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On Sept. 12, 1930, the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary opens in an abandoned elementary school, on Hampton Boulevard. 206 students register for classes.
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On June 6, 1956, the school awards its first four-year bachelor’s degrees to 15 students.
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On February 16, 1962, the school is granted independence from William & Mary. The school's name is changed to Old Dominion College, in 1969 the school was granted university status and renamed Old Dominion University.
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Two sororities, Alpha Xi Delta and Chi Omega, are the first two Greek organizations on campus to receive national affiliation. Today, the university has 10 social sororities and 12 social fraternities.
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The first black athelte, Arthur “Buttons” Speakes, joins the Monarch basketball team in 1965.
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In May of 1966, Margaret Simmons becomes the first African American student to earn a degree from Old Dominion.
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In 1969, Old Dominion College gains university status and is renamed Old Dominion University.
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Istvan and Ana Ament arrive on campus in 1973 to direct the Old Dominion University Ballet. They staged ODU's annual ballet production of "The Nutcracker" for nearly 30 years beofre their retirement in 2000.
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In March of 1985, the Lady Monarch basketball team wins the NCAA championship. This is the team's third national title with coach Marianne Stanley.
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In August of 1986, the Peninsula Graduate Center opens in Hampton as Old Dominion's first off-campus site. Two years later centers in Virginia Beach and Portsmouth open.
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On April 18, 2002, ODU released its new athletic logo featuring the school's mascot, a lion, wearing a crown. Also, the university adopts a new motto, “Portal to New Worlds.”
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On the morning of September 11, 2002, hundreds of students and members of the community gathered on Kaufman Hall to remember to those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks a year earlier.
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Today ODu offers 69 bachelor's degrees, 56 master's degrees, and 41 doctoral degrees with 18,965 Undergraduate and 5,501 Graduate students. The university also hosts 1,408 International students from 113 countries.
