McPherson College

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McPherson College
Image:MCLogo_wbkgd.gif
Established: 1887
Type: Liberal Arts
President: Ronald D. Hovis
Provost: Dr. Hal Laydon (interim)
Faculty: 40
Staff: 70
Undergraduates: 464
Location: McPherson, Kansas, United States
Campus: 23 acres
Nickname: Bulldogs
Mascot: Ben the Bulldog
Website: http://www.mcpherson.edu/

Chartered in 1887 by leaders of the Church of the Brethren, McPherson College, Kansas, has a 120-year history of providing traditional liberal arts and career-oriented education shaped by the essential values of its founding denomination. Mascot is the Bulldog. Located in McPherson, Kansas. McPherson College is a four-year liberal arts institution accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. Athletically, McPherson College is a member of the KCAC Conference, which is part of the NAIA.

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[edit] History

Recognizing the need for a college west of the Mississippi River to serve the educational needs of families moving westward, Church of the Brethren leaders at their Annual Meeting in 1887 decided to investigate potential sites. In August of the same year McPherson, Kansas, in McPherson County was chosen and McPherson College and Institute was founded.

With the construction of the Dormitory, a single building which served as residence hall, college, and library, the first academic semester opened on September 5, 1888, with sixty students and a faculty of seven. By the end of the first school year nearly two-hundred students had enrolled and the foundation had been laid for the main building. In 1898, Sharp's Hall was completed, though it had been used for school purposes for some time while still incomplete. On February 12, 1898, the school was officially christened "McPherson College."

A Carnegie Library was added to the campus in 1906, supported by an endowment. In 1909, the college purchased a 150-acre farm for the agricultural department. At this time other academic departments included education, fine arts, Bible, and business, as well as pre-medical and pre-engineering courses. Bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees were conferred on the students completing the classical or the scientific collegiate course of study, respectively.

Other buildings added in the early years included the Alumni Gymnasium (1911); Arnold Hall (1915); Kline Hall (1919); and Harnly Hall (1922). In 1938 the old Alumni Gymnasium was torn down and replaced by the new Gymnasium.

One clause from the Corporation Charter for McPherson College states, It is the purpose of this Corporation to do any and all things necessary and expedient to be done for the advancement of higher Christian education. As one example of working to fulfill this purpose, McPherson College applied for accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and in 1921 it was one of the first colleges in Kansas to receive it.

In 1926, Dr. Willard Hersey synthesized one of the world's earliest synthetic (man-made) diamonds on the McPherson College campus. The diamond is on display at the McPherson Museum in McPherson, Kansas.

In 1962, McPherson College became a charter member of Brethren Colleges Abroad (BCA).

In 1976, local entrepreneur Gaines H. “Smokey” Billue, provided funds for the construction of Templeton Hall along with additional operating capital through the donation of a portion of his classic and antique car collection. This was enough to launch the Automotive Restoration Technology program at McPherson College. The Tonight Show host Jay Leno has been a financial supporter of the Automotive Restoration Technology program since 1997 and a member of the program's National Advisory Board since 1998.

[edit] McPherson College Today

McPherson College operates on a 4-1-4 (four month semester- January Session- four month semester) academic calendar. The present campus, with its sixteen major buildings and twenty-three acre setting, has matured into an institution of which its founders would be proud. A major in Automotive Restoration Technology was added in 1976, and today McPherson College is unique in offering a four-year liberal arts degree in the field of classic automobile restoration. To further enrich the cultural life of its student body, McPherson College continues offering study abroad opportunities through BCA. In order to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 1987-88, McPherson College architecturally began redesigning the entire campus, a factor that has improved the quality of living and learning at McPherson. The Miller Library offers modern study and research facilities. In the spring of 2000, the state-of-the-art Mingenback Theater and Hess Fine Arts Center were added to the instructional facilities, and Melhorn Science Hall opened its doors for fall 2001 classes.

Bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees are offered in nineteen academic majors.

The teaching faculty includes forty full-time professors, more than half of whom hold terminal degrees. McPherson College has an 13/1 student-faculty ratio.

[edit] Major Fields of Academic Study at McPherson College

[edit] Athletics

McPherson College's sports teams are called the Bulldogs. The team colors are red and white, with black being used as a complementary color in logos and uniforms. Athletic teams participate in the NAIA and in the KCAC Conference. Sports include football, basketball, volleyball, cross country, track & field, soccer, softball, tennis, and cheerleading.

[edit] McPherson College Presidents

McPherson College has been led by thirteen presidents and four interim presidents.

  • Soloman Z. Sharp - 1888-1896
  • Charles E. Arnold - 1896-1902
  • Edward Frantz - 1902-1910
  • Samuel J. Miller (acting) - 1910-1911
  • Dr. John A. Clement - 1911-1913
  • Henry Jacob Harnly (acting) - 1913-1914
  • Daniel W. Kurz - 1914-1927
  • Dr. Vernon F. Schwalm - 1927-1941
  • Dr. Woodford W. Peters - 1941-1950
  • Dr. Desmond W. Bittinger - 1950-1965
  • Dr. J. Jack Melhorn - 1965-1972
  • Dr. Galen R. Snell - 1972-1976
  • Dr. Paul W. Hoffman - 1976-1996
  • Dr. Steven Gustafson (interim) - 1996
  • Dr. Gary A. Dill - 1996-2002
  • Dr. Neil Thorburn (interim) - 2002-2003
  • Ronald D. Hovis - 2003-current

[edit] Notable Alumni

The College's alumni span five continents and over forty countries of the world today, resulting in a widespread dispersion of the McPherson College experience. These alumni include outstanding graduates who have served and are serving their communities, the church, and the world.

Alumni recipients of the 2005 Citation of Merit include:

  • Rev. C. LeRoy Doty
  • Dr. William Goering
  • Dr. Winston Goering
  • Rex Morris
  • Geraldine S. Tharrington Willcuts

Recipients of the 2005 Young Alumni Award include:

  • Rev. Gail Erisman Valeta
  • Dr. Floy Evon Detwiler (Ditmars)

The 2005 Teacher Ed. Alumni Fellow was:

  • Eric Hadley

Television:

[edit] References

  • Craik, E. L. History of the Church of the Brethren in Kansas. McPherson, KS: E. L. Craik, 1922.
  • Mines, Cynthia. McPherson College: The First Century. McPherson, KS: McPherson College, 1987.
  • McPherson College 2006-07 College Catalog.

[edit] External links

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Athletic Programs in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference