Milligan College

Milligan College
Motto	Ago Deo Fideo Et Amore "Go with God in Faith and Love"
Established	1866
Type	Private
President	Dr. William B. Greer
Admin. staff	94
Students	1130
Undergraduates	919
Postgraduates	211
Location	Milligan College, Tennessee, USA
Campus	Urban
Colors	Black & Orange
Mascot	Buffalo
Affiliations	Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, churches of Christ (a cappella) and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Website	www.milligan.edu

Milligan College is a Christian liberal arts college founded in 1866 and located immediately outside of Elizabethton in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The school has a student population of just over 1,100 students as well as a 181-acre (0.73 km²) campus that is located just minutes from downtown Johnson City. The school is consistently ranked as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country and well-known for its core humanities program. Milligan was named a "College of Distinction" in 2011 ^[1].

Milligan College is historically related to the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the a cappella Churches of Christ, with about 35 percent of the student body hailing from these religious groups. While the college maintains close ties with the churches which founded it, the school welcomes students from all backgrounds. Diversity has become a core value of the school and, as a result, the student body has become much more diverse in recent years. The college offers over 30 undergraduate programs of study and three graduate programs.

History

The school began as an endeavor of the Rev. Wilson G. Barker, a Disciples of Christ minister, and the Buffalo Creek Christian Church, a congregation of the Disciples of Christ located on Buffalo Creek in Carter County, Tennessee. While it began as a private secondary school known as the Buffalo Male and Female Institute, the institution was elevated to the collegiate level in 1881 with the arrival of the Rev. Dr. Josephus Hopwood and his wife Sarah LaRue Hopwood. Hopwood, a Disciples of Christ minister and educator, came to the school with the understanding that it would become a liberal arts college to train leaders for Disciples of Christ churches and the communities of Appalachia. The name was changed to Milligan College in 1881 in honor of the Professor Robert Milligan, president and professor of Biblical Studies at the College of the Bible, Kentucky University (now Lexington Theological Seminary). Hopwood continued to serve the school as president until 1903 when he left to found Virginia Christian College (now Lynchburg College) in Lynchburg, Virginia. He returned for an interim presidency in 1915-1917.

Dr. Henry Derthick's presidency is perhaps the most defining administration in early the history of the college. He served from 1917 to 1940 and during this tenure the college grew and gained a reputation for excellence in the region. Derthick succeeded in bringing the college through the Great Depression.

In 1943, Milligan became the only college in the nation to completely turn its facilities over to the Naval training programs. The V-12 Navy College Training Program program utilized the college's campus from 1943 to 1945.^[2]

The school resumed its civilian education programs in 1945, though facing a significant financial crisis. The board of trustees called Dr. Dean E. Walker, a Disciples of Christ minister and educator, then professor at the seminary of Butler University (now Christian Theological Seminary), to become the college's president. Walker's administration was marked by rapid growth, securing financial stability for the college, and the realization of regional acceditation for the college's academic programs through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. During Walker's tenure he also led the way in establishing Emmanuel School of Religion, a graduate theological seminary now located adjacent to the college's campus near Johnson City, and loosely associated with the College.

Since the 1960s Milligan has grown in stature in the region and has become one of the premiere private, church-related liberal arts colleges in the South^[3]. The school was named a "College of Distinction" in 2011 ^[4]. The college's education programs are among its most popular and well respected in the region. The business and communications programs are also popular with students.

Donald Jeanes (Milligan Class of 1968), a minister and educator of the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, became the fourteenth president of the college in 1997. He is a graduate of the college, holds a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree from neighboring Emmanuel School of Religion, and was granted an honorary doctoral degree by Milligan College. Jeanes announced his retirement effective July 15, 2011. On March 18, 2011, the Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Bill Greer as the 15th president; Dr. Greer will assume leadership of the college beginning July 15, 2011^[5]. Greer's appointment marks the first time in the college's existence that anyone other than a minister will have served as president. Greer is an economist, scholar, and business leader who holds a Ph.D. in Business and Economics from the University of Tennessee and has taught at the college for almost 20 years.

The college's vision is to change lives and shape culture through a commitment to servant leadership. The college's motto, found on its seal, is "Ago Deo Fideo Et Amore," meaning "Go with God in faith and love."

The core curriculum, based on an interdisciplinary humanities program and religion courses, educates students to view and engage the world in an open and constructive way, to lead and to serve. The college offers over 30 programs of study on the undergraduate level and three on the graduate level.

Student life

The college believes that a Christian liberal arts education is about more than just academic studies. The school's programs focus on developing the whole person — intellectually, spiritually, socially, and physically. There are many opportunities to do that through activities such as concerts, theatre productions, banquets, pick-up hoops and Ultimate Frisbee, intramurals and athletic events, residence hall activities, and study groups.

As a church-related liberal arts college, Milligan remains closely aligned with the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, a capella churches of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the three religious bodies that have traditionally supported the school. A strong campus ministry program and culture of service exist on campus. Alcohol and tobacco use are prohibited on campus.

Newer buildings

The Elizabeth Leitner Gregory Center for the Liberal Arts, a center for performing arts, opened in January 2008. It features a 300-seat theater, photography labs, and classrooms for use by the fine arts programs at the college.

Milligan has remodeled the cafeteria to create a more informal and aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. The dining hall is open all day to accommodate diverse student schedules.

In recent years, the college has made a commitment to better stewardship of the environment, focusing on reduced consumption of non-renewable products, recycling, and renewable sources of energy. The new fitness center was the first green building in Carter County, Tennessee.

Notable alumni

• Charles Buddy Bolding, baseball coach, Class of 1973
• Warren Eugene Brandon (1916-1977), painter and photographer^[6]
• David Davis, Class of 1991, U.S. Congressman from Tennessee District 1
• Del Harris, basketball coach, Class of 1959
• The Rev. Dr. John Preston McConnell, ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The Rev. Dr. McConnell was the founder and first president of Radford University.^[7] He also served as pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Radford, Virginia, which is located just across the street from Radford University.
• Francis Gary Powers, an American pilot whose U-2 spy plane was shot down while over the Soviet Union, causing the U-2 Crisis of 1960, Class of 1950
• Sonny Smith, basketball coach and commentator, Class of 1958
• Alf and Bob Taylor, Tennessee governors and congressional Representatives
• Duard B. Walker, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Athletics Director of the Year (2001). NAIA Hall of Fame (2008), Class of 1948

Click here to view a list of Milligan's distinguished alumni.

References

1. ^ [http://www.collegesofdistinction.com/college-profiles/TN-tennessee/271-milligan-college.html
2. ^ "Milligan College once Navy training center during World War II". Johnson City Press. 2011. http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Living/article.php?id=86547. Retrieved September 29, 2011. 
3. ^ USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2008
4. ^ [http://www.collegesofdistinction.com/college-profiles/TN-tennessee/271-milligan-college.html
5. ^ "Milligan College". "Greer Named 15th President of Milligan". http://www.milligan.edu/president/pres_announcement.html. Retrieved May 1, 2011. 
6. ^ Falk, Peter Hastings, Who was Who in American Art, 1564-1975, Vol I, Sounds View Press, Madison CT, 1999, p. 421
7. ^ http://www.radford.edu/president/rupresidents.html