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 serves the Hampton Roads area. As of 2023, ODU has an enrollment of over 23,000 students and its main campus spans 250 acres.

1917: Robert M. Hughes' Tenure on the Board of Visitors Ends

Robert M. Hughes, who envisioned the Norfolk extension of the College of William and Mary, served on the Board of Visitors of William and Mary until 1917.

1924: Joseph Healy Begins Organizing Classes

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

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

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

September 3, 1930: First Director Appointed

On September 3, 1930, H. Edgar Timmerman became 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 held its first class with 206 students in the old Larchmont School building on Hampton Boulevard.

1930: Establishment as Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary

In 1930, Old Dominion University was established as the two-year Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary to educate people with fewer financial assets 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 and War Training Program

From 1940 to 1944, Lewis Warrington Webb served as director of the Defense and War Training Program, contributing to the American WWII war effort by training women in aircraft repair, drafting, and other war-related subjects.

1942: Webb Appointed Assistant Director

After serving ten years as an instructor, Lewis Warrington Webb was appointed assistant director of the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary in 1942.

1944: End of Webb's Directorship of Defense and War Training Program

In 1944, Lewis Warrington Webb's tenure as director of the Defense and War Training Program concluded, after he had been director since 1940 and contributed to the American WWII war effort.

1946: Webb Appointed Director of the Norfolk Division

In 1946, Lewis Warrington Webb was appointed Director of the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary, with a vision to transform it into an independent institution.

1948: Army ROTC Program Created

In 1948, the Army ROTC program was created at Old Dominion College, but 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 under General Assembly legislation signed by Governor Albertis S. Harrison.

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 chosen as the first rector of Old Dominion College.

1964: First Students Live on Campus

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

September 1969: Establishment of ODU Army ROTC Battalion

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

1969: Old Dominion College Transitions to University

In 1969, Old Dominion College transitioned to Old Dominion University under the leadership of President James L. Bugg Jr., establishing doctoral programs and a university-wide governance structure.

1969: Webb's Tenure as First President Ends

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

1970: End of Frank Batten's Tenure as Rector

Frank Batten's tenure as the first rector of Old Dominion College concluded in 1970.

July 4, 1971: First Cadets Commissioned

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

1971: Establishment of the ODU Police Force

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

1977: Virginia General Assembly Passes Campus Police Act

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.

1980: Lady Monarchs win AIAW national championship

In 1980, the Lady Monarchs basketball team won another AIAW national championship.

1980: Start of Port Research Ranking Period

The period from 1980 to 2009 was used to rank universities worldwide in port research at the October 2011 International Association of Maritime Economists meeting.

1985: Lady Monarchs win NCAA national championship

In 1985, the Lady Monarchs basketball team won the NCAA national championship.

1994: Introduction of Distance Learning Courses

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 began developing University Village, a mixed-use development with retail, residential, and office buildings, located east of Hampton Blvd on the Norfolk Campus.

1997: Lady Monarchs lose 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: Opening of Ireland House

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

2007: Opening of Virginia House

In 2007, Virginia House, another of the new residential buildings in the Runte Quad, was opened.

2008: ODU Recognized as Having Sixth-Largest Army 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: Opening of Scotland House

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

2008: Founding of the Monarch Marching Band

The Monarch Marching Band (MMB) was founded in the summer of 2008 by Dr. Alexander Trevino in response to the formation of the Old Dominion Monarchs football program.

2009: Opening of France House, England House, and Dominion House

In 2009, France House, England House, and Dominion House, all part of the Runte Quad residential buildings, were opened.

2009: End of Port Research Ranking Period

The period from 1980 to 2009 was used to rank universities worldwide in port research at the October 2011 International Association of Maritime Economists meeting.

2010: First College Offering All Degrees in Modeling and Simulation

In 2010, the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology became the first college in the United States to offer all degrees in the emerging discipline of Modeling and Simulation.

October 2011: University Rankings in Port Research Announced

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

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

On May 17, 2012, Old Dominion announced it would move to C-USA on July 1, 2013.

2012: Opening of the 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, making it 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. Four ODU sports not sponsored by C-USA have outside affiliations, including Wrestling becoming an associate of the Mid-American Conference and field hockey joining 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 after the Strome family donated $11 million to the college.

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. The women's rowing team joined the Big 12 Conference in 2014–15 after the Big 12 effectively took over C-USA rowing.

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, effective with the 2015–16 season.

2016: Opening of the New Education Building and Broderick Dining Commons

In 2016, the new Education Building was opened, as well as a new 45,000 square foot student dining facility, named Broderick Dining Commons.

2017: Construction of the Mitchum Basketball Performance Center

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 (Chartway Arena).

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: Replacement of Foreman Field with SB Ballard Stadium

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, providing resources and services for innovation, entrepreneurship, and new enterprises and programs.

October 1, 2020: Launch of the School of Cybersecurity

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

2020: ODU drops wrestling

In 2020, ODU dropped wrestling as a sport.

2020: Opening of Owens House

In 2020, Owens House, designed to integrate living and learning, opened in the Runte Quad. Most of its 470 beds are occupied by cybersecurity, entrepreneurial, and STEM-H students.

2021: Research and Development Spending

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

2021: Planning and Fundraising for Baseball Complex Renovation

In 2021, planning and fundraising began for the $20 million renovation of the Baseball Complex.

July 1, 2022: ODU joins the Sun Belt Conference

On July 1, 2022, ODU joined the Sun Belt Conference.

2022: Initiation of Plans for New Biology Building and ODU Police Building

In 2022, the 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: Announcement of New School of Data Science

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

2023: ODU Expanding Virginia Beach Campus to Town Center

In 2023, ODU began expanding its Virginia Beach campus to Town Center.

2023: Enrollment and Campus Size

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

2023: Demolition of Maglev Guideway

In 2023, the guideway for a maglev research project that never became fully functional was demolished on campus, running from Powhatan Avenue to the Convocation Center.

2023: Opening of the New Student Health & Wellness Center

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

July 1, 2024: Merger with EVMS Completed

On July 1, 2024, Old Dominion University's merger with Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) was completed, forming the Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences 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.

2024: Undergraduate Admissions Statistics

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.