Houghton University is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capac ...

Houghton, New York Houghton is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet (and census-designated place) located in the Town (New York), Town of Caneadea, New York, Caneadea in Allegany County, New York, Allegany County, western New York (state), New York, United States. The populat ...

. Houghton was founded in 1883 by

Willard J. Houghton Willard J. Houghton (1825–1896) was a Protestant clergyman who founded Houghton College in Houghton, New York. Houghton was born on July 19, 1825, to a family of English ancestry. Houghton married on January 10, 1847, to Harriet Wilson (born ...

and is affiliated with the

Wesleyan Church The Wesleyan Church, also known as the Wesleyan Methodist Church and Wesleyan Holiness Church depending on the region, is a Methodist Christian denomination in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Namibia, Sierra Leone, L ...

.History of Houghton
Houghton.edu. Retrieved on 2013-06-11. Houghton serves roughly 1000 students and has 54 degree majors for primarily undergraduate students.

History

Houghton College began in 1883 as Houghton Seminary, a

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 ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

founded by

, a

Wesleyan Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

minister. In 1899, the first few college classes were offered. James S. Luckey was appointed president in 1908 and Houghton College received its provisional charter from New York in 1923. A permanent charter was granted in 1927, and accreditation by the

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (Middle States Association or MSA) was a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association that performed peer evaluation and regional educational accreditation, accreditation of public and priva ...

came in 1935. Stephen Paine was appointed president in 1937. When the former Buffalo Bible Institute merged with Houghton College in 1969, the West Seneca campus was created. Wilber Dayton was appointed president in 1972 and he was succeeded by Daniel R. Chamberlain in 1976. The college initiated its first

master’s degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

program in 2004 and currently offers nine such degrees. Shirley Mullen was appointed president in 2006. From 2012 to 2013, the college set new records of giving to the institution for two years in a row. Despite this, Houghton College faced financial and enrollment challenges which led to academic budget cuts for the 2014–2015 academic year. This led to a "strategic reallocation of resources" which led to the development of several new majors including Music Industry, Sports Management, and Data Science.

Campus

Houghton College’s main

campus A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a college campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls, student centers or dining halls, and park-like se ...

is in the

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

of Houghton, in

Allegany County, New York Allegany County is a County (United States), county in the Southern Tier of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the population was 46,456. Its county seat is Belmont, New York, Belmont. ...

, about southeast of

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

and southwest of

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

. The of campus sit on the

Allegheny Plateau The Allegheny Plateau , in the United States, is a large dissected plateau area of the Appalachian Mountains in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio. It is divide ...

at roughly , on the site of the former

Caneadea Caneadea is a town in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 2,238 at the 2020 census. The name is of Seneca language origin and means "where the heavens rest on earth." The Seneca are the dominant Iroquoian tribe in this ...

Indian Reservation. A new Adult Education program offers a B.S. in Management at a variety of locations. Houghton College opened two locations in Niagara County for their Adult Education Program in 2013, in the city of

Niagara Falls, N.Y. Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagara ...

, and in Lockport, N.Y. File:Fancher Hall.jpg, Fancher Hall, oldest building on campus. Home to the Office of Admissions. File:Luckey Memorial.jpg, Luckey Memorial Building. Home of the Office of the President, as well as other administrative offices. File:Greatbatch School of Music.jpg, The Greatbatch School of Music File:Willard J. Houghton Library.jpg, Willard J. Houghton Library File:Wesley Chapel.jpg, Wesley Chapel

Academics

Houghton College grants associate and

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...

degrees in 46 majors. The college also offers six graduate degrees through the Greatbatch School of Music.

Rankings

Houghton College is ranked tied for #124 in National Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2020 Best Colleges rankings by ''

U S News & World Report ''U.S. News & World Report'' (USNWR) is an American media company that publishes news, consumer advice, rankings, and analysis. It was launched in 1948 as the merger of domestic-focused weekly newspaper ''U.S. News'' and international-focused ...

''.

First Year Honors

A distinctive First Year Honors Program is for qualified first-year students. There are two options: London Honors, and Science Honors. Previously the college offered a Contemporary Contexts program, but was replaced by London Honors in 2014. During London Honors, students spend their spring semester in London studying the development of the western world. East Meets West involves taking integrated classes during normal semester then traveling abroad during "May Term", exploring the roots of Western culture. Science Honors takes place during both first-year semesters at Houghton, involving research in recent real-world issues such as fuel-efficiency, climate change, and energy sources. The theme for 2012-13 was

Global Warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

and ways in which to improve Houghton's efforts in

environmentalism Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seek ...

. As part of this commitment, the school has built one of the largest solar arrays in the state of New York, with a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 17, 2015.

Student life

There are four traditional residence halls and four townhouses residences. Two of the traditional residence halls, Gillette Hall and Lambein Hall, are female residences. Rothenbuhler Hall and Shenawana Hall are male residences. Sophomore, Junior and senior students have the option to live in the townhouses. Houghton College is a distinctly residential campus but does allow for upper class students the opportunity to apply to live in approved off-campus housing, called Community Living Opportunities (CLOs). Many organizations and clubs are available for students to join or found their own.

Athletics

The Houghton athletic teams are called the Highlanders. The university is a member of the

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

level of the

National Collegiate Athletics Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA), primarily competing in the Empire 8 Athletic Conference (a.k.a. Empire 8) since the 2012–13 academic year. The Highlanders previously competed in the defunct

American Mideast Conference The American Mideast Conference (AMC) was an affiliate of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics that included eight member institutions in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts. Founded in 1949, it was known as the Mid-O ...

of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA) from 2001–02 to 2011–12. Houghton competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.

Accomplishments

Houghton's first national champion was Kaitlin Fadden who won the 2008 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field marathon event in a time of 2:57:10. It was the first NAIA national championship, either for a team or individual, for Houghton College. May 2012 graduate Danielle Brenon was the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field national champion in the marathon. In 2014, the college opened the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex thanks to a $12 million gift from 1991 graduate

Kim Pegula Kim S. Pegula ( née Kerr; born June 7, 1969) is an American businesswoman and with her husband Terry Pegula, one of the principal owners of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. She is also the president of Pegula Sports and Enterta ...

. The complex is named after Kim's father Ralph Kerr, an instructor in Houghton's Adult Education program, and her husband

Terrence Pegula Terrence Michael Pegula (born March 27, 1951) is an American billionaire businessman and petroleum engineer. He is the owner of Pegula Sports and Entertainment which owns the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL) and, with his wife Ki ...

. Three lighted turf facilities are home to the Houghton Highlander soccer, baseball, softball, field hockey, and outdoor track. The multipurpose field house includes an eight-lane, 200-meter track and six tennis courts, offering a competition venue for the indoor track and tennis programs. It also provides dedicated practice space for outdoor sports over the winter and during inclement weather and also serve as a hub of involvement for the campus and the surrounding communities of Northern Allegany County and Western New York.

Club and intramural sports

The college also offers club and intramural sports for men and women, including flag football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and indoor soccer. Co-ed club and intramural sports are handball, water polo, and volleyball. Co-ed ultimate frisbee is also a popular sport. Club disc golf was added in 2021, and the college features two on-campus 18-hole disc golf courses.

Notable alumni

Robert Beckford Robert Beckford (born 1965) is a British academic theologian and currently Professor of Black Theology at The Queen's Foundation, whose documentaries for both the BBC and Channel 4 have caused debate among the Christian and British religious co ...

, a British academic theologian and a professor of Theology and Culture in the African Diaspora at

Canterbury Christ Church University , mottoeng = The truth shall set you free , established = 2005 – gained University status 1962 – teacher training college , type = Public , religious_affiliation = Church of England , city ...

, *

Deborah L. Birx Deborah Leah Birx (born April 4, 1956) is an American physician and diplomat who served as the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator under President Donald Trump from 2020 to 2021. Birx specializes in HIV/AIDS immunology, vaccine resear ...

United States Global AIDS Coordinator The Global AIDS Coordinator at the United States Department of State is the official responsible for overseeing U.S.-sponsored humanitarian aid programs to combat the AIDS epidemic around the world. The Global AIDS Coordinator has the rank of ...

and Ambassador-at-Large *

Ira S. Bowen Ira Sprague Bowen (December 21, 1898 – February 6, 1973) was an American physicist and astronomer. In 1927 he discovered that nebulium was not really a chemical element but instead doubly ionized oxygen. Life and work Bowen was born in Sen ...

, astronomer, director of Mt Wilson and Palomar Observatories 1946-1964 *

Douglas Comer Douglas Earl Comer is a professor of computer science at Purdue University, where he teaches courses on operating systems and computer networks. He has written numerous research papers and textbooks, and currently heads several networking resear ...

, Professor of Computer Science at

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

Ronald Enroth Ronald M. Enroth (born October 28, 1938) has been a professor of sociology at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara, California, and an Evangelicalism, evangelical Christian author of books concerning what he defines as "c ...

, evangelical Christian author *

Victor P. Hamilton Victor P. Hamilton (born 26 September 1941) is a Canadian / American Old Testament scholar. He was Professor of Old Testament and Theology at Asbury University from 1971 until 2007. His retains the role of professor emeritus of Old Testament at ...

, Theologian and biblical scholar. Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Asbury University. * Rachel Boone Keith, Liberian-born physician in Detroit *

Neil MacBride Neil Harvey MacBride (born October 14, 1965) is an American attorney who is the Office of the General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury, General Counsel of the Department of the Treasury in the Presidency of Joe Biden, Biden Administrati ...

, Vice President of Anti-Piracy and General Counsel of the

Business Software Alliance The Software Alliance, also known as BSA, is a trade group established by Microsoft in 1988 to represent commercial software makers. It is a member of the International Intellectual Property Alliance. Its principal activity is trying to stop copyr ...

, formerly Chief Counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee and Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S.

Department of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...

. * Dr. Richard J. Mouw, president of

Fuller Theological Seminary Fuller Theological Seminary is an interdenominational Evangelical Christian seminary in Pasadena, California, with regional campuses in the western United States. It is egalitarian in nature. Fuller consistently has a student body that compri ...

for twenty years, 1993-2013 *

, co-owner of the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

and President/CEO of

Pegula Sports and Entertainment Pegula Sports & Entertainment (PSE) is an American sports and entertainment company based in Buffalo, New York. The company was established after multi-billionaire Terry Pegula and his family combined their sports, property and entertainment ass ...

George Beverly Shea George Beverly Shea (February 1, 1909 – April 16, 2013) was a Canadian-born American gospel singer and hymn composer. Shea was often described as "America's beloved gospel singer"Michael Ireland, "America's 'Beloved Gospel Singer,' George Bever ...

, Dove Award-winning musician with the Billy Graham Crusade *

William A. Smalley William Allen Smalley (April 4, 1923December 16, 1997) was an American linguist. He is best known for his role in the development of the Romanized Popular Alphabet for the Hmong language. Noble, Holcomb B. (1997)'William Smalley, 74, Linguist ...

, linguist * Nora Lawrence Smith, newspaper publisher *

Bruce Waltke Bruce K. Waltke (born August 30, 1930) is an American Reformed evangelical professor of Old Testament and Hebrew. He has held professorships in the Old Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary, Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wes ...

, professor at

Reformed Theological Seminary Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) is a theological seminary in the Reformed theological tradition with campuses in multiple locations in the United States. Founded by conservatives in the Southern Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Church in ...

* Ralph F. Young, historian at

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{authority control 1883 establishments in New York (state) Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Education in Buffalo, New York Educational institutions established in 1883 Evangelicalism in New York (state) Liberal arts colleges in New York (state) Universities and colleges affiliated with the Wesleyan Church Universities and colleges in Allegany County, New York Private universities and colleges in New York (state)