Northwood University (NU) is a

private university Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they often receive tax breaks, public student loans, and government grants. Depending on the count ...

focused on business education with its main campus in

Midland, Michigan Midland is a city in Midland County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 42,547 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Midland metropolitan statistical area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City ...

, United States. Opened in 1959, more than 33,000 people have graduated from the institution.Northwood University: About Us-History
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History

Northwood University opened as Northwood Institute in 1959 by Arthur E. Turner and R. Gary Stauffer. One hundred students enrolled at the new school, which was initially located in a 19th-century mansion in Alma, Michigan. Northwood Institute moved to Midland, Michigan, in 1961.Peterson's Four-Year Coilleges by Thomson Peterson, page 2101-2104, Northwood University
/ref> The

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

operated a

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

known as "West Baden College" at the former West Baden Springs Hotel, in

Orange County, Indiana Orange County is located in Southern Indiana, Southern Indiana in the United States. As of 2020, its population was 19,867. The county seat is Paoli, Indiana, Paoli. The County (United States), county has four municipal corporation, incorporate ...

, from 1934 until June 1964, when declining enrollment forced the closure of the facility. They sold the property to a Michigan couple, who in turn donated it to Northwood Institute, which operated a

satellite campus A satellite campus, branch campus or regional campus is a campus of a university or college that is physically at a distance from the original university or college area. This branch campus may be located in a different city, state, or country, ...

of their business management school, "Northwood University-West Baden", under the dome on the property from 1966 until 1983, when it was closed.French Lick Resort website: History-West Baden Springs Hotel
/ref> During the same time frame during which the Indiana campus was opened, a Northwood facility was also established in Texas. In 1982, David E. Fry became president of the school. The Florida residential campus was added and the academic curricula was expanded. The school was accredited by the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

.Higher Learning Commission
/ref> In 1993, the name was changed from ''Northwood Institute'' to Northwood University and The DeVos Graduate School of Management was created. A joint program with the Hotel Institute Montreux was established in 2001 to combine Swiss hospitality traditions with American management practices. The school, located in

Montreux, Switzerland Montreux (, ; ; ) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut district in the canton of Vaud, having a population of approximately 26,500, with about 85,00 ...

was Northwood University's first international venture. University College program centers were expanded for a total of 40 locations in eight states and program centers were begun in Bahrain, China, Sri Lanka, and Switzerland. In October 2007, Keith A. Pretty was named Northwood's third President and CEO. Kent MacDonald became president in 2019. In 2014, Northwood announced that it would close its residential operations at its Texas location, while continuing to expand its adult degree program and graduate program there. A year later in 2015, the university sold its Florida location to Keiser University.Keiser University to take over Northwood University's West Palm Beach campus
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Academics

Northwood focuses on business education. Its most popular undergraduate majors, based on 2021 graduates (including by distance learning), were: ::Business Administration and Management (343) ::Accounting (108) ::Marketing/Marketing Management (79) ::Vehicle & Vehicle Parts & Accessories Marketing Operations (47) ::Finance (39) ::Management Science (24) ::Sport & Fitness Administration/Management (22)

Athletics

Current campuses

Michigan Timberwolves

The athletic teams of Northwood University's Michigan (main) campus are called the Timberwolves. The campus is a member of the

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is the intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment ...

ranks, primarily competing in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) since the 2022–23 academic year. The Timberwolves previously competed in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) from 1972–73 to 1986–87, and again from 1992–93 to 2021–22. Northwood competes in 16 varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. Club sports include men's ice hockey. On April 29, 2021, Northwood announced that it will leave the GLIAC to join the G-MAC in July 2022.

Former campuses

Texas Knights

The athletic teams of Northwood University's Texas campus were called the Knights. The campus was located in Cedar Hill, Texas, and was a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for higher education, colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic schola ...

(NAIA); primarily competing in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) for the 2013–14 academic year. They also competed in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) from 1998–99 to 2012–13. Northwood University–Texas competed in 13 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports included football, baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, and track & field; while women's sports included basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, and track & field.

Florida Seahawks

The athletic teams of Northwood University's Florida campus were called the Seahawks. The campus was located in

West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, Florida, Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lag ...

, and was a member of the

(NAIA); primarily competing in the Sun Conference (formerly known as the Florida Sun Conference (FSC) until after the 2007–08 school year) from 1994–95 to 2014–15. Northwood University–Florida competed in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports included baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, and tennis; while women's sports included basketball, cheerleading, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball.

Notable alumni

* Jeffrey Ajluni, businessman * Robb Brent, NASCAR/ARCA driver * Julie Calley, politician and former second lady from Michigan * Rob Childress,

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

coach * Dick DeVos, 2006 Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate, son of

Amway Amway Corp. (short for "American Way") is an American multi-level marketing (MLM) company that sells health, beauty, and home care products. The company was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos and is based in Ada Township, Michi ...

co-founder * Dan DeVos, American businessman and sports executive * Carole Gist, Miss USA 1990 * Rina Mohd Harun, Malaysian politician * Charleston Hughes,

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

All-Star defensive linemen and Grey Cup champion * Maurice Jones, NBL Canada player, 2017 NBL Canada Rookie of the Year * Blake Koch, NASCAR driver * Lisa McClain, Representative of Michigan's 9th congressional district * Jermaine Middleton, former basketball player for the

Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters is an American Exhibition game, exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, entertainment, and comedy in their style of play. Over the years, they have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 124 ...

* Candice Miller, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives * Jerry Pettway,

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...

Houston Mavericks The Houston Mavericks were a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA). They played in the upstart league's first two seasons, from 1967–68 ABA season, 1967 to 1968–69 ABA season, 1969. Their home arena was the Sam Houston Co ...

guard * Deborah Renshaw, NASCAR driver * Jim Stamas, businessman and politician * Chris Wilson, NFL defensive end * Ernie Zeigler,

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

coach File:Candice Miller, official portrait, 112th Congress.jpg, Candice Miller File:Lisa McClain 117th U.S Congress.jpg, Lisa McClain File: Dick DeVos 2022.jpg, Dick DeVos File:RobbBrent2010Bucyrus200RoadAmerica.jpg, Robb Brent file:Carole_Gist.jpg, Carole Gist File:39, Charleston Hughes, Oct 6, 2021.jpg, Charleston Hughes file:Rina_Mohd_Harun_%2812_March_2021%29.jpg, Rina Harun File:Maurice_Jones_USC.jpg, Maurice Jones

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{Coord, 43, 37, 50, N, 84, 16, 43, W, region:US-MI_type:edu, display=title Universities and colleges established in 1959 Midland, Michigan Private universities and colleges in Michigan Education in Midland County, Michigan Buildings and structures in Midland County, Michigan 1959 establishments in Michigan Private universities and colleges in Texas