Tarkio College

Tarkio College was a college that operated in Tarkio, Missouri from 1883 to 1992. The institution was supported by the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of Americacite book|last=Williams |first=Walter |title=The State of Missouri|year=1901 |pages= pp. 197-210] . It closed after filing for bankruptcy protection in 1991cite book |last=Craig |first=Cathryn |Middle=C. |last2=Naylor |first2=Jone |title=Tarkio College, 1883-1992: "An Illustrated History of the Crown of the Hill" |year=1992 |publisher=Family First Publications] .

Samuel C. Marshall was the first president and William E. Walker served as the last president.

The Tarkio College mascot, used by their basketball, football and track teams, was the owl. The school colors were purple and white, and the college's motto, often attributed to its first president, was "Set Fire, Tarkio!"

Tarkio College won the 1940 NAIA Division I Men's basketball championship, defeating San Diego State 52-31.

Brewer and Shipley named their most famous album, Tarkio (album) after this college in 1970 featuring the song One toke over the line.

Educational Records

After the college closed, student transcript records were transferred to Northwest Missouri State University, where they can be requested through the Registrar's Office at 800 University Drive, Maryville, MO 64468fact|date=April 2007.

Notable Alumni

Tarkio College alumnus, Wallace Hume Carothers (1896–1937), obtained his four year degree at Tarkio College. He later taught at Harvard University, and is credited with the discovery of the man-made polymers nylon and neoprenecite book |last=Hermes |first=Matthew |title=Enough for One Lifetime, Wallace Carothers the Inventor of Nylon |year=1996 |publisher=Chemical Heritage Foundation |isbn=0-8412-3331-4] .

Anthropologist Edgar Lee Hewett (1865-1946) received his degree in pedagogy from Tarkio College. He is remembered for helping to bring about the Antiquities Act that enabled preservation of archaeological sites as United States national monuments. He was also the first president of the New Mexico Normal School, now known as New Mexico Highlands Universitycite journal |last=Fisher |first=Reginald |title=Edgar Lee Hewett |journal=American Antiquity |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=pp. 78–79 |month=July | year=1947] .

Tarkio College alumnus, Dr. Phillip D. Creighton became president of Pacific University in 2003.

The Future

After Tarkio College closed, the library books were purchased by, and moved to Lancaster Bible College, Lancaster, PA. There were also several attempts to find alternative uses for the property, including early discussions about the possible founding of a new institution, Tarkio Valley College. Initially, Youth Services International, Inc. operated Tarkio Academy, a residential and community-based educational program for juveniles from 1995-2004cite news |last=Belleville News-Democrat |title=Old Tarkio College library considered for possible tech college |newspaper=Belleville News-Democrat |date=February 13, 2006] . [http://www.ncmc.cc.mo.us/ North Central Missouri College] and [http://www.linnstate.edu/ Linn State College] then announced an exploration of options for a new jointly operated technical college in early 2006. This was soon followed by reports that the property would become [http://www.mienergy.net Midwest Institute of Energy,] a private collegecite news |last=St. Joseph News-Press & Gazette Company |title=Former Tarkio College will become energy institute |newspaper=St. Joseph News-Press & Gazette Company |date=July 18, 2006] .

References

External links

* [http://www.tarkioalumni.org/ Tarkio College Alumni Association]
* [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=8th&navby=case&no=964196p "First Bank v. Tarkio College] – bankruptcy decision from the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals
* [http://www.tarkiomo.com Pictures of Tarkio College]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE4DB173DF934A25757C0A967958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all"A College Acts in Desperation And Dies Playing the Lender] – New York Times story about acts of fraud committed by Tarkio College]