Spokane College was the name of two colleges in Spokane, Washington. The first operated from 1882 to 1891, and the second operated from 1906 to 1929.[1]

Spokane College
Spokane College, ca 1928
TypeFour year
Active1906 (1906)–1929 (1929)
AffiliationUnited Norwegian Lutheran Church of America
Location, ,
United States

47°37′40″N 117°23′58″W / 47.627705°N 117.399327°W / 47.627705; -117.399327

The first Spokane College operated from October 1882 to October 1891 on 157 acres just north of the Spokane River.[1] It was founded by Colonel David Jenkins, a Civil War veteran, who later founded Jenkins College in December 1891. When it opened, tuition at Spokane College was $15.[2] Enrollment peaked at 200 students in 1890, but Spokane College couldn't compete with other nearby institutions: Gonzaga University, the Washington Agricultural College and School of Science (now Washington State University), and the State Normal School (now Eastern Washington University).[2]

The second Spokane College was founded in 1906 by the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America on Spokane's South Hill, and operated until 1929.[3] The four-year liberal arts college also operated a law school.[4] The college closed in 1929 when it was merged into Pacific Lutheran College (now Pacific Lutheran University). Spokane Junior College operated on the site from 1935 to 1942.[3] Spokane Junior College was a reorganization of Spokane University, which operated in the Spokane Valley from 1913 to 1933. The junior college closed in 1942 when it merged with Whitworth College (now Whitworth University).[5]

During World War II, the building was used as housing for soldiers stationed at Fort George Wright.[1] The building was turned into apartments after the war, and was torn down in 1969 to make way for the Manito Shopping Center, which presently occupies the site.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Popejoy, Don; Hutten, Penny (2010). Early Spokane. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-8145-3.
  2. ^ a b The Spovangelist, "U-District Retrospective Archived 2010-06-16 at the Wayback Machine." Last modified May 22, 2010. Accessed September 15, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "South Hill college." The Spokesman-Review, December 25, 1998 (accessed September 15, 2012).
  4. ^ Brown, Ray. Westminster College, "Colleges in Washington that have Closed, Merged, Changed Names Archived 2012-01-13 at the Wayback Machine." Last modified September 5, 2012. Accessed September 15, 2012.
  5. ^ Gorseth, Royce. "Price not as perfect as picture." The Spokesman-Review, December 16, 1983 (accessed September 15, 2012).
  6. ^ "Shopping Center Site Readied." Spokane Daily Chronicle, April 22, 1969 (accessed September 15, 2012).