Bethel College (Kansas)
| Bethel College | |
|---|---|
 Memorial Hall, 2007 | |
| Motto | Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (I Cor. 3:11) |
| Established | 1887 |
| Type | Private Liberal Arts |
| President | Perry D. White [1] |
| Admin. staff | 60 |
| Undergraduates | 482 |
| Location |
North Newton, Kansas, USA[2] 38°04′29″N 97°20′33″W / 38.0747°N 97.3425°WCoordinates: 38°04′29″N 97°20′33″W / 38.0747°N 97.3425°W |
| Campus | 90 acres (360,000 m2) |
| Colors |
Maroon Grey |
| Nickname | Threshers |
| Website | www.bethelks.edu |
 | |
Bethel College is a four-year private Christian liberal arts college in North Newton, Kansas, United States. It is affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA.
History
Early years
Founded in 1887 and conferring its first four-year degrees in 1912, Bethel is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Starting in 1874, thousands of Russian Mennonites began arriving in Kansas. In 1882, having a century of experience running their own schools, they opened Emmental, a training school for teachers, north of Newton, Kansas. The school was moved to Halstead, Kansas, in 1883. A better site was found in North Newton, Kansas, and the cornerstone of the main building was laid on October 12, 1888.[3] This structure, the current Administration Building, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Administration Building has been on the Historic Register since March 16, 1972.
Campus relocation
The Halstead school was closed for the 1892–1893 school year while it was relocated to the new site and reopened as Bethel College in 1893. Bethel College became the second institution of higher learning associated with the General Conference Mennonite Church, replacing Wadsworth Institute which had closed in 1878.[4]
North Newton
During the 1880s, Kansas cities and towns competed with one another to create, build, and construct many institutions and buildings including colleges. On May 11, 1887, representatives of the Newton community and the Kansas Conference of Mennonites signed a charter for Bethel College to be built on a plot of about 120 acres (0.49 km2). Over a year later on October 12, 1888, around 2,500 people gathered on the property to lay the cornerstone of what is today the Administration Building of Bethel College. The dedication sermon was based on the Corinthians motto, which was placed on the seal, which now stands for Bethel College and its values. The building project took around five years to fully complete. The fund-raising to create the institution was slow, but on September 20, 1893 there was a service of dedication held for the building to be opened, and classes began.
First college president
Cornelius H. Wedel, a young teacher, was made Bethel College’s first president. There were 98 students – 77 men and 21 women ages 13 to mid-30s – living on the west end of the main floor and the ground floor of the Administration Building. Wedel and his family lived on the east end of the Administration Building’s main floor. The classrooms, chapel, and library of 600 volumes were located on the second floor. In those days, the students were up by five in the morning and in bed by ten at night. Each student worked two hours a day at a campus job. Student conduct was strictly monitored. Men and women were not allowed to be in the library during the same evenings; they alternated each evening. Five men, including the president, made up the first faculty. They taught classes in the Bible, church history, German, English, mathematics, science, and music. Bethel College was a bilingual college until early 1918, when the U.S. entered World War I. German was removed from the curriculum, although it would later return. As of the 2011-2012 school year, two years of German are offered.[5]
Campus facilities
|
Bethel College Administration Building | |
 | |
|
Bethel College Administration Building | |
| Location | Bethel College campus, North Newton, Kansas |
|---|---|
| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1887 |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Governing body | Private |
| NRHP Reference # | 72000505 [6] |
| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1972 |
The Administration Building was the main campus structure until 1925 when the Science Hall was completed. The cornerstone for Memorial Hall was laid in 1938, and the building was completed in 1942. The Art Center is another building that has been present for many years. In 1952 the Mennonite Library and Archives was built. In 1979, the current student center/cafeteria was built. The newest building is the Thresher Stadium in the Thresher Sports Complex. Another newly constructed academic building is the Krehbiel Science Center, completed in 2002.
There are three student residence halls located on campus. They are Haury Hall (completed in 1958 and expanded in 1963), Warkentin Court (completed in 1966), and the newer Voth Hall (completed in 2000).[7]
Organization and administration
The college president is Perry D. White.
Academic profile
Bethel College's academic program exposes students to three educational traditions: liberal arts, the church, and career preparation. General education courses give basic academic skills, providing a broad understanding of the social and natural world from the perspective of the liberal arts and sciences. Required Bible and religion classes encourage intellectual discussions of ethical perspectives and spiritual values. Focused study in a major field lays the groundwork for vocational success.[8]
The programs at Bethel College are grounded in four core values. These values are shown in daily routines at this institution. They include, first, an ethic of discipleship, that recognizes Jesus Christ is the Messiah and model for the Christian life and values a high level of commitment and free conviction; next an ethic of scholarship, that believes academic achievement is a logical out-come of intellectual stewardship, valuing discipline and creativity; third, an ethic of service, that believes concern for the powerless is essential to the Christian gospel and emphasizes the importance of peacemaking and volunteering of services; and finally an ethic of integrity, that celebrates the connections between spirit and mind, faith and learning, individual and community, and fosters personal development through participation in a range of activities.
Bethel’s curriculum is founded on a general education program in the liberal arts and sciences and is geared toward students of moderate to high academic ability. Distinctive elements include requirements in the study of religion and a cross-cultural experience. The college offers majors in the traditional liberal arts disciplines and selected career areas and accredited professional programs in nursing, social work, and teacher education. Academic development services are provided to enhance the skills of all students. By design, Bethel’s student profile reflects its church affiliation. At the same time, the college values diversity in its student body and seeks to enroll a variety of individuals desiring high-quality education for the whole person.[9]
Student life
Sport
Bethel College teams are nicknamed as the Threshers. The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and competes in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC). Men's sports include basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball.
In the 2006-07 season, three of Bethel's coaches were named conference Coach of the Year. The Threshers have won more than 55 conference titles. During 1998-99 alone, six of the ten Thresher teams won conference championships. At Bethel College the athletes also compete academically; 89 student athletes have been named American Scholar Athletes. Bethel College Athletic Director Diane Flickner said, "Intercollegiate athletics is an integral part of life at Bethel College. Thresher intercollegiate teams strive toward excellence in all of their goals. Success is not defined simply by a winning record but also by community involvement, the joy of playing, cooperation, friendships, skill improvement and the pride of representing Bethel College. Student-athletes develop life long skills of teamwork, self-discipline and leadership in an environment committed to Christian higher education".[10]
Notable alumni and faculty
- Owen Gingerich, former Research Professor of Astronomy and of the History of Science at Harvard University, and a senior astronomer emeritus at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
- Daniel Hege, music director of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra.
- Joseph Kesselring, writer and playwright.
- Waldo Rudolph Wedel, archaeologist and a central figure in the study of the prehistory of the Great Plains.
See also
References
- ↑ Administration
- ↑ GNIS for Bethel College; USGS; October 13, 1978.
- ↑ The cornerstone was laid by Andrew B. Shelly (1834–1913), then president of the General Conference Mennonite Church. (Kaufman, p. 73.)
- ↑ Administration Building page of the Bethel College website.
- ↑ "Bethel College German Language". Bethel College. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
- ↑ History of Bethel College
- ↑ Academics Of Bethel College
- ↑ Official Bethel Website
- ↑ Athletics of Bethel College
Further reading
- Kaufman, Edmund G. (1973), General Conference Mennonite Pioneers, Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas.
- Pannabecker, Samuel Floyd (1975), Open Doors: A History of the General Conference Mennonite Church, Faith and Life Press. ISBN 0-87303-636-0
External links
- Official website
- Official athletics website
- Bethel College in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
- City Town Info on Bethel College
- Historical
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