Title: Employee Handbooks, 1988-2003
Show Historical Note
The Naropa Institute was founded in 1974 by Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche (1940-1987), an early pioneer in bringing the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism to the United States, and his students, including the poets Allen Ginsberg and Anne Waldman. As stated in the first catalog, the purpose of the Institute was "to provide an environment in which the Eastern and Western intellectual traditions can interact and in which these disciplines can be grounded in the personal experience and practice of staff and students." Naropa began as a summer institute whose faculty included Ram Dass, Gregory Bateson, Harvey Cox, Zalman Schachter, Francesca Fremantle, Alan Watts, Lee Worley, and other noted writers, performers, artists, religious leaders, and thinkers, in addition to Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Allen Ginsberg, and Anne Waldman. Masters, Bachelors, and certificate programs in religious studies, writing, psychology, and the arts were gradually added beginning in 1976.
Until early 1986, Naropa was a division of the Nalanda Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that served as the educational arm of Vajradhatu, a group of meditation centers run by Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche and his students. In 1986, the Institute became independent of the Nalanda Foundation, acquiring its own board of directors. The same year it was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1999, Naropa changed its name to Naropa University, reflecting its expanded programs and student base.Sources:
Naropa University Archive materials, including catalogs.
