Chartered in 1887 by leaders of the Church of the Brethren, McPherson College, Kansas, has a 119 year history of providing classic liberal arts and career-oriented education shaped by the essential values of its founding denomination. Mascot is the Bulldog. Located in McPherson, Kansas. McPherson College is a four-year liberal arts institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. Athletically, McPherson College is a member of the KCAC Conference, which is part of the NAIA. The date of establishment or date of founding of an institution is the date on which that institution chooses to claim as its starting point. ... In the history of education, the seven liberal arts comprise two groups of studies, the trivium and the quadrivium. ... University President is the title of the highest ranking officer within a university, within university systems that prefer that appellation over other variations such as Chancellor or rector. ... Provost is the title of a senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada, the equivalent of Vice-Chancellor at certain UK universites such as UCL, and the head of certain Oxbridge colleges (e. ... A faculty is a division within a university. ... Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... In some educational systems, an undergraduate is a post-secondary student pursuing a Bachelors degree. ... McPherson is a city located in McPherson County, Kansas. ... Official language(s) English Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  Ranked 15th  - Total 82,277 sq. ... The athletic nickname, or equivalently athletic moniker, of a university or college within the United States of America is the name officially adopted by that institution for at least the members of its athletic teams. ... Mascots at the Mascot Olympics in Orlando, Florida. ... Website - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Church of the Brethren was organized by Alexander Mack, a miller, in Schwarzenau, Germany, in 1708. ... Official language(s) English Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  Ranked 15th  - Total 82,277 sq. ... In the history of education, the seven liberal arts comprise two groups of studies, the trivium and the quadrivium. ... Mascots at the Mascot Olympics in Orlando, Florida. ... McPherson is a city located in McPherson County, Kansas. ... A liberal arts college is an institution of higher education found in the United States, offering programs in the liberal arts at the post-secondary level. ... The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) is one of six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education. ... The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (or KCAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. It is commonly called The Kansas Conference, and as the name implies, all members are located in Kansas. ... The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (better known as the NAIA) traces its roots to the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball. ...

History

Recognizing the need for a college west of the Mississippi River to serve the educational needs of families moving westward, Church of the Brethren leaders at their Annual Meeting in 1887 decided to investigate potential sites. In August of the same year McPherson, Kansas, in McPherson County was chosen and McPherson College and Institute was founded. McPherson County (standard abbreviation: MP) is a county located in the state of Kansas. ...

With the construction of the Dormitory, a single buidling which served as residence hall, college, and library, the first academic semester opened on September 5, 1888, with sixty students and a faculty of seven. By the end of the first school year nearly two-hundred students had enrolled and the foundation had been laid for the main building. In 1898, Sharp's 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 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 the students completing the classical or the scientific collegiate course of study, respectively. A Carnegie library, opened in 1913 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, designed in Spanish Colonial style Carnegie libraries for both public use and academic institutions were built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman Andrew Carnegie, earning him the nickname, the Patron Saint of Libraries. ...

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. As one example of working 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, Dr. Willard Hersey synthesized the world's first synthetic (man-made) diamond on the McPherson College campus. The diamond is on display at the McPherson Museum in McPherson, Kansas. Synthetic Diamond is diamond produced through chemical or physical processes in a factory. ...

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 was enough to launch the Automotive Restoration Technology program at McPherson College. 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. Jay Leno (born James Douglas Muir-Leno April 28, 1950) is an American comedian who is best known as the current host of NBC televisions long-running variety and talk program The Tonight Show. ...

McPherson College Today

McPherson College operates on a 4-1-4 (four month semester- January Session- four month semester) academic calendar. The present campus, with its sixteen major buildings and twenty-three acre setting, has matured into an institution of which its founders would be proud. A major in Automotive Restoration Technology was added in 1976, and today McPherson College is unique in offering a four-year liberal arts degree in the field of classic automobile restoration. To further enrich the cultural life of its student body, McPherson College continues offering study abroad opportunities through BCA. In order to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 1987-88, McPherson College architecturally began redesigning the entire campus, a factor that has improved the quality of living and learning at McPherson. The Miller Library offers modern study and research facilities. In the spring of 2000, the state-of-the-art Mingenback Theater and Hess Fine Arts Center were added to the instructional facilities, and Melhorn Science Hall opened its doors for fall 2001 classes.

Bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees are offered in twenty-two academic majors.

The teaching faculty includes forty full-time professors, more than half of whom hold terminal degrees. McPherson College has an 11/1 student-faculty ratio.

Major Fields of Academic Study at McPherson College

• Agriculture
• Art
• Biology
• Biochemistry
• Business Administration
• Chemistry
• Communications
• Computer Science
• Elementary Education (including Special Education licensure)
• English
• Environmental Stewardship
• History
• Mathematics
• Modern Language
• Music
• Philosophy and Religion
• Physical Education
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Theater
• Technology (including classic automotive restoration)

Athletics at McPherson College

McPherson College's sports teams are called the Bulldogs. The team colors are red and white, with black being used as a complemenatary color in logos and uniforms. Athletic teams participate in the NAIA and in the KCAC Conference. Sports include football, basketball, volleyball, cross country, track & field, soccer, softball, tennis, and cheerleading. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (better known as the NAIA) traces its roots to the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball. ... The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (or KCAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. It is commonly called The Kansas Conference, and as the name implies, all members are located in Kansas. ...

McPherson College Presidents

McPherson College has been led by thirteen presidents in its 119 years, presidents whose leadership has provided stability to the College and exemplfies the College's mission of "Scholarship, Participation, and Service."

Notable Alumni

The College's alumni span five continents and over forty countries of the world today, resulting in a widespread dispersion of the McPherson College experience. These alumni include outstanding graduates who have served and are serving their communities, the church, and the world.

Alumni recipients of the 2005 Citation of Merit include:

• Rev. C. LeRoy Doty
• Dr. William Goering
• Dr. Winston Goering
• Rex Morris
• Geraldine S. Tharrington Willcuts

Recipients of the 2005 Young Alumni Award include:

• Rev. Gail Erisman Valeta
• Dr. Floy Evon Detwiler (Ditmars)

The 2005 Teacher Ed. Alumni Fellow was:

• Eric Hadley

References

• 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