McPherson College was chartered in 1887 by the leaders of the Church of the Brethren

Church of the Brethren

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination originating from the Schwarzenau Brethren organized in 1708 by eight persons led by Alexander Mack, in Schwarzenau, Bad Berleburg, Germany. The Brethren movement began as a melding of Radical Pietist and Anabaptist ideas during the...

. The college provides a career-oriented liberal arts education. It is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission

The Higher Learning Commission

The Higher Learning Commission is part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Higher Learning Commission oversees the accreditation of degree-granting colleges and universities in nineteen Midwestern and South-Central states, including Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa,...

 and is a member of the North Central Association

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...

.

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

McPherson, Kansas

McPherson is a city in and the county seat of McPherson County, Kansas, United States, in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,155. The city is named after Union General James Birdseye McPherson, a Civil War general...

, in McPherson County

McPherson County, Kansas

McPherson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 29,180. The largest city and county seat is McPherson. The county is named for Civil War General James B. McPherson...

 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

Carnegie library

A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...

 was added to the campus in 1906, supported by an endowment. In 1909, the college purchased a 150 acre (0.607029 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

J Willard Hershey

J Willard Hershey was an American chemist who was best known for his work on synthetic diamond production. There is, however, some doubt whether his success was real, or whether co-workers introduced the diamonds without his knowledge...

 synthesized one of the world's earliest synthetic (man-made) diamonds

Synthetic diamond

Synthetic diamond is diamond produced in a technological process; as opposed to natural diamond, which is created in geological processes. Synthetic diamond is also widely known as HPHT diamond or CVD diamond, denoting the production method, High-Pressure High-Temperature synthesis and Chemical...

 on the McPherson College campus. Nevertheless, Hershey's experiments lacked outside verification, and some academics have questioned the veracity of his claims. Hershey's microscopic diamond is on display at the McPherson Museum

McPherson Museum

The McPherson Museum of McPherson, Kansas, is a local history museum that preserves the historical and cultural heritage of the McPherson community.-The 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

Brethren Colleges Abroad

Brethren Colleges Abroad is a fully accredited student exchange program affiliated with the Church of the Brethren. BCA offers opportunities to study abroad for a single semester or a full academic year...

 (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

The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...

host Jay Leno

Jay Leno

James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...

 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.

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.

• 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

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...

 and in the KCAC Conference

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference 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...

. 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
  Jonathan Coachman
  Jonathan William Coachman , also known as "The Coach", is a former professional wrestling color commentator and authority figure. He is also a former college basketball player, and football play-by-play announcer...
  
   - former World Wrestling Entertainment
  World Wrestling Entertainment
  World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
  
   and current ESPN
  ESPN
  Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
  
   personality
• Duane Earl Pope
  Duane Earl Pope
  Duane Earl Pope, born 1943, is a convicted murderer serving a life sentence for one of the bloodiest bank robberies in modern times, the 1965 robbery of the Farmers State Bank in Big Springs, Nebraska....
  
  -- convicted bank robber and murderer. Briefly on the FBI 10 Most Wanted List

External links

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