History of Gonzaga University in Timeline

Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, is a private Jesuit university founded in 1887 by Joseph Cataldo. Named after Aloysius Gonzaga, the university's campus comprises 105 buildings on 152 acres adjacent to the Spokane River. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

1926: Ray Flaherty Enters Pro Football Hall of Fame

In 1926, Ray Flaherty, from Gonzaga University, became head coach of the Washington Redskins and eventually entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1928: Death of Joseph Cataldo

In 1928, Joseph Cataldo, the Sicilian-American Jesuit missionary who founded Gonzaga University, passed away. Cataldo had established the university after working with Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest, driven by a concern about the influence of Protestant schools.

1941: Tony Canadeo Enters Pro Football Hall of Fame

In 1941, Tony Canadeo, from Gonzaga University, of the Green Bay Packers, entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

April 1942: Announcement of Hiatus for Football Program

In April 1942, Gonzaga announced that its football program would be put on hiatus during World War II.

1966: Gonzaga Law Review Founded

In 1966, Gonzaga Law Review, the law school's flagship legal publication, was founded.

1992: Opening of Foley Center Library

In 1992, Gonzaga University's main graduate and undergraduate library, the Foley Center Library, was opened.

1994: Completion of Rosauer School of Education Building

In 1994, the Rosauer School of Education building at Gonzaga University was completed.

1995: First Appearance in NCAA Tournament

In 1995, Gonzaga's men's basketball team made its first appearance in the NCAA tournament.

1995: Establishment of the Jundt Art Center and Museum

In 1995, the Jundt Art Center and Museum was established at Gonzaga University, featuring a variety of artwork from different periods.

1997: Founding of Gonzaga Journal of International Law

In 1997, Gonzaga Journal of International Law, the School of Law's second legal journal, was founded. It is published entirely online.

1999: Elite Eight Appearance

In 1999, the Gonzaga men's basketball team made the regional finals of the NCAA tournament (the "Elite Eight").

1999: Consecutive March Madness Tournaments

Since 1999, the Gonzaga men's basketball program has participated in every single March Madness tournament.

2000: Erection of Chastek Law Library

In 2000, the Chastek Law Library, which primarily serves the Gonzaga University School of Law, was erected.

2004: Highest Ranking Before 2012

In 2004, Gonzaga's highest ranking before 2012 was achieved when the Bulldogs were ranked No. 2.

2010: Women's Basketball Team Made Sweet Sixteen

In 2010, the Gonzaga women's basketball team made it to the "Sweet Sixteen" in the NCAA Tournament.

2012: Gonzaga Ranked No. 1 by the AP

In the 2012–13 season, Gonzaga was ranked No. 1 by the AP for the first time in school history.

2013: Kelly Olynyk Named All American

In 2013, Canadian center Kelly Olynyk, a national Player of the Year finalist, was selected as a first team All American for Gonzaga.

2014: Plans to build a performing arts center

In 2014, Gonzaga University made plans to construct a performing arts center named after Myrtle Woldson, which would include a 750-seat theater.

2015: Student to faculty Ratio

As of 2015, Gonzaga had an average class size of 23 students, 427 employed faculty, and a student-to-faculty ratio of 11.5:1.

2015: Gonzaga Advanced to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament

Gonzaga advanced to the Elite 8 of the 2015 NCAA tournament, losing to eventual national champion and No. 1 ranked Duke.

2015: Completion of the John J. Hemmingson Center

In 2015, Gonzaga completed the John J. Hemmingson Center, a $60 million building designed as the new "center of campus." This three-story building replaced the former COG and earned a Gold LEED certification.

2016: Last abusive priest moved out of Cardinal Bea House

In 2016, the last abusive priest moved out of Cardinal Bea House. It was revealed that from the 1970s through 2016 the house was used by the Catholic Church as a retirement home for priests with histories of sexual predation and abuse from across the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

2017: National Runners-Up

In 2017, Gonzaga's men's basketball team were national runners up.

2017: Undergraduate Class of 2021 Enrolling Fall

In Fall 2017, Gonzaga enrolled the undergraduate Class of 2021, accepting 4,835 students (67.5%) and enrolling 1,048. The incoming freshmen had an average GPA of 3.76, an average ACT score of 27, and average SAT scores of 597 (Critical Reading) and 607 (Math).

2018: Report on Cardinal Bea House

In 2018, the Center for Investigative Reporting published evidence revealing that the Cardinal Bea House, owned by the Jesuit order near Gonzaga's campus, was used to house priests with histories of sexual abuse from the 1970s through 2016.

2019: Opening of the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center

In 2019, the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center at Gonzaga University opened to the public, featuring both a theater and a recital hall.

2021: Gonzaga Men's Basketball Team Accomplishments

As of 2021, Gonzaga's men's basketball team has earned numerous accolades, including 22 WCC tournament championships, 16 WCC regular season championships, and has produced 15 All-Americans, a national CBS-Chevrolet Player of the Year, a USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy winner in Adam Morrison, and 10 NBA first round picks.

2021: Undergraduate Class of 2021

For the undergraduate Class of 2021, Gonzaga received 7,162 applications.

2021: National Runners-Up

In 2021, Gonzaga's men's basketball team were national runners up.

2022: Gonzaga's MBA Program Ranking

In 2022, U.S. News ranked Gonzaga's MBA in American Indian Entrepreneurship 14th in Entrepreneurship.

2023: Continued Appearances in NCAA Tournament

As of 2023, Gonzaga men's basketball team has re-appeared in the NCAA tournament every year since 1999.

2025: Gonzaga's Ranking in U.S. News & World Report

In the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings of national universities, Gonzaga is ranked tied for 98th. The School of Engineering and Applied Science is ranked tied for 23rd best undergraduate engineering program nationwide at schools where doctorates are not offered.