Christopher Newport University
Christopher Newport University
Established:
1960
Type:
Public university
President:
Paul S. Trible, Jr.
Faculty:
218
Students:
4,793[1]
Undergraduates: 4,623
Postgraduates:
170
Location:
Newport News, Virginia, USA
Campus:
Suburban, 260 acres (1.1 km²)
Colors:
Royal Blue and Silver
Nickname:
Captains
Mascot:
Captain Chris
Athletics:
NCAA Division III, USA South
Athletic Conference
Affiliations:
MAISA; AAU
Website:
www.cnu.edu
Christopher Newport University, or CNU,
is a liberal arts university located in Newport
News, Virginia, United States. It was estab-
lished in 1961 as a two-year school of the
College of William and Mary. It became a
four-year college in 1971, and a university in
1992. Former United States Senator Paul S.
Trible, Jr., became President of CNU in 1996.
In recent years, applications have gone up by
more than 400 percent, and the students’
SAT average has increased by more than 200
points. Nearly 90 percent of CNU’s faculty
members hold the highest degree in their
fields. The campus has been transformed by
more than $400 million in capital construc-
tion.[1] The institution is named after Chris-
topher Newport, the leader of the expedition
that brought the first English settlers to
Jamestown.
History
In 1960 the city of Newport News joined to-
gether with the Commonwealth of Virginia to
create Christopher Newport College, which
opened its doors in 1961[2] and at the time
was located in the old John W. Daniel School
building. The college was founded as an ex-
tension of the College of William & Mary and
offered extension courses that had already
been available in the area for some time. In
1964 the college was relocated to its current
location, a 75-acre (300,000 m2) tract of land
purchased and donated by the city. In this
same year, the college’s first permanent
building was dedicated as Lewis Archer
McMurran, Jr. Hall, named after the as-
semblyman whose sponsored legislation led
to the schools establishment.[3] In 1971, CNU
became a 4 year college[3] however rema