Timeline
1930s
April 16, 1934: Charter Day (2:52 p.m.)
October 1, 1934: First convocation of William J. Porter University in 3rd floor auditorium of First Baptist Educational Building.
1935: Porter University officially changes to 探花族 Junior College (JJC). Classes move to Haddock Business University classrooms at 517 Laura Street.
1936: The school occupies the entire second floor of the Florida Theater Building.
1940s
1944: JJC colors change from scarlet and white to green and white.
January 20, 1944: Dr. Garth H. Akridge is elected as first full-time, salaried president of JJC and serves from 1944-1951.
April, 1944: JJC moves to Kay Mansion at 704 Riverside Avenue.
October 27, 1944: The Scribe is the first student newspaper, publishes only two issues.
September 23, 1946: The Fledgling school newspaper starts.
June 24, 1947: Carl S. Swisher elected Chairman of Board of Trustees.
December 12, 1947: The name 鈥淕reen Dolphins鈥� is chosen through a student contest. Some of the other options considered were: Green Raiders, Green Marlins, Buccaneers, Juggernauts and Green Dragons.
January, 1947: JJC beats Army-Navy Recruiting team 22-16 in first basketball game in the City Recreation League.
May 27, 1949: Green Key Society founded.
1950s
October 2, 1950: Classes begin on Arlington campus in first permanent building (Founders).
December 7, 1950: JJC earns full accreditation from the Southern Associations of Colleges and Secondary Learning.
November 23-24, 1951: First Homecoming banquet is held at the George Washington Hotel, with Congressman Charles E. Bennett as the speaker.
1953: Swisher Gymnasium is built.
March 31, 1953: The board authorizes the first fraternity, Kappa Tau Kappa. Soon after, the first sorority, Beta Chi Alpha, arrives on campus.
April, 1956: Nelms Science building and Swisher Auditorium are dedicated within a week of each other.
April 29, 1956: Franklyn A. Johnson is named president-elect of JJC. He develops school into a fully accredited senior college in five years. He serves until 1963.
February 27, 1958: Board approves merger of 探花族 College of Music with 探花族 University.
June 6, 1959: The first 4-year class of 100 graduates.
1960s
1961: College of Fine Arts established.
December 7, 1961: JU receives full accreditation as four-year institution.
December 11, 1961: Ground is broken for the first dorms.
January 8, 1962: Wayne Corbin appointed first Dean of Men.
March 11, 1963: Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson arrives on campus by helicopter and addresses students in Swisher Gym.
May 9, 1963: JU becomes integrated by trustee vote.
1964: Master of Arts in Teaching program added.
May 1967: College of Arts and Sciences established.
November 9, 1967: Dionne Warwick performs in Swisher gym.
Homecoming, 1969: JU welcomed Neil Diamond to the stage to play in front of students, alumni and faculty.
1970s
March 21, 1970: Led by Artis Gilmore 鈥�71, Men鈥檚 basketball advances to 1970 NCAA Championship game.
September 21, 1971: NROTC established.
1972: Florida First National Bank donates GE-225 Computer (originally worth $385,000) to be used by admissions and registrar in converted classroom.
April 6, 1972: Bob Hope and Jack Benny receive honorary doctorates.
December, 1972: John Denver performs for students during the festivities.
March 7, 1974: Duke Ellington performs in concert with special composition he wrote for the event.
March, 1975: Billy Joel plays in a packed Swisher Gym.
August, 1975: The Rathskeller opens.
September 7, 1979: K.C. and the Sunshine Band record a live performance in Swisher Gym for an album.
1979: College of Business established.
1980s
1980: Students go to 鈥淭he Rat鈥� for happy hour.
April 9, 1980: Dr. Frances B. Kinne inaugurated as the seventh president of 探花族. She was also the first woman president in the state of Florida and the second in the nation.
1981: New majors introduced: dance, photography and communications.
Basketball: over 2 years 39-20 record with 2 Gator Bowl titles, 1 Sunbelt, 1 NCAA and NIT Tournament
Homecoming, 1981: Bruce Springsteen brought more than 10,000 fans to the coliseum and the Doobie Brothers also performed for students as part of the celebration.
1982: Volleyball sets JU record, placing 3rd in AIAW Reg. III Tournament.
June 24, 1982: W. Ashley Verlander is named Chairman of Board of Trustees.
1983: The Division of Aeronautics is created.
March 9, 1983: The New York Yankees played the JU Dolphins at Wolfson Park in an exhibition game to raise funds to install lights at JU baseball field. 11,119 fans turn out.
April 12, 1983: Golden Anniversary Celebration begins with appearance by former President Gerald Ford.
September 9, 1983: Artis Gilmore Day is celebrated. Gilmore receives an honorary doctorate
December 7, 1983: Columnist Ann Landers declares JU one of the top four colleges in the nation.
December, 1983: Davis gift of $3.5 million given to the University.
November 18, 1984: Charlton Heston and Ann Landers visit JU and receive honorary doctorates.
1990s
September 5, 1990: University Center dedicated to Dr. Frances B. Kinne by Winston Churchill III.
April 19, 1991: Groundbreakings for Reid Science Building and Terry Concert Hall.
September 19, 1992: Former JU Student Leanza Cornett wins the title of Miss America.
January 3, 1993: The Daily Show鈥檚 Jon Stewart performs in Snickers Lounge at JU comedy night.
1996: Aeronautics develops one-of-a-kind training partnership with Delta Connection Academy.
1997: New $1.5 million Caf茅 opens in the Kinne Center. Visual arts annex is opened with ceramic room, painting room and glass blowing studio. JU apartments are built.
September 12, 1998: JU football鈥檚 first game is a 19-14 win against Davidson, more than 5,000 fans show up to cheer.
2000s
2001: Renovations are made to Council Building and Kinne Center.
July 1, 2004: Kerry Romesburg became the eleventh University President.
2007: Nursing expands to include Family and Emergency Nurse Practitioner sub-specialization, first in Florida, sixth in country. Oak Hall, newest modern living quarters, opens to students.
October 13, 2007: Negaard Rowing Center opens.
2008-09: Football, basketball, baseball, soccer, track and crew all win their conference championships.
2009: Men鈥檚 and Women鈥檚 Lacrosse added for 2009-10 season.
February 27, 2009: JU breaks ground on $10 million 30,000 square-foot Marine Science Research Institute on the river bank.
May 2, 2009: JU graduates more than 600 new alumni.
October 2009: JU kicks-off the 75th anniversary celebration.
2010s
2012: JU Varsity Sailing team established.
February 1, 2013: Tim Cost became the 12th University President.
March 7, 2013: Florida-Georgia Line played a free concert on Dolphin Green.
June 3, 2013: JU Breaks ground on the $8 million College of Health Sciences, more than doubling the available space for the college.
2014: JU River House opens after the old President's home is renovated into a state-of-the-art meeting space and pub.
September 11, 2014: JU Football plays its first home game at the newly renovated D.B. Milne Field. Renovations include a new playing surface, grandstand, track, video board, concessions and press box for JU football, lacrosse and track and field.
May 28, 2015: Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences is named after Brooks Rehabilitation's $4 million commitment.
August 21, 2015: North Hall opens to first-year students.
March 13, 2016: JU Women's Basketball defeats Florida Gulf Coast to capture first conference championship in school history, and earn a bid to the 2016 NCAA Tournament, another first for the women's program.
March 2, 2017: JU School of Nursing receives largest gift in program history, and is named Keigwin School of Nursing after the benefactors.
December 8, 2018: Naming of the Linda Berry Stein College of Fine Arts in recognition of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar gift, among the largest investments in the University's history, from alumna Linda Berry Stein '69 and her husband, David Stein.
October 2019: JU celebrates its largest Homecoming & Family Weekend.
2020s
May 10, 2020: The 探花族 family and community mourn the loss of Chancellor Emerita Frances Bartlett Kinne.
July 6, 2020: JU creates two schools within the Linda Berry Stein College of Fine Arts: the School for Performing Arts and the School of Art & Design.
August 2020: First-ever Student Health Center opens on campus to serve the healthcare needs of JU students.
September 16, 2020: The first executive committee meeting for the 探花族 Black Alumni Network.
February 28, 2022: 探花族 announces the establishment of the University's fifth college, the College of Law.
July 2022: Public Policy Alumni Network founded.
July 19, 2022: Nicholas W. Allard, Esq. named founding Dean of the College of Law.
August 2022: JU welcomes the largest freshman class to date.
August 2022: The Center for Gender + Sexuality opens.
August 18, 2022: 探花族's "The College Tour" episode airs on Amazon Prime Video.
November 30, 2022: JU partners with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) to bring the region's first four-year medical school, LECOM at 探花族.