valpo.edu/news/news.php?releaseId=232 |archive-date=2012-11-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The students constructed the facility themselves using their engineering education and an intense fundraising campaign, and by 1951 the new College of Engineering was again granting four-year bachelor's degrees. The building still exists today, home to the Art department. This story received national attention and was turned into a feature-length film entitled ''Venture of Faith''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/576478/Venture-of-Faith/ |title=Venture of Faith (1951) - Overview |publisher=TCM.com |date=2008-10-31 |access-date=2014-08-23}}</ref>

=== Student media ===
Valparaiso University's student media organizations (WVUR: The Source, VUTV, The Beacon, The Torch, and The Lighter) are all award-winning<ref>{{cite web|title = Student Organizations {{!}} Communication|url = http://www.valpo.edu/communication/student-organizations/|website = www.valpo.edu|access-date = 2015-10-21}}</ref> and long-standing. Many student participants have won awards for their work in student-run media organizations.

==Athletics==
[[File:Victory Bell of Valparaiso University by Athletics and Recreation Center.jpg|thumb|The Victory Bell, rung after athletic victories and campus celebrations, stands near the Athletics and Recreation Center.]]
Valpo's colors are [[Brown|brown]] and [[Gold (color)|gold]] and athletic teams are known as the Beacons. Most athletic events are held in the Athletics-Recreation Center (ARC), which is the primary sporting facility on campus. Valparaiso's eighteen teams and nearly 600 student athletes mostly participate in NCAA Division I (I-FCS for football) in the Missouri Valley Conference. Valparaiso competes in four sports that the MVC does not sponsor. The football team plays in the Pioneer Football League at Brown Field. Men's swimming and men's tennis compete in the Summit League, and bowling (a women-only sport at the NCAA level) competes in Conference USA.

In 1942, Valparaiso University fielded the tallest basketball team in the world, and the so-called "Valparaiso Giants" or "The World's Tallest Team" played at Madison Square Garden in the 1944–1945 season.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://m.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/getting-to-know-the-world-s-tallest-team/article_e372da70-a776-11e4-b0f7-3329aa3cd5ce.html | date = 28 January 2015 | last=Oren |first=Paul |access-date=30 January 2015 | newspaper=Northwest Indiana Times | title=Getting to know the "World's Tallest Team"}}</ref> The VU football team played in the Cigar Bowl on New Year's Day 1951.<ref name=timeline /> Valpo is also known for its men's basketball head coach Homer Drew and his son Bryce Drew, who led the team to its Sweet Sixteen appearance in the 1998 NCAA basketball tournament by making "The Shot", a three-point shot as time expired, to beat favored Ole Miss by one point. Bryce Drew was named head coach in the spring of 2011.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/basketball/ncaa/05/17/bryce.homer.drew.ap/index.html?xid=si_ncaab |title=Bryce Drew replacing father Homer at Valparaiso |date=2011 |magazine=Sports Illustrated}}</ref> Valparaiso is also the home of the National Lutheran Basketball Tournament.<ref name="LBAA History">{{cite web|last=LBAA|first=Lutheran Basketball Association of America|title=LBAA History|url=http://lbaa.org/lbaa-history/|work=Lutheran Basketball Association of America|publisher=CMW Consulting|access-date=February 6, 2013}}</ref>

The men's soccer team won the Horizon League regular season conference championship in 2011. Men's basketball followed with a 2011 Horizon League crown of its own while the baseball and softball teams both won regular season and Horizon League Tournament titles, representing the conference in the NCAA Tournament. In addition, the bowling team earned a berth at the NCAA Championships in just its third season of existence. In addition, Head Coach Carin Avery led the women's volleyball team to great success recently. In their 2014–2015 season they pursued their 13th consecutive 20-win season.<ref name="Crusader's 2014-2015 Schedule">{{cite web|title=Crusaders Announce 2014 Volleyball Schedule|url=http://www.valpoathletics.com/volleyball/news/2014-15/13781/crusaders-announce-2014-volleyball-schedule/#.VEXNlVZbTwI|website=www.valpoathletics.com|publisher=Valparaiso University|access-date=20 October 2014|archive-url=http://www.valpoathletics.com/volleyball/news/2014-15/#.VEXP0lZbTwJ|archive-date=15 July 2014}}</ref> They were one of 10 programs nationwide to have won at least 20 matches in each of the previous 12 years, during which time Avery led the team to three conference regular season and tournament championships, as well as advancing to the NCAA Tournament on three occasions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Head Coach Carin Avery|url=http://www.valpoathletics.com/athletics/staff/2744/carin-avery/#.VEXOrlZbTwI|website=www.valpoathletics.com|publisher=Valparaiso University|access-date=20 October 2014}}</ref> In the spring of 2013 the men's golf team won the Horizon League Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA Division I teams include baseball (men), basketball, bowling (women), cross country, football (men), golf, soccer, softball (women), swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. The university has cheerleading and spirit squads, as well as several intramural and club sports: flag football, innertube water polo, miniature golf, sand volleyball, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball.<ref name=":0" />

On February 11, 2021, Valparaiso announced it would retire the "Crusaders" nickname because of the "negative connotation and violence associated with the Crusader imagery".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/30882084/valparaiso-dropping-crusaders-name-mascot-logos|title = Valpo dropping Crusaders name, mascot, logos|date = 11 February 2021}}</ref> On August 10, 2021 "Beacons" was announced as the new nickname.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/31998658/valparaiso-univ-chooses-shun-name-embraced-hate-groups|title = Crusaders no more: Valparaiso University chooses to replace nickname embraced by hate groups
|date = 10 August 2021}}</ref>

==Notable people==

===Faculty===
*Marcia Bunge, theologian in Christ College from 1997 to 2012 who researches children and childhood in religion and ethics
*Faisal Kutty, law; internationally recognized scholar, writer and public speaker
*[[Biography:Gilbert Meilaender|Gilbert Meilaender]], ethics and theology; held the Duesenberg Chair in Christian Ethics from 1996 to 2014, as of 2020 Senior Research Professor of Theology. Also serves as a Fellow of the Hastings Center and as Paul Ramsey Fellow at the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.valpo.edu/theology/about/faculty/gilbert-meilaender/|title= Faculty Biography: Gilbert Meilaender|author= |date= |website= |publisher= Valparaiso University|access-date= July 21, 2021}}</ref>
*Walter Wangerin, Jr., English and theology; National Book Award winning author of The Book of the Dun Cow

===Alumni===
{{alumni|date=August 2023}}
{{div col}} 
*R.J.Q. Adams, M.A. 1969, historian
*Adam Amin, ESPN play-by-play broadcaster
*Roy E. Ayers, member of the United States House of Representatives and as the 11th Governor of Montana<ref>{{cite web|url=  http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_montana/col2-content/main-content-list/title_ayers_roy.html|title= Montana Governor Roy Elmer Ayers|publisher= National Governors Association|access-date= October 14, 2012}}</ref>
*Fredrick Barton, novelist and film critic<ref>{{cite web|title=Fredrick Barton Amazon Author Page|url=https://www.amazon.com/Fredrick-Barton/e/B000APETG6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1438696632&sr=8-2|website=Amazon}}</ref>
*Chris Bauman, entertainment entrepreneur and independent music activist <ref>{{cite web|title=How can I tell my business is doomed?|date=6 June 2014|url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20140607/ISSUE02/140609891/how-can-i-tell-my-business-is-doomed}}</ref>  
*Frederick M. Bernthal, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs from 1988 to 1990
*Anthony Bimba (1894–1982), Lithuanian-American Communist historian and newspaper editor<ref>William Wolkovich, ''Bay State "Blue" Laws and Bimba: A Documentary Study of the Anthony Bimba Trial for Blasphemy and Sedition in Brockton, Massachusetts, 1926.'' Brockton, MA: Forum Press, n.d. [1973]; pg. 33.</ref>
*Beulah Bondi, actress
*Mikhail Borodin, [[Place:Soviet Union|Soviet]] and Comintern representative to China
*LeRoy Earl Brophey Sr., Minnesota state representative and lawyer
*Alys McKey Bryant, aviation pioneer
*John E. Cashman, Wisconsin State Senator
*JoBe Cerny, owner, Cerny/American Creative; character actor and voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy
*Paul Chambers, CNN anchor/film critic
*Stoyan Christowe,  writer, journalist, member of the Vermont Senate from 1959 to 1972.
*Patrick Roger Cleary, founder of [[Organization:Cleary University|Cleary University]]
*Jay Christopher, cofounder of ''The Pampered Chef''
*Thurman C. Crook, a United States representative from Indiana<ref>{{cite dictionary|title=Thurman C. Crook|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000926|dictionary=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date=14 October 2012}}</ref> 
* Andre "Add-2" Daniels, rapper 
*Blanche Evans Dean, naturalist, conservationist, and author; honored in the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame
*Marcellus Dorwin, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
*Scott Drew, College basketball coach and NCAA National Champion
*Bryce Drew, College basketball coach and former NBA player<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/drewbr01.html|title=  Bryce Homer Drew|publisher= Basketball-Reference.Com|access-date= October 30, 2012}}</ref>
*David W. Dugan, United States Federal District Court Judge, Southern District of Illinois
*Michael Essany, television talk show host
*Don Fites, chairman and CEO (retired), [[Company:Caterpillar Inc.|Caterpillar Inc.]]
*Edward Grassman, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
*Walter Hunt, Wisconsin State Senator
*Samuel B. Huston, former attorney and state legislator in Oregon
*Omer Stokes Jackson, 28th Indiana Attorney General<ref>{{cite news |title=Heart Attack is Fatal to O. S. Jackson |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/indiana/valparaiso/valparaiso-vidette-messenger/1940/06-03/ |agency=Valparaiso Vidette Newspaper |date=3 Jun 1940}}</ref>
*Andrieus A. Jones, Senator, supported New Mexico statehood (1885)
*Reuben Kahn, immunologist and inventor of a test for syphilis<ref name=valpomag>{{cite journal|title=From the Archives|journal=Valpo Magazine|page=7|volume=31|number=1|date=Fall 2014}}</ref>
*Barbara Ann Kipfer, prolific [[Social:Linguistics|linguist]] and lexicographer
*Keith Kizer, former executive director, Nevada State Athletic Commission, and Nevada Chief Deputy Attorney General<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?id=3265618|title=Running the NAC is no easy task, but Kizer makes the best of it|date=February 27, 2008|last=Feour|first=Royce}}</ref>
*Moses Lairy, Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court
*Edgar E. Lien, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
*Cal Luther, college basketball coach
*John Lutz, actor, "30 Rock;" writer, "Saturday Night Live"
*Jacki Lyden, a senior correspondent at NPR<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6477241|title=Book Explores Intellectual Power of William James|website=NPR.org: All Things Considered|date=November 12, 2006}}</ref> and author of ''Daughter of the Queen of Sheba''
*Idael Makeever, poet
*William March, novelist, ''Company K'', ''The Bad Seed''
*Lloyd McClendon, MLB player and manager
*James F. McDowell, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
*[[Biography:H. Lane Mitchell|H. Lane Mitchell]], public works commissioner in Shreveport, Louisiana, from 1934 to 1968; graduated from Valparaiso with degree in engineering<ref>"H. Lane Mitchell dies, funeral Friday morning", ''Shreveport Times'', November 9, 1978, p. 10-A</ref>
*George William Norris, United States Senator from Nebraska and father of the Tennessee Valley Authority<ref>{{cite dictionary|title=George William Norris|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=n000139|dictionary=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date=14 October 2012}}</ref> 
*Eugene E. Parker, sports attorney and agent to Larry Fitzgerald, Deion Sanders, Hines Ward, Greg Jennings, Ndamukong Suh, Michael Crabtree, and many other NFL players
*Rebecca R. Pallmeyer, United States federal judge
*William Edmunds Plummer, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
*Caleb Powers, United States Representative from Kentucky; Secretary of State of Kentucky; convicted as an accessory to murder of the state governor<ref>{{cite dictionary|title=Caleb Powers|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=P000487|dictionary=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date=14 October 2012}}</ref> 
*William P. Richardson (1864–1945), co-founder and first Dean of [[Organization:Brooklyn Law School|Brooklyn Law School]]
*David Ruprecht, host, ''Supermarket Sweep'', ''Real People''
*Paul Schrage, designer of the "Golden Arches" logo; senior vice-president and Chief Marketing Officer McDonald's Corporation, 1967–1997
*Kathi Seifert, Executive Vice President [[Company:Kimberly-Clark|Kimberly-Clark]] 1991–2004, one of Forbes Magazine's top 10 businesswomen 2001
*Benjamin Shively, U.S. Senator from Indiana, 1909–1916<ref>{{cite news |title=Ralston Praises Work of Shively For Public |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/indiana/indianapolis/indianapolis-news/1916/03-15/page-10/ |agency=The Indianapolis News |date=15 Mar 1916}}</ref>
*Judith Sherman, multi-Grammy award-winning record producer
*James Monroe Smith, president of [[Organization:Louisiana State University|Louisiana State University]], 1930-1939
*Len Small, 26th Governor of Illinois<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_illinois/col2-content/main-content-list/title_small_lennington.html|title= Illinois Governor Lennington Small|publisher=National Governors Association|access-date= October 30, 2012}}</ref>
*Rene Steinke, novelist of ''The Fires'' and ''Holy Skirts''
*Donald Edgar Tewes, United States Representative from Wisconsin<ref>{{cite dictionary|title=Donald Edgar Tewes|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000139|dictionary=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date=14 October 2012}}</ref> 
*Lowell Thomas, author of over 50 books, a war correspondent during World War I who made T.E. Lawrence Lawrence of Arabia internationally famous in print and by filming him; pioneer broadcast journalist; world traveler; 1976 Presidential Medal of Freedom 
*Jill Long Thompson, United States Representative from Indiana 1989–1995, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development 1995–2001, 2010 Presidential appointee to board overseeing the federal Farm Credit Administration.<ref>{{cite dictionary|title=Jill Long Thompson|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=l000420|dictionary=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date=14 October 2012}}</ref> 
*Frederick "Fuzzy" Thurston, All-pro guard for the Green Bay Packers, 1959–67
*Jim Wacker, former football coach at the [[Organization:University of Minnesota|University of Minnesota]]
* Austin Walton, certified NBA agent and owner of Walton Sports Management Group
*Otis Wingo, U.S. representative from Arkansas's 4th congressional district, 1913–1930<ref>{{cite dictionary|title=Otis Wingo|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000635|dictionary=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date=14 October 2012}}</ref> 
*Lowell Yerex, aviation entrepreneur
*Ginger Zee, meteorologist, ''Good Morning America'' and ABC News
*Janet Schwartz, behavioural scientist, [[Organization:American Psychological Association|American Psychological Association]] fellow
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.valpoathletics.com Valparaiso University Athletics website]
*{{College-navigator|152600}}

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