History of the University of Dubuque
The University of Dubuque's long and distinguished history of leadership, innovation, and change in service to church and world began in 1852 when the Rev. Adrian Van Vliet started to tutor two brothers for the ministry. The Van Vliet School provided spiritual leadership for the burgeoning population of immigrants from Germany on the American frontier.
In 1864, the school was formally named the German Theological School of the Northwest. Six years later, in 1870, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church assumed control of the institution and renamed it the German Theological School of the Presbyterian Church of the Northwest. Over the next 50 years, the institution underwent multiple name changes until June 17, 1920, when a new charter was issued along with the new name of the University of Dubuque.
In 1905, President William O. Ruston and Financial Secretary Cornelius M. Steffens reorganized the institution to expand its curriculum and grant academic degrees. In April 1905, the first four bachelor's degrees from the school were awarded. During this time, Steffens led the charge to relocate campus to its present location on six acres of land along what is now University Avenue. The new campus' first building, later named Steffens Hall, was dedicated in April 1907.
During Steffens' tenure as president from 1908 to 1924, the campus expanded and became co-educational. Generous people who recognized the institution's potential provided funding for the buildings that constituted the core of the campus by 1917: Severance Hall, Steffens Hall, Peters Commons, and McCormick Gymnasium. By 1923, the University of Dubuque became a truly international institution with 96 of the 296 students from Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Barely surviving the Great Depression, the University of Dubuque faced another challenge during World War II. Nearly 500 students and former students joined the military. President Dale D. Welch secured the Navy's V5/V12 program on campus in July 1943 that allowed sailors to take college courses. The program provided resources until the advent of the post-war GI Bill®, which revolutionized higher education and society, filling campus with motivated veterans.
President Gaylord M. Couchman led the University of Dubuque in building a modern campus during the 1950s and 1960s. No buildings, except for Van Vliet Hall in 1925 to1926, had been constructed on campus since 1917. Under Couchman's leadership, Aitchison, Donnell, and Cassat residence halls, Ficke-Laird Library, Goldthorp Science Hall, Smith Hall, and Potterveld Apartments were built while McCormick Gymnasium underwent an addition. The growth in buildings made it possible to increase academic offerings, the endowment, and enrollment.
The 1970s produced a remarkable ecumenical thrust in higher education under the leadership of President Walter F. Peterson. The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, Aquinas Institute of Theology, and Wartburg Theological Seminary created an unprecedented threefold seminary consortium. Aquinas became the home for UDTS until 1981 when Aquinas moved to St. Louis, Missouri, thus dissolving the consortium, and UDTS returned to campus.
Although UDTS has seen considerable change over the years, faculty and staff have remained committed to maintaining a tradition of providing strong preparation for pastoral ministry. In 1998, a $1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment funded a distance education program for lay pastors of the Presbyterian Church. In 2007, UDTS pioneered the first distance learning master of divinity degree in Presbyterian seminaries nationwide. The seminary now offers the master of arts in Christian leadership, master of arts in mission and discipleship, master of divinity, and doctor of ministry, as well as a certificate in Christian leadership for commissioned ruling elders.
During the 1980s, the University of Dubuque once again underwent multiple changes. Steffens Hall, the original building on campus, was razed, and Blades Hall was constructed. Arches and pillars from Steffens Hall were saved to create Steffens Colonnade - a piece of history that welcomes visitors to campus along University Avenue. During this same time period, the addition of Stoltz Sports Center on McCormick Gymnasium doubled the size of the indoor athletic facility.
In June 1998, Jeffrey F. Bullock became the eleventh president of the University of Dubuque. Under his leadership and with guidance from the Mission, Vision, Action Plan, adopted by the Board of Trustees, the University of Dubuque continues to provide leadership, innovation, and change in the church and society. Multiple initiatives and programs support that service including Apex: Celebration of Student Scholarship and Creativity, the John and Alice Butler Summer Research Fellowship, the Joseph and Linda Chlapaty Summer Research Fellowship, and the Wendt Character Center
During the Bullock presidency, the University extensively grew its campus footprint. In 1998, the Jackaline Baldwin Dunlap Technology Center was dedicated. Three years later, in 2001, the Charles C. Myers Library was dedicated with construction of the second floor being completed the following year. Also in 2001, Seminary Village was constructed on South Campus to provide housing for seminary students and their families.
In 2004, South Campus - the most significant land use development on campus since Steffens Hall was constructed in the early 1900s - was dedicated. South Campus anchors the University of Dubuque along Highway 20 and, at the time of its dedication, included Seminary Village, Alumni Walkway, Conlon Colonnade, University Park Village, University Park Drive, and Oyen Field.
Over the next few years, Cassat, Donnell, and Aitchison residence halls were renovated and multiple buildings were dedicated: Charles and Romona Myers Center, University Science Center, Goldthorp Hall, Mary Chlapaty Hall, and Chlapaty Recreation and Wellness Center.
Campus growth continued through the new decade. Mercer-Birmingham Hall was dedicated in 2011, and Heritage Center held an Opening Night Celebration featuring the Columbus (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra and the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra in 2013. One year later, Chlapaty Hall and the Veterans Memorial Training Center were opened. In 2015, the dining hall in Peters Commons was renovated and renamed the Barbara and Jack Smeltzer Dining Hall. Also in 2015, the Sergeant Jeffrey B. Dodge Veterans Center was dedicated to invest in student veterans. The addition of Linda Chlapaty Hall on the University Science Center and Debra Runkle Center were dedicated in 2016. The following year, the Dan W. Runkle Baseball Field was dedicated. In 2018, a weight training facility at the Veterans Memorial Training Center opened and the renovation of the Quad was completed. Wallace Common and the Babka Aviation Learning Center were dedicated in 2019.
Two major campus projects were dedicated fall 2020. The Smeltzer-Kelly Student Health Center provides students with a first point of access for outpatient and preventative medical care services for physical and brain health as well as referral services to medical facilities for more serious ailments. The Peter and Susan Smith Welcome Center includes an interpretive welcome area, a multicultural student center, classrooms, and office space for the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement.
In May 2021, the University officially dedicated the John and Alice Butler Pipe Organ in Heritage Center. The pipe organ has expanded students' musical horizons and enhanced campus events.
Thanks to investors, 121 acres of unglaciated land about 20 miles from campus was purchased after the previous property owners, Mari and Gary Wolter, proposed UD become stewards the land. The Wolters had partnered with the Department of Natural and Applied Sciences for a decade on a variety of research projects and educational activities. The property's official name became the Wolter Woods and Prairies Environmental Stewardship and Retreat Center.
In summer 2022, the first complete renovation of Van Vliet Hall in nearly 100 years was completed. Severance Hall underwent a similar renovation that was completed fall 2023, and Aitchison Residence Hall received a new roof and brick and stone exterior. Grace Plaza, completed fall 2022, created an open and flexible pedestrian-friendly space connecting the upper and lower portions of campus.
Growth also occurred in academic offerings. In 2009, the Learning Institute for Fulfillment and Engagement (LIFE) enrolled its first students. It expanded to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 2013. The program offers accelerated bachelor’s and master’s degrees for adult learners. In 2026, LIFE was redesigned to LIFE HyFlex to give adult learners more control over their education than ever before. In 2016, the University of Dubuque welcomed its inaugural class of students in the master of science in physician assistant studies program. Additionally, the University of Dubuque launched a new master in management program in 2018 designed to help graduate students develop an understanding of management practices and leadership skills in an organization.
In 2024, Travis L. Frampton became the University's twelfth president, following Bullock's 25 plus years of transformative leadership. Continuing the work of his predecessors, Frampton initiated significant advancements in his first year, including the process of establishing the John and Alice Butler College of Osteopathic Medicine (proposed, applicant seeking accreditation), a major expansion of the aviation program and the Edward Babka Aviation Learning Center, and the construction of the 75,000-square-foot Chlapaty Center for Innovation. An application for the engineering program - the first new undergraduate department on campus in over a decade - was submitted in 2026 to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is under review.
As the University continues to grow, we remember and honor those who have committed themselves in service to the University's Mission of shaping lives of exceptional ability, worth, and purpose.
THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED AS PRESIDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE:
- Travis L. Frampton, PhD
The Twelfth President
2024 - Current - Jeffrey Francis Bullock, PhD
The Eleventh President
1998 - 2024 - Bruce Meriwether
Acting President
1996 - 1998 - John James Agria
The Tenth President
1990 - 1996 - Walter Fritiof Peterson
The Ninth President
1970 - 1990 - William George Chalmers
The Eighth President
1967 - 1970 - Gaylord Murray Couchman
The Seventh President
1953 - 1967 - Rollo Collet La Porte
The Sixth President
1948 - 1953 - Samuel S. George
Acting President
1947 - 1948 - Dale Dennis Welch
The Fifth President
1936 - 1947 - William Berdette Zuker
Acting President
1935 - 1936 - Paul H. Buchholz
The Fourth President
1929 - 1935 - William Berdette Zuker
Acting President
1927 - 1929 - Karl Frederick Wettstone
The Third President
1924 - 1927 - Cornelius Martin Steffens
The Second President
1908 - 1923 - William Otis Ruston
The First President
1904 - 1908
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.