A Short History of Alaska Pacific University
by Claire Agni
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- 1955 242.5 acres are bought from the US to the Division of National Missions for the purpose of building an academic institution.
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- Alaska Methodist University is founded by Peter Gordon Gould, and chartered in 1957.
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- 1958 First President Donald Ebright set up organizational structure and assembled first faculty.
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- AMU dedicated on June 29, 1959.
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- July 1959, cornerstone of Grant Hall laid.
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- September 1960, Grant Hall opened, named after Bishop A. Raymond Grant.
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- 1960 Gould Hall opened as a dormitory for men.
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- Opened in Fall 1960 with 146 students and 12 full-time faculty by second President Frederick P. McGinnis.
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- First graduation Spring 1961, with three graduates.
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- 1964 Full accreditation granted to AMU by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
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- Atwood Center built in 1965, designed by Edward Durell Stone.
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- 1969 Consortium agreements ratified and implemented by AMU and UA, meaning: a joint library, and course and credit exchange program.
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- 1970 Third President, Dr. William E. Davis elected.
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- 1971 Fourth President, Dr. John O. Picton elected.
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- December 1971, the Atwood Center housed a special meeting of the Alaska Federation of Natives to vote in the acceptance of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The facility was designated a state and national historic site on the National Register in June 1979.
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- 1972 The Waldron Carillon Bell Tower is given to AMU by Arthur F. Waldron, in honor of his wife, Edith.
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- 1975 Fifth President, Dr. Robert K. Dellenbach elected.
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- AMU closed in 1976 due to financial difficulties, gathering to reassess its mission.
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- Sixth President, Glenn A. Olds reopened AMU in September 1977 with 96 students and 4 full-time faculty.
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- 1977 700 acres in the Matanuska Valley are given by trustee V. Louise Kellogg, designated as the Kellogg Campus.
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- 1978 changed name to Alaska Pacific University to better demonstrate its location and mission.
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- 1981 The “APU Log” is added.
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- 1983 Mlakar President’s home is built.
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- 1984 Grace Hall is built.
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- 1984 University Hall built, housing the USGS.
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- 1986 Ruth and Homer Moseley Sports Center is built.
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- 1986 University Village Apartments are built.
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- 1988 Seventh President, F. Thomas Trotter is elected.
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- 1989 University Hall renamed Grace Hall after Volney F. Grace.
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- 1991 a 4 million dollar gift is given to build the Carr Gottstein Academic Center, the largest gift ever given to APU.
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- 1991 Cardinal Newman Chair in Catholic Theology established by the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
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- 1993 Mahaffey Trail System is dedicated.
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- 1995 Eighth President, Douglas McKay North is elected.
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- Fall 2007 Segelhorst Hall opened.