United States International University

United States International University (USIU) was a nonprofit university based in San Diego, California that was accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. At its peak, it had two additional American campuses and three international locations. It was merged into Alliant International University in 2001. History USIU's roots date back to the Balboa Law College, which was founded in 1924 in downtown San Diego by Leland Ghent Stanford. It was San Diego's first law school. The college gradually added other courses of study and changed its name to Balboa University. In 1952 it changed its name to California Western University and moved to a historic oceanfront campus in San Diego's Point Loma neighborhood. William C. Rust became its president in 1953. In 1966, Rust began transforming the university's vision "to create global understanding through a single university with campuses all over the world." In 1968 he changed the school's name to United States International University, whose founding goal was to focus on "human excellence" and not simply "intellectual excellence". The San Diego Reader later referred to USIU as an "international phenomenon". Rust purchased land for a new campus in Scripps Ranch, and all university operations were moved there by 1973. California Western School of Law kept its separate name and identity and remained on the Point Loma campus until 1973, when it moved to downtown San Diego. In 1975 it split off from USIU into an independent entity that is still in operation. In the early 1980s, USIU held a broadcast license to operate KUSI-TV, a startup UHF television station in San Diego. To launch the station, USIU partnered with Mike McKinnon, who owned television stations in Texas and KSON radio in San Diego. It went on in 1982; after a protracted dispute, USIU sold its stake to McKinnon, who had blocked attempts to sell to other parties. KUSI still exists as an independent station.