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Old Dominion University was founded in 1930 as a Norfolk extension of the College of William and Mary.
Old Dominion University began its tradition of excellence when it was founded in 1930 by the College of William and Mary, the second oldest university in the United States.
Old Dominion University is a public institution that was founded in 1930. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 17,736 (fall 2023), its setting is city, and the campus size is 251 acres.
- 5115 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, 23529
- 075768 33000
The original two-year institution grew into a four-year baccalaureate institution in 1953 and earned independence from William & Mary in 1962, becoming Old Dominion College. In 1969, Old Dominion College was renamed Old Dominion University.
- The Start of Something Big
- The Father of ODU
- David vs. Goliath on The Gridiron
- Bud’s Emporium
- If You Build It ...
- A History of Military Ties
- Educational Messages Via A New Medium
- A Matter of Degrees
- 60-Point Games
- The Monarchs Are Crowned
On Sept. 12, 1930, the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary opens its doors in the old Larchmont School building, an abandoned elementary school, on Hampton Boulevard. In all, 206 students register for classes. The first to enroll are Albert E. Wilson, Ruth Wilson and Rufus Tonelson. H. Edgar Timmerman is the Division's first directo...
Lewis W. Webb Jr., fresh from earning a master of science degree at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, joins the faculty in fall 1932 as an instructor of engineering. His appointment would prove to be the most important in the history of the institution. Webb, who often has been called "the father of Old Dominion University," serves as director of the...
Old Dominion's most legendary gridiron moment occurs on Oct. 14, 1932, when Tommy Scott's Norfolk Division Braves football team, taking advantage of a case of mistaken identity, plays the mighty University of Miami Hurricanes. The Braves lose the hard-fought contest, 6-2, a game that was meant to be played by parent institution William and Mary. Fo...
Audrey T. "Bud" Paul, who enrolls at the Norfolk Division as a business administration student in 1933, is hired a year later as manager of the school snack bar, an establishment that would soon bear his name. A popular figure on campus, the diminutive Bud becomes the Division's only resident after the Administration Building opens in 1936, occupyi...
The Administration Building, complete with a library, offices, six classrooms, two gymnasiums and a swimming pool, opens in September 1936. Funded by a loan and grant from the federal Public Works Administration, the cost is $123,000. In continuous use ever since, this Federal Revival-style facility is named for Old Dominion's third president, Alfr...
The Aircraft Instruments Institute is established in 1938, eventually leading to the Engineering Science Management War Training program. Through its defense and training classes, the Norfolk Division makes an invaluable contribution to the war effort. The program also allows the school to remain open during a period when most young men were servin...
In April 1952, the Norfolk Division offers its first noncredit television class, Science Is Simple, through the Technical Institute and several science departments. Six years later, World Geography and Music Appreciation become the first credit courses taught over open-circuit television on WVEC-TV. The Norfolk Division is the first higher educatio...
On Aug. 29, 1953, the William and Mary Board of Visitors approves the Norfolk Division's first four-year programs - in nursing, teacher education and business administration. By the end of the decade, a dozen more four-year programs are added. The school awards its first four-year bachelor's degrees to 15 students on June 6, 1956.
The 1960-61 basketball season ends with an amazing 60-point performance by senior Leo Anthony against Lynch-burg College. The 128-61 score still stands as a school record for widest margin of victory. Anthony, Old Dominion's first All-American, finishes his career with 2,181 points, still second best in Monarch history. His single-game mark, howeve...
In August 1961, a special faculty committee chaired by Professor John Foster West chooses Monarchs as the new name for the school's athletic teams. They select Monarchs as a name that would "link the traditions of the past to the realities of the present." The following year, the newly independent college becomes the 16th member of the Mason-Dixon ...
Old Dominion was formally established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary; the college, however, had been offering classes in Norfolk since 1919. The Virginia Polytechnic Institute, in 1931, began offering early training in engineering at the campus.
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Old Dominion University (ODU) is a public university in Norfolk, Virginia. The university has about 24,125 students. It was founded in 1930. The current president of the university is John R. Broderick.
