Brief History: This year commemorates 125 years of continuous operation for Haskell.

Haskell began as the "US Indian Industrial Training School" in 1884. With an initial enrollment of 22 students, grades 1-5, its curriculum focused on domestic and agricultural education and enrollment quickly increased to over 400 students within one semester's time. The school was renamed in 1887 after US Representative Dudley C. Haskell, who served as Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs from 1881 until his death in 1883; Haskell was responsible for locating the school at Lawrence.

Haskell began offering college level classes in 1927 and graduated its last high school class in 1965. Haskell became accredited as Haskell Indian Junior College in 1970 and, in 1992, the National Haskell Board of Regents recommended a new name to reflect its vision for Haskell as a national center for Indian education, research, and cultural preservation. In 1993, the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs (U. S. Department of the Interior) approved the change, and Haskell became "Haskell Indian Nations University."

The university offers four-year degrees to members of federally-recognized tribes from all 50 states and student enrollment is approximately 1,000 each semester.