Wheeling University

Wheeling University (WU, formerly Wheeling Jesuit University) is a private Roman Catholic university in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was founded as Wheeling College in 1954 by the Society of Jesus (also known as the Jesuits) and was a Jesuit institution until 2019. Wheeling University competes in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as a member of the Mountain East Conference. History Richard Whelan, bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling, lobbied the Society of Jesus in the 19th century to establish a university in the growing city. Over a century later, Whelan's original vision came to fruition. After a donor, Sara Tracy, left her estate to the diocese, it purchased land for a Jesuit college from Mt. De Chantal Visitation Academy. Wheeling College was founded through a partnership of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston with the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. Ground was broken on November 24, 1953, and the college was officially incorporated on September 25, 1954. It opened to students on September 26, 1955. The establishment of the college required $2.75 million in start-up costs. Overcoming the difficulties of temporary facilities and a faculty of twelve Jesuit priests and four lay professors, the school grew considerably. For the 1987–1988 school year, the university became Wheeling Jesuit College, and in July 1996, gained university status.