Morningside University

History

A group of Sioux City business leaders and Methodist ministers established the University of the Northwest in 1889 to provide educational, cultural and economic growth in the community. The location of the campus was the northern section of the farm of Edwin C. Peters, the founder of the suburb of Morningside. The university was plagued with financial problems, and it became a victim of the financial Panic of 1893. It closed in 1894, the same year that the Methodist Episcopal Church incorporated Morningside College and took over the campus. Charles City College in Charles City, Iowa, was a German Methodist college that was absorbed into Morningside College in 1914.

Historic district

Part of the campus has been set aside in 1997 as a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. At the time of its nomination it contained 26 resources, which included nine contributing buildings, one contributing site, five contributing objects, nine non-contributing buildings, and one non-contributing object. The focus of the district is a broad hilltop that overlooks the Missouri River valley. Charles City College Hall (1890), Lewis Hall (1900), the Vice President's House (pre-1914), Hickman-Johnson-Furrow Library (1914), Lillian Dimmitt House (1921), Dimmitt Residence Hall (1926), Jones Hall of Science (1948), Alice Gymnasium (1949), Roadman Hall (1953), and O'Donoghue Observatory (1953) are the contributing buildings. The contributing objects are The Spoonholder (1908), a curved cement bench with footpad and backrest; Class of 1922 Sundial; and the three Harmony Lane Lampposts.

This is the largest concentration of educational buildings in Sioux City, and it also contains some of the best examples of Richardsonian Romanesque, Italianate, and Moderne architecture in the city. The district is also linked to the Morningside neighborhood, which was developed as a streetcar suburb. When the University of the Northwest was being developed, there was a conscious effort to pattern it and the neighborhood after Northwestern University and Evanston, Illinois.

Athletics

The Morningside athletic teams are called the Mustangs (formerly known as the "Maroon Chiefs"). The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) since the 2003–04 academic year. The Mustangs previously competed as an NAIA Independent during the 2002–03 school year; and in the defunct North Central Conference (NCC) from 1922–2002, which was affiliated in the NCAA Division II ranks.

Morningside competes in 28 intercollegiate varsity sports: men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, volleyball, and wrestling; women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, volleyball, and wrestling; and co-ed sports include cheerleading, dance, and eSports.

Accomplishments

The Mustangs women's basketball team won back-to-back NAIA Division II National Championships in 2004 and 2005. They also won the National Championship in 2009 with an undefeated 38–0 record. Most recently, the Mustangs won the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship in 2015 with a 37–1 record. Morningside's Jake Stevenson won the NAIA 184 lb Wrestling Championship in 2007, and John Sievert won the 197 lb Championship in 2013. The football team was coached from 1948–1950 by Pro Football Hall of Fame coach George Allen.

The 2018, 2019, and 2021 Morningside Mustangs football teams had undefeated seasons and won NAIA national championships. The Morningside Mustangs dance team won their first national title in 2022. The dance team also set a national record for highest score at a dance nationals with a 92.31.

Student life

Morningside University is on a 68 acre campus in the residential neighborhood of Morningside in Sioux City, Iowa. Student organizations include: student government, honor societies, service groups, religious organizations, musical ensembles, student publications, and three national fraternities (Alpha Omicron Pi women's sorority, Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, and Acacia). The campus is also home to two national music fraternities, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (men's) and Mu Phi Epsilon (co-ed nationally, but strictly women for this campus). Morningside's Department of Mass Communications has a weekly newspaper, the Collegian Reporter, it shares a public-access television cable TV as MCTV, and operates a radio station 24 hours a day at 92.9 on the FM dial, KMSC, Fusion 93.

Residence halls

Dimmitt Hall is the third oldest building on campus. It was named for Lillian Dimmitt, the 26-year Dean of Women. Roadman Hall was built in the mid twentieth century. It houses about 150 students. The dormitory is named after Earl Roadman, president of the college from 1936 to 1956. In 2005, two apartment-style dormitories opened for upperclassmen, the Waitt and Poppen Halls. Lags Hall, a third apartment-style facility, was added in 2007.

Additions since 2005

In 2005, the Hickman Johnson Furrow Library was renovated and a central campus green space and new maintenance facilities were built for $26 million.

The first addition came in the form of the central campus Hilker Green Space, which opened in 2007. The space is designed as a split-level area featuring the grand two-level Lieder Family Fountain. Walkways and a 10 ft access path cut through the upper-lawn making their way by Lewis Hall connecting the Hickman Johnson Furrow Learning and Olsen Student Centers. Near Eppley Auditorium, the Buhler Outdoor Performance Center was built.

A softball complex was added in Fall 2005.

Notable alumni

Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here as Notable people. This establishes notability. The person's biographical article should say how they are associated with the university. An external reliable source of their association should be cited in their Article and here. All others will be deleted without further explanation. Alphabetize by last name please. Use a short one line description of Notability (no period). If the person you think is Notable and does not have a Wikipedia Article for themselves create one. Guidelines for the Notability of a person can be found by entering WP:PEOPLE in the wiki search. Guidelines on what is needed and how to write the Article can be found by entering WP:MOSBIO in the wiki search. END OF NOTICE * * * * * * * * * * * * END OF NOTICE * * * * * * * * * * * *END OF NOTICE --

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• Shirley Booz, dancer and model
• George Everett "Bud" Day, a retired colonel in the United States Air Force and recipient of the Medal of Honor.
• Kory DeHaan, MLB outfielder
• Catelin Drey, state senator
• Anthony Fieldings, football player
• Ira N. Gabrielson, first director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Stanley L. Greigg, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from northwestern Iowa{{cite web|url= http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=G000450|title= Greigg, Stanley Lloyd, (1931 - 2002)
• Matthew C. Harrison, 13th and current president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
• Daryl Hecht, Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court
• Jerry Johnson, football player
• William G. Kirchner, Minnesota state legislator
• Gayle Knief, football player
• Utu Abe Malae, Gubernatorial Candidate in American Samoa
• Herb McMath, former NFL defensive tackle
• Al McIntosh, editor who was featured in Ken Burns' The War
• Emory Parnell, actor
• Pauline Phillips and Eppie Lederer, identical twin sisters of the notable newspaper columns "Dear Abby" and "Ask Ann Landers", are Morningside College alumni. Known as the "Friedman twins" during their time at Morningside, they wrote for the school's long-running newspaper, the Collegian Reporter
• Cory Roberts, President, CEO, and Chairman of the board of Propath
• Harry E. Siman, member of the Nebraska Legislature
• Trent Solsma, football player
• Paul Splittorff, baseball player
• Samuel A. Stouffer, sociologist
• Harry Webber, football player
• Brandon Wegher, football player
• Carl O. Wegner, Minnesota state legislator

References

References

1. (February 12, 2025). "U.S. and Canadian 2024 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2024 Endowment Market Value, Change in Market Value from FY23 to FY24, and FY24 Endowment Market Values Per Full-time Equivalent Student". National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).
2. {{NRISref
3. US Census Bureau. "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008".
4. Timothy T. Orwig}} with {{NRHP url. ["Morningside College Historic District"]({{NRHP url). [[National Park Service]].
5. Amy Hynds. (November 2, 2012). "Sioux City sports history". [[Sioux City Journal]].
6. Paul Batesel. "Charles City College". America's Lost Colleges.
7. "Dimmitt Residence Hall". The Council of Independent Colleges.
8. "Roadman Hall". The Council of Independent Colleges.
9. [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dehaako01.shtml Kory DeHaan Stats]. ''Baseball-Reference''. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
10. Hayworth, Bret. (August 2, 2006). "Hecht appointed to Iowa Supreme Court". [[Sioux City Journal]].
11. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/McMaHe20.htm Herb McMath Stats]. ''Pro-Football-Reference''. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
12. [https://propath.com/our-company/our-leadership/cory-a-roberts-md/ Cory Roberts' Company Profile] {{Webarchive. link. (June 2, 2021 . ''Company Reference''. Retrieved June 1, 2021.)
13. (1920). "THE NEBRASKA BLUE BOOK AND HISTORICAL REGISTER".
14. (December 14, 2018). "Morningside (Iowa) QB Trent Solsma named National Player of the Year".