Washburn University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Washburn University of Topeka

Former names	Lincoln College (1865–1868) Washburn College (1868–1941) Washburn Municipal University (1941–1952)
Motto	Non Nobis Solum (Latin)
Motto in English	"Not for Ourselves Alone"
Type	Public university
Established	February 6, 1865; 160 years ago (1865-02-06)
Accreditation	HLC
Endowment	$155.3 million (2020)
President	JuliAnn Mazachek
Provost	John Fritch
Academic staff	1,000
Students	5,663 (Fall 2023)
Location	Topeka , Kansas , United States 39°02′02″N 95°41′56″W / 39.033786°N 95.698975°W / 39.033786; -95.698975
Campus	Midsize city, 160 acres (0.65 km2)
Newspaper	Washburn Review
Colors	Yale Blue and White
Nickname	Ichabods
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – The MIAA
Mascot	The Ichabod

Washburn University (WU), also known as Washburn University of Topeka, is a public university located in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers many different study programs for students. These include programs for students just starting college (undergraduate) and for those who want to continue their studies after getting a first degree (graduate). Washburn also has special programs for careers like law and business.

The university has about 550 teachers and professors. More than 6,100 undergraduate students and nearly 800 graduate students attend Washburn. The university also has a large fund of money, called an endowment, which is worth about $158 million. Since 2008, Washburn has also helped manage the Washburn Tech, a school that teaches technical skills.

University History

Washburn University first opened its doors in February 1865. It was originally called "Lincoln College." The school was started in Topeka, Kansas, with official permission from the State of Kansas. A group of churches and ministers also helped create it. The land for the college was given by John Ritchie, who was against slavery.

In 1868, the college changed its name to "Washburn College." This happened after Ichabod Washburn promised to donate $25,000 to the school. Ichabod Washburn was a church leader, someone who worked to end slavery, and a successful businessman from Worcester, Massachusetts.

Washburn College used a design similar to the Washbourne family's symbol as its own. They changed the colors to match the school's colors. However, since it became a university, Washburn no longer uses this old family symbol. Instead, the university now uses a stylish "W" as its main emblem. The school's mascot, "The Ichabod," is still very popular.

"The Ichabod" mascot is named after Ichabod Washburn, who helped the school a lot in its early days. The mascot was just a name until 1938. That's when a former student named Bradbury Thompson created the look we see today. He designed the smart-looking figure wearing a tailcoat. The sports teams are called "Ichabods." For a long time, only men's teams used this name. But since the 2013–14 school year, all women's teams also use the "Ichabods" nickname.

In 1913, the medical department at Washburn College closed down. This department had become well-known in 1895 because of a public issue. It was discovered that some bodies used for studying human anatomy had been taken without proper permission. When this news spread, the governor called in state troops to protect the school. Several people, including doctors and a student, were arrested. However, most charges were dropped or overturned on appeal.

During World War II, Washburn Municipal University was part of a special program. It was one of 131 colleges in the country that helped train students for the Navy. This program, called the V-12 Navy College Training Program, helped students become Navy officers.

On June 8, 1966, a powerful tornado hit the campus. It destroyed many buildings and knocked down all the trees. Luckily, this happened just a few days after classes ended for the summer. The university had also recently made sure all its buildings were fully insured. A week after the tornado, summer classes started again at Topeka West High School. By the fall of 1966, some buildings were repaired, and temporary classrooms were set up. It took many years to rebuild the campus, with students using temporary buildings into the early 1970s.

Washburn University used to get most of its money from city property taxes. In 1999, its main funding changed to come from county sales tax. The school is still considered a public part of the state. A group of nine people, called the Board of Regents, manages Washburn University.

University Leadership

An aerial view of the Washburn campus in 1948

The Class of 1900 in front of Rice Hall

Washburn University is managed by a group of nine people called the Board of Regents. Three members are chosen by the governor of Kansas. Three members are chosen by the mayor of Topeka. One member is either the mayor or someone else from the city government. The Shawnee County Commission chooses one member who lives in Shawnee County but not in Topeka. Finally, the Kansas Board of Regents chooses one of its own members to join the Washburn Board each year. Most members serve for four years.

University Presidents

Here is a list of the people who have led Washburn College, Washburn Municipal University, and Washburn University over the years:

Washburn Law School

The Washburn School of Law started in 1903. It was one of the first law schools in the country to have a "legal clinic." This is where students can get real-world experience practicing law. Today, it is one of the few law schools that has full-time teachers just for its law clinic. The Washburn School of Law has a very high success rate for its students taking the Kansas bar exam. The Washburn Law Library has over 380,000 books and is the largest law library in Kansas. Some famous people who went to Washburn Law School include Bob Dole (a well-known politician), Bill Kurtis (a famous journalist), and Kay McFarland (a former Chief Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court).

Campus Buildings

Many of the main buildings at Washburn University are named after important people or have a special place in the school's history.

Washburn Athletics

The sports teams at Washburn are known as the Ichabods. The university is part of the NCAA Division II, which is a level for college sports. They mostly compete in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) since 1989. Before that, they were part of several other sports conferences.

Washburn has 16 different sports teams for men and women.

• Men's sports include: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, and track & field (both indoor and outdoor).
• Women's sports include: basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field (both indoor and outdoor), and volleyball.

Athletic Director

The person in charge of all the sports teams is the Athletic Director. The current director is Loren Ferré, who has been in this role since 1996.

Team Nickname

The "Ichabods" nickname comes from Ichabod Washburn, who was a big helper to the university. He also started Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Before the 2013–14 school year, the women's sports teams were called the "Lady Blues." But on May 24, 2013, the university president announced that all sports teams, both men's and women's, would be known as the Ichabods. This was the first time in history that all teams shared the same nickname.

Greek Life at Washburn

"Greek Life" refers to the fraternities and sororities at Washburn University. These groups have been a part of the campus since 1909. Currently, there are four fraternities and three sororities that have houses on or near the campus.

Campus Attractions

There are several interesting places to visit and things to see on the Washburn University campus:

• Crane Observatory: This building has a very old and special telescope from 1898, made by Warner & Swasey Company.
• KTWU: This is a public television station that broadcasts from Washburn University. It was the first public TV station in Kansas and started broadcasting on October 21, 1965.
• Mulvane Art Museum: This museum opened in 1924. It has art from all over the world, but it especially focuses on art made by artists from Kansas and the Midwest.
• Walking Bods: These are seven cool sculptures made of steel by an artist named Barrett DeBusk.

Notable Alumni