Westminster College, Missouri

Infobox_University


name = Westminster College
established = 1851
motto = Religio et Scientia (Religion and Knowledge)
type = Private
president= Dr. George B. "Barney" Forsythe Ph.D.
city = Fulton
state = Missouri
country = USA
Academics = 36 majors, 34 minors, and 12 pre-professional programs
undergrad = 1,050 students from 24 states and 43 countries
faculty = 54
faculty - student ratio = 14:1
campus = Rural town, 86 acres
free_label = Athletics
free = 8 varsity teams
website= [http://www.westminster-mo.edu Westminster College Website]
mascot = Winston Blue Jay

Westminster College is a private, liberal arts institution in Fulton, Missouri, USA. It was founded by Presbyterians in 1849 as Fulton College and assumed the present name in 1851. The [http://www.westminster-mo.edu/cm/index.asp Winston Churchill Memorial and Library] are located on the campus. The Churchill Memorial is a national historic site and includes the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury. The church, designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1667, was rebuilt on the campus to commemorate Sir Winston Churchill, who made his famous "Iron Curtain" speech at Westminster College in 1946. As a bookend to history, Mikhail Gorbachev gave a speech in 1992, declaring the end of the Cold War.

The year previous to Gorbachev's historic visit, former President Ronald Reagan delivered a speech with a major section of the Berlin Wall, which now stands as a permanent monument on the College Quad, as a backdrop. The monument, named "Breakthrough" was designed by Winston Churchill's granddaughter, Edwina Sandys. See photo below for a visual of the Church, Library, and Berlin Wall monument.

Academics

Westminster College has produced four Rhodes Scholars, two Harry S Truman Scholars, and a Marshall Scholar in its 155-year history..

tudent body

The states best represented in the student body are Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas (students come from 24 states). Over 10% of the student body is international students and over fifty nations are represented in the student body. 18% of the students were ranked in the top tenth of their high school class.

Traditions

Westminster College is characterized by many traditions. For example, during the "Columns Ceremony," incoming freshmen walk through the original columns of ruined Westminster Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1909. Upon graduation, departing seniors again walk through the columns, but in the opposite direction. Tradition dictates that between these ceremonies, students must never walk through the columns. The College maintains many ties to British history and culture as evidenced by the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library, and the presence of bagpipes at numerous special events and observances.

Westminster students are required to adhere to the College's Honor Code and to honor its many traditions. The Skulls of Seven, founded in 1898, is a secret society dedicated to upholding the traditions and ideals of the College. According to legend, the Skulls of Seven convene their initiations and meetings in the tunnels that run beneath campus.

Westminster has traditionally had a strong Greek system, including six fraternities, each with their own residences. The Alpha Delta chapter of Beta Theta Pi, founded in 1868, is the oldest fraternity west of the Mississippi River. Other fraternities include Delta Tau Delta, the Kappa Alpha Order, Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Chi, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon. The level of participation in the Greek system, however, has fallen in recent years. In 2005, Westminster lost one of its sorority chapters: Delta Delta Delta. Two sororities remain active on campus: Kappa Kappa Gamma and Kappa Alpha Theta.

Athletics

Athletes ("Blue Jays") play in the [http://www.sliac.org/ St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference] of the NCAA Division III for most sports.

External links

* [http://www.westminster-mo.edu Westminster College Home Page]