Bethany College is a private, liberal arts college located in Bethany, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1840 by Alexander Campbell of the Restoration Movement, who gained support by the Virginia legislature, Bethany College is the second oldest institution of higher education in West Virginia behind West Liberty University.
Video Bethany College (West Virginia)
Location
Bethany's 1,300-acre campus is located in the northern panhandle of West Virginia, situated on the hilly Allegheny Plateau. Wheeling, West Virginia; Washington, Pennsylvania; and Steubenville, Ohio, are each about half an hour away. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is a 50-minute drive from campus.
Maps Bethany College (West Virginia)
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. West Virginia's secession from Virginia on June 20, 1863, recognized existing Virginia charters; Bethany College continues to operate under the Virginia charter today.
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), since its inception. 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, a center for advancement to further education, founded in 1818 by Campbell. Sessions were first held in his mansion in Bethany, home of Alexander Campbell and his father Thomas Campbell. It is located less than a mile away from the College's present location.
The college is the birthplace of Delta Tau Delta, an international social fraternity founded in 1858.
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.
A number of campus buildings are contributing resources to the Bethany Historic District. The Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Pendleton Heights was listed in 1975 and the Delta Tau Delta Founders House in 1979.
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.
Student life
Athletics
Bethany completes in intercollegiate athletics at the NCAA Division III level and is a member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). The school's mascot is the Bison and its colors are green and white.
Bethany offers a variety of men's sports, including:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Track and field
Bethany also offers the following women's sports:
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Field hockey
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Volleyball
The men's soccer team won the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship in 1994. The Bison defeated Johns Hopkins, 1-0, in double overtime for their first and only NCAA title. In doing so, Bethany became the smallest college in the United States to win an NCAA championship. The winning goal was scored by Pat Ricci and was assisted by Steve Lindquist. Malleh Sallah was named the NCAA Goalkeeper of the Year and a First Team All-American. The team was coached by John Cunningham, who led the team from 1968 to 2001 and never had a losing record.
Greek life
Fraternities and sororities constitute important social groups for upperclass-men and -women on campus. Members of the five social fraternities and three sororities constitute approximately forty percent of the student body. Representatives from each serve on agencies which coordinate fraternal affairs and activities.
Social fraternities represented are Delta Tau Delta (which was founded at Bethany in 1858), Alpha Sigma Phi, Beta Theta Pi, Phi Kappa Tau and Sigma Nu. Sororities are Alpha Xi Delta, Phi Mu, and Zeta Tau Alpha.
The co-ed national service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega was granted a charter at Bethany in 2004. Members of Alpha Phi Omega are permitted to join social fraternities or sororities.
Campus buildings
Academics
Residence
Notable alumni
- Greg Music (1988-1993), Seen "hangin'" around campus
- Joseph Baldwin (1852), educator and founder of Truman State University
- Thomas Buergenthal (1957), retired U.S. judge on the International Court of Justice
- James Beauchamp "Champ" Clark (1873), Democratic representative from Missouri and Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
- Faith Daniels (1979), CBS and NBC news anchor
- Shane Douglas (1986), professional wrestler
- William Ferrel (1844), meteorologist
- Bob Goin (1959), athletic director in Florida State University and University of Cincinnati
- John William McGarvey (1829-1911), religious educator
- Sukhi Turner, mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand, during 1995-2004
- Caroline Gordon (1916), novelist and critic, author of Penhally
- Edgar Odell Lovett (1890 [class valedictorian]), first president of Rice University.
- William H. Macy, Emmy Award-winning actor (attended but did not graduate.)
- Frances McDormand (1979), film-television-stage actress and winner of Academy Award for Best Actress in 1996 for her work in the Coen Brothers film Fargo
- Oliver S. Marshall (1850-1934), president of the West Virginia Senate 1899 to 1901 from Hancock County
- John O. Pendleton (1871), United States Representative
- Tom Poston, Emmy Award-winning actor (attended but was not graduated from Bethany College)
- Jeffrey L. Seglin, (1978), writer of the New York Times weekly column "The Right Thing"
- Dave Sims (1975), Emmy Award-winning sportscaster
- Robert J. McCann (1980), Chief Executive Officer of UBS Group Americas
- George Tener Oliver (1868), United States Senator from Pennsylvania (1909 to 1917)
- John Tate Riddell (1909), Inventor of removable cleats and founder of Riddell Sports Group
- Sid Gepford, NFL player
- Joseph Rucker Lamar (1877), Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States
- Michael S. Boyle (1984), President and CEO Integrated Group
- John E. Niederhuber, 13th director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
References
External links
- Official website
- Official Bethany College athletics website
- Uphill Climb, The Wellsburg, Bethany & Washington Trolley video narrative
Source of article : Wikipedia
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