New Book will update the History of the University of Mount Union

The Repository of Canton, OH posted "New book examines history of University of Mount Union" on December 4, 2021.  Paige Bennett reports on an updated history of the University of Mount Union written by Harry Paidas, Make the Echoes Roll, that will be released sometime in the coming months.

This new book is the third work to be written about the university's history and is preceded by Wake the Echoes by John Saffell and A Select School: The History of Mount Union College by Newell Yost Osborne.

Mount Union is celebrating the 175 anniversary of its founding in 1846 and you can visit the institution's 175th anniversary web page for links to a timeline of key historical dates, images, and other information.

Mount Union is located in Alliance, OH. The institution was known as Mount Union Seminary by 1849. It was chartered in 1858 as Mount Union College and the name change to the University of Mount Union was approved in 2010.  Mount Union was affiliated with the Methodist Church until the spring of 2019.

Persistence through Peril...A New Book Exams Southern Colleges that Continued Operations during the Civil War

The University Press of Mississippi recently announced upcoming availability of Persistence through Peril: Episodes of College Life and Academic Endurance in the Civil War South, edited by R. Eric Platt and Holly A. Foster.

The book provides detailed views of life at eleven institutions that remained open and maintained the mission of higher education during the Civil War. 

"Contributors tell these stories via the lived experiences of students, community members, professors, and administrators as they strove to keep their institutions going. Despite the large-scale cessation of many southern academies due to student military enlistment, resource depletion, and campus destruction, some institutions remained open for the majority or entirety of the war. These institutions—“The Citadel” South Carolina Military Academy, Mercer University, Mississippi College, the University of North Carolina, Spring Hill College, Trinity College of Duke University, Tuskegee Female College, the University of Virginia, the Virginia Military Institute, Wesleyan Female College, and Wofford College—continued to operate despite low student numbers, encumbered resources, and faculty ranks stripped bare by conscription or voluntary enlistment."

Contributors to the book include: Christian K. Anderson, Marcia Bennett, Lauren Yarnell Bradshaw, Holly A. Foster, Tiffany Greer, Don Holmes, Donavan L. Johnson, Lauren Lassabe, Sarah Mangrum, R. Eric Platt, Courtney L. Robinson, David E. Taylor, Zachary A. Turner, Michael M. Wallace, and Rhonda Kemp Webb.

An ebook version is currently available or you can preorder a copy.

Howard Community College Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1970. You can visit the the 50th Anniversary web pages for a short video, timeline, a gallery of historical photographs, and a schedule of planned activities culminating in early 2021. 

A History of Howard Community College 1970-2020 written by by professor emeritus Vladimir G. Marinich and associate professor of history Rosemary Williams is also available for online viewing.

MacMurray College Announces Closure

MacMurray College in Jacksonville, IL announced this week that it will be closing at the end of the spring 2020 semester.


The institution was founded as Illinois Conference Female College in 1846. The name was shortened to Illinois Female College in 1863 and then changed to Illinois Woman's College in 1899. It became MacMurray College for Women in 1930 and MacMurray College in 1953. In 1955, trustees established MacMurray College for Men which later merged with MacMurray College in 1969.

The Internet Archive offers digital versions of A History of MacMurray College: The First Hundred Years written by Mary Watters and published in 1947.

You can also find other digital collections for MacMurray hosted by various archives:

• Digital Images
• Scrapbooks
• Yearbooks
• College Greetings
• Alumnae News and Record
• Madrigal & Choir Audio Recordings

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, mergers,and acquisitions access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page. There are separate tabs for non-profit closures, for-profit closures, and one for mergers and acquisitions. Each tab includes basic information for the institutions, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

LDS Business College Adopts New Name

The Board of Trustees of LDS Business College announced that the non-profit institution will become Ensign College, effective in September 2020. LDS Business College, affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is located in Salt Lake City, UT and serves just under 2,000 students.

Founded in 1886 as Salt Lake Academy, the name changed in 1888 to Salt Lake Stake Academy. The name changed again in 1889 to Latter Day Saints University, then in 1927 to LDS College and later in 1931, to LDS Business College.

Read more about the name change in "LDS Business College renamed Ensign College on ‘another day never to be forgotten’" published by the Deseret News on February 25, 2020 with reporting by Tad Walch.

You can also access copies of the History of LDS Business College and its Parent Institutions, 1886-1993, written by Lynn M. Hilton, on the Internet Archive.

1906 image of LDS Business College Source: Wyoming State Archives Digital Collection

Canisius College Celebrates Sesquicentennial

Canisius College in Buffalo, NY is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding by German Jesuits in 1870. 

The sesquicentennial web page offers links to anniversary events, merchandise, and other resources.

A short Canisius Sesquicentennial video is available on YouTube.  

You can find a brief historical sketch on the Canisius History page or browse the online digital collections from the webpage of the college archives for information on student life, college publications, memorabilia, campus buildings, and more.

The Internet Archive offers "A promise of quality; the first 100 years of Canisius College," written by James M. Demske, S.J., and published in 1970 by The Newcomen Society in North America. A few used copies of the publication are also available for purchase for nominal cost through AbeBooks.

Missouri University of Science and Technology Prepares for Sesquicentennial

The Missouri University of Science & Technology in Rolla, MO is gearing up to celebrate the sesquicentennial anniversary of its founding in 1870 and a celebration is planned for the morning, Tuesday, February 25th, at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City.

Initially known as the University of Missouri School of Mines & Metallurgy, the name changed to the University of Missouri at Rolla in 1964 and to University of Missouri-Rolla in 1968. The current name, Missouri University of Science and Technology, was approved after 2008.

You can visit the 150th anniversary pages for planned events and other information. 

A new book written by Dr. Larry Gragg, Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus of history and political science, Forged in Gold will offer the institution's history, from its origins as a “country academy” to its position today as one of the nation’s top STEM-focused research universities. 

A short video interview with Dr Gragg describing the process of researching the book has been posted on YouTube.

You can also visit the web pages of the university archives for early photographs and other historical information.

The Missouri S&T Library website also includes links to several institutional histories where you can find digital versions hosted on ISSUU that are available to view or download.

IU's Bicentennial Celebration Begins January 20th

The Indiana Daily Student published "IU Bicentennial events honor university's history."  Reporter  Cate Charron provides details for a number of events scheduled on Monday, January 20th to begin a yearlong celebration.

IU was founded as Indiana State Seminary in 1820. The name changed to Indiana College in 1828 and then to Indiana University at Bloomington in 1838.

You can learn more about planned activities or related resources by visiting the IU Bicentennial web pages.

The IU Bicentennial history pages include a timeline and links to essays and podcasts focusing on key events from the institution's past. A number of interesting brief videos are available in a "Bicentennial Minutes" section that includes segments on 19th century student life and IU in the Big Ten. Indian University Press also offers a page with a number of books focusing on different aspects of IU history.

You may also enjoy reviewing several earlier College History Garden posts that feature IU history:

• January 8, 2018, Day in the Life of a College Student in 1890s...and, a few bonus links to other 
• resources...
• July 12, 2018, Impact of Significant Fires at Indiana University
• September 25, 2016, Indiana University Honors Frances Morgan Swain
• March 3, 2018, Tool Permits Easy Comparison of Two Photographs
• June 15, 2012, Indiana University in the 19th Century

William Woods University Prepares for Sesquicentennial

William Woods University in Fulton, MO is preparing to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its founding as the Female Orphans School of the Christian Church in northwestern Missouri in 1870. The name changed when the institution relocated to Fulton. It was known as William Woods College after 1900 and in 1992 became William Woods University.

The Columbia Missourian published an interesting article January 14, 2020 by Tristen Rouse that weaves together institutional history and descriptions of upcoming sesquicentennial events planned for 2020, "William Woods University, once for Civil War daughters, celebrates 150th."

William Woods president Jahnae H. Barnett will join Mr. Jonathan Kemper, great-great grandson of the William Woods for a birthday party kick-ff on Friday, January 17, 2020, at Cutlip Auditorium on the campus. The sesquicentennial theme will be “The Woods at 150 Years: a 2020 Vision for the Future.” You can visit the university website for more details.

A previous College History Garden post featured In Faith and History: the story of William Woods College, an excellent institutional history written by Griffith A. Hamlin. The book was printed in 1965 as a private edition by The Bethany Press, St. Louis, MO. The post links to Abe Books where inexpensive used copies of the book can be purchased.

College of Charleston Celebrates 250th Anniversary

The Charleston Chronicle posted, "College of Charleston Prepares to Celebrate 250th Anniversary in 2020," with a summary of activities planned to commemorate the institution's founding in 1770 as the College of Charles Town.

You can visit the 250th anniversary web pages for upcoming events, a timeline of key dates and other historical information.

The History and Traditions web page includes links to a brief history of the college, information on institutional traditions, notable alumni, and presidents who have served the college.

A 1935 sesquicentennial history written by J.H. Easterby, A History of the College of Charleston, is available in various formats through the Internet Archive.

You can also find copies of more recent histories through Abe Books:

• College of Charleston Voices: Campus and Community Through the Centuries by Katherine E. Chaddock and Carolyn B. Matalener and published by The History Press in 2006.
• College of Charleston with authors Lleana and Katina Strauch published by Arcadia Publishing in 2000.
  

The University of Massachusetts Lowell Celebrates 125th Anniversary

The University of Massachusetts Lowell is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its founding. The 125th anniversary web pages offer a timeline, histories, galleries of photographs, a short video, and other resources.

The history of the university reflects the history of two institutions founded one year apart in the late 1800s.

One, Lowell State Normal School was founded in 1894. The name change to Lowell State Teachers School in 1932 and then to Lowell State Teachers College in 1960 and Lowell State College in 1968.

Another institution, Lowell Textile School was founded in 1895. It became Lowell Textile Institute in 1928 and Lowell Technological Institute in 1953.

Lowell State College and Lowell Technological Institute then merged in 1975 to become the University of Lowell. The latest name change to University of Massachusetts Lowell occurred in 1991.

An institutional history published for the 100th anniversary, To Enrich and To Serve: The Centennial History of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, written by Mary H. Blewett and Christine McKenna and published in 1995, is available at no charge through the Internet Archive or used copies can be purchased through Abe Books.

A more recent book was published in 2012 by Arcadia Publishing, University of Massachusetts Lowell as part of its College History Series. You can read reflections of the author, Marie Frank, PhD, "Our 125 Years: Mergers, Murals and Modern Dance," posted by the university.

The Center for Lowell History offers an extensive array of historical resources for the university and surrounding region.

John Brown University 100th Anniversary

John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding as Southwestern Collegiate Institute in 1919. It was renamed John E. Brown College in 1920 honoring John E. Brown Sr., a traveling preacher who founded a school. It later joined Siloam School of the Bible and John E. Brown Vocational College to become John Brown University in 1934.

The 100th anniversary web pages include a timeline, events, memories, photographs, and publications. Ordering information is offered for a centennial commemorative photo book, John Brown University: A Century of Christ Over All, and Christ Over All: A History of John Brown University.

There is a fascinating entrepreneurial thread running through the history of John Brown University. In addition to educational endeavors in Arkansas, it also operated a military preparatory school that was originally named San Diego Army and Navy Academy by founder Colonel Thomas A. Davis. The academy opened its doors Nov. 23, 1910 in Pacific Beach, CA. 

Brown purchased the school for $600,000 in 1937 after a foreclosure the preceding year and renamed it as Brown Military Academy. There was also a branch operating initially at Sulpher Springs, AR and later moved to Siloam Springs that was known as the Brown Military Academy of the Ozarks.

The California institution was moved from Pacific Beach to Glendora in 1958 and ultimately closed in 1968.

You can check out the John Brown University Archives web pages for access to digital collections and more information on the institution's history.

Historical Sketch of the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

The Southwest Times Record published an interesting historical sketch of what is now the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, founded in 1928 at Fort Smith Junior College. The article, "We Are the River Valley: University of Arkansas at Fort Smith," includes comments of Billy Higgins, associate professor of history at UAFS and draws from a history of the institution, The First 85 Years: 1928-2012, co-written by Higgins, Stephen Husarik and Henry Rinne.

Fort Smith Junior College became Westark Junior College in 1966. The name then changed to Westark Community College in 1972 and to Westark College in 1998.  The institution was absorbed by University of Arkansas system and known as University of Arkansas - Fort Smith after 2002.

United Tribes Technical College Celebrates 50th Anniversary

KXMB-TV, the CBS affiliate in Bismarck, ND posted "United Tribes Technical College celebrates 50th anniversary," with reporting by Aaron Fields. Fields interviewed college administrators and provides an interesting overview of the institution's history and bright prospects for the future.

United Tribes was initially founded as a training center. It gained accreditation in 1982 from the Higher Learning Commission and now serves as a 1994 Tribal Land-Grant Institution operated by five tribes: Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold, the Spirit Lake Tribe, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.

The college web site offers a 50 Year Chronology as part of their Building a Legacy of Success campaign associated with the centennial. The book is edited by Dennis J. Neumann and the 132-page document is available as a .pdf.  It provides "...starting points for learning more about activities, events, accomplishments and people associated with UTTC."