Bethany College (West Virginia)

Last updated
Bethany College
Bethany College WV logo.jpg
Type Private, Liberal Arts
Established1840;184 years ago (1840)
Founder Alexander Campbell
Religious affiliation
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Endowment $77 million [1]
President Jamie Caridi, Interim President (January 1, 2022-present)
Students650 (600 full-time)
Location, ,
United States
Campus Rural 1,300 acres (526 ha)
Athletics22 NCAA Division III Athletic Teams and an Equestrian club team.
Colors Green and White   
MascotBison
Website www.bethanywv.edu

Bethany College is a private liberal arts college in Bethany, West Virginia. Founded in 1840 by Alexander Campbell of the Restoration Movement, who gained support by the Virginia legislature, Bethany College was the first institution of higher education in what is now West Virginia. [lower-alpha 1]

Contents

History

A liberal arts college, Bethany was chartered on March 2, 1840, by the Virginia legislature and given "all degree-granting powers" of the University of Virginia.[ citation needed ] West Virginia's secession from Virginia on June 20, 1863, recognized existing Virginia charters; Bethany College continues to operate under the Virginia charter.

It was founded by Alexander Campbell, a minister in the Restoration Movement who provided the land and funds for the first building and served as the first president. Bethany has been a four-year private liberal arts college affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), [2] since its inception. [3] This religious body, of which Campbell was one of the principal founders, continues to support and encourage the college but exercises no sectarian control. An early center of coeducation, Bethany has admitted women since the 1880s.

The college's roots stem from the Buffalo Seminary, founded in 1818, by Campbell; sessions were first held in his mansion in Bethany, [4] home of Alexander Campbell and his father Thomas Campbell. The new Buffalo Seminary, " a continuing education arm of the College" is less than a mile away from the College.

Images of Bethany College, 1904 BethanyColl-BethanyWVA.JPG
Images of Bethany College, 1904

The college is the birthplace of Delta Tau Delta, an international social fraternity founded in 1858. [5]

During World War II, Bethany was one of 131 colleges nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program, which offered students a path to a Navy commission. [6]

A number of campus buildings are contributing resources to the Bethany Historic District. [7] The Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. [8] Pendleton Heights was listed in 1975 and the Delta Tau Delta Founders House in 1979. [8]

The campus is also home to the Parkinson Forest, which in 2019 was added to the national Old-Growth Forest Network. The designation identifies the Parkinson Forest as the oldest Old-Growth Forest in Brooke County. [9]

Academics

Bethany College offers a wide selection of studies, awarding Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degrees in more than 25 fields. If a major does not appeal to a student, Bethany offers students the opportunity to design their own major through the Interdisciplinary program. Bethany also offers dual majors, which is a combination of two majors. [10]

According to recent research, 95% of Bethany College graduates carry student loan debt, averaging $25,704. [11] The endowment fund in 2016 was worth $46.7 million. [12] According to U.S. News tuition and fees are $28,444 and room and board costs $10,270 (2017–18). About 29% of Bethany students graduate in four years. [12]

Notable alumni

Notes

  1. West Liberty University is older but was a secondary school until 1870.

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Bethany Historic District is a national historic district located at Bethany, Brooke County, West Virginia. It encompasses 111 contributing buildings on the campus of Bethany College, the central business district, and surrounding residential areas in Bethany. Notable buildings include the Gothic Revival-style Irvin Gymnasium at Bethany College, Point Breeze Mansion, Old Opera House, Chambers General Store, and the Federal-style Hibernia Hall. Also in the district are a number of residences in popular architectural styles including Late Victorian. Located within the district are the separately listed Alexander Campbell Mansion, Delta Tau Delta Founders House, Old Bethany Church, Old Main, and Pendleton Heights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Tau Delta Founders House</span> Historic house in West Virginia, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon E. Watkins</span> American pastor

Sharon E. Watkins is an ordained Christian minister who became the first woman to lead a mainline denomination in North America in 2005, when she was elected the General Minister and President of the Christian Church in the United States and Canada. She served two six year terms. She preached at the national prayer service on January 21, 2009, at the invitation of President Barack Obama, becoming the first woman to preach at an inaugural prayer service. In 2017, after stepping down from the role of General Minister and President of the Christian Church, she became director of the Truth and Racial Justice Initiative of the National Council of Churches of Christ, USA. She is currently the pastor of Bethany Memorial Church, in Bethany, West Virginia.

References

  1. "Bethany College: Meet the Staff" . Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  2. "Bethany College :: Campus Ministry". Bethanywv.edu. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  3. "Select Library". Credoreference.com. 2000-01-01. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  4. "Bethany College :: Bethany College Establishes Buffalo Seminary". Bethanywv.edu. Archived from the original on 2012-12-14. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  5. "History | Delta Tau Delta". Delts.org. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  6. "Naval Training and Education Yearbooks in the Navy Department Library". Department of the Navy. 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  7. Henry J. Browne (September 1981). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Bethany Historic District" (PDF). State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  8. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  9. "Parkinson Forest Added to Old-Growth Network - About Bethany - Bethany College". About Bethany. 2019-10-17. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  10. "Bethany College :: Degrees and Majors". Bethanywv.edu. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
  11. "Average Student Loan Debt Statistics for 2021" . Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Bethany College (WV) - Profile, Rankings and Data". US News. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  13. "Clark, (James Beauchamp) Champ (1850-1921)." The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather guide. Abington: Helicon, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 17 September 2012.
  14. "Gordon, Caroline (1895 – 1981)." The Crystal Reference Encyclopedia. West Chiltington: Crystal Semantics, 2005. Credo Reference. Web. 17 September 2012.

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