Timeline

From PBI to FPU

What began as Pacific Bible Institute—a fledgling Bible college for the Mennonite Brethren founded during the tumult of World War II—would grow to become one of the nation's most diverse and inclusive Christian universities.

Fresno Pacific University is an institution of faith, grit and creativity. Despite numerous challenges over more than eight decades, FPU has managed to thrive in a region plagued by low degree attainment, brain drain, limited resources and limited access. Together, we have launched more than 26,000 alumni into service and leadership in education, business, health care, human services, ministry and more.

1922
1916 Early PDC

1922
"Bethany College" is proposed to Pacific District Conference of MB Churches (PDC)

1935
1935 Edu Committee

1935
PDC creates School and Education Committee

1941
1941 Bible Institute

1941
PDC votes to establish a Bible institute

1943
1943 PBI

1943
PDC establishes "Pacific Bible Institute" as official name

1944
1944 Building purchased FPU

February 11, 1944
Building purchased at 1095 N. Van Ness

1944 First day FPU

September 18, 1944
First day of classes (28 students enrolled)

1945
1945 Spring FPU

Spring 1945
Building purchased at 2049 Tuolumne Street

1946
1946 Van Ness FPU

January 30, 1946
Campus moves from Van Ness Avenue to Tuolumne Street

1946 Commencement

June 2, 1946
First commencement

1947
1947 GWPETER FPU-3829

Summer 1947
G. W. Peters appointed as first official president (resigned August 1952)

1948
1948 accreditation FPU-10329

1948
Bible institute accreditation

1949
1949 enrollment FPU-030

1949
Enrollment peaks at 161, highest of PBI era

1953
1953 Baerg

Spring 1953
Rueben M. Baerg appointed Acting President (resigns December 1954)

1954
1954 FPU

October 1954
Mennonite Brethren establish a unified education system for PBI and Tabor College. Both institutions are governed by the same board.

1955
1955 MBBS

Spring 1955
Purchase of “Jones Property” near Chestnut & Butler Avenues

1955 B. J. Braun MBBS

May 1955
B. J. Braun appointed president of PBI & Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary (MBBS) (resigns 1960)

1955 Clark Property MBBS

Summer 1955
Purchase of “Clark Property” at Chestnut & Butler Avenues

1957 First houses MBBS

1955
First houses completed in Campus Homesites subdivision

1955 MBBS opens MBBS

Fall 1955
MBBS opens

1956
1956 Giffen Home MBBS-154

Fall 1956
Seminary moves into Giffen Home on the Clark Property

1956 liberal arts program IMG-029

Fall 1956
Creation of liberal arts program for Pacific Bible Institue

1957
1957 Butler Church

1957
Butler Church opens on land originally purchased by Board of Education

1958
1958 classroom building FPU-1385

October 19, 1958
Groundbreaking for classroom building on new campus

1959
1959 Sattler Hall

May 24, 1959
Dedication of classroom building (Sattler Hall)

1960
1960 Arthur J. Wiebe

1960
Arthur J. Wiebe appointed president

1960 PC Logo

May 1960
Name changed to “Pacific College”

1960 basketball scan0028

Fall 1960
Intercollegiate basketball program begins

1960 First phase of dorm FPU

December 1960
First phase of dormitories completed; College completely moves from Tuolumne Street to Chestnut Avenue

1960 Viking Mascot FPU

December 1960
“Viking” mascot is selected

1961
1961 junior college accred FPU

February 1961
Pacific College receives junior college accreditation

1961 Arthur Wiebe FPU-4230

Fall 1961
Arthur Wiebe begins full-time duties as president (resigns in 1975)

1961 track and soccer FPU

1961
Dirt track and soccer field on east end of campus completed

1962
1962 Track & field FPU

Spring 1962
Track & field program established

1962 Men’s soccer FPU

1962
Men’s soccer program established

1962 Bible institute curriculum

Fall 1962
Bible institute curriculum no longer appears in catalog

1962 Hiebert Library FPU

September 1962
Hiebert Library completed

1963
1963 Witmarsum and Strausbourg FPU

January 1963
Second phase of dormitories completed, includes Witmarsum and Strasbourg (shown)

1963 Enrollment FPU

Fall 1963
Enrollment exceeds 200 for first time

1964
1964 Alumni Hall FPU-262

May 1964
Alumni Hall completed

1964 Third phase of dormitories dorms phase 3

September 1964
Third phase of dormitories completed

1965
1965 amphitheater FPU

Spring 1965
Original amphitheater completed

1965 Senior college accreditation FPU

May 1965
Senior college accreditation

1966
1966 Pacific College Idea

1966
Pacific College Idea first adopted

1966 Warkentin Prayer Chapel FPU

May 1966
Warkentin Prayer Chapel completed

1966 Cross-country FPU

1966
Cross-country program established

1967
1967 MARPECK science building

1967
Science Building (Marpeck Center) completed

1968
1966 Warkentin Prayer Chapel

1968
Mennonite Brethren students are majority of student body for last time.

1968 Witmarsum

Fall 1968
By the fall of 1968 the fourth phase of men’s dormitory (Witmarsum Quad) completed.

1971
Strasbourg quad

1971
The fourth phase of the women’s dormitory (Strasbourg Quad) is completed.

1972
Students by fountain, early 1970s

1972
Total fall enrollment exceeds 400 for first time.

Dennis Anderson, shot put national champion

Spring 1972
Dennis Anderson (shot put) becomes Pacific College’s first individual national champion.

1973
1973 SJCL Construction

1973
San Joaquin College of Law completes addition to Hiebert Library.

1974
1974 first masters of arts

1974
The first master of arts program is approved.

1975
1975 MBBS grads

1975
MBBS is accepted as the official seminary for the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (U.S. and Canada).

1976
1976 Edmund Janzen

1976
Edmund Janzen is appointed president (resigns 1984).

1976 FPC FPU-1428 SEPIA

1976
The official name of the university is changed to Fresno Pacific College.

1977
1977 Steinert Athletic Complex

1977
Land is purchased for the Steinert Athletic Complex.

1979
1979 FPC Board of Directors

1979
The Unified Board of Education is dissolved and the independent FPC board is established.

1980
1980 Hiebert Library

1980
Hiebert Library addition is completed.

1980 Soccer Player

1980
The new soccer field is completed (north of the current Facilities Management building).

1981
1981 Volleyball

1981
The Special Events Center is completed.

1981 Basketball

1981
The volleyball program and women’s basketball programs are established.

1981 Sunbird Mascot 1980FPU-11339

1981
“Sunbirds” is chosen as mascot.

1982
1982 Students

1982
The academic calendar switches from quarters to semesters.

1982 FPU

1982
The revision of Fresno Pacific College Idea is completed.

1985
1985 Kriegbaum Inaguration

1985
Richard Kriegbaum is appointed president (resigns in 1997).

1986
1987 Cross Country

1986
The cross country program re-established.

1986 West Hall

1986
West Hall (later Bartsch Hall) is purchased and remodeled.

1987
1987 track and field

1987
The track & field program is re-established.

1989
1989 Volleyball

1989
The women’s volleyball team wins FPU’s first team national championship (NAIA).

1990
1990 DC Program

1990
The Bachelor’s Degree Completion (DC) program is established.

1990 Conflict and peacemaking

1990
The Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies is established.

1992
1992 Enrollment

1992
The total enrollment exceeds 1,000 for the first time.

1992 Visalia

1992
Degree completion classes begin in Visalia.

1992 McDonald Hall FPU-1291

1992
McDonald Hall and Holman Park are completed.

1993
1990 Wiebe

1993
Phase two of the Wiebe Education Center is completed.

1996
1996 Bakersfield

1996
Degree completion classes begin in Bakersfield and Merced.

1997
1997 Allen Carden

1997
Allen Carden is appointed president (resigns in 2000).

1997 Name Change FPU-1438

1997
The name of the university is changed to Fresno Pacific University.

1998
1998 East Hall

1998
East Hall (later Jost Hall) is completed.

1999
1999 Ecklund Park

1999
Ecklund Park is completed.

2000
2000 Harold Haak

2000
Harold Haak is appointed president (resigns in 2003).

2002
2002 AIMS

2002
AIMS Hall of Math and Science completed.

2003 D Merrill Ewert

2002
D. Merrill Ewert is appointed president (resigns in 2012).

2003
2003 Steinert Campus Center

2003
Steinert Campus Center is completed.

2005
MCD HALL GREEN

2005
The new academic structure is implemented creating the present four schools.

2003 Visalia Center

2005
In January of 2005 the Bakersfield and Visalia regional campuses open and in December the North Fresno regional campus opens.

2006
2006 BB

2006
The men’s baseball team begins competition.

2008
2008 ONLINE

2008
The first fully online programs are introduced.

2008 RACIAL student population

2008
Racial minority students form the majority of the student body for first time in FPU’s history.

2009
2009 Enrollment

2009
The total enrollment exceeds 2,000 for first time in FPU’s history while degree completion enrollment exceeds traditional undergraduate enrollment for first time.

2005 Bakersfield

2009
Visalia Regional Campus moves to Plaza Drive and the Bakersfield Regional Campus moves to River Run Blvd.

2010
2010 MBBS

2010
The Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary (MBBS) becomes part of FPU as the Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary.

2011
2011 Merced

2011
Merced Regional Campus opens on El Portal Drive.

SEPIA FPU MCH MSN

2011
The first classes of RN-to-BSN and global MBA graduate.

2011 COMMENCEMENT

2011
Enrollment hits another milestone at 3,603 students.

2012
2012 Pete Menjares Ph.D.

2012
In 2012, Pete Menjares, is appointed president (resigns in 2014).

2013
2013 HSI

2013
FPU ranks in the top 10 nationally among Hispanic-Serving Institutions in graduating Hispanic students.

2015
2015 BASEBALL

2015
FPU is approved for active NCAA membership and the Sunbirds fly in the NCAA Division II.

2015 FPU partners with CA Health

2015
FPU partners with California Health Sciences University to offer transfers to CHSU after three years to complete their doctorate of pharmacy program.

2015 STEM program

2015
FPU’s STEM program receives national “Example of Excelencia Award” in the baccalaureate category from the non-profit agency Excelencia in Education.

2017
Joseph Jones

2017
Joseph Jones is installed as 13th president of Fresno Pacific University.

2018
ECD 1 (Lena Vang)

2018
FPU’S social work program receives accreditation by the Council on social work Education (CSWE).

2019
November 2019 - 75th gala

November 2, 2019
Fresno Pacific University celebrates 75th anniversary with events including a Gala honoring seven Distinguished Alumni.

2020
march-2020---fpu-sign

March 2020
All campuses were closed for classes during COVID-19 pandemic and classes moved online.

may-2020---diploma

May 2020
A record 875 students received diplomas through the mail since there was no commencement ceremony due to the pandemic.

september-2020---old-casa-pacifica

September 2020
The Creek Fire destroyed the Casa Pacifica cabin near Shaver Lake.

fall-2020---nursing

Fall 2020
A new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program was added to the existing nursing programs.

2022
may-2022---wcac

May 25, 2022
The Warkentine Culture and Arts Center was dedicated as an arts venue and way to bring the campus and community closer.

june-2022---4x400

June 2022
Sunbird women’s 4x400 relay team take home gold at the NCAA DII National Championships.

july-2022---dr-stephens

July 1, 2022
André Stephens, Ph.D., becomes FPU’s 14th president.

2023
february-2023---new-casa-pacifica

February 11, 2023
A new Casa Pacifica located near Millerton Lake is dedicated as a place to refresh spirits and build and deepen relationships.

june-2023---visalia-campus

June 1, 2023
FPU celebrates Visalia Campus 20th anniversary.

fall-2023---mcd-hall

Fall 2023
Schools are restructured from five to two: School of Graduate and Professional Studies and School of Arts and Sciences.

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