Gordon Ford College of Business - History

---

The long rich history of the Gordon Ford College of Business is traced back to 1874. Its forerunner, Bowling Green Business University (BU), was a prestigious private four-year business college. In June 1963, the Western Kentucky State Normal School (later Western Kentucky University) assumed the business programs of the BU and named it the Bowling Green College of Commerce in 1964. Grise Hall was built in 1964 and has been home to WKU’s business classes since its dedication in 1967. To honor the generosity of Gordon B. Ford, the college was renamed the Gordon Ford College of Business in December of 1998, becoming the second named business school in Kentucky. Learn more about the history of the Gordon Ford College of Business.