{{Short description|Private university in Salem, Oregon, U.S.}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}}
{{Infobox university
| name = Willamette University
| native_name =
| image = WillametteUniversitySeal.png
| image_upright = .6
| caption =
| latin_name =
| motto = ''[[Non nobis solum]] nati sumus'' ([[Latin]])
| motto_eng = ''Not unto ourselves alone are we born''
| established = {{Start date and age|1842|02|01|br=y}}
| closed =
| type = [[Private college|Private]] [[Liberal arts colleges in the United States|liberal arts college]]
| endowment = $328.7 million (2025)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/nacubo1-nacubo-prd-dc8b/media/Nacubo/Documents/EndowmentFiles/2025-NCSE-Endowment-Market-Values-for-US-and-Canadian-Institutions-FINAL.xlsx |title=U.S. and Canadian 2025 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2025 Endowment Market Value |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) |access-date=February 17, 2026 |format=XLSX}}</ref>
| president = [[Stephen E. Thorsett]]<ref name="willamette.edu" />
| faculty = 247 (2020)<ref name="willamette.edu">{{cite web|url=http://www.willamette.edu/about/facts/index.html|title=University Quick Facts |publisher=Willamette University |year=2019}}</ref>
| administrative_staff = 438 (2020)<ref name="willamette.edu" />
| students = 2,402 (2022–23)<ref name="enrollment">{{cite web|url=https://willamette.edu/offices/ir/factbooks/by-year/2022-2023/fall/enrollment.htm|title=Fall 2022 Headcount as of October 14, 2022 |publisher=Willamette University |year=2022}}</ref>
| undergrad = 1,367 (2022–23)<ref name="enrollment" />
| postgrad =
| doctoral =
| other_students =
| city = [[Salem, Oregon]]
| country = United States
| coordinates = {{coord|44|56|09|N|123|01|53|W|type:edu_region:US-OR|display=inline,title}}
| campus = Urban, {{convert|60|acre|km2}}
| former_names = [[Oregon Institute]]<br />(1842–1852)<br />Wallamet University<br />(1852–1870)
| free_label = Newspaper
| free = ''[[Willamette Collegian]]''
| colors = Cardinal and Gold<br />{{Color box|#BA0C2F}} {{Color box|#C6AA76}}
| sports_nickname = [[Willamette Bearcats|Bearcats]]
| mascot = Blitz
| sporting_affiliations = [[NCAA Division III]] – [[Northwest Conference|Northwest]]
| academic_affiliations = {{hlist|[[Annapolis Group]]|[[International Association of Methodist-related Schools, Colleges, and Universities|IAMSCU]]}}
| religious_affiliation = [[Methodist Mission]]
| website = {{url|https://willamette.edu/|willamette.edu}}
| logo = Willamette univ textlogo.png
| logo_size = 200
| footnotes =
| accreditation = [[Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities|NWCCU]]
}}

'''Willamette University''' is a [[Private university|private]] [[Liberal arts colleges in the United States|liberal arts college]] in [[Salem, Oregon]], United States. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf |title=As defined by the US Census Bureau |access-date=February 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120131930/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf |archive-date=January 20, 2013 }}</ref> Originally named the [[Oregon Institute]], the school was an unaffiliated outgrowth of the [[Methodist Mission]]. The name was changed to Wallamet University in 1852, followed by the current spelling in 1870. Willamette founded the first medical school and law school in the [[Pacific Northwest]] in the second half of the 19th century.

Approximately 2,400 students are enrolled at Willamette between its undergraduate and graduate programs.<ref name="enrollment" /> After it merged with the [[Pacific Northwest College of Art]] in 2021, it has an additional campus in [[Portland, Oregon]] which also contains a graduate education center. The college is a member of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA)'s Division III [[Northwest Conference]].<ref name="willamette.edu" />

==History==
The college was founded as the [[Oregon Institute]] by the missionary [[Jason Lee (missionary)|Jason Lee]], who had arrived in what was then known as the [[Oregon Country]] in 1834 and had founded the Indian Manual Labor Institute for the education of the local [[Native Americans of the United States|Native Americans]]. Lee requested additional support for his mission, and received 53 additional volunteers in 1839, who arrived on the ship ''[[Lausanne (ship)|Lausanne]]''. After a series of meetings in Lee's home, the by-laws were adopted and board of trustees elected and the institute was officially established on February 1, 1842. The Oregon Institute officially opened on August 13, 1844, with a total of five students and one teacher, Mrs. [[Chloe Clark Willson|Chloe Clarke Willson]].<ref name=autogenerated1>{{Cite web|url=http://willamette.edu/about/history/highlights_1834-1899.html|title=About: History of Willamette: 1834 – 1899 {{!}} Willamette University|website=willamette.edu|language=en|access-date=July 7, 2017}}</ref> Lee served as the first President of the Board of Trustees, followed by [[David Leslie (Oregon politician)|David Leslie]] after Lee's death in 1845. Leslie would serve until his death in 1869.<ref name=wu>Gatke, Robert Moulton. 1943. ''Chronicles of Willamette, the pioneer university of the West''. Portland, Or: Binfords & Mort.</ref> The original purpose of the institute was the education of the missionaries' children.

[[File:Eaton Hall from OSC.JPG|left|thumb|[[Eaton Hall (Oregon)|Eaton Hall]] built in 1909]]
The original building of the institute was a three-story frame structure first occupied in 1844. At the time, it was one of the largest structures in the Pacific Northwest. It housed the first session of the state legislature to meet in Salem after the capital was moved there in 1851. The building burned down in 1872.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About: History of Willamette: 1834 – 1899 |url=https://willamette.edu/about/history/highlights-1834-1899.html |access-date=March 19, 2022 |website=willamette.edu}}</ref> In 1867, a new brick building was finished to house the school and named University Hall.<ref name=wu/> The building was renamed as [[Waller Hall]] in 1912 to honor the Reverend [[Alvin F. Waller]], and is now the oldest university building west of the [[Mississippi River]] still in use.<ref name=wu/> The first president was [[Francis S. Hoyt]], who served in that position from 1853 until 1860 and was replaced by [[Thomas Milton Gatch]] who is the only president of the school to serve as president two different times.<ref name=presidents>[http://www.willamette.edu/about/president/past/index.html Past Presidents.] Willamette University. Retrieved on September 13, 2007.</ref>

The name of the institution was changed to "Wallamet University" in 1852. The following year, the [[Oregon Territorial Legislature]] granted a charter to the university. The first graduate was Emily J. York, who received a degree as Mistress of English Literature in 1859.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> In 1866, the university established the first [[Willamette University School of Medicine|school of medicine]] in the Pacific Northwest.<ref name=archive>Cowan, Ron. Willamette University's first archivist puts a face on history. ''[[Statesman Journal]]'', September 19, 2007.</ref> The current spelling of the university was adopted in 1870. In 1883, the university established the first [[Willamette University College of Law|law school]] in the Pacific Northwest during the presidency of [[Thomas Van Scoy]].<ref name=presidents/><ref>[http://www.willamette.edu/history.htm About Willamette: History of Willamette.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101103065742/http://www.willamette.edu/history.htm |date=November 3, 2010}} Willamette University. Retrieved on December 5, 2007.</ref> The school of medicine then merged with the [[University of Oregon]] in 1913 and is now [[Oregon Health and Science University]].<ref name=Horner>Horner, John B. (1919). ''Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature''. The J.K. Gill Co.: Portland. pages 246-7.</ref>

In December 1941, the institution's football team traveled to Hawaii to play the [[University of Hawaiʻi]]. Many students accompanied the team by passenger ship to [[Oahu]]. The game was played on December 6. The following day, many of the Willamette students witnessed the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] from their hotels on [[Waikiki|Waikiki Beach]]. Their return trip was delayed by many weeks, and some of the students returned to Oregon by helping on ships transporting the wounded to the mainland.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{Cite web|url=http://willamette.edu/about/history/highlights_1900-1949.html|title=About: History of Willamette: 1900 – 1949 {{!}} Willamette University|website=willamette.edu|language=en|access-date=July 7, 2017}}</ref> Many of the team members stayed with football players from [[Punahou School]].

During World War II, Willamette was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the [[V-12 Navy College Training Program]] which offered students a path to a Navy commission.<ref name="williamette-v-12">{{cite web |url=http://www.palynology.org/history/tschudy.html |title=AASP Primary Records Program |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |last=Nichols |first=D.J. |access-date=September 29, 2011 |year=1987 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907095050/http://www.palynology.org/history/tschudy.html |archive-date=September 7, 2011 }}</ref> [[Lausanne Hall]], previously a women's residence, served as a "ship" for trainees between 1943 and 1945.<ref name=autogenerated2 />

In 1965, Willamette and the [[Tokyo International University]] entered a sister-college relationship. The Tokyo International University in America, on Willamette University's campus, was completed in 1989.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{Cite web|url=http://willamette.edu/about/history/highlights_1950-1999.html|title=About: History of Willamette: 1950 – 1999 {{!}} Willamette University|website=willamette.edu|language=en|access-date=July 7, 2017}}</ref>

[[Liz Heaston|Elizabeth Heaston]], of the class of 1999, became the first female to play in a collegiate football game in 1997.<ref name=autogenerated3 /> In 2013, the Willamette community broke the world record for largest game of [[Statues (game)|Red Light/Green Light]] with 1,060 players, and reclaimed the record in August 2015, with 1,203 players.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://willamette.edu/about/history/highlights_2010-present.html|title=About: History of Willamette: 2010 – Present {{!}} Willamette University|website=willamette.edu|language=en|access-date=July 7, 2017}}</ref>

In September 2020, Willamette announced that it would merge with the [[Pacific Northwest College of Art]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Manning|first=Jeff |date=September 17, 2020|title=Willamette University to merge with struggling Pacific Northwest College of Art|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2020/09/willamette-to-merge-with-struggling-pacific-northwest-college-of-art.html|work=|access-date=September 17, 2020|website=oregonlive|language=en}}</ref> It finalized the merger on June 30, 2021.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Willamette University celebrates completion of merger with Pacific Northwest College of Art|url=https://willamette.edu/news/library/2021/06/pacific-northwest-college-art-merger-complete.html|access-date=July 1, 2021|website=willamette.edu|date=June 30, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Willamette also attempted to merge with the [[Claremont School of Theology]] starting from 2017, but was blocked by a California court ruling in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dantes |first1=Noah |title=Claremont merger called off, Willamette affiliation still on |url=https://www.willamettecollegian.com/post/claremont-merger-called-off-willamette-affiliation-still-on |access-date=December 11, 2025 |work=Willamette Collegian |date=September 27, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> In December 2025, Willamette signed a letter of intent to merge with [[Pacific University]]. If completed, the combined institution would be the largest independent private university in Oregon.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Silverman |first1=Julia |title=Two of Oregon's oldest colleges may join forces |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2025/12/facing-an-enrollment-cliff-two-of-oregons-oldest-colleges-may-join-forces.html |access-date=December 11, 2025 |work=oregonlive |date=December 11, 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

==Campus==
[[File:Waller Hall nw corner.JPG|thumb|[[Waller Hall]], completed in 1867 is the oldest building on campus.]]
[[File:WillametteULausanneHall.jpg|thumb|[[Lausanne Hall]]]]
The {{convert|69|acre|adj=on}} Salem campus is directly south of the [[Oregon State Capitol]], affording students access to internships in the institutions of [[Government of Oregon|Oregon government]]. Much of downtown Salem, including the Capitol, is on land once owned by the college. Railroad tracks are located directly east of the institution, with the [[Salem (Amtrak station)|Salem Amtrak Station]] near the southeastern edge of campus.<ref name="plan"/> South of the school is [[Salem Hospital (Oregon)|Salem Hospital]], with [[Bush's Pasture Park]] and the school's [[McCulloch Stadium]] opposite the hospital.<ref name="plan"/><ref name="map"/>

Willamette's core area in Salem lies between State Street on the north, Bellevue Street on the south, Winter Street to the west, and 12th Street on the east.<ref name="plan"/> On the west side of Winter Street lie the university's graduate programs in business and law.<ref name="map">{{cite web|url=http://www.willamette.edu/map/campus_map.pdf|title=Willamette University Campus Map|date=December 1, 2008|publisher=Willamette University|access-date=June 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528060401/http://www.willamette.edu/map/campus_map.pdf|archive-date=May 28, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Additional properties outside of the core area are the [[Hallie Ford Museum of Art]], the [[Oregon Civic Justice Center]], the Tokyo International University of America campus, and several residential buildings.<ref name="map"/> Willamette owns several other properties along State Street west of the main campus.<ref name="plan"/> The institution plans to redevelop portions of the west end of campus to better tie the campus to downtown Salem.<ref name="plan">{{cite news|title=Plan blurs boundaries of Willamette U, Salem|last=Cowan|first=Ron|date=January 8, 2006|work=Statesman Journal|page=1A}}</ref>

Academic buildings on campus include [[Eaton Hall (Oregon)|Eaton Hall]] and Smullin/Walton Hall, which are primarily used by humanities departments. Science classes are generally held in the Collins and Olin buildings. Willamette's music program is housed by the G. Herbert Smith Auditorium and Fine Arts building, as well as the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center. Administrative offices are found in the Putnam University Center and [[Waller Hall]], Willamette's oldest building. Waller Hall was built using bricks made of clay from the campus quad. Willamette's newest buildings, including the Goudy Commons, Kaneko Commons (a [[residential college]] opened in the Fall of 2006),<ref name="Kaneko Commons web site">{{cite web
 | title =Kaneko Commons – Willamette University
 | work =Willamette University web site
 | date =July 21, 2006
 | url =http://www.willamette.edu/dept/campuslife/res_commons/kaneko/
 | access-date =April 5, 2007
 | url-status =dead
 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070212073941/http://www.willamette.edu/dept/campuslife/res_commons/kaneko/
 | archive-date =February 12, 2007
 | df =mdy-all
}}</ref> and Rogers Music Center have all been designed by the Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects. Ford Hall, near [[Gatke Hall]] on State Street, is a new academic building completed in the Fall of 2009.

In addition to Greek housing, eleven residence halls exist on the Willamette campus. Undergraduate students are under contract to live on campus for two years, after which they may move into private residences or one of the university's apartment complexes. [[Lausanne Hall]], originally home of the university's Women's College, is now one of the university's undergraduate dormitories. The building commemorates the ship that brought the reinforcements to Lee in 1839. York Hall commemorates the university's first graduate.

[[File:WillametteUniversityStream.jpg|thumb|left|The Mill Stream runs through campus past the Mark O. Hatfield Library and Jackson Plaza.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://map.concept3d.com/?id=895#!ct/17758,17894|title=Willamette University Interactive Map|access-date=June 29, 2018|language=en}}</ref>]]
The portion of [[Mill Creek (Marion County, Oregon)|Mill Creek]]'s artificial [[millrace]] that runs through the middle of the campus is known as the Mill Stream. The millrace is diverted from Mill Creek at Waller Dam near 19th and Ferry streets. On the Willamette campus, it passes by the [[Martha Springer Botanical Garden]], the [[Mark O. Hatfield Library|Hatfield Library]], Hudson Hall, the University Center, Smith Auditorium, and Goudy Commons. It forms a "W" shape when viewed from the University Center. Biology and environmental science classes use the Mill Stream as an authentic{{huh|date=April 2025}} research venue. As part of the freshman matriculation ceremony, new students place a lit candle into the Mill Stream and watch it float downstream. The millrace connects with [[Pringle Creek (Willamette River tributary)|Pringle Creek]] near Salem City Hall.

On-campus athletics facilities are located in the southeast portion of the campus. These include a soccer field, tennis courts, and the Sparks Center.<ref name="map"/> Softball, football, and baseball stadiums are located outside of the main campus.

{{Panorama|image=Image:Willamette_University.jpg |fullwidth=9927 |fullheight=1525 |caption=The grounds of Willamette University. Visible are the Mark O. Hatfield Library, the clock tower, and the Mill Stream that runs through the campus. |height=240}}

==Academics==
{{Infobox US university ranking
| ARWU_W =
| ARWU_N =
| THES_W =
| USNWR_LA = 72
| Wamo_LA = 45
| Forbes = 213
| THE_WSJ = 141
}}

===Undergraduate admissions===
For the Class of 2026 (enrolling fall 2022), Willamette received 3,993 applications, admitted 3,218, and enrolled 537 students.<ref name=StudentProfile>{{cite web |url=https://willamette.edu/arts-sciences/admission/profile/index.html |title=Willamette University Student Profile |publisher=Willamette University}}</ref> For the freshmen who enrolled, the average high school weighted grade point average was 3.96.<ref name=StudentProfile/>

For the 2022–2023 academic year, tuition, housing, and fee charges were $65,047.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://willamette.edu/offices/finaid/tuition/cas/index.html |title=College of Arts & Sciences (Undergraduate) Tuition & Fees |publisher=Willamette University |access-date=February 13, 2023}}</ref> Willamette awarded about $30.2&nbsp;million in need-based aid to its students in 2015, with the average financial aid package equal to $35,204.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://willamette.edu/offices/ir/cds/by_year/2015/index.html |title=Willamette University Common Data Set 2015, Part H |publisher=Willamette University |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> In terms of merit-based aid, the majority of Willamette scholarships and grants are awarded to students with demonstrated financial need.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.willamette.edu/dept/finaid/current/index.html |title=Financial Aid: Financial Aid For Current Undergraduate Students &#124; Willamette University |publisher=Willamette.edu |access-date=February 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201124912/http://www.willamette.edu/dept/finaid/current/index.html |archive-date=February 1, 2012 }}</ref>

Willamette University is a [[Common Application]]-exclusive school and is test-optional.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://willamette.edu/cla/admission/apply/first_year/index.html|title=Admission: Apply: First-Year {{!}} Willamette University|website=willamette.edu|language=en|access-date=July 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002120300/http://willamette.edu/cla/admission/apply/first_year/index.html|archive-date=October 2, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> All students who apply for admission are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships, which start at $22,000 per year. The university accepts the [[FAFSA]] to determine financial aid packages.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://willamette.edu/offices/finaid/undergraduate-students/scholarships/willamette-scholarships/index.html|title=Willamette Scholarships, Financial Aid {{!}} Willamette University|website=willamette.edu|language=en|access-date=July 7, 2017}}</ref>

===Curriculum===
Willamette College (previously known as the College of Arts and Sciences) offers 33 majors, 38 minors and eight special programs The most popular undergraduate majors, by number out of 393 graduates in 2022, were:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Willamette&s=all&id=210401#programs |website=nces.ed.gov |publisher=U.S. Dept of Education |title=Willamette University |access-date=March 1, 2023}}</ref>
* Economics (40)
* Psychology (33)
* Biology/Biological Sciences (30)
* Environmental Science (28)
* Political Science and Government (24)
* Exercise Science and Kinesiology (23)

Learning takes place both in and outside of the classroom. For example, students earn credit as political interns at the [[Oregon State Capitol]], across the street from campus; study the effects of climate change at the nearby research forest; or conduct epidemiology surveys for the local health department.<ref>{{cite book |author1=M. Lee Pelton |author2=Ronald Korvas |author3=Nadene LeCheminant |author4=Sarah Evans | year=2008 |title=Four E's of Sustainability: Annual Report of the President, Willamette University 2008 |publisher=Willamette University}}</ref>

Students in service-learning courses base papers and projects on their community service experience,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://willamette.edu/cla/catalog/resources/campuslife/index.php |title=Campus Life |access-date=July 29, 2009 |last=Hedlund |first=Rose |date=July 17, 2009 |work=2009–2010 CLA Catalog |publisher=Willamette University |pages=Campus Resources |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907020122/http://www.willamette.edu/cla/catalog/resources/campuslife/index.php |archive-date=September 7, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and more than half of Willamette's undergraduate students study abroad, choosing from programs in 40 countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://willamette.edu/cla/catalog/overview/programs/abroad/index.php |title=Study Abroad |access-date=July 29, 2009 |last=Hedlund |first=Rose |date=July 17, 2009 |work=2009–2010 CLA Catalog |publisher=Willamette University |pages= Programs of Special Interest}}</ref> Co-located with [[Tokyo International University|Tokyo International University of America]], Willamette offers opportunities for students interested in Japanese language and culture, and connections to Asia and the Pacific Rim.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collegenews.org/x6699.xml |title=Japanese Flourishes Mark Dedication of Willamette's Kaneko Commons |access-date=July 29, 2009 |last=Evans |first=Sarah |date=July 19, 2007 |work=College Campus News |publisher=Annapolis Group}}</ref>

Carson Grants offer undergraduates the opportunity to undertake a scholarly, creative, or professional research project during the summer,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://willamette.edu/cla/catalog/overview/programs/carson/index.php |title=Carson Undergraduate Research Grant |access-date=July 29, 2009 |last=Hedlund |first=Rose |date=July 17, 2009 |work=2009–2010 CLA Catalog |publisher=Willamette University |pages=Programs of Special Interest |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907020040/http://www.willamette.edu/cla/catalog/overview/programs/carson/index.php |archive-date=September 7, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the [[Lilly Endowment|Lilly]] Project provides grants, internships and programs to help students discern their "calling in life" and create meaningful professional paths.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://willamette.edu/cla/catalog/overview/programs/lilly/index.php
|title=Lilly Project |access-date=July 29, 2009 |last=Hedlund |first=Rose |date=July 17, 2009 |work=2009–2010 CLA Catalog |publisher=Willamette University |pages=Programs of Special Interest}}</ref> Sustainability mini-grants also provide students with opportunities to initiate contributions to campus sustainability efforts. Five academic Centers of Excellence provide opportunities for student-faculty collaboration and research.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://willamette.edu/cla/catalog/overview/programs/centers/index.php |title=Academic Centers |access-date=July 29, 2009 |last=Hedlund |first=Rose |date=July 17, 2009 |work=2009–2010 CLA Catalog |publisher=Willamette University |pages=Programs of Special Interest}}</ref> Eleven faculty members have been named Oregon Professor of the Year by the [[Council for Advancement and Support of Education]] (CASE) since 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.willamette.edu/about/recognition/professor_of_the_year/|title=About: Recognition: Oregon Professors of the Year – Willamette University|work=willamette.edu}}</ref>

===Pacific Northwest College of Art===
{{main|Pacific Northwest College of Art}}
The Pacific Northwest College of Art is the university's [[art school]] in [[Portland, Oregon]]. It was established in 1909 and merged with Willamette in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Willamette University celebrates completion of merger with Pacific Northwest College of Art|url=https://willamette.edu/news/library/2021/06/pacific-northwest-college-art-merger-complete.html|access-date=July 1, 2021|website=willamette.edu|date=June 30, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> The college has 10 Bachelor of Fine Arts majors<ref>{{cite web |title=PNCA - Undergraduate Programs |url=https://pnca.willamette.edu/academics/bfa/ |access-date=September 13, 2019 |website=PNCA |publisher=Pacific Northwest College of Art}}</ref> and five graduate programs, a dual-degree MA/MFA option, and a Post-Baccalaureate program within its Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies.<ref name="Pacific Northwest College of Art">{{cite web |title=PNCA - Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies |url=https://pnca.willamette.edu/academics/graduate/ |access-date=September 13, 2019 |website=PNCA |publisher=Pacific Northwest College of Art}}</ref>

===Graduate programs===
{{main|Willamette University College of Law|Atkinson Graduate School of Management|Willamette University School of Education}}
The university has three graduate-level schools. The School of Law is the oldest and largest of the programs and is located exclusively in Salem, with the Atkinson Graduate School of Management and School of Computing and Information Sciences located in both Salem and Portland, Oregon. The College of Education at Willamette closed in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Willamette University plans to end graduate teaching program |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2013/06/willamette_university_plans_to.html |website=Oregon Live |date=June 6, 2013 |access-date=September 29, 2016}}</ref> Atkinson and the School of Law offer a joint-degree program that allows students to earn both a [[Master of Business Administration]] and [[Juris Doctor]]. Students can also earn an Master of Business Administration and Master's in Data Science at the same time. Pacific Northwest College of Art is also home to the Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies, focused on delivering MFA and MA degrees in art and design.

===Continuing education programs===
The Executive Development Center at Willamette University offers continuing education in management. It is housed within the Atkinson Graduate School of Management and offers certificates.

==Campus life==
[[File:Willamette Jackson Plaza.JPG|thumb|Jackson Plaza outside the library]]
The institution's weekly newspaper, the ''[[Willamette Collegian]]'', began publishing in 1875.<ref name=sportshistory/> It also has over 100 student organizations ranging from sport clubs, political groups, and social clubs to religious groups and honor societies.<ref>[http://www.willamette.edu/dept/osa/orgs/list/?category=All List of Student Organizations.] Willamette University. Retrieved on November 26, 2007.</ref> Willamette University has many active club and intramural sports on its campus, including rugby, poi spinning, ultimate frisbee, basketball, and others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://willamette.edu/offices/osa/orgs/list/index.html|title=Student Activities: Student Organization List|website=willamette.edu|language=en|access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref> The Outdoor Program organizes around 120 trips each year, and more than half of students participate in trips like kayaking, camping, skiing, hiking, whale-watching, and more.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://willamette.edu/news/library/2016/03/outdoor-program.html|title=The student-run program gives students an affordable means to build connections with their peers while exploring Oregon's natural wonders.|website=willamette.edu|language=en|access-date=July 7, 2017}}</ref>

===Greek life===
There are two fraternities and two sororities at Willamette. The sororities are [[Alpha Chi Omega]] and [[Alpha Phi]]. The fraternities are [[Kappa Sigma]] and [[Sigma Chi]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://willamette.edu/offices/osa/greek/index.html|title=Student Activities: Fraternity & Sorority Life|website=willamette.edu|language=en|access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref>

Greek life at Willamette began in the 1920s. In 1942, G. Herbert Smith, a member of [[Beta Theta Pi]], became President of Willamette, and invited more fraternities and sororities onto campus. Pi Beta Phi became the first national sorority at Willamette in 1944, and Beta Theta Pi, Sigma Chi, and Phi Delta Theta were installed in 1947.{{Citation needed|reason=|date=May 2023}}

Chi Omega was transformed into a multicultural oriented residence known as WISH (Willamette International Studies House). Pi Beta Phi closed in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pibetaphi.org/blog/blogentry?id=2729|title=Pi Beta Phi Chapter at Willamette University Closes|language=en}}</ref> In the spring of 2014, Alpha Phi accepted an invitation from the university's Panhellenic Council to reorganize their chapter on Willamette's campus. In the fall of 2014, Beta Theta Pi began recolonization of its chapter on Willamette's campus with the consent of the university's Inter-Fraternity council.{{Citation needed|reason=|date=May 2023}}

Greek life at Willamette came under national scrutiny in 2013 when Facebook messages from one fraternity, Sigma Chi, were leaked. The messages were sexist in nature and included demands for Sigma Chi brothers to "invite any girl who has a pulse" to an upcoming party and that "women's [sic] rights are the biggest joke in the US." The messages included sexually threatening language about a Willamette administrator. The fraternity lost its house and was forced to move off campus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/willamette-university-sigma-chi-facebook_n_3670546|title=Fraternity Booted Off Campus Following Controversy|date=July 29, 2013|website=HuffPost|language=en|access-date=November 17, 2019}}</ref> Sigma Chi's National Executive Director Mike Dunn said that the fraternity "completely support[s] what the school has done."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/115562296/|title=Statesman Journal from Salem, Oregon on May 9, 2013 · Page A1|website=Newspapers.com|date=May 9, 2013 |language=en|access-date=November 17, 2019}}</ref> Twelve members of the fraternity were punished by being forced to leave the group.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2013/05/willamette_university_fraterni.html|title=Willamette University fraternity suspended during investigation over Facebook comments|last=Associated|first=The|date=May 9, 2013|website=oregonlive|language=en|access-date=November 17, 2019}}</ref> In the aftermath, [[Rolling Stone magazine|''Rolling Stone Magazine'']] ranked Sigma Chi at Willamette fifth on its list of "The Most Out of Control Fraternities in America".<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/the-most-out-of-control-fraternities-in-america-76664/|title=The Most Out-of-Control Fraternities in America|last1=McEvoy|first1=Blaine|date=August 28, 2013|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|access-date=November 17, 2019}}</ref>

==Athletics==
{{main|Willamette Bearcats}}
[[file:Willamette athletics wmark.png|thumb|left|170px|Willamette athletics wordmark]]
[[File:McCullochStadium.JPG|thumb|180px|McCulloch Stadium, football venue]]
The Willamette athletics teams, nicknamed the Bearcats, compete at the [[NCAA Division III]] level. Willamette fields teams in baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, football, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, lacrosse and volleyball.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wubearcats.com/landing/index|title=Willamette University|website=Willamette University|language=en|access-date=June 29, 2018}}</ref> In 2021, Willamette will begin the first women's varsity triathlon program in the Pacific Northwest and the 23rd program nationally.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/sports/2018/05/09/willamette-university-first-northwest-add-womens-triathlon/590684002/|title=Willamette University to be first in Northwest with women's triathlon program|work=Statesman Journal|access-date=June 29, 2018|language=en}}</ref>

Willamette is a founding member of the [[Northwest Conference]] league. The football team plays home games at [[McCulloch Stadium]] south of the main campus, while basketball, swimming, and volleyball teams use the Lestle J. Sparks Center for home events. At or adjacent to McCulloch are the [[Charles J. Bowles|Charles Bowles]] Track used for track meets and [[Spec Keene|Roy S. "Spec" Keene]] Stadium where baseball plays its home games.<ref>[http://www.willamette.edu/athletics/facilities/ Athletics: Facilities.] Willamette University. Retrieved on November 26, 2007.</ref>

In 1991, the institution started the Willamette University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1993, the school earned its only team sport national championship when the men's basketball team earned the NAIA Division 2 title.<ref name="sportshistory">{{cite web|url=http://www.salemhistory.net/education/willamette_university.htm|title=Willamette University|last=Gibby|first=Susan|year=2000|work=Salem Online History|publisher=Salem Public Library|access-date=June 20, 2009}}</ref>

===Notable athletic accomplishments and event===
As an undergraduate, Olympian Nick Symmonds won the 800 NCAA championship race all four years and the 1,500 NCAA championship race as a freshman, junior, and senior.<ref name="usta">{{cite web |url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Symmonds_Nick.asp |title=Nick Symmonds |publisher=USATF |date=December 30, 1983 |access-date=February 2, 2012 |archive-date=July 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710082609/http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Athlete-Bios/Nick-Symmonds.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref> Symmonds later went on to place fifth in the 800-meter run at the 2012 Olympic Games.

In 2007, Sarah Zerzan won the NCAA Division III title in cross country.<ref name="results">[http://www.willamette.edu/athletics/teams/cross_country/results/2007/Nov%2B17%2B-%2BNCAA%2BNational%2BChampionships%2B-%2BWomen.txt NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships – Women]{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref>

In 1997, [[Liz Heaston]] became the first woman to play in a college football game when the Bearcats beat rival [[Linfield College]]. She kicked two extra points in the game.<ref name="sportshistory" /> Also that year, the football team finished its best season losing in the NAIA National Championship game to the University of Findlay 14–7.<ref>Gilman, Andrew. "Willamette falls short in bid for NAIA title", ''The Oregonian'', December 21, 1997, page C1.</ref>

In 2014, [[Conner Mertens]] became the first active college football player to come out about his bisexuality. Mertens generated international headlines when he publicly addressed being bisexual.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/report-division-iii-kicker-conner-mertens-tells-coaches-i-m-bisexual-012814|title='I'm bisexual': Kicker becomes first CFB player to come out publicly|date=January 28, 2014|work=FOX Sports|access-date=June 29, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.outsports.com/2014/1/28/5348936/conner-mertens-willamette-football-kicker|title=College football player Conner Mertens comes out|work=Outsports|access-date=June 29, 2018}}</ref>

In 2017, the Willamette Men's Soccer team won their first NCAA division III title.

On December 7, 1941, Willamette's football team was in Honolulu, Hawaii, for the Shrine Bowl when Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor. Team members and fans who had made the trip volunteered for 10 days following the attack as guards at Punahou School and nurses at a U.S. Navy hospital. The 1941 team, known today on Willamette's campus as "the Pearl Harbor Football Team", was inducted into the Willamette University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.wubearcats.com/sports/fball/2011-12/releases/08_FB_Pearl_Harbor_Game.html|title=Bearcats to Honor Willamette's Pearl Harbor Football Team from 1941|date=November 8, 2011|work=Willamette University|access-date=June 29, 2018|language=en}}</ref>

==Notable alumni==
{{Main|List of Willamette University alumni}}
[[File:Willis C. Hawley, bw photo portrait, 1923.jpg|thumb|upright|Willis C. Hawley]]
Notable alumni from Willamette include a range of people involved in business, government, education, science, sports, art and entertainment.

Perhaps the most notable Willamette graduate is [[Dale T. Mortensen]], the 2010 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics.

Business leaders include [[James Albaugh]], president and CEO of [[Boeing]] Integrated Defense Systems,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/execprofiles/albaugh.html |title=Boeing: James F. Albaugh |access-date=August 27, 2009 |author=Boeing |date=June 1, 2009 |publisher=IDS Communications |pages=Executive Biographies |quote=Albaugh holds bachelor's degrees in mathematics and physics from Willamette University and a master's degree in civil engineering from Columbia University. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531101739/http://boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/execprofiles/albaugh.html |archive-date=May 31, 2009 }}</ref> and [[Alex J. Mandl]], the executive chairman of digital security company [[Gemalto]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=157301&ric=DELL.O&previousCapId=266017&previousTitle=Dell%20Inc. |title=Alex Mandl: Executive Profile & Biography |access-date=August 27, 2009 |work=Business Week |quote=Mr. Mandl received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Willamette University and an Master of Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley.}}{{dead link|date=April 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Those in the arts include [[Marie Watt]], a contemporary artist whose work centers on Native American themes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pdxcontemporaryart.com/watt |title=Marie Watt |access-date=August 27, 2009 |publisher=PDX Contemporary Art |quote=EDUCATION 1994–96 Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Printmaking, Yale University School of Art, New Haven, Connecticut 1990–92 AFA in Museum Studies, Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico 1986–90 Bachelor of Science in Speech Communications and Art, Willamette University, Salem, Oregon}}</ref>

[[Thomas A. Bartlett]], president of [[American University in Cairo]] attended Willamette for two years before completing his bachelor of arts at [[Stanford University]]. In his career, he has served as president of the [[Association of American Universities]], president of [[Colgate University]] and chairman of the board of trustees of the United States–Japan Foundation.<ref>{{cite news |first=Lawrence |last=Van Gelder |title=Man in the News; New SUNY Chancellor: Thomas Alva Bartlett |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/05/us/man-in-the-news-new-suny-chancellor-thomas-alva-bartlett.html |work=The New York Times |pages=Section B |date=October 5, 1994 |access-date=August 27, 2009 |quote=After graduation from Salem High in 1947, he spent two years on a Rotary scholarship at Willamette University and two years at Stanford University on a Newhouse Foundation scholarship before receiving a bachelor of arts degree, Phi Beta Kappa, in political science with an emphasis on international relations.}}</ref> Another alum involved in the education arena is [[Norma Paulus]]. Paulus served as Oregon's superintendent of public instruction. Prior to this, she was the first woman to hold statewide elected office in Oregon as secretary of state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.salemhistory.net/people/norma_paulus.htm |title=Norma Paulus |access-date=August 27, 2009 |last=Green |first=Virginia |year=2005 |work=Salem (Oregon) Online History |publisher=Salem Public Library |pages=People |quote=At the urging of Justice Latourette, Norma applied to Willamette Law School. She won admittance in 1956 without any prior college, based on her test scores and the personal recommendation of Justice Latourette. When Norma began law school, she continued working full-time. In 1962, she graduated with honors, including winning the school's moot court competition.}}</ref>

Government officials who have graduated from Willamette include members from both the judicial and legislative branches of government. Oregon Supreme Court's first Hispanic American chief justice, [[Paul De Muniz]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.willamette.edu/wucl/faculty/profiles/de%20muniz/index.html|title=College of Law: Faculty – Willamette University|work=willamette.edu}}</ref> graduated from the College of Law, as did his predecessor, [[Wallace P. Carson, Jr.]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.innsofcourt.org/Content/Default.aspx?Id=1737 |title=The Honorable Wallace P. Carson, Jr. |access-date=August 27, 2009 |year=2006 |work=Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Award for Professionalism and Ethics |quote=Justice Wallace P. Carson, Jr., graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts and from Willamette University College of Law with a [[Juris Doctor]]. Justice Carson has served the public with energy and distinction for literally decades.}}</ref> Recent Oregon State Supreme Court justice [[Virginia Linder]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://records.sos.state.or.us/ORSOSWebDrawer/Recordpdf/6873554 |title=Voters' Pamphlet 2006 General Election, page 15: Judge of the Supreme Court |access-date=August 27, 2009 |author=Judge Virginia Linder for Supreme Court Committee|publisher=Oregon Votes |quote=Educational Background: Willamette University, Juris Doctor; Southern Oregon State College, Bachelor of Arts}}</ref> also received her Juris Doctor from Willamette. California Democratic congressman [[Sam Farr]] who served from 1993 through 2017, successfully introduced the 2007 "Oceans Conservation, Education and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act." He attended Willamette for his undergraduate studies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.farr.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14 |title=Comprehensive Biography |access-date=August 27, 2009 |work=The Online Office of Congressman Farr |quote=Farr was born on July 4, 1941. He is a long-time resident of Carmel, California, and is married to Shary Baldwin Farr. The Farrs have one grown daughter, Jessica, and two grandchildren. Farr graduated from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and attended the Monterey Institute of International Studies and the University of Santa Clara. |archive-date=August 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100803231240/http://www.farr.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14}}</ref> [[Mark O. Hatfield]], Oregon's former governor and the longest serving Oregon senator, graduated from Willamette and later returned as a professor at his alma mater.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ohs.org/education/focus/governor-mark-o-hatfield.cfm |title=Governor Mark O. Hatfield |access-date=August 27, 2009 |work=Education |publisher=Oregon Historical Society |pages=Focus |quote=Mark O. Hatfield, governor of the State of Oregon from January 12, 1959 to January 9, 1967, was born in Dallas, Oregon, on July 12. 1922. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Willamette University in 1943 and an Master of Arts from Stanford University in 1948.}}</ref> [[Bob Packwood]], former Republican senator graduated from Willamette University in 1954. [[Robert Freeman Smith]], a Republican, was a state House member from 1960–1972, then served as a United States Congressman from Oregon's 2nd congressional district from 1983 to 1995. After a brief retirement, he returned to Congress in 1997, for a single term. Washington Governor [[Jay Inslee]] earned his J.D. degree from Willamette University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.governor.wa.gov/about/about-inslees/about-jay|title=About Jay {{!}} Governor Jay Inslee|website=www.governor.wa.gov|language=en|access-date=June 29, 2018|archive-date=May 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512211720/https://www.governor.wa.gov/about/about-inslees/about-jay|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Lisa Murkowski]], a Republican senator from Alaska, also received her J.D. from Willamette University College of Law.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/elections/2004/candidates/22914/ |title=Lisa Murkowski |access-date=August 27, 2009 |newspaper=Washington Post |pages=Elections 2004 |quote=She attended Willamette University from 1975 to 1977 and Georgetown University from 1978 to 1980 where she received a bachelor's degree in economics. She received a law degree from Willamette College of Law and worked briefly for the Anchorage District Court and law firms before opening her own practice in 1997.}}</ref>

Notable alumni in science include [[Gerald Pearson|Gerald L. Pearson]] (Physics 1926)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/4812|title=Gerald Pearson|date=April 2015}}</ref> and [[:de:Daryl Chapin|Daryl Chapin]] (Physics 1927),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/22/obituaries/daryl-chapin-88-a-co-developer-of-solar-energy-cell.html|title=Daryl Chapin, 88, A Co-Developer of Solar Energy Cell|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 22, 1995|last1=Martin|first1=Douglas}}</ref> who were co-inventors of the silicon solar cell at AT&T Bell Laboratories in 1954.

Notable alumni involved in athletics include [[Cal Lee]], linebackers coach for the [[University of Hawaiʻi]] football team, who graduated from Willamette in 1970.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hawaiiathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=128&path=football |title=2009 Coaching Staff |access-date=August 27, 2009 |publisher=University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics Department |pages=Coaching Staff |quote=Lee will also continue to oversee the linebackers at UH, a position for which he garnered All-America honors while playing at Willamette University. He started his coaching career as an assistant at Willamette, after graduating with a degree in physical education in 1970.}}</ref> A graduate of the class of 1999, [[Liz Heaston]], made history at Willamette as the first woman to play and score in a men's NAIA college football game in 1997.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.salemhistory.net/education/willamette_university.htm |title=Willamette University |access-date=August 27, 2009 |author=Susan |date=August 1, 2000 |work=Salem Online History |publisher=Salem Public Library |quote=In 1997, Elizabeth Heaston, 1999, made history, when she became the first woman to play in a collegiate football game. She kicked two extra points in a 27–0 win over Linfield College.}}</ref> [[Tony Barron]] was a [[Major League Baseball]] player who played for the [[Montreal Expos]] from 1995–1996 and the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] in 1997. [[Nick Symmonds]] won seven [[NCAA Division III]] 800-meter championships during his undergraduate years at Willamette before going on to win the 2008 Olympic Track and Field Trials.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/athletes/bios/symmonds_nick.asp |title=Nick Symmonds |access-date=August 27, 2009 |publisher=USA Track and Field |quote=A 2006 graduate of Willamette University, where he studied biochemistry, Symmonds attended Bishop Kelly High School in Boise, Idaho. He now competes for the Oregon Track Club. |archive-date=July 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710082609/http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Athlete-Bios/Nick-Symmonds.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{ref begin}}
* {{cite book|last=Hines|first=Gustavus|url=https://archive.org/details/cihm_15230|title=Oregon and Its Institutions: Comprising a Full History of the Willamette University, the First Established on the Pacific Coast|location=New York|publisher=Carleton and Porter|date=1868|isbn=978-0-665-15230-6}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Edwards |first1=G. Thomas |title=Student Activism at Pomona, Willamette, and Whitman, 1965–1971 |date=2008 |publisher=[[Whitman College and Northwest Archives]] |location=Walla Walla, Washington |url=http://www.campusactivism.org/server-new/uploads/student_activism_historypomona_willamette_whitman.pdf |oclc=228308410 |author-link=G. Thomas Edwards |access-date=April 7, 2021 |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019075449/http://www.campusactivism.org/server-new/uploads/student_activism_historypomona_willamette_whitman.pdf |url-status=live}}
{{ref end}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* [https://www.wubearcats.com/ Athletics website]
* [http://www.salemhistory.net/education/willamette_university.htm Salem History site on Willamette University]

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