Lea College was a private

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 A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

that operated from 1966 to 1973 in

Albert Lea, Minnesota Albert Lea is a city in Freeborn County, in southern Minnesota. It is the county seat. Its population was 18,492 at the 2020 census. The city is at the junction of Interstates 35 and 90, about south of the Twin Cities. It is on the shores of ...

, United States. Lea was one of several Midwestern colleges established by local civic leaders with the support and encouragement of

Parsons College Parsons College was a private liberal arts college located in Fairfield, Iowa. The school was named for its wealthy benefactor, Lewis B. Parsons Sr., and was founded in 1875 with one building and 34 students. Over the years new buildings were cons ...

Fairfield, Iowa Fairfield is a city in, and the county seat of, Jefferson County, Iowa. It has a population of 9,416 people, according to the 2020 census. The median family income is $46,138, with 10% of families below the poverty line. The city is typical o ...

. These Parsons "satellite schools" were by-products of the strong growth and apparent success of Parsons during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and all followed the "Parsons Plan" academic model developed at that school. None of the schools, however, was ultimately successful.

History

Planning and fundraising for the new school at Albert Lea, originally intended to be called "Mid-Continent College," began in 1964. An campus site was obtained on Lake Chapeau west of town, a large new dormitory was constructed, and several older buildings were acquired for college use. The new dormitory was named Christopherson Hall, in honor of Alfred Christopherson, a local banker who was a major college benefactor. Additional dormitory space was provided in the former Hotel Albert building downtown. The Lea College name was adopted in 1965, following a contest. The school opened its doors in 1966. The "Parsons Plan" academic model employed at Lea was the brainchild of Millard Roberts, who was the president of Parsons College from 1955 to 1967; the multi-faceted plan featured innovative teaching and administrative techniques, and emphasized the recruitment of a geographically and academically diverse student body. Among other characteristics, the "Parsons Plan" schools welcomed unconventional students who had not seen success at other colleges. In the 1960s, the schools were also attended by a substantial number of young men seeking

draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...

deferments that would allow them to avoid military service during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. At least initially, Lea's reputation and fortunes were strongly tied to those of Parsons, and when Parsons faltered in the late 1960s the prospects for Lea and the other Parsons satellite schools grew bleak. Although the satellite schools ended their relationships with Parsons, they suffered from a lack of funding, high student turnover, and accreditation issues. Ultimately, none of the "Parsons Plan" colleges became economically viable, and all closed by the mid-1970s. Lea College closed in 1973. While the old Hotel Albert was demolished, other campus buildings survive, including the former Lea College Fieldhouse, which is now the Albert Lea City Arena.

Footnotes

References

* * . {{authority control Defunct private universities and colleges in Minnesota Educational institutions established in 1966 Educational institutions disestablished in 1973 Buildings and structures in Freeborn County, Minnesota 1966 establishments in Minnesota 1973 disestablishments in Minnesota