The University of Olivet, formerly known as Olivet College, 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 ...

university in Olivet, Michigan. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It was founded in 1844 by missionaries from

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational liberal arts college in the United S ...

, and it followed Oberlin in becoming the second coeducational college or university in the United States. The University of Olivet is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches and stands in the Reformed tradition of Protestantism.

History

The Margaret Upton Conservatory of Music

In 1844, after founding

John Jay Shipherd John Jay Shipherd (March 28, 1802 – September 16, 1844) was an American clergyman who co-founded Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, in 1833 with Philo Penfield Stewart. In 1844, Shipherd also founded Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan. B ...

and 39 missionaries, including Oberlin faculty, students, and alumni, came to Michigan to create a college, which Shipherd deemed "New Oberlin." The original land for the college was to be in Grand River City, aka Delta Mills, in Delta Township, Eaton County, approximately from where the college stands. Olivetian lore says that while Shipherd was on a trip to the site in Eaton County, his horse continued to get lost, and would always wander back to a hill with an oak grove, which is where Olivet's Campus Square exists today. Shipherd decided that powers from above must be drawing the horse back to this site, and Shipherd deemed that this would become the site for "New Oberlin." He then chose to name it Olivet, however, after the biblical Mount of Olives. The first courses began in December 1844. Because President Reuben Hatch's petition for a charter was denied, Olivet became the Olivet Institute, and remained a two-year school until chartered in 1859. The 20th century saw Olivet College become a liberal arts school, with a short-lived attempt at an Oxford-style curriculum from 1934 to 1944. A marker designating the college as a Michigan Historic Site was erected in 1960 by the

Michigan Historical Commission Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. The inscription reads:

On February 24, 1844, the Reverend John J. "Father" Shipherd and thirty-nine followers arrived by ox-cart on this wilderness hilltop, driving their herds before them. They felt God had directed them to this oak grove for the purpose of founding a coeducational Christian college open to students of all races. First chartered as Olivet Institute, the school received its charter as a college in 1859. For over a century it has given a broad liberal arts education, with strong support from the Congregational church. Many alumni have gone forth "Pro Christo et Humanitate".

After assuming leadership in 2010, President Steven Corey announced the "Olivet College 2020 and Beyond Strategic Plan", which includes renovating existing buildings and facilities, creating a new student center, increasing endowment, and expand the student population to 1,500. In 2023 Olivet College announced it is becoming The University of Olivet. The board of trustees unanimously approved the change on May 19, 2023.

Academics

Olivet offers 32 programs that lead to a bachelor's degree and a master's degree of Business Administration in Insurance. Its most popular undergraduate majors, in terms of 2021 graduates, were: ::Criminal Justice/Safety Studies (19) ::Psychology (18) ::Business Administration & Management (15) ::Insurance (14) ::Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (11) ::Exercise Science & Kinesiology (10) Olivet College has approximately 1,040 students, 40% female and 60% male. 74% of classes have less than 24 students, and there is a 16:1 student/faculty ratio. The college has a 59% retention rate for first to second year students.

Athletics

Along with Albion College and Michigan Agricultural College (now

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

), Olivet founded the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) in 1888. The MIAA is the nation's oldest collegiate conference. Olivet College athletic teams, nicknamed the ''Comets'', participate in the following intercollegiate sports as a member of the MIAA include: Men baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country,

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor), volleyball and wrestling. Volleyball became a full varsity sport in 2015–16 (2016 season), competing in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League. Women basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor), volleyball, and cheerleading.

Olivet College Radio

Olivet College has an FCC-Licensed Non-Commercial Educational student-run radio station, broadcasting in the Olivet area at 89.1 MHz FM with the callsign

WOCR WOCR (89.1 MHz) — branded 89-1 The One — is a non-commercial FM campus radio located in Olivet, Michigan. The student-operated station, on the air 24/7, broadcasts on 89.1 FM and is owned by Olivet College Board of Trustees. The station oper ...

. The broadcast is also available for people outside the studio range online at. Students can volunteer for a radio shift from 7:30am to midnight Monday through Friday to broadcast music, campus events, news, and talk shows. Comet Football and Basketball is also often broadcast live from the game site. Charles Stewart Mott Academic Center

Notable alumni

* Edith Vosburgh Alvord (1895), President of Twentieth Century Club of Detroit 1913, President Detroit Federation of Women’s Clubs 1914 * John Henry Barrows (1867), fifth President of

*Hamilton King (1878), United States Minister to Siam (Thailand) from 1898 to 1912 *

Augusta Jane Chapin Augusta Jane Chapin (July 16, 1836 – June 30, 1905) was an American Universalist minister, educator and activist for women's rights. She was born in Lakeville, New York, the eldest of eleven children, to Almon Morris Chapin and Jane Pease. ...

, 2010 inductee into Michigan Women's Hall of Fame *

Adeola Fayehun Adeola Eunice Oladele Fayehun (born 6 July 1984) is a Nigerian journalist who specializes in discussing current geopolitical, social and economic issues that affect the daily lives of Africans living on the continent. She is well known for a c ...

(2007), Nigerian journalist * Daron Cruickshank, current mixed martial artist competing in the UFC's Lightweight Division * Dave Cutler (1965), software engineer, designer and developer of operating systems including Windows NT at Microsoft and RSX-11M, VMS and VAXELN at Digital Equipment Corporation *

James C. Harrison James C. Harrison (November 27, 1925 – November 4, 1990) was a Detroit, Michigan artist based in Brooklyn, New York. His work is complex, layered and full of Jungian, religious and mystical references used to relay his internal battles and demo ...

(did not graduate), artist * James McCloughan (1968), Recipient of the Medal of Honor in 2017 * Wolfgang Mieder, educator * Joseph S. Murphy (1955), President of Queens College, President of Bennington College, and Chancellor of the

City University of New York The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven Upper divis ...

George Pyne III George Francis Pyne III (July 12, 1941 – November 26, 2015) was an American football defensive tackle who played one season with the Boston Patriots of the American Football League (AFL). He was drafted by the Boston Patriots in the sixteent ...

(1965) football player *

John Ray John Ray FRS (29 November 1627 – 17 January 1705) was a Christian English naturalist widely regarded as one of the earliest of the English parson-naturalists. Until 1670, he wrote his name as John Wray. From then on, he used 'Ray', after ...

(1950), football player and coach *

Sugar Chile Robinson Frank Isaac Robinson (born December 28, 1938), known in his early musical career as Sugar Chile Robinson, is an American jazz pianist and singer. A Detroit native, Robinson became famous as a child prodigy in the mid-1940s. Biography Robinson wa ...

, child musical prodigy * Vern Ruhle (1975), MLB pitcher and coach * Claressa Shields, Olympic boxing gold medalist * Scott Sigler, author of science-fiction and horror, podcaster *

John Swainson John Burley Swainson (July 31, 1925 – May 13, 1994) was a Canadian-American politician and jurist who served as the 42nd governor of Michigan from 1961 to 1963. Early life and education Swainson was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He mo ...

, 42nd

Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the stat ...

Ralph Thacker Ralph William Thacker (September 13, 1880 – April 12, 1962) was an American college football and college basketball coach. He served as the head football coach at Central Michigan University in 1907, at Nebraska State Normal School—now known ...

(1909), college football coach * Robie Macauley (did not graduate), editor, novelist and critic whose literary career spanned more than 50 years *

Justin Jaynes Justin Michael Jaynes (born August 10, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions. A professional since 2008, he most notably competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He i ...

, current mixed martial artist competing in UFC Featherweight division. Dole and Admissions

Notable faculty

* Sherwood Anderson, creative writing * George Whitefield Chadwick, composer * Hubert Lyman Clark, zoology * Amos Dresser, abolitionist and pacifist minister, one of the founders * Ford Madox Ford, creative writing * Alfred Korzybski, semantics *

Golo Mann Golo Mann (born Angelus Gottfried Thomas Mann; 27 March 1909 – 7 April 1994) was a popular German historian and essayist. Having completed a doctorate in philosophy under Karl Jaspers at Heidelberg, in 1933 he fled Hitler's Germany. He followe ...

, history * Gertrude Stein, guest lecturer, creative writing

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{authority control Education in Eaton County, Michigan Universities and colleges affiliated with the United Church of Christ Educational institutions established in 1844 Buildings and structures in Eaton County, Michigan 1844 establishments in Michigan Private universities and colleges in Michigan