Russellville Male Academy (1851-1854) Russellville Male College (1854-1917) Bethel College (1917-1933) Bethel Female College (1858-1817) Bethel Women's College (1917-1951)
Bethel College was the name of two related Baptist-affiliated colleges in Kentucky. The college opened in 1854 and operated under various names before closing in 1964. Throughout most of its history, the Hopkinsville campus was a women's college while the Russellville campus was a men's college. Both campuses became coeducational before closing.
Baptist minister Samuel Baker is credited with coming up with the idea of establishing Bethel College in southcentral Kentucky.[1] Baker came to Russellville, Kentucky in 1841 as the minister of the Baptist church and took a similar position in Hopkinsville, Kentucky five years later.[1] In addition to preaching at the Hopkinsville Baptist Church, Baker chaired the education committee of the Bethel Association of Baptists.[1] The Baptist Association of Southwestern Kentucky approved the establishment of a college in Russellville in September 1849.[2] The school received its charter from Kentucky in 1851.[3]
Russellville campus
Construction on the central building began in 1852.[2] The Russellville campus opened as Russellville Male Academy on January 3, 1854.[1][2] Its first principal was B. T. Blewitt.[4] A new charter was secured, and the high school became a college in 1854.[4]
The college closed from 1861 to September 1863 during the Civil War.[2][4] The Confederate Convention met there in 1861, and it was also used as a hospital.[5]
By 1910, the college had an endowment of $102,930 ($3,473,520 in 2024 money).[2] The college changed its name in 1917 to Bethel College.[6] It became co-educational in 1923.[5] However, the college had debts and could no longer compete with larger colleges.[7] It closed in January 1933, after the fall graduation.[5] The college's enrollment peaked at 213 students.[7] In June 1933, the college merged with Georgetown University.[7]
Hopkinsville campus
After the boy's school in 1854, Baker outlined the case for a similar institution for young women at the association's annual meeting.[1] A charter was received for the Baptist Female Institute, and efforts were made to raise the $30,000 needed for campus and buildings.[3] Construction began in 1854.[3] The institution opened as Bethel Female High School in 1856.[3] Its first president was W. F. Hill.[3]
It was rechartered as Bethel Female College in 1858, under the Green River Educational Convention.[3] During the Civil War, the college closed for two years.[8] The Hopkinsville campus was used as a hospital during a black measles epidemic from 1861 to 1862.[8] In 1884, the study body averaged 100 women, with 35 being boarding students.[3] Between 1874 and 1884, 68 students graduated.[3]
The college changed its name on July 2, 1917 to Bethel Women's College.[9] During World War II, the college closed from 1942 to 1945 and its rooms were rented to Camp Campbell army officers.[8]
On August 22, 1951, the college became co-educational and changed its name to simply Bethel College.[10][8] It closed in 1964.[1][8] Some 1,770 students graduated from the college.[8]
Campus
Bethel Men's College was on the western outskirts of Russellville, Kentucky.[2] The campus consisted of sixteen acres.[5] It had five buildings, including the Main Hall, two dormitories (Nimrod Long Hall and Long Hall), a library and gymnasium, and the president's house.[7][5] Its athletic field was called Brookside Park.[5] Its buildings were demolished in 1868.[5]
Bethel Female College, later Bethel College, was located forty miles away on six acres in the western suburbs of Hopkinsville, Kentucky.[1][3] Its address was located on West 15th Street between Main and Canton streets.[8] Its main building was a three-story brick structure with a basement.[3] It had the capacity to board sixty students.[3] Most of the Hopkinsville campus razed in 1966; its former gymnasium remains as of 2019.[8]
Academics
One of the goals of Bethel Male College was to educate ministers and teachers.[4] It was a four-year college from 1917 to 1920.[5] From 1921 until its closing in 1933, it was a junior college.[5]
The Bethel Female College included a School of Languages, ancient and modern; School of Mathematics, pure and mixed; School of English, including belle letters and mental and moral sciences; School of Natural Sciences, and the School of Fine Arts.[3]
Bethel College's primary sport was baseball.[7] It also had a basketball team that won 26 games in the 1926-1927 year.[7] Bethel College had a football program from 1894 to 1931.[7] It was the state champion in 1899.[7] It played against Cumberland College, Western Normal College, Union College, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee Tech, Oakland City, Evansville, Lindsey Wilson, Transylvania, Hanover, the University of Tennessee, and the University of West Virginia.[7]
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