Originally founded as Penn College, William Penn University opened on September 24, 1873. The college's name was changed to William Penn College in 1933. In 2000, the name was changed again from William Penn College to William Penn University. In 1916, a fire destroyed the original campus and caused two deaths when a four-ton bell crashed through the main building. Penn College's business manager Robert Williams and freshman student Harry Oakley were killed after being struck by the bell. In 1995, William Penn's "College for Working Adults" was founded, which enrolls non-traditional students in an evening program of accelerated study. In January 2000 the university returned to the
NAIA Division II. William Penn University is currently accredited by the
Higher Learning Commission and a member of the
North Central Association. In 2007,
Musco Lighting, an Oskaloosa based lighting manufacturer, donated $12 million to the school for various projects—the biggest single gift in the school's history. The money was to be used for of new structures including student recreation, classrooms, laboratories, and a stand-alone Industrial Technology Center building called the Musco Technology Center (MTC), which is home for the expanding Digital Communication Program.
Historic district Part of the campus has been set aside as a nationally recognized
historic district that was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The focus of the district is the Quadrangle, which is the main contributing site. Penn Hall (1917), Lewis Hall (1917), the Central Heating Plant (1917), and Spencer Memorial Chapel (1923) are the historic buildings. The historic structures are two Memorial Gates (c. 1918).
Bloomington, Illinois architect
A. T. Simmons designed the conceptual plan for the campus and the plans for individual buildings. He also designed the memorial gates; which were erected on May 20, 1918. The campus mainly features the use of
Prairie School architecture. ==Athletics==