University of Jamestown

The **University of Jamestown** is a private Christian university in Jamestown, North Dakota, United States. It was started in 1883 by the Presbyterian Church. The school has about 1,300 students enrolled. It has always been co-educational. Until August 2013, the school was called **Jamestown College**.

## History

The University of Jamestown was started as **Jamestown College** in 1883.  It closed during the depression of 1893. The school opened again in 1909.  It has stayed open ever since.

In 1979, Jamestown College's football team went to the NAIA National Championships.

Two graduates have become Rhodes Scholars.

In 2013, Jamestown College changed its name to the **University of Jamestown**.

## Sports

The Jamestown sports teams are called the Jimmies. The university is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Jimmies are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Three sports that the NSIC  does not have play elsewhere—men's soccer and women's wrestling as independents, and men's volleyball in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Previously, the Jimmies were members of the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA). They were members from 2013–14 to 2017–18, and again in 2024–25. The Jimmies previously played in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) from 2018–19 to 2023–24, and in the Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) from 2000–01 to 2011–12.  They were also NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) during the 2012–13 school year.

Jamestown plays  in 24 sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, soccer, track and field (indoor and outdoor), volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, track & field (indoor and outdoor), volleyball and wrestling; and co-ed sports include eSports and shotgun sports.

### People who were students as the school

- Richard K. Armey (1962), U.S. Representative from Texas and House Majority Leader
- Ron Erhardt (1953), head coach of the NFL New England Patriots
- Ralph R. Erickson (1980), chief judge on the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota and judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- Jessica Haak, member of the North Dakota House of Representatives
- Donald D. Lorenzen (1920–1980), Los Angeles, California, City Council member, 1969–1977
- George W. Johnson, President of George Mason University (1979–1996)
- John Knauf, justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (attended but graduated elsewhere)
- Cory Mantyka, Canadian football player
- Barbara McClintock (1976), illustrator and author of children's books
- David Nething, member of the North Dakota State Senate
- Raquel Pa'aluhi, professional Mixed Martial Artist, competed for Invicta FC
- Alvin Plantinga (1950), John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, author and philosopher
- Jasper Schneider, administrator of the USDA Rural Utilities Service
- Kurt Schork (1969), reporter
- Kyle Schweigert, head football coach at the University of North Dakota
- J. J. Syvrud, American football player

### People who have taught at the school

- Larry Woiwode, author and poet, serving as Poet Laureate of the State of North Dakota since 1995
- William A. Wojnar, classical organist and professor emeritus of Music

## Other websites

- Athletics website

## Infobox (university)

- **name**: University of Jamestown
- **image**: University of Jamestown Seal.png
- **mottoeng**: Light and Truth
- **type**: Private university
- **religious affiliation**: Christianity, Christian
- **endowment**: $45 million
- **president**: Polly Peterson
- **provost**: Paul J. Olson
- **students**: 1,290
- **city**: Jamestown, North Dakota
- **country**: U.S.
- **campus**: Urban, )
- **former names**: Jamestown College (1883–2013)
- **colors**:
Orange & Black
- **mascot**: Jimmie
- **sports nickname**: Jimmies
- **athletics affiliations**: National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA – Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, NSIC – American Collegiate Hockey Association, ACHA
- **academic affiliations**: Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities, APCU
- **logo**: UofJ Logo 69-98+k.jpg