Mission and History
Hamline University’s mission statement, values, and vision are not something that exist in words alone.
You can find them in the values that guide our education, in the way our community comes together, and in our professors, leaders, staff, alumni, and students’ hearts.
They are not static. Rather, they are continually active, guiding us in what we do, whether it is creating new programs, erecting new buildings, or charting a course into our next 150 years.
Mission
To create a diverse and collaborative community of learners dedicated to the development of students' knowledge, values and skills for successful lives of leadership, scholarship, and service.
Values
Hamline University recognizes its roots in the traditions and values
of the United Methodist Church. Through our personal and collective
effort, we will make a lasting difference in the world as we aspire to
the highest standards for:
Creation, dissemination, and practical application of knowledge
Rigor, creativity, and innovation in teaching, learning, and research
Multicultural competencies in local and global contexts
The development and education of the whole person
An individual and community ethic of social justice, civic responsibility, and inclusive leadership and service
Vision
Hamline University will be recognized as a diverse, learning-centered university that is:
Rooted in a tradition of liberal education
Dynamic and actively inclusive
Locally engaged and globally connected
Invested in the personal and professional growth of persons
History
Hamline University is Minnesota’s oldest university. Named in honor of Leonidas Lent Hamline, a Methodist bishop who donated the funds, Hamline's first home was in the town of Red Wing in what was then the Territory of Minnesota. The first classes were held on the second floor of the village general store.
Hamline graduated its first class in 1859: two sisters, Elizabeth A. Sorin and Emily R. Sorin, who were not only Hamline’s first graduates, but also the first graduates of any college or university in Minnesota.
Today, Hamline University is a nationally-ranked, comprehensive university
serving nearly 4,500 students in its College of Liberal Arts, School of
Education, and School of Business. It offers undergraduate, master's,
doctoral, and professional degrees, as well as certificate and
continuing studies programs. Governed by its Board of Trustees, Hamline
is a private 501(c)3 nonprofit university.
Read the full history of Hamline University >