Albright College

Last updated

Albright College
Albright College seal.png
Former names
Union Seminary (1856–1887)
Central Pennsylvania College (1887–1902)
Schuylkill Seminary (1881–1923)
Schuylkill College (1923–1929)
Albright Collegiate Institute (1895–1898)
MottoVeritas et Justitia
Motto in English
Truth and Justice
Type Private liberal arts college
Established1856;169 years ago (1856)
Religious affiliation
 United Methodist Church
Academic affiliation
 Annapolis Group
President Debra Townsley (interim)
Academic staff
114 full-time and 39 part-time (fall 2022) [1]
Students1,652 (fall 2023) [1]
Undergraduates 1,328 (fall 2023) [1]
Postgraduates 324 (fall 2023) [1]
Location
Reading, Pennsylvania
,
U.S.

40°21′39″N75°54′37″W / 40.36083°N 75.91028°W / 40.36083; -75.91028
CampusSuburban, 118 acres (48 ha)
Colors     Albright red, Albright gray, white [2]
Nickname Lions
Sporting affiliations
 NCAA Division III
MAC Commonwealth [3]
Website albright.edu
Albright College Logo.png

Albright College is a private liberal arts college in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1856 and had an enrollment of 1,652 students as of fall 2023. [1]

Contents

History

Albright College traces its founding to 1856 when Union Seminary opened. Present-day Albright was formed by the mergers of several institutions: Albright Collegiate Institute, Central Pennsylvania College, and Schuylkill College.

Albright Collegiate Institute opened in 1895 and was renamed Albright College three years later. Union Seminary, meanwhile, became Central Pennsylvania College in 1887 and merged with Albright College in 1902. Schuylkill Seminary, the third institution, was founded in 1881, became Schuylkill College in 1923, and merged into Albright in 1928. [4]

Albright's campus relocated from Myerstown, to Schuylkill College's campus, which is the present location of Albright, at the base of Mount Penn in Reading.

The college is named for Pennsylvania-German evangelical preacher Jacob Albright, who founded the Evangelical Association (later known as the Evangelical United Brethren Church). Born in 1759 in Douglass Township, (now Montgomery County) with the given name of Johannes Jacob Albrecht, the family changed their surname to "Albright" following Jacob's 1808 death. [5]

In the late 2010s, enrollment began to decline at the college. By 2023, enrollment had declined to 1,652 student, a decline of nearly one-third from what it was in 2010. This had significant financial implications for the college which had a $20.3 million deficit in 2023. In response, the college laid off 53 employees between 2022 and 2024. In late 2024, the college also requested permission to draw a $25 million loan from its $53.1 endowment. Shortly thereafter, the college's interim president also announced plans to cut two degree programs and launch several new programs and athletic teams. [6]

Academics

Albright College students are encouraged to cross and combine areas of study without taking longer to graduate. The college offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees, as well as a Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees in education. The college also offers online and accelerated degree programs.

Albright offers a wide range of classical and pre-professional programs. It created one of the first undergraduate psychobiology programs in the nation in the 1960s. The college's liberal arts curriculum has a cross-program focus that allows students to create an individualized education. Fully half of Albright students have concentrations that combine two or three fields of learning. [5]

The theatre program has been honored by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival consistently for many years. [7] Albright's Domino Players Company has been invited to perform at the Region II KCACTF Festival 10 times in the last 18 years (2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020). At the National Conference held every April in Washington DC, Albright's theatre program has garnered dozens of awards for distinguished work in performance, direction, dramaturgy, scenic, sound, costume, and lighting design. Acclaimed productions of "Waiting for Godot" (2007), "Clybourne Park" (2016), "A Raisin in the Sun" (2018) have also been named "Outstanding Production of a Play" – recognizing them as the best college production of their years. "A Raisin in the Sun" also received eight other national awards, for distinguished performance, scenic and lighting design, director and performances. [8] [9] [10]

The Albright Creative Research Experience (ACRE) is a multi-disciplinary program that affords undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct research or pursue creative endeavors during the three-week January Interim or summer break. The students, who work one-on-one with faculty members, can be from any discipline, from STEM subjects to the humanities. [7]

Rankings

In 2017, Albright College was named one of the "Best Northeastern" schools by The Princeton Review; this was the fourteenth consecutive year that the college was included in that category. [11] [12] [13] For 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked the college tied at #146 out of 211 in National Liberal Arts Colleges and tied at #31 in Top Performers on Social Mobility. [14] In 2018, U.S. News ranked Albright 33rd out of 208 national liberal arts colleges in the "Campus Ethnic Diversity" category, [15] and in the "Economic Diversity" category, Albright ranked 27th out of 210 national liberal arts schools. [16] The Economist magazine listed Albright among the top 50 American colleges and universities for economic value in 2015. [17]

Athletics

Albright College athletic teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III as a member of the Middle Atlantic Conferences.

Charles "Pop" Kelchner founded the men's basketball team in 1900 and was athletic director at Albright College for 21 years. He was involved in aspects of Major League Baseball for over 50 years. Albright College dedicated the baseball field as Kelchner Field in 1952. Branch Rickey gave the dedication speech, with Connie Mack in attendance. Kelchner was a graduate of Lafayette College with two degrees and was proficient in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Classical Latin and Greek. He served as Professor of Languages and athletic director. [18]

Doggie Julian was the head football coach at Albright from 1929 to 1930. Clarence Lester "Biggie" Munn was the head football coach at Albright College from 1935 to 1936, before coaching Syracuse University (1946), and most notably Michigan State College (1947–1953), where his 1952 squad won a national championship.

William "Lone Star" Dietz was the director of athletics and head football coach at Albright from 1937 to 1942. Dietz led the football team to their first undefeated season in 1937. He previously led Washington State to 1916 Rose Bowl victory. In the National Football League, Dietz had coached the Boston "Redskins" (1933–1934), the forerunner of the Washington Commanders. Dietz is in the Albright College Athletic Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. [19]

In 1948, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and Albright College played the first intercollegiate football game between an Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) institution and a majority-white institution. [20]

The Philadelphia Eagles held pre-season training camp at Albright from 1968 through 1972. [21]

Wilbur G. Renken was athletic director and basketball head coach for 38 consecutive seasons. A highly regarded figure in collegiate athletics in general and specifically basketball,[ citation needed ] Renken was the president of the United States Olympic Basketball Team Selection Committee for the 1976 Olympic Games. [22] He also served as the president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) in 1979–1980. [23]

On October 11, 2017, sophomore backup quarterback Gyree Durante was dismissed from the football team for kneeling during the national anthem before the team's game against Delaware Valley University, going against a collective team decision made before the game to kneel for the coin toss and stand for the anthem. [24] Then-president Jacquelyn Fetrow later offered reinstatement to the team to Durante (and two other players who did not fully kneel during the coin toss), saying that further review of the details surrounding the game's events found that "what we understood to be shared agreement among players, student leaders and coaches has not been adequately supported.". [25] Durante, however, declined reinstatement, citing his former teammates' stated lack of trust in him. [26]

WXAC

Albright's campus radio station, WXAC 91.3 FM [27] is a student-operated college radio station. The initial call name was WALC, but was later changed to WXAC on March 8, 1965. WALC had been the same call name for the Alcoa Steamship Lines.

Notable alumni

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morehead State University</span> Public university in Morehead, Kentucky, US

Morehead State University (MSU) is a public university in Morehead, Kentucky, United States. The university began as Morehead Normal School, which opened its doors in 1887. The Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, a two-year residential early college high school on the university's campus, was established in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seton Hill University</span> Catholic university in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, US

Seton Hill University is a private Catholic university in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Originally a women's college, it became a coeducational university in 2002 and enrolls about 2,200 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple University</span> Public university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

Temple University is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation at the Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia, then called Baptist Temple. Today, Temple is the second-largest university in Pennsylvania by enrollment and awarded 9,128 degrees in the 2023-24 academic year. It has a worldwide alumni base of 378,012, with 352,175 alumni residing in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara University</span> Catholic university in Lewiston, New York, US

Niagara University (NU) is a private Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition in the census-designated place Niagara University, New York, in the town of Lewiston near Niagara Falls. It is run by the Congregation of the Mission and has approximately 3,300 undergraduate students in 50 academic programs. Approximately half of the students are residents while the other half commute from the surrounding area. The campus area was listed as a census-designated place in 2020 with a population of 940.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maranatha Baptist University</span> Private Baptist university in Watertown, Wisconsin

Maranatha Baptist University is a private Baptist university in Watertown, Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berry College</span> Private college in Mount Berry, Georgia, US

Berry College is a private university in the Mount Berry community adjacent to Rome, Georgia. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Berry College was founded on values based on Christian principles in 1902 by Martha Berry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doggie Julian</span> American sports player and coach

Alvin Fred "Doggie" Julian was an American college football coach, a college basketball player and coach, and an National Basketball Association (NBA) coach.

Cabrini University was a private Catholic university in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1957, and was named after the first American naturalized citizen saint, Mother Frances Cabrini. It was one of the first universities in the United States to make community service a graduation requirement for all undergraduates; having a core curriculum centered on social justice. Due to ongoing financial challenges, the university closed at the end of the 2023–2024 academic year, with ownership of the university's campus passing to Villanova University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin College (Indiana)</span> Private liberal arts college in Franklin, Indiana, US

Franklin College is a private liberal arts college in Franklin, Indiana. It was founded in 1834 and has a wooded campus spanning 207 acres (84 ha) including athletic fields and a 31-acre (13 ha) biology woodland. The college offers its approximately 1,000 students Bachelor of Arts degrees in 49 majors from 25 academic disciplines, 43 minors, 11 pre-professional programs, and 5 cooperative programs. The college also offers a Master of Science in Athletic Training and a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. In 1842, the college began admitting women, becoming the first coeducational institution in Indiana and the seventh in the nation. Franklin College has historically maintained an affiliation with the American Baptist Churches USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebanon Valley College</span> Private college in Annville, Pennsylvania, US

Lebanon Valley College is a private university in Annville, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catawba College</span> Private college in Salisbury, North Carolina, U.S.

Catawba College is a private college in Salisbury, North Carolina. Founded in 1851 by the North Carolina Classis of the Reformed Church in Newton, the college adopted its name from its county of origin, Catawba County, before moving to its current home of Salisbury in 1925. Catawba College still holds loose ties with the successor to the Reformed Church, the United Church of Christ. It offers over 70 undergraduate degrees. As of August 2024, Catawba has an endowment over $580 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayland Baptist University</span> Baptist university in Plainview, Texas, US

Wayland Baptist University (WBU) is a private Baptist university based in Plainview, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Wayland Baptist has 11 campuses in five Texas cities, six states, American Samoa, and Kenya. Chartered in 1908, it had about 4,000 students in 2021, including about 900 students on its main campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn State Schuylkill</span> Public university in Schuykill Haven, Pennsylvania, US

Penn State Schuylkill is a Commonwealth Campus of the Pennsylvania State University in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allentown Central Catholic High School</span> Private, coeducational school in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States

Allentown Central Catholic High School (ACCHS), often referred to as Central Catholic or Central, is a private, parochial school located at 301 N. 4th Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The school is managed by the Diocese of Allentown, and predominantly serves students from the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archbishop John Carroll High School</span> Private, coeducational school in Radnor, Pennsylvania, United States

Archbishop John Carroll High School is a four-year secondary school part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, located in Radnor, Pennsylvania, on a 55-acre campus. The school currently enrolls approximately 685 students (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Joseph's Hawks</span> Athletics teams of Saint Josephs University

The Saint Joseph's Hawks are the athletic teams that represent Saint Joseph's University of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Hawks compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference and of the Philadelphia Big 5. The school also has intramurals and extramurals, the latter of which compete within the City 6. The school is mostly known for its men's basketball team. The Hawk became the school's mascot in 1929. It first flapped its wings at a basketball game in 1956 in a win over La Salle University. The Saint Joseph's school colors are crimson and gray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleetwood Area School District</span> School district in Pennsylvania

Fleetwood Area School District is a public school district located in north central Berks County in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania. The district serves students in the community of Fleetwood as well as Richmond Township to the north and Maidencreek Township to the south. The district offers a wide variety of academic courses, music, the arts, sports programs and extra curricular activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haps Benfer</span> American football and basketball player and college coach and administrator

Harold Arthur "Haps" Benfer was an American college football and college basketball player and coach. He was selected as a first-team All-American fullback while playing for Albright College in 1914. He later spent 40 years as an athletic coach and administrator at Muhlenberg College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Chester University</span> Public university in West Chester, Pennsylvania, US

West Chester University is a public research university in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". With 17,275 undergraduate and graduate students as of 2022, WCU is the largest of the 10 state-owned universities belonging to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and the sixth largest university in Pennsylvania. It also maintains a Center City Philadelphia satellite campus on Market Street.

The 1926 Temple Owls football team was an American football team that represented Temple University as an independent during the 1926 college football season. In its second season under head coach Heinie Miller, the team compiled a 5–3 record. The team played its home games on a new field located at City Line and Vernon Road; it was known variously as Temple Field, Owl Field, or the Temple athletic field.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "College Navigator - Albright College". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Communications Division, Albright College". Albright College Communications Division. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Albright College Athletics Website" . Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  4. ↑ "History of Albright College". albright.edu. Albright College. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Albright College - Mission, History and Tradition". Archived from the original on December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  6. ↑ Unglesbee, Ben (January 23, 2025). "Albright College moves to borrow from endowment to stay afloat". Higher Ed Dive . Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Reading's Albright College pioneers flexible, interdisciplinary learning". KeystoneEdge.com. September 19, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Domino Players earn nine national awards for "A Raisin in the Sun"". Albright College. March 29, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Spotlight: theater awards, jazz opera, breaking into acting, auditions - Reading Eagle - LIFE". ReadingEagle.com. March 27, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Albright College invited to perform on Kennedy Center Festival main stage". BCTV.org. December 16, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Best Northeastern - The Princeton Review". www.PrincetonReview.com. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Albright College Named One of the Best Schools in the Northeast for 14th Consecutive Year". www.Albright.edu. Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Albright, Kutztown on list of top schools - Reading Eagle - NEWS". ReadingEagle.com. August 5, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Albright College Rankings". usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report . Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  15. ↑ "rankings". www.usnews.com. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  16. ↑ "rankings". www.usnews.com. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Our first-ever college rankings". Economist.com. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  18. ↑ "POP KELCHNER". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Lone Star Dietz Website". Archived from the original on August 18, 2007. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  20. ↑ "Vernon "Skip" McCain/UMES Football Reinstatement Fund Second Quarter 2007 Report". Archived from the original on June 14, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  21. ↑ Frank, Reuben (August 17, 2020). "A history of each Philadelphia Eagles training camp site, from 1933 to 2020". nbcsports.com/philadelphia. Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. Retrieved August 17, 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  22. ↑ "Olympic Review No. 105-106 July - August 1976" (PDF). Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  23. ↑ "NABC Presidents". Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  24. ↑ Boren, Cindy (October 11, 2017). "'I was just taught you fight for what you believe in': A college football player is cut for kneeling during the anthem" . Retrieved October 20, 2017– via www.WashingtonPost.com.
  25. ↑ "Albright College offers to reinstate dismissed football players - Reading Eagle - NEWS". ReadingEagle.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  26. ↑ Shuey, Karen (October 18, 2017). "Albright backup quarterback says he won't rejoin team despite school's invitation". Reading Eagle. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  27. ↑ "Home". December 30, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Craig Fass". albright.edu. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  29. ↑ Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, 1985, p. 279. J.A. Fitzgerald, 1985. Accessed July 17, 2019. "Assemblyman Hollenbeck was born in Carlstadt Nov. 5, 1931. After graduating from East Rutherford High School he attended Albright College in Reading, Pa., and technical trade schools."
  30. ↑ "Hokubei Karate-do Shihankai Master Bio". retrieved August 10, 2016
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.