George Fox University
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George Fox University is a Christian university of the liberal arts, & sciences, and professional studies ranked by U.S. News and World Report as a top-tier master's-level university in the West. The university was founded in Newberg in 1891. Today, more than 3,000 students attend classes on the university’s campus in Newberg, at its Portland, Salem, and Boise centers, and at other teaching sites in Oregon.
History
More than a century ago, early Quaker pioneers helped settle the rich and fruitful Chehalem Valley of Oregon. One of their first priorities, along with the founding of their church, was the education of their children.
In 1885, Christian instruction was accomplished with the establishment of Friends Pacific Academy, whose founding pioneers had a dream of a college to provide further and more advanced education.
On September 9, 1891, the doors of Pacific College opened with fifteen students enrolled for the first day of classes. In 1949, because of the many "Pacific" colleges, the school was retitled in honor of George Fox, the founder of the Friends, or Quaker, Church. The name changed again in 1996 when Western Evangelical Seminary merged with George Fox College to create George Fox University.
Since 1991, George Fox University has experienced rapid growth, quadrupling in size. Enrollment has surpassed 3,000 students. Programs have expanded beyond traditional undergraduate offerings to include graduate, seminary, and degree-completion programs for working adults.