Bethany College is a

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liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...

college in Bethany, West Virginia. Founded in 1840 by Alexander Campbell of the

Restoration Movement The Restoration Movement (also known as the American Restoration Movement or the Stone–Campbell Movement, and pejoratively as Campbellism) is a Christian movement that began on the United States frontier during the Second Great Awakening (17 ...

, who gained support by the Virginia legislature, Bethany College was the first institution of higher education in what is now West Virginia.

History

A liberal arts college, Bethany was chartered on March 2, 1840, by the

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

legislature and given "all degree-granting powers" of the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective adm ...

. 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

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 Sectarianism is a political or cultural conflict between two groups which are often related to the form of government which they live under. Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred can arise in these conflicts, depending on the political status quo ...

control. An early center of

coeducation Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

, 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 A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...

in Bethany, 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. The college is the birthplace of

Delta Tau Delta Delta Tau Delta () is a United States-based international Greek letter Fraternities and sororities, college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded at Bethany College (West Virginia), Bethany College, Bethany, West Virginia, Bethany, Virginia, (no ...

, 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 The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II. Between July 1, 1943, and June 30, 1946, more than 125,000 participants were enrolled in 131 colle ...

, 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 The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1982. Pendleton Heights was listed in 1975 and the

Delta Tau Delta Founders House Delta Tau Delta Founders House is a historic home associated with Bethany College, at Bethany, Brooke County, West Virginia. It was built in the early 1850s, and is a two-story, five bay Greek Revival-style dwelling. It is "L"-shaped and cons ...

in 1979. 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.

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. According to recent research, 95% of Bethany College graduates carry student loan debt, averaging $25,704. The endowment fund in 2016 was worth $46.7 million.https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/bethany-college-west-virginia-3808 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.

Notable alumni

Virginia Dare Aderholdt Virginia Dare Aderholdt was an Arlington Hall cryptanalyst and Japanese translator, who decrypted the intercepted Japanese surrender message, August 14, 1945. Early years Virginia was the daughter of Oscar Wrey Aderholdt, a Lutheran clergyman, and ...

, an

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cryptanalyst and Japanese translator, who decrypted the intercepted Japanese surrender message, August 14, 1945 * Joseph Baldwin (1852), educator and founder of

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* Walter M. Bortz III, educator and 23rd president of

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(1957), retired U.S. judge on the

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* James Beauchamp "Champ" Clark (1873), Democratic representative from

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and

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. * Faith Daniels (1979),

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and

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news anchor * Wilma Z. Davis (1912-2001), codebreaker during World War II and the Vietnam War * Daniel Coleman DeJarnette Sr. (1822-1881) Democratic representative from

, served in the

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and then in the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War. *

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(1986), professional wrestler *

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(1844), meteorologist *

Bob Goin Robert Goin (October 3, 1936 – October 12, 2019) was an American football and baseball coach and college athletic administrator. He served as the head football coach at Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia from 1963 to 1972, compiling ...

(1959), athletic director in Florida State University and University of Cincinnati * John William McGarvey (1829–1911), religious educator *

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, mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand, during 1995–2004 *

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(1916), novelist and critic, author of ''Penhally''"Gordon, Caroline (1895 – 1981)." The Crystal Reference Encyclopedia. West Chiltington: Crystal Semantics, 2005. Credo Reference. Web. 17 September 2012. * Kaye Gorenflo Hearn, Justice of the

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. *

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(1890 lass valedictorian, first president of

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. *

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-winning actor (attended; transferred to

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.) *

Frances McDormand Frances Louise McDormand (born Cynthia Ann Smith; June 23, 1957) is an American actress and producer. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, McDormand has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards, two Primetime Em ...

(1979), film, television and stage actress and winner of four

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s including Best Actress for '' Fargo'' (1996) and ''

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'' (2017), and Best Picture and Best Actress for '' Nomadland'' (2020) *

Oliver S. Marshall Oliver S. Marshall (September 24, 1850 – May 19, 1934) was an American politician serving as a member of the West Virginia Senate from West Virginia's 1st Senate district, 1st District in three terms from 1897 to 1901, 1905 to 1909, and 1913 ...

(1850–1934), president of the

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1899 to 1901 from Hancock County. *

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(1968), astrophysicist and cosmologist. * John O. Pendleton (1871), United States Representative *

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-winning actor (attended but was not graduated from Bethany College) * Jeffrey L. Seglin, (1978), writer of weekly column "The Right Thing," faculty member,

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(1975),

-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) * Sid Gepford, NFL player *

Joseph Rucker Lamar Joseph Rucker Lamar (October 14, 1857 – January 2, 1916) was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court appointed by President William Howard Taft. A cousin of former associate justice Lucius Lamar, he served from 1911 until h ...

(1877), Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States * John E. Niederhuber, 13th director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Notes

References

External links

*
Official Bethany College athletics website
{{authority control Buildings and structures in Brooke County, West Virginia Education in Brooke County, West Virginia Educational institutions established in 1840 Universities and colleges affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Private universities and colleges in West Virginia Tourist attractions in Brooke County, West Virginia 1840 establishments in Virginia Liberal arts colleges in West Virginia