{"id":77,"date":"2013-09-13T17:40:24","date_gmt":"2013-09-13T17:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university?page_id=77"},"modified":"2025-07-10T15:58:39","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T15:58:39","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/introduction\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"University History"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"hero-secondary\">\n  <div class=\"relative bg-black\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"adhere object-cover\" src=\"\/media\/university\/images\/092916-westernu-campus-hec-sunset-print-40x20-2.jpg\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"The sun sets along the Esplanade at WesternU framed by the HEC and the Daumier buildings. Photo taken Thursday, Sepot. 29, 2016.\">\n      <div class=\"adhere gradient-overlay\"><\/div>\n        <div class=\"relative container pt-56 md:pt-112 pb-144 md:pb-192\">\n      <div class=\"md:flex md:justify-between px-12\">\n        <div class=\"sm:w-8\/12 md:w-6\/12 xl:w-5\/12 px-12\">\n                      <div class=\"mb-20\">\n              <div class=\"block font-sans font-bold text-14 text-white leading-130\">\n  <span class=\"inline-block\">\n    <a href=\"\/\" class=\"block hover:underline\">WesternU<\/a>\n  <\/span>\n      <span class=\"inline-block mx-6\">\/<\/span>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\" class=\"inline-block hover:underline\">About WesternU<\/a>\n          <span class=\"inline-block mx-6\">\/<\/span>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/introduction\/\" class=\"inline-block hover:underline\">Introduction<\/a>\n    <span class=\"inline-block mx-6\">\/<\/span>\n    <span class=\"inline-block\"><\/span>\n  <\/div>            <\/div>\n                                        <h1 class=\"t-h1-sans  text-white\"><\/h1>\n        <\/div>\n              <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"relative my-48 md:my-72\">\n  <div class=\"container\">\n    <div class=\"lg:flex px-12 lg:justify-start\">\n              <div class=\"w-full lg:w-5\/12 2xl:w-4\/12 -mt-80 md:-mt-112 mb-48 px-12 lg:pr-32\">\n                              <nav class=\"py-28 px-40 2xl:px-64 rounded-5 md:rounded-8 bg-gray-darker text-white mb-40\">\n            <ul>\n                                              <li class=\"block my-8\">\n                  <a class=\"text-22 font-normal leading-130 tracking-20 text-white hover:text-yellow transition-default\" href=\"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/introduction\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Introduction<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                                              <li class=\"block my-8\">\n                  <a class=\"text-22 font-normal leading-130 tracking-20 text-white hover:text-yellow transition-default\" href=\"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/introduction\/history\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">University History<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                                              <li class=\"block my-8\">\n                  <a class=\"text-22 font-normal leading-130 tracking-20 text-white hover:text-yellow transition-default\" href=\"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/introduction\/vision-mission-statement\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Vision &amp; Mission<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                                              <li class=\"block my-8\">\n                  <a class=\"text-22 font-normal leading-130 tracking-20 text-white hover:text-yellow transition-default\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernu.edu\/provost\/academic-affairs\/accreditation-and-disclosures\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Accreditation and Disclosures<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                                              <li class=\"block my-8\">\n                  <a class=\"text-22 font-normal leading-130 tracking-20 text-white hover:text-yellow transition-default\" href=\"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/introduction\/administration\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">University Administration<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                                              <li class=\"block my-8\">\n                  <a class=\"text-22 font-normal leading-130 tracking-20 text-white hover:text-yellow transition-default\" href=\"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/introduction\/administrative-offices\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Administrative Offices<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                          <\/ul>\n          <\/nav>\n                            <\/div>\n      \n      \n                  \n                  \n      <div class=\"w-full px-24 wysiwyg-content lg:w-7\/12 2xl:w-7\/12\">\n        <h2>WesternU History<\/h2>\n<p>Western University of Health Sciences embarked on a special mission when it opened its doors in 1977 as the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific: educating tomorrow\u2019s health care professionals with a combination of scientific excellence and a humanistic, compassionate approach to patient care.<\/p>\n<p>From an inaugural class of 36 students in 1978, enrollment in the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific grew to more than 400 by 1986. That same year, the addition of the Master of Science in Health Professions Education program paved the way for what would become the College of Allied Health Professions, which was renamed the College of Health Sciences in 2018. Meanwhile, the University continued acquiring former Pomona Mall buildings, remodeling them for educational use.<\/p>\n\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"my-48 md:mt-96 md:mb-72\" vue-app>\n  <div class=\"container\">\n    <div class=\"flex flex-wrap md:flex-row-reverse md:items-center app-gutter\">\n      <div class=\"md:w-6\/12 xl:w-7\/12 app-gutter pl-16\">\n        <div class=\"rounded-5 md:rounded-8 md:h-560 bg-yellow\">\n                                  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-full h-256 md:h-560 object-cover rounded-5 md:rounded-8 transform -translate-y-10 -translate-x-8 md:-translate-y-18 md:-translate-x-16\" src=\"\/media\/university\/images\/streetarches1990s.jpg\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"(min-width: 768px) 50vw, 100vw\" alt=\"WesternU History\">\n                  <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"md:w-6\/12 xl:w-5\/12 mt-32 md:mt-0 px-12 md:pr-40 lg:px-80\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"md:pb-40\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"text-lockup text-lockup--default\">\n\t<h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wysiwyg-content t-p2 mt-24 text-black\">The institution kept growing over the next decade, with enrollment jumping dramatically in 1996, when the addition of a College of Pharmacy necessitated a name change to Western University of Health Sciences. <br \/>\r\n<br \/>\r\n1998 was another landmark year for WesternU, as the College of Graduate Nursing was founded in March, and the College of Veterinary Medicine \u2014 the first veterinary college in Southern California, and still one of just two such colleges in California \u2014 was established just five months later.<br \/>\r\n<br \/>\r\nThe first foundation-up construction at WesternU was the Veterinary Clinical Center, which opened in August 2008. One year later, the University welcomed inaugural classes in three new colleges \u2014 Dental Medicine, Optometry, and Podiatric Medicine. In conjunction with this remarkable academic expansion, the University further enlarged the physical campus, erecting a 180,000 square-foot Health Education Center, a Patient Care Center, a Veterinary Pathology Center, and a 600-car parking garage. <br \/>\r\n<br \/>\r\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"relative my-48 md:my-72\">\n  <div class=\"container\">\n    <div class=\"lg:flex px-12 lg:justify-center\">\n      \n      \n                  \n      \n      \n      <div class=\"w-full px-24 wysiwyg-content\">\n        <p>Were not all this growth sufficient, the University ventured north in 2011, opening the WesternU Oregon campus with 400 students at an additional site of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Lebanon. The University has embarked on further expansion in Lebanon as a key part of the overall WesternU Strategic Plan, \u201cAchieving Aspirations,\u201d with the College of Health Sciences welcoming the inaugural Oregon cohort of Physical Therapy students in July 2021.<\/p>\n<p>2016 also was an important milestone in WesternU history, as the University welcomed just the second president in its history. Upon the retirement of Founding President Philip Pumerantz in 2015, after a national search the University Board of Trustees appointed Daniel R. Wilson, MD, PhD, as president. Dr. Wilson, an internationally distinguished neuropsychiatrist, anthropologist and academic administrator, took office in July 2016 and among other major accomplishments led the University through the worldwide COVID pandemic, sustaining WesternU\u2019s exceptional mission across all Colleges with strategy, financial management, and plans for growth despite a health crisis that necessitated extensive remote learning, physical distancing for the in-person clinical simulation classes still needed to keep students on track for graduation, and remote work for most of the University\u2019s 1,200 employees.<\/p>\n<p>In October 2020, Dr. Wilson announced he would step down from the presidency on June 30, 2021. The WesternU Board of Trustees appointed Sylvia Manning, PhD, as Interim President until a successor to Dr. Wilson could be found, and in the fall of 2021 announced that Robin Farias-Eisner, MD, PhD, MBA, would become the third president in WesternU history effective March 1, 2022. President Farias-Eisner joins WesternU after serving Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, as Director of the Henry Lynch Comprehensive Cancer Research Center and as Chief Academic Officer for the School of Medicine. Prior to Creighton, he worked for many years as a professor, administrator, and chair of gynecologic oncology at UCLA.<\/p>\n<p>Today, WesternU is home to more than 3,700 students in 25 academic programs on three campuses, as well as 1,100 employees; operates multiple clinical entities in Southern California and Oregon; and is one of the most thriving enterprises in the Pomona and Inland Valleys of Southern California and the mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon.<\/p>\n\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"my-48 md:mt-96 md:mb-72\" vue-app>\n  <div class=\"container\">\n    <div class=\"app-gutter\">\n      <div class=\"relative md:flex md:justify-end\">\n        <div class=\"app-gutter\">\n                                  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"md:absolute md:-top-32 md:left-0 w-full md:w-5\/12 lg:w-6\/12 h-240 sm:h-320 md:h-full object-cover rounded-t-5 md:rounded-8\" src=\"\/media\/university\/images\/history.jpg\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"(min-width: 768px) 50vw, 100vw\" alt=\"COMP &amp; COMP-Northwest HISTORY\">\n                  <\/div>\n        <div class=\"md:w-8\/12 xl:w-7\/12 app-gutter\">\n          <div class=\"p-32 sm:p-40 md:px-0 md:py-80 rounded-b-5 md:rounded-8 bg-black\">\n            <div class=\"md:ml-1\/8 lg:ml-1\/4 xl:ml-1\/7 md:px-40 lg:px-80\">\n                              \t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"text-lockup text-lockup--black\">\n\t<h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"t-h2-serif  block text-yellow\">COMP &amp; COMP-Northwest<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"t-h2-sans  block text-white\"> History<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wysiwyg-content t-p2 mt-24 text-white\">The College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP), was established in 1977 as a direct and important response to a critical shortage of primary care physicians in the western United States. Philip Pumerantz, PhD, accepted the invitation of the college\u2019s board of directors to become the founding president in September of 1977. In January 1978, COMP received pre-accreditation status from the American Osteopathic Association. Provisional accreditation status was achieved in July of 1978 and full accreditation in February 1982. In August of 1996, in order to better reflect its stature, COMP was restructured into a university with a new name: Western University of Health Sciences.<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n                          <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1028,"menu_order":11,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-77","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/77","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/77\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5759,"href":"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/77\/revisions\/5759"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/university\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}