History & Society

Indiana University

university system, Indiana, United States
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Also known as: Indiana College, Indiana Seminary
Indiana University
Indiana University
Areas Of Involvement:
public education
Related People:
Bob Knight

Indiana University, state system of higher education consisting of the campuses in Bloomington (main), Gary (known as Northwest), South Bend, Kokomo, New Albany (known as Southeast), and Richmond (known as East), as well as schools operated in cooperation with Purdue University at Fort Wayne (known as Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne) and at Indianapolis (known as Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis). All branches offer undergraduate bachelor degree programs, and most offer master’s degree programs. The campuses in Bloomington and Indianapolis award doctoral degrees. The school of medicine, created in Bloomington in 1903, is centred in Indianapolis with branch facilities throughout the state. For most of the medical school’s history, its students studied in Bloomington and Indianapolis, until in 1958 the Bloomington division was moved to the capital city. The main campus in Bloomington is a comprehensive university with a strong reputation in the fine arts, including one of the leading music schools in the United States. It also provides instruction in business and law. Campus facilities include the Integrated Science and Accelerator Technology Hall; the Nuclear Theory Center; the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction; the Center for the Study of Global Change; the Folklore Institute; and the Center for Innovative Computer Applications. Total enrollment for the university system is more than 100,000.

Indiana University was founded in 1820 as State Seminary, with instruction beginning in 1824. In 1828 the name was changed to Indiana College, and in 1838 the college was awarded university status. The law school was founded in 1842. Women were first admitted to the university in 1867. Notable alumni of Indiana University include journalist Ernie Pyle, physicist and Nobel laureate James Watson, and songwriter-musician Hoagy Carmichael. The university’s men’s basketball team in Bloomington has won multiple National Collegiate Athletic Association championships.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.