History of Old Dominion University in Timeline

Old Dominion University (ODU) is a public research university located in Norfolk, Virginia. Founded in 1930 as a division of the College of William & Mary, it aimed to provide education to those with fewer financial resources in the Hampton Roads region. As of 2023, ODU's enrollment was 23,494 students, and its main campus spans 250 acres.

1924: Joseph Healy begins organizing classes

In 1924, Joseph Healy began organizing classes and finding locations for faculty and staff after becoming the director of the William and Mary extension in Norfolk.

March 13, 1930: Establishment of Two-Year Branch Division

On March 13, 1930, thanks to the work of Robert M. Hughes, J. A. C. Chandler, and A. H. Foreman, a two-year branch division of the College of William and Mary was officially established in Norfolk.

September 3, 1930: H. Edgar Timmerman Appointed First Director

On September 3, 1930, H. Edgar Timmerman was appointed as the first director of the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary.

September 12, 1930: First Class Held

On September 12, 1930, the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary conducted its inaugural class with 206 students (125 men and 81 women) at the old Larchmont School building on Hampton Boulevard.

1930: Establishment as Norfolk Division

In 1930, Old Dominion University was established as the two-year Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary. The goal was to educate individuals with limited financial resources in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach area.

1932: Lewis Warrington Webb Joins Faculty

In 1932, Lewis Warrington Webb joined the faculty as an engineering instructor and later became known as "the Father of Old Dominion".

1940: Webb Serves as Director of Defense Program

From 1940 to 1944, Lewis Warrington Webb served as director of the Defense and War Training Program, contributing to the American WWII effort through training classes.

1942: Webb Appointed Assistant Director

After a decade as an instructor at the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary, Lewis Warrington Webb was appointed assistant director in 1942.

1944: End of Webb's Directorship of Defense Program

In 1944, Lewis Warrington Webb's tenure as director of the Defense and War Training Program concluded, after his having served in the role since 1940 and contributing to the American WWII effort.

1946: Webb Appointed Director of Norfolk Division

In 1946, Lewis Warrington Webb was appointed Director of the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary.

1948: Army ROTC Program Created

In 1948, the Army ROTC program was initially created at Old Dominion, though it was later abandoned during the Korean War.

February 16, 1962: William and Mary System Dissolved

On February 16, 1962, the William and Mary system was dissolved following legislation signed by Governor Albertis S. Harrison, leading to the Norfolk Division's independence.

May 27, 1962: Frank Batten Chosen as First Rector

On May 27, 1962, Frank Batten, publisher of The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, was selected as the first rector of Old Dominion College.

1964: First Students Live on Campus

In 1964, the first students resided on campus in dormitories named Rogers Hall and Gresham Hall.

September 1969: ODU Army ROTC Battalion Established

In September 1969, the ODU Army ROTC battalion was established within the Darden College of Education.

1969: Transition to University Status

In 1969, Old Dominion College transitioned into Old Dominion University, marking a significant milestone in its development.

1969: Webb's Presidency Ends

Lewis Warrington Webb served as the first president of Old Dominion College from 1962 until 1969.

1970: End of Batten's Position as Rector

In 1970, Frank Batten's tenure as the first rector of Old Dominion College came to an end.

July 4, 1971: First ROTC Cadets Commissioned

On July 4, 1971, the first cadets from the ODU Army ROTC battalion were commissioned.

1971: ODU Establishes Police Force

In 1971, Old Dominion University established its own police force and hired officers to attend the Tidewater Police Academy.

1977: Campus Police Act Passed

In 1977, the Virginia General Assembly passed the Campus Police Act, granting full law enforcement authority to public campus police officers.

1979: Lady Monarchs win AIAW National Championship

In 1979, the Lady Monarchs basketball team won the AIAW national championship, marking a significant triumph for the university's athletic program.

1980: Lady Monarchs win AIAW National Championship

In 1980, the Lady Monarchs basketball team secured another AIAW national championship, further solidifying their reputation as a dominant force in women's college basketball.

1985: Lady Monarchs win NCAA National Championship

In 1985, the Lady Monarchs basketball team won the NCAA national championship, achieving the pinnacle of success in collegiate sports.

1994: Distance Learning Courses Begin

In 1994, Old Dominion University began offering distance learning courses through Teletechnet, a satellite delivery system.

1995: Establishment of University Village

In 1995, the ODU Real Estate Foundation established University Village, a mixed-use development near the Norfolk Campus, including retail, residential, and office buildings.

1997: Lady Monarchs reach NCAA Championship Game

In 1997, the Lady Monarchs made it to the Women's NCAA Championship Game, but lost to Tennessee.

2004: College of Engineering Named After Frank Batten

In 2004, the College of Engineering was named in honor of Frank Batten.

2006: Ireland House Opened

In 2006, Ireland House, one of the seven new residential buildings in the Runte Quad, was opened.

2007: Virginia House Opened

In 2007, Virginia House, part of the Runte Quad, opened as a new residential building.

2008: Recognition as Sixth-Largest ROTC Unit

As of the spring of 2008, ODU was recognized as having the sixth-largest Army ROTC unit out of 262 programs nationwide.

2008: Scotland House Opened

In 2008, Scotland House, a new residential building in the Runte Quad, was opened.

2009: France, England, and Dominion Houses Opened

In 2009, France House, England House, and Dominion House were opened as new residential buildings in the Runte Quad.

2010: First College Offering All Modeling and Simulation Degrees

In 2010, the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University became the first college in the United States to offer all degrees in Modeling and Simulation (B.S., M.E., M.S., D.Eng., Ph.D.).

October 2011: University Rankings Announced

At the October 2011 Annual Meeting of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), ODU was ranked eighth in the world in port research for the period 1980-2009.

May 17, 2012: Old Dominion announces move to C-USA

On May 17, 2012, Old Dominion University announced its decision to move to Conference USA (C-USA) effective July 1, 2013, marking a significant shift in its athletic conference affiliation.

2012: Opening of the Gregory A. Lumsden Trading Room and Research Lab

In the fall of 2012, the Gregory A. Lumsden Trading Room and Research Lab (LTR) opened, equipped with 24 Bloomberg terminals, establishing it as one of the largest labs in the United States.

July 1, 2013: Old Dominion moves to C-USA

On July 1, 2013, Old Dominion officially moved to C-USA, with several sports maintaining outside affiliations due to conference sponsorships.

2013: Wrestling joins Mid-American Conference, field hockey joins Big East Conference

In 2013, the Wrestling team became an associate of the Mid-American Conference and the field hockey team joined the reconfigured Big East Conference.

2014: College of Business Renamed

In 2014, the College of Business and Public Administration was renamed the Strome College of Business following a donation from the Strome family.

2014: Women's lacrosse joins Atlantic Sun Conference, women's rowing joins Big 12 Conference

In 2014, the women's lacrosse team spent the season as an independent before joining the Atlantic Sun Conference and the women's rowing team joined the Big 12 Conference in 2014–15.

2015: Men's swimming and diving joins Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association

In 2015, the men's swimming and diving team joined the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (later renamed the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association), because C-USA sponsors the sport only for women.

2016: New Facilities Opened

In 2016, the new Education Building and Broderick Dining Commons, a 45,000 square foot student dining facility, were opened at Old Dominion University.

2017: Mitchum Basketball Performance Center Built

In 2017, the Mitchum Basketball Performance Center, a practice facility for the ODU basketball teams, was built as an addition to the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

June 2018: First Female Professor of Military Science

In June 2018, Major Promotable Rhana S. Kurdi became the first female Professor of Military Science at ODU.

2019: SB Ballard Stadium Construction

In 2019, Old Dominion University's historic Foreman Field was torn down and replaced with the new football stadium, SB Ballard Stadium.

2019: Opening of the Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

In 2019, the Strome College of Business opened the Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE) in downtown Norfolk to provide resources and services for innovation, entrepreneurship, new enterprises and programs.

October 1, 2020: Launch of School of Cybersecurity

On October 1, 2020, Old Dominion University launched the School of Cybersecurity, offering B.S degree programs in Cybersecurity, Cyber Operations, and an M.S in Cybersecurity.

2020: ODU drops wrestling

In 2020, Old Dominion University dropped its wrestling program, a decision that impacted the university's athletic offerings.

2020: Owens House Opened

In 2020, Owens House, designed to integrate living and learning, was opened in the Runte Quad, housing students in cybersecurity, entrepreneurial, and STEM-H fields.

2021: Research and Development Spending

According to the National Science Foundation, ODU spent $73.6 million on research and development in 2021.

2021: Planning Began for Baseball Complex Renovation

In 2021, planning and fundraising were started for the $20 million renovation of the Baseball Complex at Old Dominion University.

July 1, 2022: ODU joins the Sun Belt Conference

On July 1, 2022, Old Dominion University officially joined the Sun Belt Conference, marking another shift in its athletic conference affiliation.

2022: Plans Initiated for New Biology Building and Police Building

In 2022, Old Dominion University initiated plans to build a new Biology Building (scheduled to open in 2026) and to renovate the ODU Inn into the new ODU Police Building.

2022: Plans for School of Data Science Announced

In his 2022 State of the University Address, President Hemphill announced plans for establishing a new School of Data Science at Old Dominion University, which will offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

2023: Enrollment and Campus Size

As of 2023, Old Dominion University had an enrollment of 23,494 students, and its main campus covered 250 acres.

2023: Opening of Student Health & Wellness Center

In 2023, the new Student Health & Wellness Center opened, attached to the Student Recreation Center along the Runte Quad.

2023: Expansion of Virginia Beach Campus

Old Dominion University expanded its Virginia Beach campus to Town Center in 2023.

July 1, 2024: Merger with EVMS Completed

On July 1, 2024, the merger between Old Dominion University and Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) was completed, creating the Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Center at Old Dominion University.

2024: WSJ/College Pulse Ranking

For 2024-2025, WSJ/College Pulse ranked Old Dominion #501-600 out of U.S. universities, and US News & World Report ranked the university #278 out of U.S. universities.

2024: Undergraduate Acceptance Rate

In 2024, Old Dominion University accepted 95.1% of undergraduate applicants with those admitted having an average 3.3 GPA and an average 1170 SAT score or an average 24 ACT score.

2025: WSJ/College Pulse Ranking Released

For 2024-2025, WSJ/College Pulse ranked Old Dominion #501-600 out of U.S. universities, and US News & World Report ranked the university #278 out of U.S. universities.