Park University
Park University is a private university in Parkville, Missouri. It was founded in 1875. In the fall of 2017, Park had an enrollment of 11,457 students. History. The school which was originally called Park College was founded in 1875 by John A. McAfee on land donated by George S. Park with its initial structure being the stone hotel Park owned on the bluff above the Missouri River. The original concept called for students to receive free tuition and board in exchange for working up to half day in the college's farm, electrical shop or printing plant. According  to the terms of the arrangement if the “Parkville Experiment” did not work out within five years, the college grounds were to revert to Park. There were 17 students in the first school year and in the first graduation class there were five women. McAfee led until his death in 1890. His son Lowell M. McAfee became the second president of Park until stepping down in 1913. The first international student at Park University arrived in 1880 from Japan. The defining landmark of the campus is Mackay Hall, named after Carroll County, Illinois banker Duncan Mackay who donated $25,000  in materials for the structure shortly before his death. The building was constructed using limestone mined on the campus grounds and built with the labor of students. Construction began in 1883 and was finished by 1893. Today the building is the main focal point of the campus and dominates the hillside, overlooking the town of Parkville. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. For many decades the school was affiliated with the Presbyterian Church but it no longer has that affiliation. The college has had a relationship with the military since 1889. However, the relationship was greatly expanded  in the late 1960s with the establishment of a Military Degree Completion Program and later in 1972 with the Military Resident Center System. Park's total enrollment has grown from its small base since 1996 when it first began offering online courses. In 2000, it was renamed Park University. Locations. Parkville campus. The flagship campus of Park University is located in the city of Parkville, Missouri. The Park University Graduate School is located in downtown Kansas City. There are 41 campuses in 22 U.S. states including four campuses in the Kansas City area (downtown Kansas City, Independence, Lenexa, and Parkville ) and a campus center in Austin, Texas. Most of the satellite campuses are on or near United States military bases and share quarters with other businesses/organizations. The home campus currently has an enrollment of 1,600 students representing 50 states and 106 countries. The entire extended system had an annual student enrollment of 23,000. Gilbert campus. In 2018, the university opened a campus center in Gilbert, Arizona in the city's Heritage District. Park leased at the University Building. The university continued to expand the Gilbert campus in 2019, leasing an additional and extending the initial three-year term to  five years with the city. The university continued to expand the Gilbert campus with the addition of college athletics. Initially playing as an independent during the 2019–20 academic year, the university announced membership in the NAIA and California Pacific Conference (Pac West) starting in 2020–21. Athletics. Parkville campus. Park University teams are known as the Pirates. The university competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC). They also previously competed in the American Midwest Conference from 1986–87 to 1993–94, and again from 2009–10 to 2019–20. Men's sports  include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, track & field and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball. The Department of Athletics at Park University was led by Claude English, Director of Athletics, who was also the Pirates’ men's basketball coach from 1992 to 2005 and retired in 2021. From 1980 to 1984, English was the head men's basketball coach at his alma mater, the University of Rhode Island, and he played one season in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1970–1971. Seven former Park Pirates compete currently  for the Kansas City Comets of the Major Arena Soccer League. Gilbert campus. Park–Gilbert teams are known as the Buccaneers. The university added a college athletics program to the Gilbert, Arizona campus center in 2019. After playing as an independent program during the 2019–20 academic year, the university announced membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) starting in the 2020–21 academic year. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, track & field and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, soccer , softball, track & field and volleyball.