Founded in 1859 by Methodists as Valparaiso Male and Female College, an institution pioneering in coeducation, the school closed in 1871 because of the Civil War.  In 1873, Henry Baker Brown, an enterprising educator, reopened the college as the Northern Indiana Normal School.  By 1900, the fledgling institution won recognition as an economical institution of higher learning that served thousands of students who might not otherwise have been able to afford a quality education.  Following World War I, the University slipped into bankruptcy.  In 1925, the Lutheran University Association purchased what is now Valparaiso University and today, although remaining independent of ecclesiastical control, the University maintains close ties with Lutheran church bodies.

For additional historical information, please review the University's 150th anniversary celebration website.