Christopher Newport University

In 1960, the city of Newport News joined with the Commonwealth of Virginia to create Christopher Newport College (CNC), which opened its doors in 1961[3] and at the time was located in the old John W. Daniel School building. The college was founded as an extension of the College of William & Mary and offered extension courses that had already been available in the area for some time. In 1964, the college was moved to its current location, a 75-acre (300,000 m2) tract of land purchased and donated by the city. That same year, the college's first permanent building was dedicated as Christopher Newport Hall. In 1971, CNC became a four-year college;[4] however, it remained an extension of William & Mary until 1977 when it attained its independence.[5] In 1992, the college became a university under the leadership of President Anthony R. Santoro, who oversaw the building of the first residence hall. In 1996, CNU made plans to become more competitive. Those plans included the expansion of university property, several new buildings, and residence halls, as well as overhauling academic programs and the admission process.