Willamette University
and
The United Methodist Church

Most private colleges and universities began as religious foundations. What medieval monks intended at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Paris; what New England Puritans wished for Harvard and Yale; Virginia Anglicans, for William and Mary; New Jersey Presbyterians, for Princeton; and Philadelphia Quakers for Swarthmore -- was what Jason Lee and his Methodist missionary friends desired for Willamette in 1842.

Known originally as the Oregon Institute, Willamette was dedicated to the "intellectual and moral training" of the territory's youth, including women as well as men, and people of color as well as whites. Serving God through education was (and is) a natural for the Methodist tradition, which arguably began in a university -- Oxford, where its founder, John Wesley, taught Greek and logic.

Today, Willamette affirms its education-friendly United Methodist affiliations with over 100 other institutions -- places like Duke, Boston, Syracuse, Dickinson, Drew and Emory. Any college with "Wesleyan" in its name also shares Willamette University's heritage.

Like these and other nationally-ranked colleges, Willamette values liberal learning and welcomes students of "all sorts and conditions." Nevertheless, it maintains its church relationship. Most obvious markers are Cone Chapel, the Office of the Chaplain and the Religious Studies Department. In addition, the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church appoints several university trustees and holds its annual summer meeting at Willamette three years out of every four.

A more important continuity is the ethos of service represented by the University's motto: "Non nobis solum nati sumus. -- Not unto ourselves alone are we born."

Frequently Asked Questions

Salem-Keizer United Methodist Churches