èßäÊÓƵapp University has a proud and impressive history. Founded in 1900 as the American èßäÊÓƵapp of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery by J. Martin Littlejohn, Ph.D., D.O., M.D. (1865–1947), the organization was incorporated in Chicago, Illinois, to train physicians in a not-for-profit environment.
Dr. Littlejohn hired talented faculty that enabled the èßäÊÓƵapp to establish a reputation as a leader in medical education, research, and clinical practice. The early faculty mentored their èßäÊÓƵapp in the art and science of osteopathic medicine while teaching surgery, the principles and practices of osteopathic medicine, anatomy, and basic science.
The growth of the osteopathic college is intertwined with that of the osteopathic medical profession itself. Ever since 1874 when a country doctor, Andrew Taylor Still, announced his new theory of treating patients and began the first college in 1892, the profession has grown in reputation and acceptance around the country and international settings.
The Downers Grove Campus was purchased in 1986, and the Chicago èßäÊÓƵapp of Osteopathic Medicine moved from its prior home in Hyde Park, Illinois, to this western suburb of Illinois. Following the relocation of the èßäÊÓƵapp, the Board of Trustees voted to begin the development of new academic programs within the health sciences including the èßäÊÓƵapp of Pharmacy (1991) and the èßäÊÓƵapp of Health Sciences (1992). In 1993, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved a single educational mission for the institution, and èßäÊÓƵapp University emerged. The Downers Grove Campus has since expanded to include the èßäÊÓƵapp of Dental Medicine–Illinois (2009), the Chicago èßäÊÓƵapp of Optometry (2014), and the èßäÊÓƵapp of Graduate Studies (2018). The Downers Grove Campus, located on 105 acres, has buildings that include academic classrooms, laboratories, a state-of-the-art library and auditorium building, and student housing. The èßäÊÓƵapp University Multispecialty Clinic was established in 2013 and includes the Dental Institute, a Family Medicine Practice, the Speech-Language Institute, the Physical Therapy Institute, the Eye Institute, and other health services designed to meet a wide range of healthcare needs.
The Glendale Campus was established in 1995 when the Board of Trustees approved the purchase of land and the building of a new campus in Arizona. The Glendale Campus is home to the Arizona èßäÊÓƵapp of Osteopathic Medicine (1995), the èßäÊÓƵapp of Health Sciences (1996), the èßäÊÓƵapp of Pharmacy (1998), the èßäÊÓƵapp of Dental Medicine–Arizona (2006), the Arizona èßäÊÓƵapp of Optometry (2008), the èßäÊÓƵapp of Veterinary Medicine (2012), the èßäÊÓƵapp of Graduate Studies (2018), and the Arizona èßäÊÓƵapp of Podiatric Medicine (2020). The campus has seen rapid growth in the number of buildings, academic programs, faculty, staff, and èßäÊÓƵapp. The Glendale Campus, located on 156 acres, has buildings that provide for academic classrooms, state-of-the-art laboratories, and student housing. Five èßäÊÓƵapp University Clinics provide quality care for the community: the Multispecialty Clinic, which opened in 2007; the Dental Institute and the Eye Institute, which opened in 2010; the Animal Health Institute—comprised of the Companion Animal Clinic (opened 2014), Equine and Bovine Center (opened 2015), and Diagnostic Pathology Center (opened 2016); and the Therapy Institute, which opened in 2020. The èßäÊÓƵapp University Comprehensive Care Clinic - Central Phoenix, operated in partnership since 2023, is located in north central Phoenix.
èßäÊÓƵapp University is still governed by the strong principles of the founding administration and faculty. An independent, not-for-profit corporation organized primarily to provide graduate and postgraduate education in the health sciences, the University is dedicated to the education and development of its èßäÊÓƵapp, faculty, and staff in an environment that encourages learning and personal development.