From a grammar school to a university, Olivet has undergone major changes. If you have been to a Homecoming Chapel or attended freshman orientation, then you have probably heard the story of Olivet Nazarene University.
In 1907, Olivet started out as Mary Nesbitt’s grammar school in Georgetown, IL, however, only a year later the school moved to Olivet, IL and became Illinois Holiness University. As the story goes, in 1939, Illinois Holiness’s campus burned down, prompting the student body to move their campus to Bourbonnais, IL. Here, the students relocated to a campus previously known as St. Viator’s College, an empty Catholic school. This is what began Illinois Holiness University’s transistion to Olivet Nazarene University.
With a campus move and new name comes a lot of change. Over the past hundred or so years Olivet’s campus has changed immensely. Starting in 1939, when the student body moved to the Bourbonnais campus, there were only a few buildings: a dormitory; an academic building; a chapel; and a dining hall.
By the 1950s, Olivet had expanded its campus to significantly, adding what we now know as Williams Hall and Birchard Gymnasium. However, the university’s growth did not stop there. In 1960, Nesbitt Hall was built, originally intended to house female students.
The 1960 Aurora Yearbook says this dorm was the “first building constructed as apart of Olivet’s three-million-dollar, ten-year expansion program.”
As we know, Olivet’s physical expansions did not end in the 1960s. Today, the campus has twelve housing options for students; around 10 academic buildings; a collection of places for chapel and prayer services; multiple recreation and athletic facilities; and so much more.
Even now, Olivet is continuing to grow and update its campus. Just this past summer, ONU completely renovated the basement of Chapman Hall. This area was previously used as a common area and theatre rehearsal space. Now, it is a Cyber Security Lab named the Epicenter. This space is dedicated to the STEM department’s cyber security and computer science classes.
One of the biggest changes in recent years is the new Ludwig Center. In November of 2018, Olivet started phase one of Ludwig’s renovations, adding on a fully functioning Starbucks to the heart of the building. During the summer of 2020, the second phase began. The bookstore, post office, dining hall, and lower level were made completely new.
The previously two-story bookstore was made one floor, allowing for the lower level of Ludwig Center to add more area for dinning. The post office, which originally had assigned lockers for every student, is now a window where students can pick up their mail from.
Ludwig’s dining hall and lower level were the most drastically changed. The new dining hall is decked out in silver and white tones with modern decals, labeling each area. Along with that, an entirely new meal line was added for those with dairy and gluten allergies.
Moving to Ludwig’s lower level, previously known as Red Room, is now referred to as The Webb. Here, students can pick up a salad bar meal to-go, or order a la cart, a tex-mex style meal from Cru5h.
