Olivet Nazarene University
Encyclopedia
Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) is a Christian institution of higher education
located in the Kankakee, Illinois
village of Bourbonnais
. Named for Olivet, Illinois
, ONU was originally established as a grammar school
in east-central Illinois in 1907. It is affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene
denomination
and is the annual site of the Church's "Regional Celebrate Life" youth gathering for the Central USA Region. It is one of the largest members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
.
Olivet Nazarene University traces its roots to 1907, when the Eastern Illinois Holiness Association started Miss Mary Nesbitt's grammar school
in a house in Georgetown, Illinois
. In 1908, the school's founders acquired 14 acre
s in the village of Olivet
, and moved the grammar school to the proposed campus. A Wesleyan
–holiness
community sprang up around the school.
In 1909, the liberal arts college
was chartered and named Illinois Holiness University, with A. M. Hills from Texas Holiness University as its first president. It was then given to the Church of the Nazarene
in 1912, with E. F. Walker as president, and inherited one of the most populated Nazarene regions in the United States. It was renamed Olivet University in 1915, and again in 1921 to Olivet College.
The economic solvency of the school became a problem in the 1920s, and the trustees were forced to declare bankruptcy
in 1926. The school's treasurer, T. W. Willingham, purchased the school back at an auction
and was elected president. In 1939, the main building on campus was destroyed by fire. This prompted the school to look for a new location. Under President A.L. Parrott, the school moved in 1940, onto the previous 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) campus of St. Viator's College. With the move, the school's name was changed to Olivet Nazarene College (ONC). The school's name was changed again in 1986 to Olivet Nazarene University (ONU).
The past twenty years have been marked by a massive change in the culture and image of Olivet. Following the appointment of John C. Bowling as University president, the university began appealing to a more diverse set of students from different Christian denominations. The school began several different construction projects to mark the growth of the school as a whole. The university has also recently subdivided itself into one college and four schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education, School of Professional Studies, School of Theology and Christian Ministry, and the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies.
, outside the city of Kankakee, Illinois
, with 30 buildings. Four buildings are original from St. Viator College
. There are also satellite campuses for adult education
in Rolling Meadows, Illinois
and Hong Kong
.
In total, there are seven academic buildings, two gymnasiums, and six residence halls. The university also has several off-campus apartment buildings. Centennial Chapel plans on showcasing many Christian artists including Bill Gaither
and Chris Tomlin
.
s affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene
. ONU is the college for the "Central USA Region" of the United States. In terms of the Church of the Nazarene, the "Central Region" comprises the Wisconsin, Northwestern Illinois, Illinois, Chicago Central, Northern Michigan, Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northwest Indiana, Northeastern Indiana, Indianapolis, and Southwest Indiana districts, which include Wisconsin
, Michigan
, Illinois
, and Indiana
. Each college receives financial backing from the Nazarene churches on its region; part of each church budget is paid into a fund for its regional school. Each college or university is also bound by a gentlemen's agreement
not to actively recruit outside its respective "educational region."
since 1956 and offers bachelor's degree
s in 67 academic major
s. The School of Graduate and Continuing Studies offers master's degree
s, nontraditional adult degree-completion programs, and a doctor of education
degree only offered at Rolling Meadows as well as a master of "professional counseling" degree offered at a site in Hong Kong and distance education
for a master in education degree. The 2007 acceptance rate for students who applied to the college was 70.3 percent.
rate for white students
and the average graduation rate for black students
. White students had an average graduation rate of 56 percent, one point below the national average for all students, while black students at ONU were found to have an average graduation rate of 17 percent, 38 points below their white peers.
and faculty member Richard G. Colling
from teaching the general education biology
course and banned Colling's 2004 book: Random Designer: Created from Chaos to Connect with Creator (Browning Press: ISBN 0975390406), because of "deep concern regarding the teaching of evolutionary theory as a scientifically proven fact." In 2009, the conclusion of an American Association of University Professors
(AAUP) investigation found problems with shared governance at ONU and that Colling's rights had been violated when Bowling placed the concerns of the more conservative members of its Nazarene
constituency higher than its principles of academic freedom.
There were 4,636 students at the college in 2007, 3,190 of whom were undergraduates. ONU students are from 40 states and 20 countries, and represent 30 Christian denomination
s. 9 percent of the student population is black.
The university offers over 80 different clubs with many different focuses. All of the clubs and student organizations are sponsered by the Olivet Nazarene University Associated Student Council. Some of the most influential clubs on campus include Capitol Hill Gang, the university's political society, Going Green, an environmentally focused green-initiative group, and the campus chapter of the International Justice Mission
.
The school also supports two club sports teams which are loosely affiliated with the university. This first of these is the ONU Men's Volleyball team which was the first sports club to be established. In addition, in 2010, the Black Penguins, a club Ultimate Frisbee team was created and reached the UPA's College Nationals.
and gold
colors and the "Tiger
s" athletic nickname
at Olivet Nazarene have existed since 1940, when ONC students first played Bethany Nazarene College (BNC), and intervarsity
athletics began with another game between ONC and BNC in 1966. Men's varsity teams include Baseball
, Basketball
, Cross-country running, football
, Golf
, Soccer, Tennis
, and Track and field
. Women's varsity sports include Basketball
, Cross country running
, Soccer, Softball
, Tennis
, Track and field
, and Volleyball
. Since 2002, the Chicago Bears
have held their summer training camp there. Originally affiliated with the Division III Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference
of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) from 1974 to 1997, ONU became a charter member of the Mid-States Football Association
in 1994, and now competes in both the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
(CCAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA) and the North-Central Region of the National Christian College Athletic Association
(NCCAA).
president R. Wayne Gardner
, who also served on the faculty at both ENC and ONU, writer Justin DiSandro
, and Ben Zobrist
, the second-baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays
.
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
located in the Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,561, and 26,840 as of a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Kankakee County...
village of Bourbonnais
Bourbonnais, Illinois
Bourbonnais is a village in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,256 at the 2000 census, but it was estimated to have grown to 19,119 in 2009...
. Named for Olivet, Illinois
Olivet, Illinois
Olivet is a census-designated place in Elwood Township, Vermilion County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 428.-External links:*...
, ONU was originally established as a grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in east-central Illinois in 1907. It is affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
denomination
Denomination
Denomination may refer to:*Religious denomination, such as a:**Christian denomination**Jewish denomination**Islamic denomination**Hindu denominations**Buddhist denomination...
and is the annual site of the Church's "Regional Celebrate Life" youth gathering for the Central USA Region. It is one of the largest members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities is an organization designed to help primarily Protestant and evangelical Christian institutions of higher education cooperate and communicate with one another...
.
History
| A.M. Hills | 1909-1910 |
| Ezra Franklin | 1910 - Feb. 1912 |
| J.E. Hoover | Feb. - Jun. 1912 |
| E.F. Walker | Jun. 1912-1913 |
| E.P. Ellyson | 1913-1914 |
| John H. Norris | Jun. - Nov. 1914 |
| E.P. Ellyson | Nov. 1914 - Mar. 1915 |
| A.L. Whitcomb | Mar. - Sep. 1915 |
| E.F. Walker | 1915-1916 |
| Benjamin Franklin Haynes | 1916-1917 |
| J.E. Hoover | 1917-1918 |
| M.E. Borders | Mar. - Sep. 1918 |
| C.L. Hawkins | 1918-1919 |
| J.W. Akers | Jan. - ? 1919 |
| J.E.L. Moore | 1919-1922 |
| Newport W. Sanford | 1922-1926 |
| T.W. Willingham | 1926-1938 |
| A.L. Parrott, Sr. | 1938-1948 |
| Selden Dee Kelley | 1948-1949 |
| Harold W. Reed | 1949-1975 |
| A. Leslie Parrott, Jr. | 1975-1991 |
| John Bowling John Bowling John C. Bowling is the president of Olivet Nazarene University . John Carl Bowling has been the president of Olivet Nazarene University since 1991. Founded in 1907, Olivet offers a full range of fully accredited bachelors' and masters' degree programs as well as a doctor of education degree... |
1991-present |
Olivet Nazarene University traces its roots to 1907, when the Eastern Illinois Holiness Association started Miss Mary Nesbitt's grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in a house in Georgetown, Illinois
Georgetown, Illinois
Georgetown is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the 'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 3,628 at the 2000 census, and 3,412 as of an estimate in 2009.-History:...
. In 1908, the school's founders acquired 14 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s in the village of Olivet
Olivet, Illinois
Olivet is a census-designated place in Elwood Township, Vermilion County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 428.-External links:*...
, and moved the grammar school to the proposed campus. A Wesleyan
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
–holiness
Holiness movement
The holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
community sprang up around the school.
In 1909, the liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
was chartered and named Illinois Holiness University, with A. M. Hills from Texas Holiness University as its first president. It was then given to the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
in 1912, with E. F. Walker as president, and inherited one of the most populated Nazarene regions in the United States. It was renamed Olivet University in 1915, and again in 1921 to Olivet College.
The economic solvency of the school became a problem in the 1920s, and the trustees were forced to declare bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in 1926. The school's treasurer, T. W. Willingham, purchased the school back at an auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
and was elected president. In 1939, the main building on campus was destroyed by fire. This prompted the school to look for a new location. Under President A.L. Parrott, the school moved in 1940, onto the previous 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) campus of St. Viator's College. With the move, the school's name was changed to Olivet Nazarene College (ONC). The school's name was changed again in 1986 to Olivet Nazarene University (ONU).
The past twenty years have been marked by a massive change in the culture and image of Olivet. Following the appointment of John C. Bowling as University president, the university began appealing to a more diverse set of students from different Christian denominations. The school began several different construction projects to mark the growth of the school as a whole. The university has also recently subdivided itself into one college and four schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education, School of Professional Studies, School of Theology and Christian Ministry, and the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies.
Campus
ONU's campus is 250 acres (1 km²) in the village of Bourbonnais, IllinoisBourbonnais, Illinois
Bourbonnais is a village in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,256 at the 2000 census, but it was estimated to have grown to 19,119 in 2009...
, outside the city of Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,561, and 26,840 as of a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Kankakee County...
, with 30 buildings. Four buildings are original from St. Viator College
St. Viator College
St. Viator College was a Catholic liberal arts college in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It is no longer in operation.-History:St. Viator's grew out of the original Bourbonnais village school, founded in 1865 by the Viatorians, to an academy for boys with the help of Father P...
. There are also satellite campuses for adult education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
in Rolling Meadows, Illinois
Rolling Meadows, Illinois
Rolling Meadows is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 24,607 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rolling Meadows is located at ....
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Campus Features
Since Olivet Nazarene University relocated to Bourbonnais, the campus has undergone several different waves of construction. The campus itself has been valued at $150 million. In addition, within the past two years, there have been numerous construction projects including the construction of the CBetty and Kenneth Hawkins Centennial Chapel, the largest theater in Kankakee County, which seats approximately 3,059 people, and the Student Life and Recreation Center, which is currently under construction.In total, there are seven academic buildings, two gymnasiums, and six residence halls. The university also has several off-campus apartment buildings. Centennial Chapel plans on showcasing many Christian artists including Bill Gaither
Bill Gaither
William J. Gaither is an American singer and songwriter of southern gospel and Contemporary Christian music. Besides having written numerous popular Christian songs with his wife, Gloria, he is also known for performing as part of the Bill Gaither Trio, and the Gaither Vocal Band...
and Chris Tomlin
Chris Tomlin
Christopher Dwayne "Chris" Tomlin is an American Christian Contemporary Music artist, worship leader, and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States. He is a former staff member at Austin Stone Community Church and is signed to EMI's sixstepsrecords. Tomlin also leads worship at many...
.
Organization
ONU is one of nine regional U.S. liberal arts collegeLiberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
s affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
. ONU is the college for the "Central USA Region" of the United States. In terms of the Church of the Nazarene, the "Central Region" comprises the Wisconsin, Northwestern Illinois, Illinois, Chicago Central, Northern Michigan, Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northwest Indiana, Northeastern Indiana, Indianapolis, and Southwest Indiana districts, which include Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Each college receives financial backing from the Nazarene churches on its region; part of each church budget is paid into a fund for its regional school. Each college or university is also bound by a gentlemen's agreement
Gentlemen's agreement
A gentlemen's agreement is an informal agreement between two or more parties. It may be written, oral, or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or through mutually beneficial etiquette. The essence of a gentlemen's agreement is that it relies upon the honor of the parties...
not to actively recruit outside its respective "educational region."
Academics
ONU has been accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and SchoolsNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
since 1956 and offers bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
s in 67 academic major
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
s. The School of Graduate and Continuing Studies offers master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s, nontraditional adult degree-completion programs, and a doctor of education
Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Education or Doctor in Education degree , in Latin, Doctor Educationis, is a research-oriented professional doctorate that prepares the student for academic, administrative, clinical, or research positions in educational, civil, and private organizations.-Differences between an Ed.D...
degree only offered at Rolling Meadows as well as a master of "professional counseling" degree offered at a site in Hong Kong and distance education
Distance education
Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
for a master in education degree. The 2007 acceptance rate for students who applied to the college was 70.3 percent.
Graduation gap
A report released in April 2008 found that, of the institutions surveyed throughout the U.S. based on data provided under the 1990 Student Right-to-Know Act, ONU had the seventh-largest gap between the average graduationGraduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
rate for white students
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
and the average graduation rate for black students
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
. White students had an average graduation rate of 56 percent, one point below the national average for all students, while black students at ONU were found to have an average graduation rate of 17 percent, 38 points below their white peers.
Evolution controversy
In 2007, President John C. Bowling prohibited ONU alumnusAlumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
and faculty member Richard G. Colling
Richard G. Colling
Richard G. Colling is a former professor of biology and chairman of the biological sciences department at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, who was barred from teaching general biology after writing a book that attempts to reconcile Christian belief with a scientific...
from teaching the general education biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
course and banned Colling's 2004 book: Random Designer: Created from Chaos to Connect with Creator (Browning Press: ISBN 0975390406), because of "deep concern regarding the teaching of evolutionary theory as a scientifically proven fact." In 2009, the conclusion of an American Association of University Professors
American Association of University Professors
The American Association of University Professors is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership is about 47,000, with over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations...
(AAUP) investigation found problems with shared governance at ONU and that Colling's rights had been violated when Bowling placed the concerns of the more conservative members of its Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
constituency higher than its principles of academic freedom.
Student life
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
s. 9 percent of the student population is black.
The university offers over 80 different clubs with many different focuses. All of the clubs and student organizations are sponsered by the Olivet Nazarene University Associated Student Council. Some of the most influential clubs on campus include Capitol Hill Gang, the university's political society, Going Green, an environmentally focused green-initiative group, and the campus chapter of the International Justice Mission
International Justice Mission
International Justice Mission is a U.S.-based non-profit human rights organization that operates in countries all over the world to rescue victims of individual human rights abuse. IJM works to combat human trafficking including the commercial sexual exploitation of children, forced labor...
.
The school also supports two club sports teams which are loosely affiliated with the university. This first of these is the ONU Men's Volleyball team which was the first sports club to be established. In addition, in 2010, the Black Penguins, a club Ultimate Frisbee team was created and reached the UPA's College Nationals.
Athletics
The purplePurple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
and gold
Gold (color)
Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold....
colors and the "Tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
s" athletic nickname
Athletic nickname
The athletic nickname, or equivalently athletic moniker, of a university or college within the United States is the name officially adopted by that institution for at least the members of its athletic teams...
at Olivet Nazarene have existed since 1940, when ONC students first played Bethany Nazarene College (BNC), and intervarsity
Intervarsity
Intervarsity, Inter Varsity or Inter-Varsity may refer to:*All-Asian Intervarsity Debating Championships, now merged to form the United Asian Debating Championships.*Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships...
athletics began with another game between ONC and BNC in 1966. Men's varsity teams include Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Cross-country running, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, Soccer, Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and Track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. Women's varsity sports include Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, Soccer, Softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, Track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
. Since 2002, the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
have held their summer training camp there. Originally affiliated with the Division III Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference
Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference
The Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference was an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA Division III. Member institutions were located in the midwestern United States in the states of Illinois and Iowa...
of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) from 1974 to 1997, ONU became a charter member of the Mid-States Football Association
Mid-States Football Association
The Mid-States Football Association is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio. The MSFA was organized in 1993, and on-field competition began in 1994...
in 1994, and now competes in both the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Its 14 members are located in the Midwestern United States...
(CCAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA) and the North-Central Region of the National Christian College Athletic Association
National Christian College Athletic Association
The National Christian College Athletic Association is an association of approximately 100 Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada which see collegiate sports primarily as an opportunity for Christian fellowship and ministry. The national headquarters...
(NCCAA).
Notable persons
Notable alumni include Nazarene General Superintendents Jim Diehl and Paul Cunningham, former Eastern Nazarene CollegeEastern Nazarene College
The Eastern Nazarene College is a private, coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences in Quincy, Massachusetts near Boston, in the New England region of the United States. Known for its strong religious affiliation, distinctive liberal arts core curriculum, and excellence in science...
president R. Wayne Gardner
R. Wayne Gardner
Robert Wayne Gardner was a minister, an academic, and the president of the Eastern Nazarene College.- Early life and education :Gardner was born in Tidioute, Pennsylvania on May 16, 1894. He earned his bachelor's degree from Olivet College and was ordained in the Church of the Nazarene in 1918...
, who also served on the faculty at both ENC and ONU, writer Justin DiSandro
Justin DiSandro
Jusin DiSandro is a poet, commercial director and screenwriter from Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in 2007. DiSandro wrote the screenplay for Nightfall, a documentary on vampire film history and has done research on the topic of vampires and zombies in the cinema....
, and Ben Zobrist
Ben Zobrist
Benjamin Thomas "Ben" Zobrist is an American baseball player currently with Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays. A switch-hitter who throws right-handed, he has exhibited a versatility to play most positions with the exception of pitcher and catcher. He has been the Rays' starting second...
, the second-baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
.