About Evans-Bossert University
Evans-Bossert University, founded by Senator Timothy Evans-Bossert in 1881, is a nationally recognized liberal arts institution, providing an innovative and cutting edge approach to social and political leadership in the 21st century.
Senator Timothy Evans-Bossert (1829-1908) was a six-term U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota and a member of the Republican Party. Before being elected to the Senate in 1870, he was a professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. In 1878 Senator Evans-Bossert noted the lack of American institutions preparing students for political leadership, and began the process of establishing Evans-Bossert University on the grounds of Fort Snelling in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fort Snelling State Park provided an ideal space for Evans-Bossert University, as it allowed access to the metropolitan area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, but also allowed students to explore the 100o acres lakes, woods, and prairies that comprise the campus grounds. Senator Evans-Bossert negotiated the purchase of the 1000 acres of state park grounds from the Minnesotan government, agreeing to the stipulation that ten students from underrepresented backgrounds be granted full tuition scholarships to EBU each year. Senator Evans-Bossert also established an endowment fund through the Minnesota Department of Education that allots ten scholarships each year to Minnesotans seeking higher education at any institution. Through the financial commitments made by Senator Evans-Bossert, both through his scholarship funds and the creation of the Evans-Bossert University endowment fund, hundreds of students who would have not, have been granted access to higher education. The first students of Evans-Bossert University, both men and women, were predominantly from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Evans-Bossert University also became one of the first institutions West of the Mississippi River to admit students regardless of race and gender, and has since become a model for inclusiveness and social justice. In 1885 Evans-Bossert University celebrated its first graduation ceremony, graduating 42 men and women in the first class. Over the next ten years, Evans-Bossert University saw an expansion of both the holistically-focused curriculum as well as the physical boundaries of the institution itself. In 1978, Evans-Bossert University opened the Walter Frederick Mondale Leadership Institute. The institute was named in honor of Mondale after he began his term as the 42nd Vice President of the United States (1977-1981). During his time in the U.S. Senate (1964-1976), Mondale fought for fair housing, tax reform, and the desegregation of schools. In his political life, Vice President Mondale was also known as an adamant supporter of equal rights, which became a pillar of the Mondale Leadership Institute. [2] Today, Evans-Bossert University continues to thrive as the preeminent institution for civic and social leaders in the United States. |