"The Ichabod" existed only in name until 1938, when alumnus (and later prominent graphic artist) Bradbury Thompson (B.A., 1934) created the studious-looking, tailcoat-wearing figure the university uses today.

The medical school had become infamous on December 10, 1895, when the public discovered that some of the bodies used for anatomical study had been stolen from local cemeteries.

As the news was being printed (eventually across the country), the governor, fearing riots, called out state troops to protect the school.

[9] On June 8, 1966, only a few days after classes were dismissed for the summer, much of the campus was demolished by a tornado, and completely denuded of trees.

[10] Three months before the tornado struck, the Washburn board of trustees had reinsured every building on campus for the maximum amount.

A week after the tornado struck, summer classes began at Topeka West High School.

[citation needed] The Washbum Law Library houses over 380,000 volumes and is the largest in the state.

[15] Notable alumni include Bob Dole, Roy Wilford Riegle, Dennis Moore, Kay McFarland, Bill Kurtis, and Fred Phelps.

[16] Lincoln Hall Housing and dining The Washburn athletic teams are called the Ichabods.

The university is a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) since the 1989–90 academic year.