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GU History: Home

A guide to the history of Gonzaga University

"Tradition and Transformation": A Brief History of Gonzaga

Early photo of Gonzaga

In the fall of 2012 Gonzaga University celebrated its125th anniversary of its founding.  Although physically and financially Gonzaga today does not resemble the institution of 1887, Gonzaga has never lost its primary mission.  For 125 years, Gonzaga University continues to offer a quality Jesuit education to its students.

To celebrate Gonzaga University’s 125th anniversary, a special exhibition of photographs and memorabilia  was displayed in the Cowles Reading Room at the Foley Center Library in the fall of 2012. Click here to see the on-line version of the exhibit.

This guide is a historical and pictorial journey during those 125 years showing the growth and development of a small rural college to a large university.  The tabs above will take you to pages with major highlights from that time period.

Special Collections Librarian