Simpson University


Simpson University is a private, Christian university in Redding, California. Originally founded in 1921 in Seattle as Simpson Bible Institute, the institution relocated to San Francisco in 1955 and then to Redding in 1989.

History

Simpson University, named after Albert Benjamin Simpson, a pioneer of the Bible institute movement and founder of The Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination, was established in 1921. Created by W.W. Newberry with the intent of promoting spiritual growth and Christian service in its students, the school initially only offered two-year programs. By 1945 it had expanded its offering and also became the official western regional school of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. By 1971 the university was large enough to offer in-depth liberal arts programs, professional degrees, and biblical courses. Another historic milestone was reached in 1989 when Simpson relocated to its current location in Redding and began building a new campus. In 2004, Simpson College became Simpson University.

Academics

Simpson offers many degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate level. In additional to its School of Traditional Undergraduate Studies, it is also home to the Betty M. Dean School of Nursing, which is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and ranked No. 8 in California Nursing Schools in 2019; the School of Education; School of Adult Studies ; School of Graduate Professional Studies; and A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary.

Athletics

Mascot

Originally, while still located in San Francisco, the school's athletes were the Knights. After the school moved to Redding, there was a conflict with nearby Shasta College, who were also the Knights. Simpson remained the Knights for the first year in Redding, and in 1990 adopted Vanguard as its mascot. In the fall of 2004, Simpson again changed its mascot to a Red Hawk.

Sports

Simpson University teams, nicknamed the Red Hawks, are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, primarily competing in the California Pacific Conference, with some teams competing in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. The swim and dive team compete in the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference. It also competed as a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association from 1991 to 2015. The athletic department offers multiple sports programs for both men and women.

Men

Between 1999 and 2017, Simpson has won the Cal Pac Sportsmanship award, which is chosen by the conference's coaches and administrators, 7 times. The women's softball team also won the school's first conference title, male or female, in the 2011 Cal-Pac Conference Championship. The university has also had three women's teams make it to the NCCAA National Championship, including volleyball in 1999, basketball in 2002, and softball in 2015.