One of IPFW’s founders, Alfred W. Kettler Could two Big Ten schools open a local campus in Fort Wayne and have it succeed? Forty years later, the resounding answer is yes, yes and absolutely.

The concept seemed unrealistic to some, who wondered: Could these competitors merge effectively? Could they blend their best qualities to become the region’s premier center for higher education?

They could and did, as history shows.

At 40, IPFW is in its prime. The university has become a premier contributor to the region’s academic, cultural and economic development. Physically, the campus has grown from a single building into a multi-campus community cornerstone, offering an unparalleled range of educational and cultural opportunities. IPFW has helped keep the best and brightest in the area, producing a large pool of talented and educated people year after year.

“This is a momentous time for IPFW,” said Chancellor Michael Wartell. “We’ve spent decades becoming to the community what we are to our students: an essential resource, a trusted partner. And now, we’re seeing the fruits of our labor.”

With a heady sense of achievement, IPFW is hitting its stride: opening IPFW’s first student housing, promoting a budding Division I basketball team, constructing new facilities for music and medicine and the dedication of the mastodon statue that will, no doubt, become a favorite campus landmark.

IPFW reached an important academic milestone this spring, becoming the “university of choice” for some of Fort Wayne’s top graduating seniors. Thirteen high school valedictorians and salutatorians chose IPFW over all other higher education options available to them.

IPFW is involved in hundreds of public- and private-sector endeavors, contributing to the region’s health on many levels. The campus has built a tremendous network of relationships with numerous organizations, and those relationships have cemented IPFW’s place in the community as partner, catalyst, advocate and engine of economic development.

In the academic realm, the campus equips students for a huge range of careers via flexible course offerings on campus, distance learning and Internet courses, outreach classes in surrounding counties and cooperative learning programs with numerous local entities, such as hospitals and manufacturers. IPFW also supports businesses, individuals and families with cultural and enrichment offerings, on-campus clinics providing specialized health-care services, and expertise and skills invested in projects and organizations throughout the region.

“IPFW has become a world-class institution,” Wartell said. “Over four decades, we’ve remained committed to excellence in teaching, research, and learning, and, at the same time, responded to the needs of this region. That’s been our formula for success, and it’s our vision to continue using it well into the future.”