The Columbia years
Columbia Christian College, 1956 to 1993. Thirty-seven years at 91st and Burnside, and the roots of everything that followed.
Where it started
Columbia's story begins in 1947, when members of Portland's churches of Christ opened Columbia Bible School in a church building at Seventh and Hassalo. The school, which still operates today as Columbia Christian Schools, gave rise to a college. In 1956, Columbia Christian College began, and it made its home on the east side of Portland at 91st and Burnside.
The college took its name from the Columbia River, which shaped the region and its towns. For 37 years it educated students from across the Northwest and beyond, until it closed in 1993.
The full history
Navigating the Mighty Columbia is the comprehensive history of Columbia Christian College. It builds on a history Walter Burkett wrote in 1974 and was completed in May 2009, as Cascade College closed.
Copyright 2009 Cascade College, the Portland campus of Oklahoma Christian University. Shared here with OC's blessing.
Columbia alumni
If you graduated from or attended Columbia Christian College, this site is yours too. Find your class year, share a story, or send photos for the Columbia albums.