Judson College (Alabama)

Last updated

Judson College
Judson College seal.gif
MottoLux et Veritas
Motto in English
Light and Truth
Type Private women's college
Active1838–2021
Religious affiliation
 Baptist (Alabama Baptist Convention)
President Daphne Rudicell Robinson
Location
Marion
,
Alabama
,
United States

32°37′50″N87°18′57″W / 32.63063°N 87.31587°W / 32.63063; -87.31587
CampusRural, 118 acres (48 ha)
Website judson.edu
Judson College Historic District
Jewitt at Judson College.jpg
Jewett Hall, within the Judson College Historic District
LocationRoughly bounded by East Lafayette, Curb, Mason and Washington Streets
Coordinates 32°37′49″N87°18′52″W / 32.63028°N 87.31444°W / 32.63028; -87.31444
Architectural styleColonial Revival, Classical Revival, Greek Revival
NRHP reference No. 92001825 [1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 3, 1993

Judson College was a private women's college in Marion, Alabama. It was founded in 1838 and suspended its academic operations on July 31, 2021. [2]

Contents

History

Judson College was founded by members of Siloam Baptist Church in 1838, making it the fifth-oldest women's college in the country at the time of its 2021 closure. [3] Judson was named after Ann Hasseltine Judson, the first female foreign missionary from the United States to Burma (now Myanmar).

Businesswoman Julia Tarrant Barron and General Edwin Davis King, with the support of other members of Siloam Baptist Church, enlisted the help of Dr. Milo Parker Jewett, a recent graduate of Dartmouth College and Andover Theological Seminary. Jewett had come to Alabama with the goal of establishing a school for young women that would provide them with the same quality of education that young men received at Harvard and Yale. Jewett became the first president of Judson and later of Vassar College. Judson was affiliated with the Alabama Baptist Convention throughout its history and received funding from the convention. [4]

The college was granted an exception to Title IX in 2015 which allowed it to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons. [5] [6] [7]

Enrollment at Judson in 2019 was 268 [8] and the college offered bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and pre-professional programs.

In 2020 the college experienced severe financial challenges due to declining enrollment and COVID-19. In December, the college's president issued an urgent plea for $500,000 in donations to prevent the college from closing immediately. [9] Although it had raised $1.3 million, enrollment dropped from 145 in the fall of 2020 to 80 for the fall of 2021. [10] In May 2021, the college's board of trustees voted to close the college and begin Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The college closed its residence halls after the spring semester ended and suspended academic operations after the summer term ending July 31, 2021. [11] [2] [12]

In 2022, the school's archives were transferred to Samford University, a sister school, founded in Marion which relocated to Birmingham in 1887. [13] In 2024, court documents showed that Judson College had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, three years after initially planning to do so. [14]

Campus

The principal building of the campus at the time of the school's closure was Jewett Hall, the third of this name. The first Jewett Hall, built in 1840, was a four-story Greek revival building named after Milo P. Jewett. It was destroyed by fire in 1888. The rebuilding of Jewett Hall was begun that same year. In 1947 the dome was hit by a lightning strike and fire consumed the building. Rebuilding efforts began almost immediately, and funds were raised by the sale of bricks from the rubble. A third fire occurred in the attic of this building as mattresses were lit on fire, but the fire was put out with little damage to the building.

Other notable buildings on campus include A. Howard Bean Hall, a former Carnegie library which now houses the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame as well as 2 classrooms, the Alumnae Auditorium, and the Women's Missionary Union residence hall.

Student life

Judson College participated in joint social and civic events with Marion Military Institute, also located in Marion. Many of these events and traditions date as far back as the Civil War and are connected culturally to that era.[ citation needed ]

Judson College was ranked among the "Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth" in the US by Campus Pride. [5]

Notable alumnae

Namesake colleges

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion, Alabama</span> City in Alabama, United States

Marion is a city in and the county seat of Perry County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 3,686, up 4.8% over 2000. First known as Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed for a hero of the American Revolution, Francis Marion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi College</span> Private college in Clinton, Mississippi, US

Mississippi College (MC) is a private university affiliated with the Mississippi Baptist Convention and located in Clinton, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1826, MC is the second-oldest Baptist-affiliated college or university in the United States and the oldest college or university in Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auburn University</span> Public university in Auburn, Alabama, US

Auburn University is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a total enrollment of more than 33,000 students with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second-largest university in Alabama. It is one of the state's two flagship public universities. The university is one of 146 U.S. universities classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samford University</span> Baptist university in Homewood, Alabama, US

Samford University is a private Baptist university in Homewood, Alabama. It was founded in 1841 as Howard College by Baptists. In the fall of 2023, the university enrolled 5,791 students from 49 states, 1 U.S. territory, and 16 other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knoxville College</span> Historically black college in Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.

Knoxville College is an unaccredited private historically black college in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1875 by the United Presbyterian Church of North America. The college is a United Negro College Fund member school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milo Parker Jewett</span>

Milo Parker Jewett was an American author and college president. He was the first president of Vassar College and first president of Judson College, holding the office from 1861 to 1864, and 1838 to 1855, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Baptist University</span> Private university in Bolivar, Missouri, US

Southwest Baptist University (SBU) is a private Baptist university in Bolivar, Missouri. It is affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention, which is part of the Southern Baptist Convention. In 2023, it had a total enrollment of 2,168 students enrolled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judson University</span> Private university in Elgin, Illinois, US

Judson University is a private Baptist university in Elgin, Illinois. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. Judson was formed out of the liberal arts component of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. When the seminary moved from Chicago to Lombard, Illinois, it was decided to make the college separate from the seminary. Originally known as Judson College, it was named after Adoniram Judson, the first American Baptist missionary to foreign shores. The university has campuses in Elgin and Rockford, Illinois, and a student body of approximately 1,300. Judson College became Judson University on August 28, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Payne University</span> Private university in Brownwood, Texas, US

Howard Payne University is a private Baptist university in Brownwood, Texas, United States. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Noah T. Byers and John David Robnett founded Howard Payne College in 1889. It was named for its first major benefactor, Edward Howard Payne, who was Robnett's brother-in-law.

Missouri Baptist University (MBU) is a private Southern Baptist university in Creve Coeur, Missouri. It is one of three universities of the Missouri Baptist Convention. The main campus is located on a 68-acre site near Creve Coeur and Town and County in West St Louis County, off highway 64-40. There are currently 12 MBU locations including its regional learning centers throughout the St. Louis region and Illinois. The school enrolled 5,309 students in 2019.

Randall University is a private Christian college in Moore, Oklahoma. Founded in 1917, it offers associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. It is one of several higher learning institutions associated with the Free Will Baptists. Randall University is also a member of the Oklahoma Independent Colleges and University. In 2015, it had an enrollment of 365.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion Military Institute</span> Public military junior college in Marion, Alabama, US

Marion Military Institute, the Military College of Alabama, is a public military junior college in Marion, Alabama. Founded in 1842, it is the official state military college of Alabama and the nation's oldest military junior college.

The Alabama Baptist Convention is an autonomous association of Baptist churches in the U.S. state of Alabama formed in 1823. It is one of the state conventions associated with the Southern/Great Commission Baptists.

The history of the Baptist movement in the state of Alabama predates Alabama statehood.

The Alabama Baptist is a weekly newspaper. It is the largest state Baptist paper in circulation. It is an entity of the Alabama Baptist State Convention owned by The Alabama Baptist, Inc., under leadership of a board of directors approved by messengers to the Alabama Baptist State Convention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siloam Baptist Church</span> United States historic place

The Siloam Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Marion, Alabama, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The current brick Greek Revival building was completed in 1848.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James H. DeVotie</span> America Baptist minister (1814–1891)

James Harvey DeVotie (1814–1891) was a Baptist minister in the American South. Born in Oneida County, New York, he was a pastor in South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia. He was a co-founder of Howard College in Marion, Alabama, later known as Samford University near Birmingham. He was a long-time trustee of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. He served as a Confederate chaplain during the Civil War. After the war, he worked for the Southern Baptist Convention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewett House</span> Dormitory of Vassar College

Jewett House is a nine-story Tudor-style dormitory on the campus of Vassar College in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York. Built in 1907 to accommodate increasing demand for residential space, the dorm was designed by Vassar art professor Lewis Pilcher of the architectural firm Pilcher and Tachau. Early reviews looked unfavorably upon Jewett, even dubbing it "Pilcher's Crime" and by 2002, a host of issues plagued the dorm, leading to a $21 million renovation. Up to 195 students of any gender or class year may live in Jewett, which has been purported to be haunted by several different ghosts during its existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Tarrant Barron</span> American philanthropist (1805–1890)

Julia Tarrant Barron (1805–1890) was a founder of Judson College in Marion, Alabama, and Howard College, renamed subsequently to Samford University now located in Homewood, Alabama. She also co-founded The Alabama Baptist newspaper with pastor Milo P. Jewett and donated the land for the construction of the Siloam Baptist Church. She was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Judson College board of trustees vote to close 183-year-old institution". Judson College. May 6, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  3. ↑ Garrison, Greg (May 22, 2021). "'Nothing will ever be like Judson': women's college closing stuns those affected". al. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  4. ↑ Judson College. "Heritage".
  5. 1 2 "Worst List: The Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth". Campus Pride. May 17, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Nice (December 18, 2015). "Religious colleges get exemptions to anti-bias law; critics denounce 'hidden discrimination' against LGBT students". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Student Handbook - Judson College" (PDF).
  8. ↑ "College Navigator - Judson College".
  9. ↑ Jaschik, Scott (December 18, 2020). "Judson College Will Close If It Doesn't Receive Gifts". Inside Higher Ed . Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  10. ↑ Garrisson, Greg (May 6, 2021). "Judson College, fifth-oldest women's college, closing". AL.com . Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  11. ↑ Lederman, Doug (August 2, 2021). "Number of colleges shrinks again, including publics and private nonprofits". www.insidehighered.com. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  12. ↑ McDonald, George (July 30, 2021). "Judson College in Marion Ends Academic Programs". Alabama News. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Samford University receives archives of Judson College, the oldest women's school in Alabama". CBS 42. June 23, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Judson College files for bankruptcy". BKData. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  15. ↑ Caroline C. Dormon, A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography, Vol. 1 (1988), p. 251
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.