United States International University

USIU's roots date back to Balboa Law College, which was founded in 1924 in downtown San Diego by Leland Ghent Stanford. It was San Diego's first law school. The college gradually added other courses of study and changed its name to Balboa University. In 1952 it changed its name to California Western University and moved to a historic oceanfront campus in San Diego's Point Loma neighborhood.{{Cite web|title=(287)California Western University|url=https://www.lostcolleges.com/california-western-university|access-date=2020-08-08|website=lost-colleges|language=en}} William C. Rust became its president in 1953.{{Cite web|last=Website|first=USIU-Africa|title=History of USIU-Africa|url=https://www.usiu.ac.ke/9/history-usiu-africa/|access-date=2020-08-08|website=USIU-Africa Website|language=en-US}}

In 1966, Rust began transforming the university's vision "to create global understanding through a single university with campuses all over the world."{{Cite web|title=Willam Rust and the early troubles of USIU {{!}} San Diego Reader|url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1986/apr/24/cover-tales-out-of-school/|access-date=2020-08-08|website=www.sandiegoreader.com|language=en}} In 1968 he changed the school's name to United States International University, whose founding goal was to focus on "human excellence" and not simply "intellectual excellence".{{Cite web|title=Cal Western Football|url=http://calwesternfootball.com/|access-date=2020-08-08|website=calwesternfootball.com}} The San Diego Reader later referred to USIU as an "international phenomenon". Rust purchased land for a new campus in Scripps Ranch, and all university operations were moved there by 1973. California Western School of Law kept its separate name and identity and remained on the Point Loma campus until 1973, when it moved to downtown San Diego. In 1975 it split off from USIU into an independent entity that is still in operation.{{cite web|url=http://webimages.cwsl.edu/marketing/res-ipsa-online/summer-2014/cover-a-look-back.asp|title=A Look Back at California Western's Remarkable Journey|last=Ross|first=Bob|date=Summer 2014|work=Cal Western School of Law|accessdate=27 February 2021}}

In the early 1980s, USIU held a broadcast license to operate KUSI-TV, a startup UHF television station in San Diego. To launch the station, USIU partnered with Mike McKinnon, who owned television stations in Texas and KSON radio in San Diego. It went on in 1982; after a protracted dispute, USIU sold its stake to McKinnon, who had blocked attempts to sell to other parties. KUSI still exists as an independent station.{{cite journal |title=KUSI-TV drops UPN, assumes independent status |journal=Electronic Media |volume=17 |issue=2 |date=January 1998 |page=36 }}

USIU undertook a program of international expansion, but was soon plagued by financial trouble due to aggressive and far reaching expansion of "international centers" in Wiesbaden, Vienna, and Hong Kong coupled with bankruptcy litigation of the University's largest financier, US Financial Securities Corporation. In 1986, Rust was still breaking new ground for buildings and maintaining focus on further expansion in Latin America, the Middle East, Europe and Russia.{{cite news |last1=Granberry |first1=Michael |title=Rust, USIU President 37 Years, Is Benched by Troubled School |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-01-12-me-145-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=12 January 1990 }}{{Cite web|last1=Blackston|first1=Michelle Cadwell|last2=Transcript|first2=San Diego Daily|date=2001-11-28|title=New AIU president has put rocky times behind her|url=http://www.sddt.com/news/article.cfm?SourceCode=20011128tbb|access-date=2020-08-08|website=The Daily Transcript|language=en-US}}

After 37 years of leading the university and enduring several rocky financial episodes, Rust was removed from all governing power by the board of trustees in 1990. Gary Hays, former chancellor of the Minnesota State University, took over as president of USIU in April 1990 and reorganized the University into just two remaining colleges; arts and sciences and business administration.{{Cite web|date=1992-07-30|title=San Diego : USIU Saves With Cuts in Programs|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-07-30-me-4576-story.html|access-date=2020-09-14|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}} All sports programs were eliminated due to the University's indebtedness.{{cite news |title=USIU Trustees Vote to Eliminate Athletics : Gulls: Men's basketball team gets a reprieve. It will be allowed to finish this season. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-12-29-sp-6548-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=29 December 1990 }}

The university was able to continue and restored smaller athletic programs for soccer, tennis and cross country competing in the NAIA. However, the September 11 attacks and subsequent loss of international student enrollment tuition proved to be final for USIU. In 2001, it merged with the California School of Professional Psychology to form Alliant International University.{{Cite web|title=Our Story {{!}} Alliant Intl University|url=https://www.alliant.edu/why-alliant/our-story|access-date=2020-08-08|website=www.alliant.edu}} Both CSPP and USIU were not-for-profit schools with similar needs and complementing resources. At the time of their merger the newly formed AIU had an undergraduate student body that was 33% international students and 30% ethnic minority group students and an annual budget of $60 million. In 2015, Alliant International University became a for-profit benefit corporation.

The university's main campus from 1952 to 1973 was the land that is now occupied by Point Loma Nazarene University.{{Cite web|date=2010-03-28|title=Old college teammates agree that Cal Western 'was a good fit'|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-old-college-teammates-agree-that-cal-western-was-2010mar28-story.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-08-08|website=San Diego Union-Tribune}} With the name change to USIU the university moved to its new campus in Scripps Ranch, and opened national campuses in Maui and Steamboat Springs as well as international campuses in London, Mexico City, and Nairobi. Additional campuses were proposed. The Nairobi campus is the only one that still exists and is now known as United States International University Africa.{{Cite web|last=Blumenstock|first=Kathy|title=The beach boys on blades|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1980/01/21/the-beach-boys-on-blades-sorry-snowbirds-but-playing-at-usiu-isnt-just-suntan-time-in-san-diego|access-date=2020-08-08|website=Sports Illustrated Vault {{!}} SI.com|language=en-us}} The multi-campus, international concept shaped the university with its student focus and core curriculum. In the late 1980s USIU became known for catering to wealthy international students, including royalty from the Middle East.{{Cite web|title=Did Bin Laden's Brother Live a Secret Life in San Diego? {{!}} San Diego Reader|url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2001/oct/25/did-bin-ladens-brother-live-secret-life-sd/|access-date=2020-08-08|website=www.sandiegoreader.com|language=en}}

The USIU Gulls football team produced five professional football players. The legendary Sid Gillman was head coach for four months during an offseason before his final coaching job with the Philadelphia Eagles. In just four months, "Gillman turned the team into a West Coast legend". In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Al Palmiotto, USIU's athletic director during Gillman's time, recalled that Gillman said, “What a lucky son-of-a-bitch I am finding a place like this for the last years of my life."{{Cite magazine|last=Zimmerman|first=Paul|title=Best of Dr. Z: 1991 Sid Gillman feature|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/07/01/dr-z-paul-zimmerman-sid-gillman-sports-illustrated-nfl|access-date=2020-08-08|magazine=Sports Illustrated|language=en-us}} Four of the coaches he recruited all went on to have extensive careers in the NFL: Tom Walsh, John Fox, Mike Solari and Mike Sheppard. Two players he recruited became NFL starters: Bob Gagliano and Vernon Dean.{{Cite web|title=Cal Western University Player|url=http://calwesternfootball.com/Coaches/gillman.html|access-date=2020-08-08|website=calwesternfootball.com}}

USIU's international presence and student body allowed it to maintain an NCAA Division I hockey team, the USIU Gulls, which was the only NCAA hockey team west of the Rockies. In 1980, Sports Illustrated covered the team's triumphs with a 16-8-2 record in article titled "Beach Boys on Blades". However, in 1990 after operating for 10 years and producing two NHL Pittsburgh Penguins players — Darren Lowe and Pat Mayer — the program was dropped due to the rising costs associated with "traveling 2,000 miles to compete".{{cite web|last=Hazeltine|first=Rick |date=1988-04-23|title=Hockey Dropped by USIU|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-23-sp-1479-story.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-08-08|website=Los Angeles Times}}

USIU also maintained a non-conference NCAA Division I basketball team which has been referred to as the "greatest show in college basketball" and the "forgotten team of San Diego". When playing for the USIU Gulls, Kevin Bradshaw recorded an NCAA record for the most points in a single game versus an NCAA Division I team (72 in a loss to Loyola Marymount).{{Cite web|date=2018-08-22|title=The USIU Soaring Gulls were the greatest show in college basketball|url=https://fansided.com/2018/08/22/usiu-soaring-gulls-college-basketball/|access-date=2020-08-08|website=FanSided|language=en-US}}

USIU's women's basketball team was also a member of NCAA Division I between 1982 and 1989, although the team mainly competed as an independent the Gulls were members of the West Coast Conference in the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons. The Gulls won the 1986 WCAC regular season championship in women's basketball finishing the season with an 11-1 record

USIU's softball team appeared in one Women's College World Series in 1982.{{cite book|title=A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series|first1=William|last1=Plummer|first2=Larry C.|last2=Floyd|year=2013|publisher= Turnkey Communications Inc.|location= Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States|isbn=978-0-9893007-0-4}} The Gulls defeated Ohio State 1–0 in the team's first game. Freshman pitcher Jenny Stallard then hurled an eight-inning perfect game to stun top-seeded and eventual tournament champion, Texas A&M, 1–0 in the team's second game. However, losses to Michigan and Central Michigan ended the Gulls' season.

Notable faculty included Jamie Foxx, Lem Burnham, and Igor Ansoff, the "father of Strategic Management".{{Cite web|title=5 Reasons You Gotta Know ... Jamie Foxx|url=https://people.com/tbd/5-reasons-you-gotta-know-jamie-foxx/|access-date=2020-08-08|website=PEOPLE.com|language=EN}}{{Cite web|title=Who is Igor Ansoff?|url=https://www.ansoffmatrix.com/igor-ansoff/|access-date=2020-08-08|website=www.ansoffmatrix.com}}

• Sergio Albert, NFL player{{Cite web|url=http://calwesternfootball.com/Players/AAAA/Albert%20sergio.html|title=Cal Western University Player|website=calwesternfootball.com|access-date=2018-09-21}}
• Barry Bostwick, Tony- and Golden Globe-winning actor{{Cite web|url=https://www.barrybostwick.com/our-story|title=Our Story|website=www.barrybostwick.com/our-story|access-date=2024-01-03}}
• Kevin Bradshaw, NCAA basketball record-holder for points in a single game, player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Lem Burnham, NFL player{{Cite news|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-old-college-teammates-agree-that-cal-western-was-2010mar28-story.html|title=Old college teammates agree that Cal Western 'was a good fit'|last=Roberts|first=Ozzie|work=sandiegouniontribune.com|access-date=2018-09-21|language=en-US}}
• Wayne Clark, NFL player{{Cite web|url=http://www.eastcountysports.com/main/2007-08/prep/football.shtml|title=EAST COUNTY SPORTS - Real Sports... Real Time|website=www.eastcountysports.com|access-date=2018-09-21}}
• Vernon Dean, NFL player{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1q1EwUUX1ZgC|title=Sid Gillman: Father of the Passing Game|last=Katzowitz|first=Josh|date=2012-08-07|publisher=Clerisy Press|isbn=9781578605064|page=246|language=en}}
• Jamie Foxx, actor, singer, comedian, writer, record producer, and rapper{{Cite news|url=https://people.com/tbd/5-reasons-you-gotta-know-jamie-foxx/|title=5 Reasons You Gotta Know ... Jamie Foxx|work=PEOPLE.com|access-date=2018-09-21|language=en}}
• Ken Friedman, co-founder of the Fluxus art movement
• Bob Gagliano, NFL player{{Cite news|url=https://www.si.com/vault/2013/09/23/106372099/you-spin-me-right-round-baby|title=YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND, BABY|work=Vault|access-date=2018-09-21|language=en}}
• Dwight McDonald, NFL player{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/McDoDw00.htm|title=Dwight McDonald Stats {{!}} Pro-Football-Reference.com|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=2018-09-21}}

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Category:Private universities and colleges in California

Category:Defunct private universities and colleges in California

Category:Universities and colleges in San Diego

Category:Universities and colleges established in 1924

Category:Educational institutions disestablished in 2001

Category:1924 establishments in California

Category:Alliant International University