Bushnell University

Short description: Private university in Eugene, Oregon

Several terms redirect here. For another institution, see New Hope Christian College.

Bushnell University

Former names

| Eugene Divinity School (1895–1908)
Eugene Bible University (1908–1930)
Eugene Bible College (1930–1934)
Northwest Christian College (1934–2008)
Northwest Christian University (2008–2020)
Type| Private university
Established| 1895
Affiliation| Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
President| Joseph Womack
Undergraduates| 383
Postgraduates| 193

Other students

| 222 degree completion
Location|

Eugene

Oregon

U.S.

[ ⚑ ] : 44°02′49″N 123°04′47″W﻿ / ﻿44.047°N 123.0797°W﻿ / 44.047; -123.0797
|u}}rs| Navy Blue & Gold

Nickname| Beacons
Mascot| Beacon
Website| www.bushnell.edu

Bushnell University is a private Christian university in Eugene, Oregon. It is historically affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Christian churches and churches of Christ.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 1.1 Presidents
* 2 Academics
* 2.1 Accreditation and affiliations
* 3 Campus
* 4 Athletics
* 4.1 Baseball
* 4.2 Cross country
* 4.3 Other sports
* 5 Notable alumni
* 6 References
* 7 External links

## History

Photo of Bushnell University (then Eugene Divinity School) and its founder, 1903

The school was founded as a divinity school in 1895 by Disciple of Christ preacher and educator Eugene Claremont Sanderson as the Eugene Divinity School (EDS). In 1908 it became Eugene Bible University; in 1930 that name changed to Eugene Bible College. After a merger with Spokane University in 1934, it became known as Northwest Christian College and then Northwest Christian University in 2008.[1][2] In 2020, it formally changed its named to Bushnell University, after James A. Bushnell, the first chairman of the university's board of trustees.[3]

On December 8, 2009, Joseph Womack was named as Bushnell University's 10th president, taking office on June 1, 2010.[4] Womack is the son of Bushnell's eighth president, James Womack, who served from 1986 to 2004.[5]

### Presidents

* Eugene C. Sanderson, 1895–1929
* S. Earl Childers, 1929–1934
* Victor P. Morris, Acting, 1934–1936 & 1943–1944
* Kendall E. Burke, 1936–1943
* Ross J. Griffeth, 1944–1965
* Barton A. Dowdy, 1965–1978
* William E. Hays, 1978–1985
* H. Charles Pyron, Interim, 1985–1986
* James E. Womack, 1986–2004
* David W. Wilson, 2004–2010
* Joseph D. Womack, 2010–present

## Academics

Bushnell University is organized into seven schools: Arts & Sciences, Bible & World Christianity, Business, Leadership & Teachnology, Education, Music & Performing Arts, Nursing, and Psychology & Counseling.[6]

### Accreditation and affiliations

Bushnell University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.[7][8] It is a member of the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities (OAICU), the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), and the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). The education programs are approved by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC), the business programs are accredited by the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), and the Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.

## Campus

Bushnell University is located in east Eugene, at the corner of Alder Street and E. 11th Avenue, separated from the larger University of Oregon by the width of a single lane street. Founder Eugene Sanderson envisioned a school at which students would study the Bible and principles of Christian ministry under Eugene Divinity School's faculty, but take other subjects on the neighboring campus, a model he also attempted to set up at Manhattan Christian College, located near Kansas State University. The Eugene Divinity School and its successive institutions maintained this arrangement with the University of Oregon until 1995, when it was discontinued. Since that time Bushnell has grown to become a comprehensive liberal arts college. Today, Bushnell students occasionally take University of Oregon classes, have checkout privileges from Knight Library, and take advantage of free lectures and other events on the neighboring campus.

## Athletics

The Bushnell athletic teams are called the Beacons. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) since the 2007–08 academic year; which they were a member on a previous stint during the 2006–07 school year as an associate member for women's volleyball and softball. The Beacons previously competed as an NAIA Independent from 2005–06 to 2006–07.

Bushnell competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, eSports, golf, soccer and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, eSports, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball.[9]

### Baseball

In January 2021, the university announced a plan to revive its baseball program after a more than 50-year hiatus as the school's 17th varsity sport offering, and named Tommy Richards, a former Baltimore Orioles' prospect and Whitman College Assistant, as the program's new head coach.[10]

### Cross country

During the fall of 2015 the woman's cross country team won first place in the NAIA Cross Country National Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. This was the first time Bushnell University's (then known as Northwest Christian) cross country team won first place in this championship. The seven runners who competed at the meet were, Melissa Rios (Freshman), Rosa Schmidt (Sophomore), Shea Vallaire, (Junior), Michelle Fletcher, (Junior), Macie Gale, (Junior), and Alyssa Harmon (Junior).[11]

### Other sports

In 2018, Bailey Dell won the NAIA national championship in women's javelin.[12] In 2019, Anika Rasubala won the NAIA national championship in women's steeplechase.[13]

## Notable alumni

* Mary Burrows, politician
* David Ray Griffin, process theologian and retired professor of theology at Claremont School of Theology
* Bruce Hanna, politician
* Kylor Kelley, (attended, did not graduate), basketball player
* Mickey Loomis, general manager of the New Orleans Saints (NFL)
* E. R. Moon, class of 1903, Christian missionary to the Belgian Congo from 1908 to 1923 as well as Jamaica from 1938 to 1944
* Frank Morse, class of 1966, president of Morse Brothers construction company and Oregon state senator from 2003 to 2012
* Mike Petersen, basketball coach, assistant coach of the Atlanta Dream (WNBA)
* Ryan Stevenson, singer
* Paul Wright, lead singer of Rootdown

## References

1. ↑ "Bushnell University at a Glance". 2021. https://www.nwcu.edu/about/quick-facts/.
2. ↑ Richardson, William J. "Northwest Christian College" in The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement, (eds) Foster, Douglas A., Blowers, Paul M., Dunnavant, Anthony L., and Williams, D. Newell. Grand Rapids, MN: Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004, p 572-573
3. ↑ Brown, Jordyn (March 8, 2020). "Northwest Christian University in Eugene to change its name". The Register-Guard. https://www.registerguard.com/news/20200308/northwest-christian-university-in-eugene-to-change-its-name.
4. ↑ "Womack Named New NCU President". December 16, 2009. http://nwcunews.com/2009/12/16/womack-named-new-ncu-president/.
5. ↑ Northwest Christian College Alumni Bulletin, Spring 2004
6. ↑ "Academic Schools". https://www.bushnell.edu/academics/schools/.
7. ↑ "Member Institution Directory". https://www.nwccu.org/member-institutions/directory/.
8. ↑ "Accreditations and Memberships". https://www.bushnell.edu/about/accreditation-memberships/.
9. ↑ "Official Website of Bushnell University Athletics". https://bushnellbeacons.com/.
10. ↑ "Bushnell Adds Baseball as 17th Sport". January 12, 2021. https://bushnellbeacons.com/news/2021/1/12/bushnell-adds-baseball-as-17th-sport.aspx.
11. ↑ "Ladies Look to Hoist a Banner". November 20, 2015. https://gobeacons.com/news/2015/11/20/WXC_1120155114.aspx?path=wcross.
12. ↑ "NCU's Dell wins NAIA javelin title". Eugene Register Guard (Eugene, Oregon). May 24, 2018. https://www.registerguard.com/story/sports/college/track-field/2018/05/25/northwest-christians-dell-wins-naia-national-javelin-title/12137741007/.
13. ↑ "NCU's Rasubala wins women's steeplechase at NAIA national track meet". Eugene Register Guard (Eugene, Oregon). May 25, 2019. https://www.registerguard.com/story/sports/college/2019/05/26/ncu-s-rasubala-wins-women/5061218007/.

## External links

* Official website
* Official athletics website

* v
* t
* e

Members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities

* Abilene Christian
* Anderson (Indiana)
* Anderson (South Carolina)
* Asbury
* Azusa Pacific
* Belhaven
* Bethel College
* Bethel University
* Biola
* Bluefield
* Bushnell
* California Baptist
* Calvin
* Campbellsville
* Carson–Newman
* Central Christian
* Charleston Southern
* Colorado Christian
* Concordia-Ann Arbor
* Concordia–Irvine
* Concordia-Wisconsin
* Corban
* Cornerstone
* Covenant
* Crown
* Dallas Baptist
* Dordt
* East Texas Baptist
* Eastern Nazarene
* Eastern
* Emmanuel
* Erskine
* Evangel
* Faulkner
* Fresno Pacific
* Geneva
* George Fox
* Gordon
* Grace
* Greenville
* Hannibal–LaGrange
* Hardin–Simmons
* Hope International
* Houghton
* Houston Baptist
* Howard Payne
* Huntington
* Indiana Wesleyan
* John Brown
* Judson (Alabama)
* Judson (Illinois)
* Kentucky Christian
* King
* King's
* Lee
* LeTourneau
* Lipscomb
* Malone
* Messiah
* MidAmerica Nazarene
* Milligan
* Mississippi
* Missouri Baptist
* Montreat
* Mount Vernon Nazarene
* North Central
* North Greenville
* North Park
* Northwest Nazarene
* Northwest
* Northwestern (Iowa)
* Nyack
* Oklahoma Baptist
* Oklahoma Christian
* Olivet Nazarene
* Oral Roberts
* Ozark Christian
* Palm Beach Atlantic
* Point Loma Nazarene
* Redeemer
* Regent
* Roberts Wesleyan
* San Diego Christian
* Seattle Pacific
* Simpson
* Southeastern
* Southern Nazarene
* Southern Wesleyan
* Southwest Baptist
* Spring Arbor
* Sterling
* Tabor
* Taylor
* Toccoa Falls
* Trevecca Nazarene
* Trinity Christian
* Trinity International
* Trinity Western
* Mary Hardin–Baylor
* Mobile
* Northwestern – St. Paul (UNWSP)
* Sioux Falls (USF)
* Southwest
* Vanguard
* Warner
* Warner Pacific
* Westmont
* Wheaton
* Whitworth
* William Jessup
* Williams Baptist
* York (Nebraska)

* v
* t
* e

Cascade Collegiate Conference

* Bushnell
* Corban
* Eastern Oregon
* Evergreen State
* College of Idaho
* Lewis–Clark State
* Multnomah
* Northwest
* Oregon Tech
* Southern Oregon
* Walla Walla
* Warner Pacific

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