York College Announces Name Change

York College in York, Nebraska announced on September 23, 2021 that it will become York University. Dr. Sam Smith (’95) shared the news during his inauguration as the institution’s 21st president.

Founded in 1890, York College has been affiliated with the Churches of Christ since 1956. 

The institution was previously affiliated since its founding with the United Brethren. However, in 1946, a merger with the Evangelical Church resulted in control passing to the newly-formed Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) Church. In 1954, that body decided to transfer its support to another EUB institution, Westmar University in LeMars, Iowa, at the end of the summer term, July 1, 1954. 

You can visit A History of York College to learn more.

Freed-Hardeman University Celebrates 150th Anniversary

Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, TN is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding as Henderson Male and Female Institute in 1869.

You can visit the institution's 150th anniversary page for activities scheduled during the remainder of the academic year and other resources. There are links to several Historically Speaking posts focusing on different aspects of the Freed-Hardeman's history

The institution became Henderson Masonic Male and Female Institute in 1877 and West Tennessee Christian College in 1885. The name changed several more times, to Georgia Robertson Christian College in 1897, National Teachers Normal and Business College in 1907, and after 1919, to Freed-Hardeman College. The final name change came in 1990 when Freed-Hardeman University was adopted.

The university archives offers digital access to catalogs, yearbooks, and student newspapers.

WBBJ-TV posted a short news segment, "FHU celebrates 150th birthday during homecoming," this past week.

Milligan College will become Milligan University in 2020

Milligan College in northeast Tennessee announced this past week that it will change its name to Milligan University in 2020. "Milligan’s Board of Trustees approved the decision regarding the name change after two years of study and after considering the input from a number of stakeholders including alumni, faculty, staff, the college’s strategic planning committee and others."

Milligan celebrated the sesquicentennial of its 1866 founding in 2016. The institution was founded as Buffalo Male & Female College at Cave Spring, TN. The name was changed to Milligan College in 1881.

Milligan College Celebrates 150th Anniversary

Milligan College in Tennessee is celebrating the sesquicentennial of its founding in 1866.  The institution was founded as Buffalo Male & Female College at Cave Spring, TN.  The name was changed to Milligan College in 1881.  The history of the college has been featured in a number of lectures that began this past summer and are continuing through the fall.  Billed as the Milligan 150 Seminar series, those who can't attend in person are able to view videos of the lectures on the Milligan website.  The Elizabethton Star published an article, "'Milligan 150' seminars provide insight into college history."

Columbia Christian College & Cascade College (OR) #2

Two very interesting histories of Columbia Christian College and Cascade College in Portland, OR are available on the web site of Oklahoma Christian University as .pdf files.

The first, Navigating the Mighty Columbia, Columbia Christian College: A Comprehensive History, A Collaborative Work of Love, was written by Bonnie Miller and covers the period from 1944 through the closure of the initial institution.  Dr. Gary Tandy authored the second, The Northwest Corner of Heaven, A History of Cascade College 1994-2009 and focuses on the period when Oklahoma Christian University supported Cascade College as a branch campus.

I enjoyed the writing of both authors and felt they successfully communicated the amazing stories of the many people who came together in various ways to do the improbable and create a college...twice.  While each attempt came up short, both Miller and Tandy certainly capture the shared sense of purpose and convey the emotional commitments that combined to change the lives of all involved.

An earlier College History Garden post includes links to a couple of newspaper articles that cover the institution's financial issues and the sale of the property after closure.

Burritt College (TN)

A history of Burritt College is available at http://www.therestorationmovement.com/burritt.htm.  The institution operated from 1848-1939 in Spencer, Tennessee.

The Burritt Alumni Association maintains a Facebook page with photographs and other information.

Western Bible & Literary College Catalog 1908-1909

A donor from Raymore, MO graciously passed along a copy of the AY1908 Catalog of Western Bible and Literary College several weeks ago and a .pdf is now available.  The catalog provides an interesting image of life at a small institution in Missouri just over 100 years ago. 

A previous post on Western Bible and Literary College includes a brief historical sketch, several postcard images and links to other resources.

Western Bible and Literary College (MO)

Western Bible and Literary College operated in Odessa, Missouri from 1905-1916 and was associated with the Churches of Christ.  J.N. Armstrong was one of the founders.  Armstrong also later served as president of Harper College (Kansas), Cordell Christian College (Oklahoma), and Harding College (Arkansas).  Another post includes a link to a 1908 catalog of the institution.

The Restoration History website offers an impressive array of resources relating to history of the Churches of Christ, Independent Christian Churches, and churches associated with the Disciples of Christ.  Web pages on J.N. Armstrong and others are provided. 

Maritime Bible and Literary College & Canadians at Nashville Bible School

The Canadian Churches of Christ Historical Society offers a couple of interesting papers on their web site.  The Maritime Bible and Literary College, by Geoffrey Ellis, was presented at the annual meeting of the CCCHS in August 2009. The institution opened in West Gore, Hants County, Nova Scotia in October, 1909 and closed in the spring of 1915.

Another paper, The Canadians at Nashville Bible School, was written by Donald E. Perry and provides an in-depth look at students attending another institution associated with the Churches of Christ.  Nashville Bible School, was founded in 1891.  The name was changed to David Lipscomb College in 1917...to David Lipscomb University in 1989...and Lipscomb University in 2005.