75 Years of Purpose | 15 Years of Transformation
Read about how GCU has grown and transformed over 75 years, while faith and trusting God through the school's Christian foundation have stayed the same.
75 Years of Purpose | 15 Years of Transformation is available at the Lope Shops!
The GCU Story
The Grand Canyon University story is unlike any in the world.
From its humble beginnings in 1949, when three Baptist pastors each pledged a silver dollar to kick off fundraising to build the Christian university … to decades of producing graduates grounded in servant leadership … to near-bankruptcy … to a remarkable transformation that has made it the largest Christian university in the world, GCU has become a driving force in higher education. GCU is celebrating its 75th year with the largest enrollment in its history. More than 25,000 students are studying on GCU’s ground campus and roughly 100,000 are studying online.
“To look at how far we have come from our humble beginnings in 1949 to where we were 15 years ago to becoming the largest Christian university in the country, it is clear that God has his hand on this place in a very special way. With everything going on in the world today, I am convinced God’s plan was for us to be at this university, at this time, and in these circumstances.”
GCU President Brian Mueller
75th Anniversary GCU News Stories
Did you know?
GCU was founded in 1949 in Prescott, AZ. Originally named Grand Canyon College, the institution welcomed 95 students that first semester. Students gathered in temporary classrooms at the Prescott National Guard Armory. Leadership realized that Prescott's job market could not support a growing student population and in 1951, moved the college to its current home in Phoenix.
In 1949, the first students voted on what they wanted the school’s nickname to be. It came down to the Antelopes and the Donkeys. Thankfully, the students picked the Antelopes.
Grand Canyon College formed its first men’s basketball team in 1950. Under the coaching of Howard Mansfield, the team consisted of 10 students. Each of the student-athletes had jobs on top of their schooling, so practice was held in shifts. The team played eight games that season and lost every one of them. A hard loss, but it made the next season that much sweeter when the team won its first game. The campus was so ecstatic that the dean of students declared a campus wide holiday the next day.
The Lopes Up hand symbol was created in 1996 by student Jim D'Apice, who felt the campus community needed a way to show its spirit. It was slow to catch on and didn’t really take off until 2009, when freshman Taylor Griffin approached the cheerleaders about starting a chant during free throws at basketball games. And thus the “1-2-3 Lopes Up!” chant was born.
Before they were a nationally recognized student section, one that fuels the biggest party in college basketball that we all know today, the Havocs looked a little different. In 2010, the small group was called the Canyon Crazies. When GCU’s new arena opened in 2012, the Crazies got a new name, the Monsoon. To prepare for GCU’s transition to Division I in the 2013-14 school year, former Director of Spirit Programs Emily Stephens put out a call to discuss starting a special section within the Monsoon, and the Havocs were born. Later, that Havocs name was applied to the entire section in which every student is a Havoc.
GCU students will camp out for anything. They pitch tents and hang hammocks in front of GCU Arena days beforehand to get premium spots in line for Midnight Madness, the first basketball game of the season, and games against key rivals or big-name opponents. Daniel Elliott started the tradition in 2015 – and Camp Elliott was born. It continues today, with the Havocs, GCU’s nationally renowned student cheer section, managing the spirited camp-out. The planned “glamping” community has included elaborate set-ups of kiddie pools, TVs, video games, board games and a visit by the men’s and women’s basketball teams, who deliver doughnuts or pizza.
Then & Now
From 1951 to now, GCU’s campus has grown from nine modest buildings to a bustling campus of 32 residence halls, more than 30 dining options, and contemporary classrooms, labs and athletic facilities.
The evolution of GCU’s spirited fan base shows in these photos showcasing the 1962 men’s basketball team in front of a small crowd in Antelope Gymnasium and the 2023 team playing in front of a sold-out crowd in the 7,000-seat GCU Arena.
Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark has evolved from a few modest bleachers and chairs behind home plate in the 1960s to one of the West’s top collegiate baseball venues touting 4,000 chairback seats, a turf berm, a multiroom press box and contemporary sound system.
Chapel services have exploded from intimate gatherings in the 1960s to powerful worship and sermon ceremonies of 7,000 faithful students in GCU Arena.
The crowds they cheer for may have grown exponentially, but the spirit and energy the GCU Cheerleaders bring have remained the same.
When GCU moved to the Valley of the Sun, only a handful of residence halls dotted campus. Now 32 span the university and are rated No. 5 out of 1,371 colleges in the country by niche.com
There’s nothing like Family Weekend at GCU! From the 1960s to now, families have been traveling to Phoenix from all over the country to visit and see what life is like on campus.
Featuring two antelopes, the front entrance sign that used to greet students, faculty and staff in the 1960s has evolved into a grand and expansive new entrance embodying the university’s growth, vision and welcoming spirit.
The humble commencement ceremonies of the 1960s have grown into a monumental spectacle, filling GCU Arena with new graduates and their proud families.
75th Anniversary Events
75th Anniversary Week of Service
October 26, 2024 - November 2, 2024
More information coming soon!
75th Anniversary Gala
More information coming soon!