Butler University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Butler University

Former names	North-Western Christian University (1855–1877) Butler College (1896–1906)
Motto	Education, Research, Service
Type	Private university
Established	1855
Accreditation	Higher Learning Commission
Academic affiliations	Council of Independent Colleges
Endowment	$212 million (2020)
President	James Danko
Provost	Brooke Barnett
Academic staff	368
Undergraduates	4,500
Postgraduates	1,052
Location	Indianapolis , Indiana , United States 39°50′22″N 86°10′17″W / 39.83944°N 86.17139°W / 39.83944; -86.17139
Campus	Urban: 295 acres (119 ha)
Colors	Blue and white
Nickname	Bulldogs
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I Big East, Pioneer League (football)
Mascot	Blue IV "Blue" Hink

Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. A private university means it is not run by the government. It was started in 1855 by Ovid Butler.

The university offers over 60 main subjects to study. These subjects are spread across six different colleges. Its campus is about 295-acre (119 ha) big. It is also about five miles (8.0 km) away from downtown Indianapolis.

History of Butler University

Pictures of buildings on the school's Irvington campus in 1896.

On January 15, 1850, a plan for a new Christian university in Indianapolis was approved. This plan was suggested by Ovid Butler. Five years later, on November 1, 1855, the school opened. It was first called North-Western Christian University. It was located in Indianapolis, and Ovid Butler gave the land for it.

The university was started by members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). However, the church never fully controlled it. The school's rules said it should be "non-sectarian." This meant it welcomed everyone, no matter their beliefs or background. It also stated it was "free from the taint of slavery." This meant it was against slavery. It was one of the first universities in the United States to allow both men and women to attend.

Butler University was also the first in Indiana to have a professor just for English literature. In 1869, Ovid Butler created the Demia Butler Chair of English Literature. He did this to honor his daughter, Demia, who had passed away. She was the first woman to finish the Classical course at the university. This special teaching position was the first in an American university meant for a female professor. Catharine Merrill was the first person to hold this position in 1869. She was only the second female university professor in the whole country.

In 1875, the university moved to a new place in Irvington, a town on the east side of Indianapolis. In 1877, its name was changed to Butler University.

In 1896, Butler joined with two other schools. These were the Medical College of Indiana and the Indiana Law School. Together, they formed the University of Indianapolis. The Indiana Dental College also joined in 1904. Butler became the part of this new university that focused on undergraduate and liberal arts studies. It was called Butler College then. Butler left this group in 1906.

In 1930, Butler joined with the Teachers College of Indianapolis. This created Butler's second college. Over the years, Butler added more colleges. These included the College of Business Administration in 1937 and the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 1945. The Jordan College of Fine Arts was added in 1951.

The university's religion department became a separate Christian Church seminary in 1924. It was called the School of Religion. This school became fully independent in 1958. Today, it is known as the Christian Theological Seminary.

University Campuses

Irvington Campus

Bona Thompson Memorial Library is the only building left from Butler's Irvington campus.

The first location of the school was in Indianapolis. In 1875, the university was named after Ovid Butler. This was to honor his ideas, leadership, and money he gave. It then moved to a 25-acre (10 ha) campus in Irvington. At that time, Irvington was a separate town near Indianapolis.

This campus had several buildings, including an observatory. Most of these buildings were taken down in 1939. The Bona Thompson Library is the only building left from that time. It was designed by Henry H. Dupont and Jesse T. Johnson.

Fairview Campus

An aerial view of the Butler University campus in 2016.

More students wanted to attend Butler after World War I. This made the university realize it needed a bigger campus. The new and current campus was built on the site of Fairview Park. This used to be an amusement park on the northwest side of the city. Classes started at this new campus in 1928.

Campus Buildings

Arthur Jordan Memorial Hall was finished in 1928.

The first building on the Fairview campus was Arthur Jordan Memorial Hall. It was designed by Robert Frost Daggett and Thomas Hibben. This building's style, called Collegiate Gothic, was used for other buildings built over the next 30 years.

Also in 1928, the Butler Fieldhouse was finished. It was designed by Fermor Spencer Cannon. This building was the largest indoor sports place in Indiana until the mid-1960s. It was later renamed Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Religion Building and Sweeney Chapel were finished in 1942. These buildings were later changed into Robertson Hall in 1966.

After World War II, they started building the student center, Atherton Union. The dorms, Ross Hall and Schwitzer Hall, were also designed then. The Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium was designed by Art Lindbergh. It was opened in 1955.

Minoru Yamasaki's Irwin Library in the snow.

A famous architect named Minoru Yamasaki designed Irwin Library. It opened in 1963. In the early 1960s, Lilly Hall and Clowes Memorial Hall were also built. This happened after the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music moved to the campus. Clowes Hall opened in 1963. Ten years later, Gallahue Hall and the Holcomb Research Institute were built. These buildings completed the U-shaped group of academic buildings.

The Residential College was finished in 1990. This was the university's last big building project of the 1900s. In 2001, the Fairbanks Center for Communication and Technology opened. In 2004, the Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall was added to Robertson Hall. It can seat 140 people.

On May 8, 2008, Butler started building a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m²) addition to the Pharmacy and Health Sciences Building. In 2013, the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts opened.

Academics at Butler

Butler University offers over 60 main subjects to study. It also has 8 programs to prepare students for professional careers. There are 19 graduate programs too. These are offered in six colleges: Arts, Business, Communication, Education, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Butler as the 1st Midwest Regional University in 2024. The university also ranked 1st in the Midwest for new ideas and undergraduate teaching. Nationally, it ranked 16th for First-Year Experiences. It was also ranked 28th for Study Abroad Opportunities.

Butler University focuses on giving students individual attention. It has small class sizes and no teaching assistants. The university also supports research by its teachers and students. This is done through the Butler Institute for Research and Scholarship (BIRS). It also offers student research chances like the Butler Summer Institute. This is a 10-week program where students get money to do their own research with a professor.

The university has these main schools and colleges:

• Andre B. Lacy School of Business
• College of Communication
• College of Education
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
• Jordan College of the Arts

Butler Athletics

Butler's sports teams are called the Bulldogs. They play in Division I of the NCAA. On July 1, 2012, the Bulldogs joined the Atlantic 10 Conference. Since this conference does not have football, the Butler football team plays in the Pioneer Football League. The women's golf team joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Butler later joined the Big East Conference on July 1, 2013.

In the last ten years, Butler teams have won 26 conference championships. The Bulldogs have also played in NCAA National Championship Tournaments. This includes men's and women's basketball, men's soccer, volleyball, and other sports. Butler has won the James J. McCafferty trophy seven times. This award is given each year for overall sports excellence.

Men's Basketball

Former Butler head coach Brad Stevens led his teams to two NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship games between 2007 and 2013.

The Butler men's basketball team was very successful from 2000 to 2011. They won at least 20 games and played in the postseason eight times. They also made it to the NCAA tournament six times. Butler also won two national championships in men's basketball before the tournament era. These were in 1924 and 1929.

In 2010 and 2011, Butler reached the national championship games two years in a row. The 2010 Butler team, led by player Gordon Hayward, made it to the championship game. They lost a close game to Duke. Butler was the smallest school to play for a national championship since the tournament grew to 64 teams in 1985. In 2011, the Bulldogs again made it to the championship game. This time, they lost to Connecticut.

Butler has a great winning record among all Division I men's basketball teams in Indiana. They have won against in-state rivals like Notre Dame and Indiana. Butler has been to 15 NCAA Tournaments and three NITs since 1997.

Football

Hoosier Helmet Trophy

The Hoosier Helmet Trophy is a special helmet given to the winner of the football game between Butler and Valparaiso University. This trophy was created before the 2006 season. It celebrates the football rivalry that started in 1921. The idea for the helmet trophy came from a group of Butler players and their coach, Jeff Voris.

Student Life at Butler

Students at Butler University can join over 150 student groups. They can also play in many club and intramural sports. There are also many programs for different cultures. More than 94 percent of students take part in campus activities.

Greek Organizations

Many students at Butler join Greek life. Over 35 percent of undergraduate students become members of social fraternities or sororities. These groups have been a part of student life at Butler for a long time. The first fraternity was started in 1859, and the first sorority in 1874.

National Panhellenic Council Chapters

On November 12, 1922, the Alpha chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho was founded at Butler University. It was started by both undergraduate and graduate students. This sorority began on Butler's original Irvington campus. While most chapters of this type include students from other universities, the Alpha chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho is only for Butler students.

Notable People from Butler

Alumni

Many famous people have graduated from Butler University.

Faculty and Staff

Many important people have also taught or worked at Butler University. Some of them include:

• Allen R. Benton, a former president and professor
• Igor Buketoff, a conductor and teacher
• Gordon Clark, a theologian
• Michael J. Colburn, who directed the United States Marine Band
• Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle, who helped develop the orange basketball
• Henry Leck, an Associate Professor of Music
• Catharine Merrill, an English Literature Professor
• Walter Myers Jr., a Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court
• Susan Neville, a creative writing professor
• Matt Pivec, a saxophonist
• Samuel E. Perkins, a Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court
• Michael Schelle, a composer and teacher
• Marvin Scott, a professor
• Brad Stevens, a basketball coach
• Emma Lou Thornbrough, a historian

See also

In Spanish: Universidad Butler para niños