Shepherd University Chronological Highlights

1871
Shepherd College was chartered as a private college, September 2. The present McMurran Hall housed the first classes and administration.

1872
West Virginia State Legislature established Shepherd College as a state normal school, February 27. Joseph McMurran, who is considered the founder of Shepherd College, was the first chief administrative officer of the College.

1873
First college catalog was printed.

1882
D.D. Pendleton became the second chief administrative officer of the College.

1885
T.J. Woofter became the third chief administrator of the College.

1887
Asa B. Bush became the fourth chief administrator of the College.

1889
Reynolds Hall was constructed adjoining McMurran Hall.

1891
E.M. Vale became the fifth chief administrative officer of the College.

1892
A.C. Kimler became the sixth chief administrative officer of the College.

1896
The first edition of the student newspaper, The Picket, was published.

1901
E.F. Goodwin became the seventh chief administrative officer of the College.

1903
John G. Knutti was named the eighth chief administrative officer of Shepherd College.

1904
Knutti Hall was built.

1911
The Cohongoroota, the first college annual, was published.

1918
Thomas C. Miller became the ninth President of the College.

1920
Dr. W. H. S. White became the tenth President of the College.

1921
Entler Hotel was remodeled into a men's dormitory (named Rumsey Hall).

1924
The W. H. S. White Gymnasium was erected.

1928
The Little House, a student project directed by Professor Florence Shaw, was built.

1930
Shepherd State Normal School was authorized as a four-year college with the authority to award degrees.

1931
Eighteen graduates received the first degrees granted by the College. The State Legislature changed the institution's name to Shepherd State Teachers College.

1942
Snyder Hall was dedicated.

1943
Approval was given to return the institution's name to Shepherd College and to broaden the curriculum.

1947
Dr. Oliver S. Ikenberry was became the eleventh President of Shepherd College.

1948
A cafeteria was opened for service.

The Greater Shepherd College Program was begun with expansion of the campus and its facilities to the Potomac River.

Shepherd College radio programs were broadcast for the first time.

1949
Authority was granted to award the Bachelor of Science degree.

Reynolds Hall was renovated.

New programs in political science, speech, radio, music, business, drama, nursing, and library science were offered.

1950
North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools grants initial accreditation to the College.

1951
Shepherd College becomes a member of the American Association of Colleges.

1952
Health and Physical Education Building (main section of Sara Cree Hall) was dedicated.

1953
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education re-accredited teacher education programs.

1954
Successful racial integration of the student body was accomplished.

The Home Management House was opened.

Initial accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) was earned.

1955
The West Virginia Athletic Conference Football Championship was won for the first time as the football team completed an undefeated season.

1959
Ram Stadium was dedicated.

1961
Ella May Turner Residence Hall was dedicated.

New Dining Hall was opened.

The Swimming team won the West Virginia Athletic Conference Championship for the first time.

1962
A new student union, the College Center, was dedicated.

1964
H. W. Potts' property (125 acres) was acquired for campus expansion.

1965
New Library (later named Scarborough Library) was dedicated.

The Shepherd College Foundation was incorporated to serve as a fiduciary agent for gifts to the College.

The College's first data processing equipment was installed.

1966
Kenamond Hall and Gardiner Hall were dedicated as residence halls.

Medical Technology degree was established in cooperation with the Veterans Administration Hospital.

1967
Renovation of Knutti Hall as an academic building was begun and erection of a new administration building was authorized.

1968
Dr. James A. Butcher was appointed twelfth President.

The Administration Building (Ikenberry Hall) was dedicated.

The North Central Association renewed accreditation.

1969
The West Virginia Board of Regents was established as the governing agency for public higher education.

1970
Shaw Hall and Thacher Hall were dedicated as residence halls.

Baccalaureate majors in hotel, motel, and restaurant management, sociology, and social welfare were approved.

1971
The Centennial Year was observed with an expanded cultural events program.

1972
The North Central Association renewed accreditation.

The Department of Nursing Education was established, offering an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program.

The Shepherd Rams football team won the West Virginia Athletic Conference Championship for the first time since the 1955 team.

1973
A new addition to the College Center was opened.

Bachelors of science degree programs were initiated in recreation and in park administration.

1974
The new White Hall, housing classes in business and social sciences, was begun and dedicated a year later.

Associate degree programs in marketing management and hotel, motel, and restaurant management were begun.

1975
Three new degree programs were added: The Regents Bachelor of Arts, and associate of arts in commercial art, and an associate of science in fire service and safety technology.

The first maintenance headquarters building was occupied.

1976
Three new associate degree programs were added: general studies, fashion merchandising, and electronics technology.

The first administrator was appointed to coordinate coursework in the South Branch Valley with an office in Petersburg.

The Department of Social Work received initial accreditation from the Council of Social Work Education.

1977
A new classroom building (later dedicated as Stutzman-Slonaker Hall) was opened for the biological sciences, mathematics, and home economics on the site of the old social science hall.

The associate of arts degree photography major was approved.

1978
The West Virginia Athletic Conference Men's Tennis Championship was won for the first time.

1979
A baccalaureate degree in psychology was added to the curriculum.

The Evening Program was launched with coursework directed at the completion of associate degrees in general studies or general business and the bachelor's degree in business administration.

1980
The interdisciplinary studies major was initiated.

Miller Hall was renovated and reestablished as a residence hall.

An expanded and coordinated program emphasizing career planning and placement was implemented.

1981
The Creative Arts Center was dedicated amid a year long celebration of the Arts.

1982
An associate of science degree in engineering was approved.

The North Central Association granted its maximum period of reaccreditation to the College.

1983
The West Virginia Athletic Conference Baseball Championship was won for the first time.

The bachelor of fine arts degree was approved as was the bachelor of arts degree in music.

The Department of Social Work received reaffirmation of accreditation from the Council of Social Work Education.

1984
The administrative offices of the South Branch Valley Center were relocated to the Old Grant County Courthouse where classroom facilities were also available.

The exterior restoration of McMurran and Reynolds Hall was completed.

First Alumni Scholarships for leadership were presented.

1985
The Women's Tennis Team won the West Virginia Athletic Conference Championship for the first time.

Computer mathematics was approved as an option within the Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics.

A Bachelor of Science degree in accounting was authorized.

Burkhart, Moler, and Yost Halls, new apartment style residences, were completed.

1986
Adaptive restoration/renovation of the interior of McMurran and Reynolds Halls was begun.

Baccalaureate programs in computer programming and information systems and communications were authorized.

1987
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education awarded maximum period of reaccreditation to all teacher education programs.

Construction for a new Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Athletic Complex was initiated.

The College Board of Regents and the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) program was initiated, offering both a generic program and a track for R.N. students Each program has been accredited by the National League for Nursing, and then by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc., since its first graduating class.

An Academic Honors program was approved by the faculty.

The Governor's Honors Academy was convened.

1988
The Creative Arts Center was named the Guy and Alice Frank Creative Arts Center; the Nursing Building was named Lurry Hall; and the Administration Building was named Ikenberry Hall.

1989
Michael P. Riccards became the thirteenth President.

The new Athletics/Physical Education Complex was completed.

Construction was begun on three new residence halls on the West Campus.

The mission of the Office of Personnel was changed to include employee assistance and the name of the office changed to Office of Human Resources.

1990
The Biology Department was designated a Program of Excellence by the State College System Board of Directors, the only Biology program so recognized in the State.

The first honorary degrees granted by Shepherd were awarded at the 117th commencement to Senator John D. Rockefeller IV and Mr. Fred G. Butler, Chair of the Board of Advisors.

The Department of Social Work received reaffirmation of accreditation from the Council of Social Work Education.

1991
The College reached out to take advantage of its proximity to the Washington, D.C. area for further enriching its curriculum. Through the Washington Gateway program, planned courses and educational experiences including internships, workshops, and field trips supplement campus-based opportunities.

The Contemporary American Theater Festival was begun. Conducted along Equity guidelines, this brought innovative productions to the College and region and provided professional training for theater students. The CATF became an independent corporation operating on the College campus.

An alumna, Rae Ellen Scanlon McKee, was designated National Teacher of the Year by the National Education Association. In November, another alumna, Beverly Ann Hoffmaster, was named West Virginia's 1992 Teacher of the Year.

The Tabler Farm was purchased (158 acres) to provide room for future college expansion.

A plan for the formal assessment of students' development of writing and critical thinking skills was initiated. An Assessment Group of faculty, students, staff, and administrators guide, monitor, and evaluate these assessments from year to year.

1992
The Physical Education and Athletics complex was dedicated as the James A. and Evelyn Butcher Center.

Three Westwoods Residence Halls were dedicated as Martin Hall, Boteler Hall, and Lurry Hall.

The North Central Association reaffirmed accreditation.

1993
A four million dollar grant for a science building was allocated to Shepherd College through the efforts of Senator Robert C. Byrd.

The Center for the Study of the Civil War was established.

The Department of Music receives initial accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

1994
Construction of the Science and Technology Annex to Snyder Hall began.

1995
Construction of Phase One of the Science and Technology Center was completed. Construction of Phase Two began.

College named as a beneficiary in the estate of the late Ralph Burkhart, who bequeathed almost $6 million to the Shepherd College Foundation.

The Computer and Information Sciences Department is founded with a comprehensive major in Computer and Information Sciences.

1996
David L. Dunlop became the fourteenth President.

The Conrad Shindler House was donated to Shepherd College Foundation by actress Mary Tyler Moore, in honor of her father, to house the Civil War Center. It became The George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War.

1997
The Department of Social Work received reaffirmation of accreditation from the Council of Social Work Education.

1998
Construction of Phase Two of the Robert C. Byrd Science and Technology Center was completed.

The position of Director of Assessment and Student Learning was established and a campus-wide, coordinated program of assessment was begun.

1999
The Shepherd College Institute for Environmental Studies was approved by the Board of Directors.

2000
The Emergency Medical Services degree program was approved in the Community and Technical College by the Board of Directors.

The State-wide governance structures of higher education were re-aligned, with the creation of the Higher Education Policy Commission.

The College was authorized by the Policy Commission and the Interim Governing Board to relocate the headquarters of the Community and Technical College to downtown Martinsburg.

The renovated Ram Stadium was opened for the Fall football season.

2001
The Shepherd College Board of Governors was established.

The Community and Technical College of Shepherd offered its first classes in its permanent, Martinsburg site.

2002
An extensive addition to the Ruth Scarborough Library was completed, including the establishment of the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies.

The college began its first cooperative graduate program, a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) with Marshall University.

The North Central Association reaffirmed accreditation. NCATE reaffirmed accreditation for the Teacher Education program with no areas for improvement.

2003
The college began its first free-standing graduate program, a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction (C. & I.).

2004
Shepherd College became Shepherd University. The Community and Technical College became an independent higher education institution.

The Department of Social Work received reaffirmation of accreditation from the Council of Social Work Education.

2005
Birch and Maple Halls, apartment residences, were completed.

The University added masters programs in Business Administration, Music, College Student Development and Administration, and Teaching.

2006
NASM reaffirms accreditation undergraduate programs and granted initial accreditation to the Master of Music in Music Education Program. The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education granted reaccreditation to the Business program.

2007
Erma Ora Byrd Hall, housing the nursing education program, was completed.

Dr. Suzanne Shipley became the fifteenth President of Shepherd University.

2011
NCATE reaffirmed accreditation for the Teacher Education program with no areas for improvement. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education grated initial accreditation to the Nursing Education Program with no areas for improvement.