Cedar Crest College

Last updated
Cedar Crest College
Cedar Crest College seal.png
Former names
Lehigh Female Academy (1867–1868)
Allentown Female College (1868–1893)
Allentown College for Women (1893–1913) [1] [2]
MottoReligio, Libertas et Scientia (Latin)
Motto in English
Divinity, Liberty and Knowledge
Type Private liberal arts college
EstablishedJuly 12, 1867;157 years ago (1867-07-12)
Religious affiliation
 United Church of Christ (historically related)
Academic affiliation
 LVAIC
Endowment $41.5 million (2022) [3]
President Elizabeth M. Meade
Academic staff
92 full-time
Students1,324
Undergraduates 953
Location
Allentown
,
Pennsylvania
,
United States
CampusSuburban, 84 acres (34 ha)
Colors Yellow and white    
Nickname Falcons
Website www.cedarcrest.edu
Cedar Crest College logo.png

Cedar Crest College is a private liberal arts women's college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. At the start of the 2022-2023 academic year, the college had 953 undergraduate and 371 graduate students. Men may pursue various degrees at the college, but are sometimes limited to evening or weekend programs.

Contents

History

Fresco of the logo of the Allentown College for Women. Allentown College for Women Logo.jpg
Fresco of the logo of the Allentown College for Women.

What would become Cedar Crest College was founded in 1867 by members of Allentown’s Zion’s Reformed Church of Christ as the Lehigh Female Academy. Classes started on September 5 with just 5 students that grew to 14 by the end of the inaugural semester. [4] Classes were initially offered in the basement of the Zion's Reformed Church, which the school outgrew going into the second year, leading to the school's purchase of the Clover Nook estate of Robert Emmett Wright. The academy moved classes there in 1868 and was renamed Allentown Female College. [4]

In 1872, the Cedar Crest Alumnae Association was founded; it later registered as a non-profit in 1933. In 1884, the campus was expanded to include 25 rooms, a gym, library, art room, and a chapel. The school was renamed to the Allentown College for Women in 1893. [4]

on June 4, 1913, the school would move again, this time to its present location. It again changed its name, this time to Cedar Crest College. Classes began on the new campus on September 29, 1915. With the start of classes at the new campus, then-president William F. Curtis started an Arboretum that would eventually be recognized by the American Public Gardens Association in 1985, two years after a storm nearly destroyed it. [4]

In 1927, president Curtis's house was transformed into a library and later an office building named in honor of William and Roberta Ritter Allen from the class of 1936. [4]

In 2001 ,the school picked the falcon as its mascot, replacing the old team name the "Classics". Two years later, Cedar Crest began offering graduate courses and degrees with an MBA program that would be expanded to include doctoral-level degrees in nursing that later grew into an entire school of nursing. [4]

Academics

Aerial view of Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1931 1931 - Cedar Crest College - Looking West - Allentown PA.jpg
Aerial view of Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1931
Blaney Hall on the campus of Cedar Crest College in March 2014 Cedar Crest College (6).JPG
Blaney Hall on the campus of Cedar Crest College in March 2014

The college's Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs span more than 50 majors. The curriculum also includes programs in Pre-Law, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Medicine, and Pre-Veterinary Medicine. Cedar Crest College also offers master's degrees. [5] [6] Its MBA Program offers a focus on Women's Leadership. [7] The Pan-European MFA Program in Creative Writing is the first MFA low-residency program in the United States with entirely international residencies. [8]

Undergraduate and graduate programs are also offered to adult students through the college's School of Adult and Graduate Education. [9]

Campus

The Cressman Library on the campus of Cedar Crest College in August 2012 Cressman Library Cedar Crest College.JPG
The Cressman Library on the campus of Cedar Crest College in August 2012

Cedar Crest is located off Cedar Crest Boulevard at 100 College Drive on the western edge of Allentown, Pennsylvania. [10] The 84-acre (34 ha) campus is adjacent to the city's Cedar Beach Park. [11]

The campus includes buildings containing libraries, classrooms, administrative offices, pools, theaters, fitness studios, and dining halls. [12] Additional classroom and faculty buildings include Hartzel Hall, Curtis Hall and Hamilton Boulevard Building. [12] [13] The college also has four residence halls: Butz Hall, Moore Hall, Steinbright Hall, and the upper level of Curtis Hall. [14]

Cedar Crest's collection of 140 species of trees is designated as the William F. Curtis Arboretum, which is registered with the American Public Gardens Association. [12] The arboretum is named for the college's seventh president, who after purchasing the property in 1915, beautified the campus by planting flowers, shrubs and trees from all over the world. [15]

Athletics

The Allentown United FC soccer club playing on the Cedar Crest College soccer field in August 2019 AUFC First Match.jpg
The Allentown United FC soccer club playing on the Cedar Crest College soccer field in August 2019

Cedar Crest, known athletically as the Falcons, competes in NCAA Division III athletics and has teams in basketball, cross country running, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, swimming and diving, track and field, wrestling, and volleyball. The Rodale Aquatic Center on campus is home to the college's swimming and diving team.

Cynthia L. Blaschak Softball Field

Cynthia L. Blaschak is a member of the class of 1984 and was a champion badminton player for Cedar Crest, but claimed softball was her "main love" and regretted there was no softball team at Cedar Crest when she attended. [16] Blaschak would work for Cedar Crest's administration over a 25 year period from 1984 to 2009 and in 1997 made a sizable donation to construct a softball field to kick-start the College's softball team. [16] [17] In 2024 the field would undergo a $2.5 million renovation to install all-weather turf, and lighting to allow night-games. [17] [18] $1 million of which came from a grant from Pennsylvania State Redevelopment Assistance Capitol Program. [18]

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

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References

  1. ↑ "History's Headlines: Cedar Crest College will be 150 next year". www.wfmz.com. 69 News. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "Allentown Female College is ancestor of today's Cedar Crest ** Its first classes were in basement of Zion's Reformed Church". www.mcall.com. The Morning Call. 21 January 2004. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  3. ↑ "U.S. and Canadian 2022 NTSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2022 Endowment Market Value, Change in Market Value from FY21 to FY22, and FY22 Endowment Market Values Per Full-time Equivalent Student (Excel)". National Association of College and University Business Officers. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "A Legacy of Leadership". cedarcrest.edu. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  5. ↑ "College Profile: Cedar Crest College" (PDF). collegedata.com. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-22. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  6. ↑ "Cedar Crest College Catalog • 2015-2016". www.cedarcrest.edu. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  7. ↑ "Master of Business Administration". cedarcrest.edu. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  8. ↑ "Association of Writers and Writing Programs". November 2023.
  9. ↑ "Cedar Crest College: An Adult Student's Guide" (PDF). Cedar Crest College Center for Lifelong Learning. August 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-27.[ dead link ]
  10. ↑ "Cedar Crest College website" . Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  11. ↑ "Virtual Campus Tour". Allentown, Pennsylvania: Cedar Crest College. Archived from the original on 2003-11-19. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  12. 1 2 3 "Campus Facilities". 2007-2008 Catalog. Cedar Crest College. Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  13. ↑ "Cedar Crest College Celebrates Official Opening of New Facility". News Release. Cedar Crest College. October 8, 2007. Archived from the original on March 2, 2004. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
  14. ↑ "Housing lottery nears: Residence halls revealed" (PDF). The Crestiad. March 29, 2007. pp. 3–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  15. ↑ "William F. Curtis Arboretum: Mission/History". Cedar Crest College. Archived from the original on 2008-05-02. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  16. 1 2 "Cynthia " Cyndi" L. Blaschak". cedarcrestathletics. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  17. 1 2 Gianficaro, Phil. "A dream field: Cedar Crest unveils $2.5 million all-weather softball facility". Lehigh Valley News . Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  18. 1 2 Gianficaro, Phil. "Cedar Crest College breaks ground for all-weather turf, lights at softball field". Lehigh Valley News . Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  19. ↑ Kasindorf, Jeanie (May 30, 1988). "The Amsterdam News". New York . pp. 40–44.
  20. ↑ "Cedar Crest College Profile" . Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  21. ↑ "Suzanne Fisher Staples". Archived from the original on 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  22. ↑ "Blenda J. Wilson, Ph.D." Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 17 February 2016.

40°35′13″N75°31′08″W / 40.587°N 75.519°W / 40.587; -75.519

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