Christopher Newport University

Christopher Newport University, locally abbreviated CNU, is a small liberal arts university located in Newport News, Virginia. It was established in 1960 as a two-year school of the College of William and Mary. It became a four-year college in 1971, and a university in 1992. Former United States Senator Paul S. Trible became President of CNU in 1996. Some have joked that CNU in actuality is an acronym for Chicken Nugget University.

The institution is named after Christopher Newport, the captain of the ship which brought the first English settlers to the Jamestown.

Contents

1 Campus 2 History 3 Organization 4 External link

Campus

The traditonal boundaries of the Christopher Newport University campus have been Warwick Boulevard, Shoe Lane, and Prince Drew Road in Newport News. In recent years, however, the University has "jumped" Warwick Boulevard, buying and demolishing properties in the immediate area to expand. The University also purchased the former Ferguson High School, located across Shoe Lane from the main campus, and demolished most of it to build the Ferguson Center For The Performing Arts. This has involved rerouting Shoe Lane, and has been met with some resistance from the residents of the area surrounding the University, who feel the University and Newport News are acting without consideration for the needs of the neighborhoods in the area.

The oldest building on campus - McMurran Hall - dates to 1964. The majority of the buildings on campus are of much more recent construction.

History

CNU was initially established as Christopher Newport College in 1960 as a two-year branch of the College of William and Mary. It was originally located in a single building in downtown Newport News. In 1963, the tract of land that forms most of the current campus was purchased for CNC by the city. In 1971 the college began offering four-year degrees, finally breaking away from William and Mary in 1977. In 1992, the school officially became Christopher Newport University.

Organization

The academic portion of CNU is divided into two sections:

• The College of Liberal Arts and Science
• The School of Business

Paul S. Trible, who had previously served as a Republican Senator from Virginia, was named CNU's fifth President in 1996.

External link

Christopher Newport University official site

See also: Christopher Newport University, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1971, 1977, 1992, 1996, Christopher Newport, College of William and Mary