°ÅÀÖÊÓƵ

Tomorrow marks the 176th anniversary of °ÅÀÖÊÓƵ!

On Sept. 26, 1849, the Oregon Territorial Legislature’s first official act of governance was to establish the charter that would turn Tabitha Brown’s orphan school into Tualatin Academy and later °ÅÀÖÊÓƵ.

Originally created to provide a home and education for children who would otherwise have neither, our mission from Day 1 has focused on providing opportunity that uplifts individuals and their communities.

Today, 176 years later, we honor that legacy by looking to a future that continues to advance that mission in a changing world.

°ÅÀÖÊÓƵ has been transforming lives for more than eight generations because we have been willing to adapt and change to fulfill our mission. We grew from a tiny orphan school to a high school academy to a college. After World War II, we opened our first graduate program, and at the turn of this century, we transformed our graduate programs to diversify the educational pathways we offer our students. 

We were the first in Oregon to offer high school teaching degrees. The first to prepare optometrists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Today, we are the No. 1 private preparer of healthcare professionals in Oregon and the top private research university in the Pacific Northwest. 

And we continue to live our mission of opportunity by serving more low-income and first-generation students than our peers and empowering them to live their purpose as educators and caregivers, creators and entrepreneurs, public servants and community leaders.
 

Today, we are in the midst of another period of change. Higher education is vitally important in preparing curious and thoughtful leaders who will tackle the very real challenges of our times. But we have to continue to adapt to meet the needs of our students today and tomorrow.

We have to lean into our legacy of opportunity — ensuring that a Pacific education is accessible not to the few but to everyone, just like Grandma Brown did with her orphan school. We have to remove barriers, financial and otherwise, that close that door to too many students. And we have to be visionary in anticipating the pathways that those students need to truly thrive in a changing world.

The work is not easy — change never is. But we have 176 years of experience adapting to a changing world. We have a bold strategic plan to point us to the future. And we have each of you — the faculty and staff who have committed their careers to our mission and our students — helping to lead the way.

Today, we celebrate our legacy with pride. But more, we look to the future, to how we will carry on that legacy, uplifting the next eight generations of °ÅÀÖÊÓƵ students.

My best,

Jenny Coyle ’90, OD ’93, MS ‘00
President