McPherson College

McPherson College
Established	1887
Type	4 year liberal arts, non-profit
Endowment	$25.6 million[1]
President	Michael P. Schneider
Provost	Kent Eaton, Ph.D.
Academic staff	32
Admin. staff	70
Undergraduates	620
Location	McPherson, Kansas, United States
Campus	23 acres (9.3 ha)
Nickname	Bulldogs
Mascot	Ben the Bulldog
Website	www.mcpherson.edu

McPherson College was chartered in 1887 by the leaders of the Church of the Brethren. The college provides a career-oriented liberal arts education. It is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.

History

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

The first academic semester opened on September 5, 1888, with 60 students and a faculty of seven. The Dormitory, a single building which served as residence hall, college, and library had been constructed before the semester began. By the end of the first school year nearly 200 students had enrolled and the foundation had been laid for the main building. In 1898, Sharp 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 (0.61 km²) 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 students who completed 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. 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, J Willard Hershey synthesized one of the world's earliest synthetic (man-made) diamonds on the McPherson College campus.^[2][3] Nevertheless, Hershey's experiments lacked outside verification, and some academics have questioned the veracity of his claims.^[4] Hershey's microscopic diamond is on display at the McPherson Museum in McPherson, Kansas.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, McPherson College underwent financial difficulties. The college president, Vernon F. Schwalm, provided the leadership to maintain all the academic majors and preserve the faculty intact.

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 donation provided the spark 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.

By the fall of 2010, McPherson College had the highest student fall enrollment in over 40 years.^[5]

McPherson College Today

McPherson College operates on a 4-1-4 (four month semester- January Session- four month semester) academic calendar. The present campus has sixteen major buildings on twenty-three acres of land.

Nearly four out of five of the faculty hold terminal degrees and nearly half hold university conferred doctorates. The remainder hold non-terminal degrees. McPherson College has a 17/1 student-faculty ratio.

Major fields of academic study

Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees are offered in 18 majors.^[6]

Biology (BS) Biochemistry (BS) Business Administration (BS) Chemistry (BS) Communication (BA) Elementary Education (including Special Education licensure) (BS) English (BA) Environmental Stewardship (BS) Information Technology (BS) History (BA)

History for Teaching Licensure (BA) Mathematics (BA) Performing Arts (including music and theatre) (BA) Philosophy and Religion (BA) Physical Education and Health (BS) Politics and History (BS) Psychology (BS) Sociology (BS) Technology (including automotive restoration) (BS) Visual Arts (including graphic design) (BA)

Athletics

For more information see McPherson College Bulldogs

Athletic team colors are red and white, with black being used as a complementary color in logos and uniforms. They participate in the NAIA and in the KCAC Conference. Sports include football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, cross country, track & field, soccer, softball, tennis, and cheerleading.

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 John A. Clement - 1911-1913 Henry Jacob Harnly (acting) - 1913-1914 Daniel W. Kurz, Ph.D. - 1914-1927 Vernon F. Schwalm, Ph.D. - 1927-1941 Woodford W. Peters, Ph.D. - 1941-1950

Desmond W. Bittinger, Ph.D. - 1950-1965 J. Jack Melhorn, Ph.D. - 1965-1972 Galen R. Snell, Ph.D. - 1972-1976 Paul W. Hoffman, Ph.D. - 1976-1996 Steven Gustafson, Ph.D. (interim) - 1996-1997 Gary A. Dill, Ph.D. - 1997-2002 Neil Thorburn, Ph.D. (interim) - 2002-2003 Ronald D. Hovis - 2003-2009 Michael Schneider - 2009–present

Notable alumni

• Jonathan Coachman - former World Wrestling Entertainment and current ESPN personality
• Duane Earl Pope -- convicted bank robber and murderer. Briefly on the FBI 10 Most Wanted List

References

1. ^ As of June 30, 2009. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2009_NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values.pdf. Retrieved February 2, 2010. 
2. ^ J. Willard Hershey (2004). The Book of Diamonds: Their Curious Lore, Properties, Tests and Synthetic Manufacture. Kessinger Publishing. pp. 123–130. ISBN 1417977159. http://books.google.com/?id=35eij1e1al8C&pg=PA123. 
3. ^ J. Willard Hershey PhD (1940). Book of Diamonds. Heathside Press, New York. pp. 127–132. ISBN 0486418162. http://www.farlang.com/diamonds/hershey-diamond-chapters/page_137. 
4. ^ O'Donoghue, Michael (ed.) Gems, 6th edition, Elsevier, 2006, ISBN 10: 0-75-065856-8. p. 473
5. ^ "McPherson College Reaches Highest Enrollment Numbers in 40 Years". 29 September 2010. http://www.mcpherson.edu/news/index.php?action=fullnews&id=2137. 
6. ^ "McPherson College Catalog 2010-2011" (PDF). McPherson College. http://www.mcpherson.edu/academics/1011catalog.pdf#page=17. Retrieved August 26, 2010. 

• 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.

External links

• McPherson College official web site
• New York Times on Automobile Restoration at McPherson College