Seattle University facts for kids
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Former names
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Immaculate Conception Parish School (1891–1898) Seattle College (1898–1948) |
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| Motto | For the difference we make |
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1891 |
| Accreditation | NWCCU |
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Religious affiliation
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Catholic Church (Jesuit) |
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Academic affiliations
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ACCU, AJCU, NAICU |
| Endowment | $234.3 million (2023) |
| President | Eduardo Peñalver |
| Provost | Shane P. Martin |
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Academic staff
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510 full-time 219 part-time |
| Students | 7,050 (fall 2020) |
| Undergraduates | 4,299 (fall 2020) |
| Postgraduates | 2,751 (fall 2020) |
| Location |
,
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United States
47°37′N 122°19′W / 47.61°N 122.32°W |
| Campus | Urban 55 acres (22 ha) |
| Newpaper | The Spectator |
| Radio Station | KXSU (102.1 FM) |
| Colors | Red White |
| Nickname | Redhawks |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division I – WCC |
| Mascot | Rudy the Redhawk |
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Seattle University (also known as Seattle U or SU) is a private university in Seattle, Washington. It is a Jesuit university, meaning it is run by a Catholic religious order. Seattle University is the largest independent university in the Northwest United States. More than 7,500 students attend its undergraduate and graduate programs. The university has seven different schools and colleges.
Contents
History of Seattle University
Seattle University started in 1891 as a small parish school. It was located near downtown Seattle. At first, it was called Immaculate Conception Parish School. This name came from the church it was connected to. The school did not offer college-level classes at that time.
Early Years and Name Changes
In 1898, the school changed its name to Seattle College. It was named after the city of Seattle, which was named after Chief Seattle. Eleven years later, Seattle College gave out its first bachelor's degrees. The school was both a high school and a college for a while.
From 1919 to 1931, the college moved to a different location. In 1931, it moved back to its permanent spot on First Hill. When it moved back, the high school part of the school separated. The high school became Seattle Preparatory High School. In 1931, Seattle College also started a night school for women. This was a big and new idea at the time.
Becoming Seattle University
In 1948, Seattle College changed its name again. It became Seattle University, which is its current name. This happened under President Albert A. Lemieux. In 1993, the Seattle University School of Law was created. It was formed by buying the law school from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. The School of Law moved to the Seattle campus in 1999.
In 2009, Seattle University finished its biggest fundraising effort. They raised almost $169 million. This money helped create new scholarships and improve academic programs. It also funded a fitness complex, an arts center, and the Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons. The library was finished in 2010.
In 2024, a Seattle real estate developer named Richard Hedreen gave a huge gift. He donated his $300 million art collection to the university. This was in honor of his late wife, Betty Hedreen, who was an alumna. It was one of the largest gifts ever given to a university. In December 2024, the university announced it would take over Cornish College of the Arts. This became official in 2025. Cornish College of the Arts became Seattle University's seventh college.
Exploring the Campus
Seattle University has two campuses that cover about 55 acres. The main campus is on First Hill, east of downtown Seattle. It is right next to the Capitol Hill neighborhood. This is known as the First Hill Campus. The second campus is about 1.5 miles west. It is the South Lake Union campus, home to Cornish College of the Arts.
Seattle University's campus is known for being eco-friendly. The city of Seattle and the EPA have recognized it. The campus uses no pesticides and has a food waste compost facility. It also has recycling and energy-saving programs.
The campus also features many artworks by famous artists. These include the Centennial Fountain by George Tsutakawa. There is also a large glass sculpture by Tacoma artist Dale Chihuly. Other artists with works on campus include Chuck Close and Jacob Lawrence.
Student Life and Diversity
In 2024, about half of the undergraduate students were White. Many students were also Asian, Hispanic, or Black. About 14% of students identified with more than one ethnicity. Around 9% of the students were from other countries. The student body was 61% female and 39% male.
Important Campus Buildings
Casey Building
The Casey Building is home to the College of Arts and Sciences. It is a five-story building. It holds the college's offices and many departments. It has meeting rooms and the Dean's office. There is also a five-floor glass area that looks out over the gardens.
Chapel of St. Ignatius
The Chapel of St. Ignatius was designed by architect Steven Holl. It won a national award in 1998. At night, the chapel shines colorful lights across the campus.
Jeanne Marie & Rhoady Lee Center for the Arts
Seattle University opened The Jeanne Marie & Rhoady Lee Center on February 14, 2006. It is a place for performances and art shows. Students, local artists, and the community use it.
The Center for the Arts has a theater with 150 seats. The stage and seats can be moved. This makes it good for drama, dance, and music. It also has The Hedreen Gallery. This gallery shows visual art by students and visiting artists. You can see it through large glass windows along Twelfth Avenue. The Center also has rooms for making sets, costumes, and props.
Fine Arts Building
The Fine Arts Building is next to the largest open lawn on campus. It has classrooms and offices for the Art and Art History Department. It also houses the Performing Arts and Arts Leadership Department. The Vachon Room is a large performance space used for rehearsals and events. Next to it, Hunthausen Hall has learning spaces, a design studio, and a digital art lab.
Lemieux Library
The Lemieux Library started in 1991. As of 2011, it had over 216,000 books. It also had 1,604 magazines and journals. The library is part of the American Theological Library Association. It also has many computer labs for students and a café.
Student Housing
Students at Seattle U usually need to live on campus for their first two years. This rule applies unless they live very close to the university.
Bellarmine Hall
Bellarmine Hall, or Bell, is mostly for first-year and some second-year students. It is in the center of campus and houses about 400 students. Most rooms have two beds, and some have three. It is connected to the Pigott Pavilion, which offers student services like career counseling.
Campion Hall
Campion Hall, or Camp, is also mainly for first-year and some second-year students. It is the tallest building on campus, with 12 stories. It is the largest dorm, housing about 650 students. The first floor has a ballroom for events. The basement has a student-run store called The Cave. The top floor has dorm rooms on one side and study rooms with views of downtown Seattle on the other. It is also next to Seattle U's Japanese Garden.
Sports Facilities
The Redhawk Center is the school's main indoor sports area. It hosts basketball and volleyball games. It also holds large events like music acts. The Redhawk Center has a fitness center for all students. It is next to Championship Field and the school's tennis courts.
Seattle University Park & Logan Field is another sports facility. It is a small track and field stadium with a baseball diamond. It is used for smaller events like intramural sports. The field has turf and soccer markings. Students often use it for fun activities.
Academics and Learning
| USNWR National University | 124 |
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| Washington Monthly National University | 197 |
| Forbes | 162 |
Seattle University offers many different programs. There are 65 bachelor's degree programs, 31 graduate degree programs, and 27 certificate programs. It also has a law school and a doctoral program in education. The university has six main schools and colleges. These include the College of Arts and Sciences and the Albers School of Business and Economics.
Albers School of Business and Economics
The Albers School of Business and Economics started in 1945. It was named after the Albers family, who were generous donors. In 1967, the business school added an MBA program. This program helps students get a master's degree in business.
College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest college at Seattle University. It offers over 50 undergraduate majors and 37 minors. It also has 7 graduate degrees. More than 2,000 students study here. Its psychology program is special because it focuses on a method called existential phenomenology.
School of Law
The Seattle University School of Law began in 1972. It was first part of the University of Puget Sound. In 1993, the law school moved to Seattle University. It physically moved to the Seattle University campus in 1999. In 2019, U.S. News & World Report ranked its legal writing program as number one in the nation.
College of Nursing
Seattle University's College of Nursing started in 1935. It is in the renovated Garrand Hall, the oldest building on campus. The Clinical Performance Lab is a modern facility. Students use this lab to practice nursing skills. It is located a few blocks from the main campus.
College of Education
The College of Education was founded in 1935. It is approved by several national groups. These groups ensure that teacher education and school psychology programs are high quality.
College of Science & Engineering
The College of Science and Engineering focuses on basic sciences and math. Students can study computer science or different types of engineering. These include civil, environmental, mechanical, computer, and electrical engineering. Students can also prepare for health professions.
Caring for the Environment
Seattle University works hard to protect the environment. They have projects for composting and saving water. There are also solar panels on buildings and a large recycling program. The university has been composting since 1995. In 2003, they built the first composting facility on an urban campus in Washington state.
Seattle University has won awards for its environmental efforts. They received the Sustainability Innovator Award in 2007. They also won the Green Washington Award in 2008. The Princeton Review rated Seattle U as the #12 Green College in the country in 2018.
The campus stopped using pesticides in the early 1980s. Instead, they used beneficial insects like lacewings to control pests. This success led to other eco-friendly gardening practices. In 2023, Seattle University became the first university in Washington state to stop investing in fossil fuels. It was also the first Jesuit university to do so.
Sports and Athletics
Between 1950 and 1971, Seattle University competed in Division I sports. In the 1950s, the basketball team was very strong. Brothers Johnny and Eddie O'Brien led the team to a rare win over the Harlem Globetrotters. In 1958, Basketball Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor helped the men's basketball team reach the Final Four. They beat top-ranked Kansas State University before losing to the University of Kentucky. Seattle University was also known for having a diverse team, called "the United Nations team."
Basketball success continued into the 1960s with players like Eddie Miles and Clint Richardson. The 1966 basketball team gave Texas Western University its only loss in a championship season. This season was shown in the film Glory Road.
Notable Athletes
Women's tennis star Janet Hopps Adkisson was the first woman to be ranked number one for both men and women nationally. In women's golf, Pat Lesser was named to the Curtis Cup twice in the 1950s. She was later added to the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame.
Before 1980, over 25 Seattle University baseball players went on to play professionally. Men's golf and a Tom Gorman-led tennis team were also nationally ranked. Gorman later led the US Davis Cup team.
Conference Changes and Mascot
Seattle University joined the West Coast Conference in 1971. In 1980, it left Division I and joined the NAIA. In the late 1990s, the university worked to return to NCAA membership. The athletic program moved to Division II in 2002.
The school moved from Division II to Division I in 2009. In 2013, Coach Joan Bonvicini led the women's basketball team to win the Western Athletic Conference championship. In 2016, Suzy Barcomb became the new coach. In her first season, she led the Redhawks to a WAC tournament title.
In 1938, the school's mascot changed from the Maroons to the Chieftains. This name honored the city's namesake, Chief Seattle. In 2000, the university changed its mascot again to the Redhawks.
On June 14, 2011, Seattle University joined the Western Athletic Conference. They became a full member for the 2012–2013 season. In May 2024, Seattle University announced it would rejoin the West Coast Conference for the 2025-26 season. This was after a 45-year absence.
KXSU-LP Student Radio
KXSU-LP (102.1 FM) is a low-power student-run radio station. It is based on the Seattle University campus. The station started broadcasting on campus in 1994. It later added internet service. Even though it has low power, KXSU's signal covers the entire city and nearby areas.
The people who work on air at KXSU are mostly students. Faculty and alumni also participate. The university says the station helps students learn about writing, reporting, and broadcasting.
Notable Alumni
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Seattle para niños
- List of Jesuit sites
