Goshen College Celebrates 125th Anniversary

Goshen College is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its founding in 1894 as Elkhart Institute in Elkhart, Indiana. The name changed to Goshen College in 1903 when the institution relocated to Goshen, Indiana. The college is affiliated with the Mennonite Church U.S.A.

The Celebrating 125 Years webpage includes historical information, biographical sketches of alumni, and news releases for centennial events.

A more extensive historical sketch is available on the History of Goshen College page.

You can also read an article by Susan Fisher Miller, "One remarkable year: 1903-1904," from the Alumni Bulletin. Miller provides an interesting look at the decision to relocate Elkhart Institute to Goshen.

Miller is also the author of Culture for Service: A History of Goshen College, 1894-1994.

Remembering a Tragic Fire at Tabor College

The Hillsboro Star-Journal published an article, "Tabor goes up in smoke," written by Rowena Plett.  Plett describes a devastating fire at Tabor College that quickly destroyed the main campus building on April 30, 1918.  She also explores how the campus and community pulled together and were able to survive this tragic event. 

The Mennonite Archival Image database offers several images of the building engulfed in flames and the Kansas Historical Society's Kansas Memory project includes a photograph of a composite work of paint, sliced brick, and slate by Professor Solomon Loewen, at the Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies at Tabor College, depicting a building burning.

Eastern Mennonite University Celebrates Centennial of Founding in 1917

Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, VA is celebrating the centennial of its founding in 1917 as Eastern Mennonite School.  The name changed to Eastern Mennonite College in 1947 and then to Eastern Mennonite University in 1994.  

The EMU centennial webpages include a timeline of the institution's history or you can view historical images and a timeline in a digital version of the Spring/Summer 2017 issue of the alumni publication, Crossroads.  

Donald B. Kraybill, professor at Elizabethtown College and and a distinguished alum of EMU, will also author a new history of the institution that is scheduled for fall release.

Bethany College in Hepburn, Saskatchewan will be Closing

The Clarks Crossing Gazette reported on December 12, 2014 that Bethany College in Hepburn, Saskatchewan will be closing at the end of the current academic year.  Bethany was affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren Churches of Saskatchewan and Alberta and the Saskatchewan Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference (EMMC).  The institution was founded in 1927 and was known as Bethany Bible Institute by the 1940's.  The Herbert Bible School joined with Bethany in 1958.

Principals and presidents include:  Dietrich P. Esau (1924-34), John B. Toews (1934-37), Gerhard W. Peters (1937-42), Gerhard D. Huebert (1942-45), Jacob H. Epp (1945-64), Cornelius Braun (1964-67, 1968-76, 1977-79), Abram H. Wieler (1967-68), Elmer Andres (1976-77), Isaac Bergen (1979-86), Cliff Jantzen (1986-91), James Nikkel (1991-95), Doug Berg (1995-99), and Rick Schellenberg (1999-2009).  Howie Wall is the current president . 

Postcards from Bethel College (KS)

"Postcards from Bethel" is a very interesting article by Keith and David Sprunger available in Mennonite Life.  The authors use postcards as a way to explore institutional history, in this case, the history of Bethel College in N. Newton, KS. 

Topics include: campus buildings and architecture, faculty and classes, student activities, cards used for marketing of the institution, and the messages written by those using the cards.

Keith Sprunger is also author of the recently published, Bethel College of Kansas, 1887-2012 (Bethel College, 2012).