Indiana University South Bend is the third largest campus of the Indiana University system. It is popularly known as "IUSB" and is located in South Bend, Indiana, in St. Joseph County.HistoryIndiana University began offering classes in South Bend in 1922 as an extension of the main campus of Indiana University Bloomington. In the Great Depression, the superintendent of South Bend schools asked that more classes be added for those who could not afford to attend classes at the Bloomington campus.The classes were offered at Central High School in downtown South Bend and within a few years enrollment reached 500. Classes were taught by local high school teachers with master's degrees and occasionally by Bloomington faculty who traveled once a week for class.The university appointed a resident director in 1940. Lynton Keith Caldwell, then a graduate student at the University of Chicago, took on the job. In 1941, Ernest Gerkin was named the first permanent full-time faculty member. Donald Carmony became the director from 1944 to 1950, followed by Jack Detzler, who remained in the job until 1964. In 1961 the first IU South Bend building was constructed on newly acquired land on the north shore of the St. Joseph River. It was first named the IU Center. In 1962 it was renamed the South Bend-Mishawaka Campus. In 1965, Lester Wolfson was appointed director and assistant dean of the campus. Wolfson was named chancellor in 1969 and his leadership continued until his retirement in 1987. Four year degree programs were authorized in 1965 and the campus awarded its first degrees in 1967. Thirty-one students graduated the first year.The campus was named "Indiana University South Bend" in 1968. The first master's degrees were conferred in 1970. Enrollment exceeded 5,000 in 1971 and the addition to Northside Hall was opened in 1972. The purchase of the Associates Building (now known as the Administration Building) was completed in 1975. Groundbreaking for the Franklin D. Schurz Library was in 1986 and it opened in 1989. Chancellor Wolfson retired in 1987 and H. Daniel Cohen was named chancellor. Cohen concentrated on improving facilities, grounds and programming. In 1994, the university purchased the former Playland Park, a 26.5 acre parcel on the south side of the St. Joseph River. Playland had been an amusement park, a golf course, and a ballpark. Cohen resigned in 1995 and long-time history professor, Lester C. Lamon, assumed the position of acting chancellor for two years until Kenneth L. Perrin was named chancellor.
