Timeline

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

1935
PDC creates School and Education Committee

1941
PDC votes to establish a Bible institute

1943
PDC establishes "Pacific Bible Institute" as official name

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

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

Spring 1945
Building purchased at 2049 Tuolumne Street

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

June 2, 1946
First commencement

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

1948
Bible institute accreditation

1949
Enrollment peaks at 161, highest of PBI era

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

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

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

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

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

1955
First houses completed in Campus Homesites subdivision

Fall 1955
MBBS opens

Fall 1956
Seminary moves into Giffen Home on the Clark Property

Fall 1956
Creation of liberal arts program for Pacific Bible Institue

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

October 19, 1958
Groundbreaking for classroom building on new campus

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

1960
Arthur J. Wiebe appointed president

May 1960
Name changed to “Pacific College”

Fall 1960
Intercollegiate basketball program begins

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

December 1960
“Viking” mascot is selected

February 1961
Pacific College receives junior college accreditation

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

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

Spring 1962
Track & field program established

1962
Men’s soccer program established

Fall 1962
Bible institute curriculum no longer appears in catalog

September 1962
Hiebert Library completed

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

Fall 1963
Enrollment exceeds 200 for first time

May 1964
Alumni Hall completed

September 1964
Third phase of dormitories completed

Spring 1965
Original amphitheater completed

May 1965
Senior college accreditation

1966
Pacific College Idea first adopted

May 1966
Warkentin Prayer Chapel completed

1966
Cross-country program established

1967
Science Building (Marpeck Center) completed

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

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

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

1972
Total fall enrollment exceeds 400 for first time.

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

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

1974
The first master of arts program is approved.

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

1976
Edmund Janzen is appointed president (resigns 1984).

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

1977
Land is purchased for the Steinert Athletic Complex.

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

1980
Hiebert Library addition is completed.

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

1981
The Special Events Center is completed.

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

1981
“Sunbirds” is chosen as mascot.

1982
The academic calendar switches from quarters to semesters.

1982
The revision of Fresno Pacific College Idea is completed.

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

1986
The cross country program re-established.

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

1987
The track & field program is re-established.

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

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

1990
The Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies is established.

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

1992
Degree completion classes begin in Visalia.

1992
McDonald Hall and Holman Park are completed.

1993
Phase two of the Wiebe Education Center is completed.

1996
Degree completion classes begin in Bakersfield and Merced.

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

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

1998
East Hall (later Jost Hall) is completed.

1999
Ecklund Park is completed.

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

2002
AIMS Hall of Math and Science completed.

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

2003
Steinert Campus Center is completed.

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

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

2006
The men’s baseball team begins competition.

2008
The first fully online programs are introduced.

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

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.

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

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

2011
Merced Regional Campus opens on El Portal Drive.

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

2011
Enrollment hits another milestone at 3,603 students.

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

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

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

2015
FPU partners with California Health Sciences University to offer transfers to CHSU after three years to complete their doctorate of pharmacy 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 is installed as 13th president of Fresno Pacific University.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 1, 2023
FPU celebrates Visalia Campus 20th anniversary.

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