Hood College
Encyclopedia
Hood College is a co-educational liberal arts college
located in Frederick, Maryland
. The college serves approximately 1,050 graduate students and more than 1,400 undergraduate students.
of Frederick by the Potomac Synod
of the Reformed Church of the United States. Dr. Joseph Henry Apple, an educator from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was named as the first president. In this first year, eighty-three women enrolled, and were taught by eight faculty members in Winchester Hall located on East Church Street in Frederick. Classes were offered in the liberal arts and music, as well as secretarial trades. In 1898, the first class graduated, with fourteen women earning Bachelor of Arts degrees. Over the next several years, courses in biology, economics, sociology, political science, and domestic science were added.
In 1897, the college received a 28 acres (113,312.1 m²) tract of land for its campus from Margaret Scholl Hood. In 1913, the Trustees of the Woman’s College announced that the name of the Woman’s College would be changed to Hood College, in honor of Margaret Scholl Hood, who gave $25,000 to establish an endowment for the college, and who firmly believed in higher education for women. On January 18, 1913, Margaret Hood's will was filed for probate. In the will, she bequeathed an additional $30,000 to the Woman's College of Frederick provided that the college had changed its name to "Hood College". Part of this bequest was used to fund the 1914 construction of Alumnae Hall. Today, except for Brodbeck Hall, which was built in the 1860s and stood on the campus at its founding, Alumnae Hall remains the oldest building on the college's campus and serves as the central location for the college's administration. In 1915, the College began its move from its former location in Frederick City to its current campus.
In 1934, Joseph Henry Apple retired as the College’s president, serving for 41 years. At his retirement, he was the oldest college president in continuous active service at a single institution in the United States.
In 1944, Hood College celebrated its 50th anniversary.
The Hood College Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2002. The campus is within close walking distance of downtown Frederick. In 2010, Forbes named downtown Frederick one of America's best neighborhoods.
Weinberg now teaches journalism at Hood and serves as the director of the Communications Program.
Based on this report, the Board of Trustee's ultimate decision was to admit men as residential students.
This decision was made due to the realistic issue that there was a decreased demand for women's colleges. Only three percent of college- bound female students preferred a single-gender institution. This led to an overall decline in undergraduate enrollment over the years. Hood needed at least 300 new, enrolled students each year in order to have a balanced budget. All in all, Hood's expenses were exceeding revenue.
This led to the creation of a co-education task force composed of students, alumni, faculty and staff members. This taskforce ultimately decided where men were to be housed.
team. In the early 1900s, field hockey, tennis
, archery
and swimming
were among the sports added to the athletics program. The College was the second college in the U.S. to have a field hockey team. Competitions then were intramural and teams were comprised based on graduating class or dorms. Gambrill Gymnasium was constructed in 1946 and continues to serve as the main athletic facility for the campus. In 1984, Hood College became a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
and joined the Division III Chesapeake Women's Athletic Conference. When the CWAC disbanded, Hood joined the Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference
in 1990. In 2006, Hood joined the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC).
Hood presently offers intercollegiate varsity teams in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross-country, women's field hockey, men's golf
, men's and women's lacrosse
, men's and women's soccer, women's softball
, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field
, and women's volleyball
. The College also offers club level programs for cheerleading
, equestrian
and women's golf.
The men's teams began competition in the Capital Athletic Conference
for the 2006-2007 academic year along with women's cross-country and track and field. All other women's sports remained in the AWCC for the 2006-2007 year and moved to the CAC in 2007-2008.
The nickname for Hood athletics is the Blazers. This dates back to the 1920s when the campus elected a rising senior as the "White Sweater" girl as someone who possessed the most sportsmanship and school spirit. In 1928, the sweater was changed to a blazer
. Today, the nickname is represented by a thoroughbred horse with a "blaze" mark on its forehead.
Hood College student-athletes train in the Gambrill Gymnasium.
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
located in Frederick, Maryland
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
. The college serves approximately 1,050 graduate students and more than 1,400 undergraduate students.
Early History (1893 -1944)
The college was founded in 1893 as the Woman's CollegeWomen's colleges in the United States
Women's colleges in the United States are single-sex U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...
of Frederick by the Potomac Synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
of the Reformed Church of the United States. Dr. Joseph Henry Apple, an educator from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was named as the first president. In this first year, eighty-three women enrolled, and were taught by eight faculty members in Winchester Hall located on East Church Street in Frederick. Classes were offered in the liberal arts and music, as well as secretarial trades. In 1898, the first class graduated, with fourteen women earning Bachelor of Arts degrees. Over the next several years, courses in biology, economics, sociology, political science, and domestic science were added.
In 1897, the college received a 28 acres (113,312.1 m²) tract of land for its campus from Margaret Scholl Hood. In 1913, the Trustees of the Woman’s College announced that the name of the Woman’s College would be changed to Hood College, in honor of Margaret Scholl Hood, who gave $25,000 to establish an endowment for the college, and who firmly believed in higher education for women. On January 18, 1913, Margaret Hood's will was filed for probate. In the will, she bequeathed an additional $30,000 to the Woman's College of Frederick provided that the college had changed its name to "Hood College". Part of this bequest was used to fund the 1914 construction of Alumnae Hall. Today, except for Brodbeck Hall, which was built in the 1860s and stood on the campus at its founding, Alumnae Hall remains the oldest building on the college's campus and serves as the central location for the college's administration. In 1915, the College began its move from its former location in Frederick City to its current campus.
In 1934, Joseph Henry Apple retired as the College’s president, serving for 41 years. At his retirement, he was the oldest college president in continuous active service at a single institution in the United States.
In 1944, Hood College celebrated its 50th anniversary.
The Hood College Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2002. The campus is within close walking distance of downtown Frederick. In 2010, Forbes named downtown Frederick one of America's best neighborhoods.
Transition to Co-education (1970 -2003)
In the early 1970s, Hood College began to consider becoming a co-educational institution. In October of that year the Hood College Board of Trustees voted to begin enrollment of men as commuter students. That same year Hood also decided to begin a graduate school program for both men and women. These changes were implemented in January 1971.Objections
There were mixed feelings on campus as Hood students worried about the type of male student Hood could potentially attract. Students feared that a residential women's college would attract only the "provincial townies" unable to go anywhere else, and the "lusty lovers" attracted by the high number of females. This led to public debate in The Blue and Grey, the Hood College campus newspaper, and letters to the student body from then-president Randle Elliot.First Male Student
Beginning in January 1971, the College became open to men as commuters. The first male student, Aldan T. Weinberg transferred to Hood after having spent one year at American University and three years in the army.Weinberg now teaches journalism at Hood and serves as the director of the Communications Program.
Change to Co-Education
In the fall of 2001, the Hood executive committee was charged by the board of trustees with the task of studying the possible impact of male resident students. This study consisted of the projected financial, cultural, residential, academic and enrollment impacts on the College.Based on this report, the Board of Trustee's ultimate decision was to admit men as residential students.
This decision was made due to the realistic issue that there was a decreased demand for women's colleges. Only three percent of college- bound female students preferred a single-gender institution. This led to an overall decline in undergraduate enrollment over the years. Hood needed at least 300 new, enrolled students each year in order to have a balanced budget. All in all, Hood's expenses were exceeding revenue.
This led to the creation of a co-education task force composed of students, alumni, faculty and staff members. This taskforce ultimately decided where men were to be housed.
Traditions
Hood College students participate in a number of long-standing traditions, some of which date back nearly 100 years, such as the "Hood Hello."Class Banners
Each class decorates a banner to be displayed in the dining hall. The banners correspond to each class' assigned color. Those colors are red, green, blue and yellow. Every year, a new representative symbol is designed and painted on the banners. Following a class' graduation, the banners are hung in the atrium of the Whitaker Campus Center.Columns So Fair
Alumnae Hall's four Ionic columns are named Hope, Opportunity, Obligation and Democracy (HOOD). The columns were dedicated by the classes of 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918. Many buildings on campus that were constructed after Alumnae Hall also have four columns.Dinks
Dinks (or colored beanie hats) have been a Hood College tradition since at least the 1950s. According to some sources, the tradition may have started very early in the 20th century with colored armbands rather than beanies although the wearing of beanies are officially documented as beginning in the 1950s. There is reason to believe this is true, as ceremonial colored beanies were also used by women’s colleges such as Wellesley during the early 1900s. Each class is given a dink with their class color, either blue, green, yellow or red, upon arriving at Hood. The four colors rotate so that the color of the previous year’s seniors is granted to the incoming freshmen. In the past, dinks were worn at many special events such as Campus Day. Freshmen were previously required to wear dinks during their first few weeks on campus. Now, they are primarily worn during opening convocation, Policies for Dollars and baccalaureate.Midnight Breakfast
Established in the 1980s, Midnight Breakfast is held before final exams each semester and is served by faculty and staff.The Pergola
Located in the center of Hood's residential quad since 1915, the Pergola is a wooden dome-like structure covered with wisteria. Before 1915 a Pergola was located at the East Church Street campus and was the inspiration for the current structure. Several traditions are associated with the Pergola. Students are not to speak any harsh words under the Pergola or "split poles" with friends, as this may lead to a failed friendship after graduation.Policies for Dollars
Policies for Dollars is a competition in which the freshmen of each residence hall compete to raise money for their respective halls. The winning dorm also receives the "pink spoon," a giant wooden trophy. Typical activities in the competition include Hood trivia, dorm cheers and skits.Strawberry Breakfast
Originally held on the morning of May Day, Strawberry Breakfast now takes places on the morning of Commencement.Academics
Hood College offers twenty-eight undergraduate majors, fourteen master's degree programs and six certification programs, including certification programs in education. Hood College's ranking in the U.S. News and World Report 2011 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities (North), 23.Bachelor of Arts
- Art & Archaeology
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Communication Arts
- Early Childhood Education
- Economics
- Elementary/Special Education
- Engineering Dual Degree, B.A./B.S.
- English
- Environmental Science and Policy
- French
- French-German
- German
- History
- Latin American Studies
- Law and Society
- Management
- Mathematics
- Middle Eastern Studies
- Music
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Religion
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Spanish
Master's Degree Programs
- Biomedical Science
- Business Administration (M.B.A.)
- Computer and Information Sciences
- Computer Science
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Educational Leadership
- Environmental Biology
- Fine Arts in Ceramic Arts
- Human Sciences
- Humanities
- Management of Information Technology
- Mathematics Education
- Reading Specialization
- Thanatology
Post-baccalaureate Certificate and Certification Programs
- Ceramic Arts
- Information Security
- Regulatory Compliance
- Secondary Mathematics Education
- Thanatology
- Educational Leadership Preparation
Athletics
Hood College athletics began in 1898 with the first basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team. In the early 1900s, field hockey, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
and swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
were among the sports added to the athletics program. The College was the second college in the U.S. to have a field hockey team. Competitions then were intramural and teams were comprised based on graduating class or dorms. Gambrill Gymnasium was constructed in 1946 and continues to serve as the main athletic facility for the campus. In 1984, Hood College became a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
and joined the Division III Chesapeake Women's Athletic Conference. When the CWAC disbanded, Hood joined the Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference
Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference
The Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference was an eight-member college athletics conference founded in 1995 and given official status in 1999. It competed in NCAA Division III and as its name implies, only offered championships in women's sports. In the conference's later years, several of its...
in 1990. In 2006, Hood joined the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC).
Hood presently offers intercollegiate varsity teams in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross-country, women's field hockey, men's golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, men's and women's lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, men's and women's soccer, women's softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and women's volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
. The College also offers club level programs for cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
and women's golf.
The men's teams began competition in the Capital Athletic Conference
Capital Athletic Conference
The Capital Athletic Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the eastern United States in the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Delaware....
for the 2006-2007 academic year along with women's cross-country and track and field. All other women's sports remained in the AWCC for the 2006-2007 year and moved to the CAC in 2007-2008.
The nickname for Hood athletics is the Blazers. This dates back to the 1920s when the campus elected a rising senior as the "White Sweater" girl as someone who possessed the most sportsmanship and school spirit. In 1928, the sweater was changed to a blazer
Blazer
A blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
. Today, the nickname is represented by a thoroughbred horse with a "blaze" mark on its forehead.
Hood College student-athletes train in the Gambrill Gymnasium.
Alumni
- Katherine Conway-Turner PhD, Author, Educator, Scholar
- Marcia Coyle, '73, Washington Bureau Chief, National Law Journal, panelist on the Jim Lehrer Hour
- Gale L. Gamble, 1969, physician, renowned cancer specialist, Medical Director -Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
- Heather Hamilton, '95, executive director, Connect US Fund
- Lois Jarman M.A. ’06 , childrens book author
- Winifred R. King, 1979, physician, health reporter in major television markets, host of Ask the Doctor for America's Health Network
- Bruce La Fleur MBA 2011,CEO, publisher, co-founder and executive vice president of TLF Publications, Inc.
- Beryl Pfizeer, 1949, producer, NBC News
- Laura Lee Miller, '73 President Vera Wang Licensing
- Beverley Swain-Stanley, Maryland Transportation Secretary '77, '82
- Tina Wells, 2002, CEO and founder of Buzz Marketing Group
- Patricia Wright PhD, Scientist, environmental activist '66
Faculty
- Roser Caminals-HeathRoser Caminals-HeathRoser Caminals-Heath is an author and professor.she earned her Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral Degrees at the University of Barcelona.She is the author of five novels written in Catalan...
, professor,Spanish and English language author - Anita JoseAnita JoseDr.Anita Jose is an Indian born educator, business strategist, and essayist in the field of business management and policy. Her research has included a focus in the areas of organizational strategy, international management, and business ethics/corporate social responsibility...
, professor, business strategist