Established in 1916 with the desire to bring opportunities of an Indiana University education to north-central Indiana citizens, IU South Bend offered only a handful of classes in the beginning. But over the years the university bloomed into the campus it is today.
During its conception years, the university was known as the “South Bend-Mishawaka Center of the IU Extension Division” and ran out of “make shift quarters” for its first decades, according to the IU South Bend Self-Study Report (SSR) from 2007.
Even though the facilities were plain, the quality of education, which originally aimed at teachers looking to further their own educations, was able to gain a student base.
According to the 2007 (SSR), by 1923 the IUSB facility was able to increase the amount of accredited IU courses in order to accommodate the needs of working adults, which still remains a primary goal of the university today.
In 1933 IUSB was invited by the superintendent of the South Bend Community School Corporation to move its programs to South Bend Central High School in order to provide more opportunities for evening courses.
The initial vision for this campus was a two- year training step in students’ educations before they would transfer and finish their degree in Bloomington. This vision however, turned out to be only a small step towards the many possibilities of the university.
According to the SSR, former IU President Herman B. Wells was said to have been impressed by the beauty of the river and the riverside area. The transition to the current site was complicated because of preexisting structures on the site which included a boat club, a bottling plant, a cheese factory and a tool and die warehouse.
With the help of local civic leaders, the university was able to purchase the site in 1959 and construction began on what became Northside Hall. The building opened in 1961.
The Schurz Library Archives show that during the 1960s the university experienced major increases in all areas, including programs, faculty, facilities, and enrollment. This propelled the university to acknowledge the need for four-year degree programs. In 1967, the first graduation was held in the campus auditorium with 23 students.
Library archives show that during his 23-year-long IUSB career, Dr. Lester M. Wolfson lead the campus to its growth of 40 acres and six major buildings. He was at first a dean and later a chancellor, and by the time of his retirement in 1987, the new library was under construction.With continuing growth over the years the campus now has 12 buildings, including the Franklin D. Schurz Library and Wiekamp Hall. The most recent addition to the campus is the 100,000 square foot Student Activities Center. This facility offers a variety of activities and services including basketball, volleyball, and racquetball courts, a walking track, fitness and wellness center, a café, a student lounge, and the student activity offices.
“The development of the campus mall area and the building of the Student Activities Center make IU South Bend a rich residential campus,” said Karen White, associate vice-chancellor of student services.
The university also has 26 acres of property on the south bank of the St. Joseph River that is connected to the campus by a pedestrian bridge. This south bank property is the location for IUSB’s newest additions to student housing.
“The campus has grown tremendously. From the Northside Hall/Greenlawn buildings to the opening of student housing in fall 2008, IU South Bend has evolved into Indiana University’s third largest campus,” said White. “Our strength is in our teaching,” said Hosterman. “Most larger institutions such as IU Bloomington or Purdue are considered Research 1 institutions, wherein their focus is on research and not teaching,”
Today IUSB remains the only public bachelor and graduate degree-granting institution in north-central Indiana and southwestern Michigan, according to the History and Mission page of the college’s website.
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