Indiana University Kokomo - History

History

In 1932, John and George Beauchamp opened the Kokomo Junior College in the downtown YMCA. The Junior College offered a basic two-year collegiate program. It maintained an average enrollment of approximately 75 students. In 1945, it moved to 508 West Taylor Street, which was Indiana University's first building in the City of Kokomo. Indiana University Kokomo was officially established in 1945 as one of several extension centers of Indiana University. (2012)

Under the first director, Virgil Hunt, who later donated millions of dollars to the institution and funded the construction of Hunt Hall, students moved to a new location in 1947. In this location on West Sycamore Street, known as the Sieberling Mansion, an adjacent home, the Elliot House, and its two carriage buildings served as the IU Kokomo campus for nearly twenty years. In 1965, IUK moved to its current location, south of historic downtown Kokomo, on Washington Street. The Main Building, the first building on campus, opened with classrooms, a library, administrative offices, and a 908-seat auditorium. In 1980, the East Building - now known for its state-of-the-art Nursing Simulation Lab - was constructed.

In 1989, the Kelley Student Center was completed. Six years later, the modern library was opened. Purdue advisement offices and campus offices are housed in the west wing of the building, where PU:Technology-accredited courses are held. In 2001, Hunt Hall opened, a modern building used for science and math and named after Virgil and Elizabeth Hunt. In 2010, IUK acquired an off-campus building which was once the Kokomo Post Office, and it has since been renamed The Fine Arts Building.