Bellevue University - History

History

The university began as Bellevue College and opened in 1966 with the aim of providing education for working adults in the area. By 1974 it had become the fourth largest private college in Nebraska and had added a gymnasium, student center, and library. In 1977, Bellevue earned full accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. In the mid 1980s increasing competition from other colleges in the area, which had also begun catering to working adult students, created financial problems which nearly led to the college's closure. However, under its third President, John Muller, who took over in 1985, the college refocused, survived, and started to expand.

In 1987 the college began offering an accelerated bachelor's degree program and in 1990 began its first master's degree program. In 1994 Bellevue College became Bellevue University. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw expansion of the campus with the opening of the Lozier Professional Center in west Omaha, the Riley Technology Center on the main campus, and the Lakeside Center. The library, humanities center, athletic center, and the student center were all renovated, and a new 72,000-square-foot (6,700 m2) Educational Services building was built to host classrooms, offices, and faculty space. Bellevue University now has over 10,000 students and numerous undergraduate and graduate programs.