Converse College
Encyclopedia
Converse College is a liberal arts
women's college
in Spartanburg
, South Carolina
, USA. It was established by a group of Spartanburg citizens and named after Dexter Edgar Converse.
who had settled in Spartanburg before the American Civil War
and had become a successful pioneer in the cotton mill
industry, served as the head of the first board of directors. On January 2, 1892 fire destroyed the College's main building. The building was enlarged during its reconstruction. In 1896, the College was incorporated in South Carolina and a self-perpetuating board of trustees was named. In 1964, the College introduced graduate programs
.
Departments
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
women's college
Women's college
Women's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women...
in Spartanburg
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, USA. It was established by a group of Spartanburg citizens and named after Dexter Edgar Converse.
History
Converse College opened on October 1, 1889 with a student body of 168 and 16 faculty members. The College operated as a "stock company" with the board of directors composed entirely of citizens of Spartanburg. Dexter Edgar Converse, a native of VermontVermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
who had settled in Spartanburg before the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and had become a successful pioneer in the cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
industry, served as the head of the first board of directors. On January 2, 1892 fire destroyed the College's main building. The building was enlarged during its reconstruction. In 1896, the College was incorporated in South Carolina and a self-perpetuating board of trustees was named. In 1964, the College introduced graduate programs
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
.
Description
It has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 750 women who come from throughout the United States. The graduate enrollment of approximately 1,200 students is made up of both men and women.Departments
- Art and Design
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Economics, Accounting, and Business
- Education
- English/Creative and Professional Writing
- Foreign Languages and Literature
- Health and Physical Education
- History and Politics
- Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics
- Psychology
- Religion and Philosophy
- Theatre and Dance
- Music
Presidents
| Name | Years served |
|---|---|
| Benjamin F. Wilson | 1890–1902 |
| Robert Paine Pell | 1902–1932 |
| Edward Moseley Gwathmey | 1933–1955 |
| Oliver Cromwell Carmichael, Jr. | 1956–1960 |
| Robert T. Coleman, Jr. | 1961–1989 |
| Ellen Wood Hall | 1989–1993 |
| Sandra C. Thomas | 1994–1998 |
| Nancy Oliver Gray | 1999–2005 |
| Elizabeth A. Fleming | 2006— |