Living Our Motto

The Willamette University motto, “Not unto ourselves alone are we born,” captures the essence of this distinguished university. It speaks to our commitment to community service, to the extraordinary collaboration between faculty and students, and to the tradition of service and civic engagement that is typical of our alumni. Willamette University has earned a national reputation for its academic standards and exemplary citizenship, values that have defined the culture of this campus for more than 160 years.

These are just a few examples of the Willamette motto in action:

our response to Hurricane Katrina
our commitment to sustainability
our students’ actions locally and globally