Wells College Announces Closure

 Wells College in Aurora, New York announced that it will be closing. The institution was founded in 1868 as Wells Seminary and the name changed to Wells College in 1976. Wells primarily served young women prior to 2004 when it became coed.

You can read more in "Wells College closing after more than 150 years due to financial struggles, low enrollment," with reporting by Matthew Saffer published initially on April 29, 2024.

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.

Notre Dame College Announces Closure

Notre Dame College located in South Euclid, OH announced this week that it will close at the end of the current spring semester. The institution was founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame and initially operated an academy after 1878. The collegiate program was initiated in 1922 and Notre Dame moved to South Euclid, OH in 1928. Enrollment was last reported to IPEDS as 1,444 students (1,329 undergraduate).

Visit the Notre Dame College website for more details on the closing.

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.

Role of MacMurray College Students and Faculty During WWII

McKenna Servis, Coordinator of the MacMurray College Archive Collection and Jacksonville Area Museum Curator, has completed the research that focuses on MacMurray's involvement in WW II. MacMurray was still an all-women’s college at the time so the focus is completely about women and the war effort.

You can read more in a post by WLDS radio, "Website Established For Research on MacMurray College’s Involvement in WWII," on February 2, 2023.

MacMurray College was located in Jacksonville, IL and closed almost two years ago in 2020.

The MacMurray College During World War II website includes photos and descriptions of the ways in which students and faculty were impacted and contributed to the war effort.

Early College Leader is Honored

 

An important early educator was recently remembered for her educational and political leadership. In "Columbia College honors founding mother Luella St. Clair Moss to delight of LWV members," 

Roger McKinney of the Columbia Daily Tribune reports on comments by Brad Lookingbill, Columbia College's distinguished history professor as he paid tribute to a college founder - Luella St. Clair Moss. She served three non-consecutive terms as college president, the first in 1893.

75th Anniversary for Manor College

 Manor College in Jenkintown, PA has been celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2022. A post this week on the college website explores the history through stories and artifacts, "The Manor College Foxes? As evidenced by a small glass, Manor College once went by the Foxes."

The institution was founded in 1947 as St. Macrina College by the Ukrainian Sisters of St. Basil the Great. The name changed to Manor College in 1959.

You can visit the 75th Anniversary webpage for more information or view a short YouTube video, "Celebrating 75 Years: The History of Manor College."

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Manor College is related to the Ukrainian Catholic Church and works to increase awareness and appreciation of Ukrainian heritage and culture through the Ukrainian Heritage Studies Center located on campus.

Lawrence University Celebrates 175th Anniversary

Lawrence University in Appleton, WI is celebrating the 175th anniversary of its founding in 1847 as Lawrence Institute. Lawrence was "...one of the first co-educational colleges in the country. In 1874, the Conservatory of Music was established. In 1913, the institution adopted the name Lawrence College to underscore its commitment to undergraduate liberal education. And in 1964, Lawrence again assumed the name Lawrence University when it was consolidated with Milwaukee-Downer College for Women."

You can visit the Lawrence History page for links to more historical information on both Lawrence and Milwaukee-Downer College.

A couple of earlier College History Garden posts feature Lawrence U and Milwaukee-Downer history:

• Friday, December 27, 2013 Milwaukee-Downer College (WI)
• Tuesday, May 3, 2016 Milwaukee History: Milwaukee Downer College

500 Mile walk recreates historic 1772 journey that led to founding of Salem Academy and College

A group of alumnae, staff, and friends of Salem Academy and College have started a 500 mile adventure in conjunction with the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the institutions.

This journey recreates one completed in 1772 when 19 Moravians (including 12 young girls aged 13 to 17 and four Single Sisters) traveled from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to Bethabara, North Carolina. After completing their remarkable journey, two of the Sisters, Elisabeth Oesterlein and Salome Meurer, became the first teachers in the new girls’ school that is now known as Salem Academy and College.

The current Journey to Salem started on September 28th and concludes October 26th. You can visit the Journey from Bethlehem to Salem web page for more information on the walk or to find links for registration and other information.

You can also visit the 250th Anniversary web page for upcoming events and links to institutional history and other resources.

Judson College Announces Decision to Close

Judson College in Marion, AL posted a press release earlier today, "Judson College board of trustees vote to close 183-year-old institution." The statement cites declining enrollment and an inability to secure adequate resources to support operations. As a result, the College will suspend its academic operation after the summer term ending July 31, 2021.

The Alabama Baptist posted an article by Jennifer Davis Rash with more detailed reporting on the decision, "Judson College board of trustees votes to close school."

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.

Historic Walking Tours in Oxford, OH

Enjoy Oxford offers a couple of walking tours highlighting the history of higher education in Oxford, OH. Extensive brochures are available with maps, photographs of the featured buildings and corresponding historical sketches. The brochures can be accessed through the Enjoy Oxford website or print copies are available when visiting their office.

Walking Tour of Oxford’s UNIVERSITY HISTORIC DISTRICT

Designated by the City of Oxford in 1979, the University Historic District is one of the city’s three historic districts and the only one that was originally comprised almost entirely of residential architecture. The U-shaped district of nine blocks on East High Street, South Campus Avenue, and East Spring Street, nearly surrounds the original University Square. 

Walking Tour of the WESTERN COLLEGE FOR WOMEN HISTORIC DISTRICT

The Western College for Women Historic District was designated by the City of Oxford in 1995 and is the only one entirely on a college campus. This self-guided walking tour covers several acres of what was chartered as the Western Female Seminary in 1853. The booklet provides brief descriptions of the history of 24 sites and biographical informationabout the people whose names are connected with those sites. school was in operation, from 1855-1974. Most of the campus was listed as a district in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. 

You can also read Amy Bertrand's "Oxford, Ohio: A small university town with a lot to do," published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on March 15, 2021. Bertrand describes her trip to Oxford and offers a variety of suggestions for other places to see while visiting.

Mills College announces New Path as Mills Institute

Elizabeth L. Hillman, president of Mills College in Oakland, CA announced on March 17, 2021 that the institution will no longer enroll new students and will be shifting from a degree-giving college to an institute promoting women's leadership. 

Mills was founded in 1852 as the Young Ladies’ Seminary in Benicia, CA. Susan and Cyrus Mills bought the seminary in 1856. They moved the institution to Oakland and changed the name to Mills College.

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.

Egham Museum Posts Fascinating Twitter Thread

Check Twitter for a thread with additional embedded threads that was posted earlier today by Egham Museum from the UK. It provides a fascinating use of Twitter to communicate what life might have been for a student at Royal Holloway College for Women in 1887.

Enjoy...https://twitter.com/EghamMuseum/status/1311453097462575104.

Consider posting a comment below if you know of similar creative uses of social media to share information on institutional history.

Centennial Approaches for Bryn Mawr's Summer School for Working Women

 Kimberly Haas authored a fascinating article "Bryn Mawr College Marks Centennial of its Summer School for Working Women" for Hidden City. Haas describes a controversial and inspired educational experiment known as the Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers. The institution recruited working women for an eight-week session from 1921 until 1939 "...when the school was transferred to the Hudson Shore Labor School and continued at that location until 1951."

You can also learn more by visiting "The Summer School for Women Workers: Diversity, Class, and Education," a digital exhibit offered by The Albert M. Greenfield Digital Center for the History of Women's Education. Haas notes that a new curated exhibit is also scheduled for March 2021.

Haas also includes a link to "The Women of Summer" a documentary film available from The Internet Archive that provides the story of the Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers as seen through the eyes of its alumnae fifty years later at a planned reunion.

College of the Holy Family Announces Closure in Wisconsin

The Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Sponsored Ministries in Manitowoc, WI announced yesterday that Silver Lake College of the Holy Family will close.

The Sisters founded Holy Family Academy and Normal School in 1869 and secured a charter for Holy Family College in 1935. The name was changed to Silver Lake College of the Holy Family in 1972 and again in 2019 to Holy Family College. The college began admitting lay women in 1957 and became coeducational in 1969.

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.

Kentucky College for Young Ladies

The Peewee Valley Historical Society in Peewee Valley, KY offers a very nice web page devoted to the Kentucky College for Young Ladies that operated in the community from 1873 until 1900.

The page includes text from newspapers and other sources along with a number of photographs.

The page also provides links to two annual announcements from the 1894 and 1899 academic years that can be viewed online or downloaded from Scribd.

These announcements include lists of all graduates and current pupils, course descriptions, school rules and tuition fees.

The Kentucky College for Young Ladies burned to the ground on August 28, 1900 and closed.

You can also visit an Index of Colleges and Universities that have Closed, Merged, or Changed Names for more information on other institutions from each of the states and the District of Columbia. There are currently 5,441 total entries with 178 for Kentucky. 

Immaculata University Celebrates Centennial

Main Line Today published "Immaculata University Celebrates its Centennial Anniversary with Plans for the Future," with reporting by Michael Bradley.

Bradley interviewed Barbara Lettiere, Immaculata’s first-ever lay president and a graduate of the school, for an overview of institutional plans to continue serving students and maintain the traditions of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Immaculata University was founded in 1914 as Villa Maria Academy for Girls in Immaculata, PA near Philadelphia. It became Villa Maria College in 1920, the first Catholic college for women in the Philadelphia area. The name was changed to Immaculata College in 1928 and then to Immaculata University in 2002.

You can visit the centennial web pages for planned events and a timeline of key dates and photographs from Immaculata's past.

Web pages for the institutional archives in the Gabriele Library offer more information including links to a photo archive with several hundred images.

Two Texas Universities Share Common Ancestry and Celebrate 175th Anniversaries

  

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, TX and Baylor University in Waco, TX both begin yearlong celebrations of their common founding in 1845. 

On February 1st of that year, Republic of Texas President Anson Jones signed the Act of Congress that officially established Baylor University.

The institution was initially located in Independence, TX and offered a Preparatory Division in addition to co-educational classes for college students. In 1851, under the same charter, a Female Department and a Male Department were created, ending co-education.

In 1866, the Female Department obtained a separate charter as Baylor Female College and its own board of trustees. It became the Baylor College for Women in 1924. The name changed to Mary Hardin-Baylor College in 1934 and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in 1978.

A decision was also made in 1886 to relocate both institutions. The Male Department consolidated with Waco University in Waco, Texas, retaining the name Baylor University, while the Baylor Female College moved to Belton, Texas.

  

You can visit the the Baylor University Libraries Digital Collections or the Townsend Memorial Library Digital Collections at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor to find extensive collections of historical resources.

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.

Closure and Transition for Marygrove College Campus

This is a delayed post due to a bit of personal travel and the re-entry afterward as I wade through accumulated emails and news alerts... 

Marygrove College in Detroit announced in mid-June that it will be closing after the fall term in December 2019.

Marygrove was initially founded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary as Saint Mary Academy in 1845 in Monroe, Michigan. The name changed to Saint Mary College in 1905 and then to Marygrove College in 1927 after moving to Detroit.  Undergraduate programs were discontinued in 2018 and Marygrove became a graduate-only institution.

Nancy Kaffer reported for the Detroit Free Press in "Detroit's 92-year-old Marygrove College to close in December" on June 12, 2019.

Daniel Howes of Michigan Public Radio also provided interesting perspective in his coverage, "Despite closure, Marygrove is a success story" and explores the transition toward "...a preschool to graduate program vision led by Kresge and the Detroit Public Schools Community District."

You can read more on changes at Marygrove through a couple of Small College Garden posts:

• Two Detroit Publications Provide Excellent Reporting on Changes at Marygrove College
• Detroit's Cradle-to-College Initiative

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.

Randolph College in the 1890s

Randolph College posted an interesting article written by Meta Glass (Class of 1899) in the fall of 1965 about her experiences as one of the first students enrolled at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in the 1890s...The Beginnings of the College: R-MWC in the 1890s.

Randolph-Macon Women's College was initially founded under the charter of Randolph-Macon College.  It moved in 1893 to Lynchburg, VA. Then in 2007, it became co-ed and changed its name to Randolph College.  The college celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2016.

Emmanuel College Celebrates Centennial of Founding in 1919

Emmanuel College in Boston, MA is celebrating the centennial of its founding in 1919 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur as the first Catholic college for women in New England.  The institution has provided important service over the years and currently enrolls just over 2,000 students. 

Visit the centennial web pages for more information on upcoming events and links to information about Emmanuel's history.  The pages also offer an opportunity for alumni, faculty, or friends to share memories.

You can learn more about Emmanuel's history by viewing an historical sketch of the institution or visit the Emmanuel College Archives.  The archives are the official home for Emmanuel's historical photographs, videos, documents, publications and collections.