Elizabethtown College (informally E-town) is a private college in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.

History

Founding and early years

Founded in 1899, Elizabethtown College is one of many higher learning institutions founded in the 19th century by churches or church members interested in the educational advancement of their denominational membership. The college was founded by interested members of the Church of the Brethren in response to an initiative by the Reverend

Jacob G. Francis Jacob Gottwals Francis, also known as J.G. or Jay G. (January 13, 1870 in Oaks, Pennsylvania – August 27, 1958) was an American author, a historian, a photographer, and a Church of the Brethren minister. Francis was born in Oaks, Pennsylvan ...

. Francis advocated for Elizabethtown because of the proximity to the railways. First classes for the new college were held on November 13, 1900, in the Heisey Building in downtown Elizabethtown. During its first two decades, the college operated as an academy, offering a limited curriculum centering on four-year

teaching degree Teacher education or teacher training refers to programs, policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip (prospective) teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, approaches, methodologies and skills they require to perform their ...

s and high school type classes.

1920–1950

In 1921, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Instruction accredited the College, and authorized its first

baccalaureate degree 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 ...

s in arts and sciences. Later, in 1928, the college was approved by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for pre-law education. In 1948, Elizabethtown College became accredited by the Middle States Association and in 1949 it joined the

American Council of Education The American Council on Education (ACE) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) U.S. higher education association established in 1918. ACE's members are the leaders of approximately 1,700 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher educatio ...

Presidents

The college's presidents were referred to as principals prior to 1902. * Isaac Newton Harvey "I.N.H." Beahm, 1900–1901 & 1904–1909 * George Ness Falkenstein, 1901–1902 * Daniel Conrad Reber, 1902–1904 & 1909–1918 * Henry Kulp Ober, 1918–1921 & 1924–1928 * Jacob Gibble Meyer, 1921–1924 *

Ralph Weist Schlosser Ralph Weist Schlosser is an American academic, a former professor and president of Elizabethtown College. Schlosser served as president of Elizabethtown College from 1928 until 1941. He was a member of the Elizabethtown Rotary Club, serving as pr ...

, 1928–1929 & 1930–1941 * Harry Hess Nye, 1929–1930 * Charles Abba "A.C." Baugher, 1941–1961 * Roy Edwin McAuley, 1961–1966 * Morley Josiah Mays, 1966–1977 * Mark Chester Ebersole, 1977–1985 * Gerhard Ernest Spiegler, 1985–1996 *

Theodore E. Long Theodore E. Long is the former president of Elizabethtown College. Long became president in 1996, and he retired in 2011. Prior to becoming president of Elizabethtown, Long served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Merrimack ...

, 1996–2011 *

Carl Strikwerda Carl J. Strikwerda (born 1952) is an American historian. He was the president of Elizabethtown College until 2019. He currently lives in Washington, D.C. Biography Strikwerda is the former dean of the faculty of arts and sciences at the College o ...

, 2011–2019 * Cecilia McCormick, 2019–2021 *Elizabeth “Betty” Rider, 2022–Present

Service to Others

Elizabethtown's motto is "Educate for Service." Over 600 students, alumni, faculty and administrators participate annually in the ''Into the Streets'' service program every October in the Elizabethtown community.

Academics

The College maintains 19 academic departments, offering 53 majors and 90+ minors and concentrations, with a core curriculum emphasizing the arts, humanities and sciences.

Continuing education

Over 50 years, the college's adult program evolved into what is known today as the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS). The school offers accelerated, undergraduate degree programs. Graduate programs include Master of Business Administration, Curriculum and Instruction, and Master of Music Education.

Honors program

Established in 1999, the Elizabethtown College Honors Program is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council. The Honors Program was founded with an endowment gift from The Hershey Company and is supported in part through this endowment. The program has continued to grow and maintains an enrollment of approximately 10 percent of the student body. In the spring of 2005, the Hershey Foods Company changed its name and subsequently, the program was renamed to the Elizabethtown College Honors Program, sponsored by The Hershey Company.

Student life

The Office of Student Activities (OSA) serves as a co-curricular educator and facilitator in creating environments that call for participation and involvement in the campus community. Through the programming of student traditions, such as T.G.I.S. and Student Involvement Fairs, students are engaged in social experiences. Elizabethtown offers student-run media that include a newspaper—''The Etownian''; a literary magazine—''Fine Print''; a television station—ECTV-40; a radio station—

WWEC WWEC (88.3 FM) is a student-run campus radio station. Owned by Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA in Lancaster County, PA, United States, the station is operated by the College's Department of Communications and serves the greater Eliza ...

88.3 FM; and a yearbook—the ''Conestogan''. Etownian Website Logo (2012)

As a student newspaper for small schools, ''the Etownian'' was ranked First Place with Special Merit recognition from the American Scholastic Press Association in 2010. Elizabethtown is affiliated with the

Brethren Colleges Abroad BCA Study Abroad (founded as Brethren College Abroad) began in 1962 as a non-profit provider of academic, language, and cultural immersion studies for undergraduates from a consortium of colleges and universities. Origins BCA was founded in 1962 ...

(BCA) program which allows students to study abroad for an academic semester. In addition to BCA, the college offers multiple internship and study abroad opportunities through other affiliates.

Athletics

Elizabethtown College is a member of NCAA Division III, and the Landmark Conference. Although Elizabethtown College was founded in 1899, it was not until 1928 that the first officially sanctioned intercollegiate athletic contest was held. In April 2013, the College accepted the invitation to join the Landmark Conference effective July 1, 2014.

Men's Teams

* Baseball started in 1930 * Basketball started in 1928 :* NCAA Division III runner-up 2001-2002 * Cross Country started in 1956 * Golf started play in 1965. No seasons were held from 1978-1988, but it was reinstated in 1988. * Lacrosse started in 2002 * Soccer started in 1938 :*NAIA co-champion 1959 :*NAIA runner-up 1960 :*NCAA Division III champions 1989 *Swimming started in 1964 *Tennis started in 1948 *Track and Field started in 1929 *Wrestling started in 1954 :*Hosted 2015 NCAA Division III Championship

Women's Teams

* Basketball started play in 1928. :*NCAA Division III National Runner-Up: 1982-83, 1983-84 :*NCAA Division III National Champion: 1981-82, 1988-89 :*First Division III women's basketball team to 1,000 wins *Cross country started in 1956. *Field hockey started play in 1952. :*Hosted 1984 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship :*Fourth place finish in 1981 *Lacrosse started play in 2002. *Soccer started play in 1988. :*Hosted 1997 NCAA Division III Championship *Softball started play in 1979. *Swimming *Track and field was established in 1929, but disappeared quickly. It was reestablished in 1975, but the women's team ended because of a lack of participation in 1981. The team was brought back in 1998, but the College did not begin competing again until 2000. *Volleyball started in 1978

Former sports teams

*Football was played for one season in 1928. It was not sanctioned by the College, but did play a full intercollegiate schedule.

Individual National Champions

*Kevin Clark - Indoor Track - NCAA Division III - Pole Vault - 2007 *Beckie Donecker - Tennis - NCAA Division III - Singles - 1982 and

AIAW The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships (see AIAW Champions). It evolved out of the Commission on Interc ...

Doubles Champion - 1981 *Jen Haifley - Tennis - AIAW - Doubles - 1981 *Eric Mast - Wrestling - NCAA Division III - 118 pound weight - 1973-1974 and 1976-1977

Notable alumni

Richard L. Bond Richard L Bond is an American businessman. He is the former President and CEO of Tyson Foods, Inc. (TSN).Lauren Etter, Joann S. Lublin, Scott KilmannCEO Quits at Meat Giant Tyson ''The Wall Street Journal'', January 5, 2009 Biography Early life R ...

'69, Former Chief Executive Officer, Tyson Foods *

Carl Bowman Carl Bowman (born 1957) is an American sociologist, who is widely recognized for his studies of Anabaptist religious groups and is perhaps the foremost expert on the social and cultural history of the Church of the Brethren. Author and educato ...

'79, Sociologist / Author / Educator,

Bridgewater College Bridgewater College is a private liberal-arts college in Bridgewater, Virginia. Established in 1880, Bridgewater College admitted both men and women from the time of its founding and was the first four-year liberal arts college in Virginia to ...

Bridgewater, Virginia Bridgewater is an incorporated town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,596 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. History William Magill first settled alo ...

Nelson Chittum Nelson Boyd Chittum (born March 25, 1933 in Harrisonburg, Virginia) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox. A right-hander, he stood tall and weighed . Career Chittum attended Elizabet ...

, MLB player * Nia Dinata, film director * Mark C. Ebersole '43, former President of Elizabethtown College * Bill Foster '54, former head coach Duke men's basketball, and 1978 Coach of the Year * Gene Garber '69, former all-time saves leader for the Atlanta Braves (currently third behind John Smoltz and Craig Kimbrel). * Vera Hackman '25, faculty member (1944-1973) and Dean of Women (1944 - 1968); namesake of the Vera Hackman Apartments. *

Mark A. Heckler Mark A. Heckler is a former president of Valparaiso University. He was named the 18th president of the university on July 1, 2008, succeeding Alan Harre, and served until September 1, 2020, when he was named president emeritus. At Valparaiso Un ...

'77, President, Valparaiso University (2007–present), Dean, University of Colorado School of Arts 1996–2007. *

Lois Herr Lois Kathryn Herr (born December 23, 1941) is a progressive activist living in Pennsylvania. While working at AT&T she was leader fighting for equal rights for women in the workplace. A Democrat, she ran for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania ...

, progressive activist * David Hickernell '83, State Representative,

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

(2003–present) * S. Dale High, Chairman, High Industries Inc. * Dennis Hollinger, President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary *

Daniel J. Jones Daniel J. Jones is an American former United States Senate investigator who served as the senior staff lead in the investigation into the CIA's use of torture in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Jones is the founder and president of Advanc ...

'97, lead investigator for " The Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's Detention and Interrogation Program," which is better known as "The Torture Report." Jones is portrayed by

Adam Driver Adam Douglas Driver (born November 19, 1983) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award; making him one of few performers nominated ...

in the film '' The Report''. * Cayla Kluver (attended 2011-2012), author *

Ernest W. Lefever Ernest Warren Lefever (November 12, 1919 – July 29, 2009) was an American political theorist and foreign affairs expert who founded the Ethics and Public Policy Center in 1976 and was nominated for a State Department post by President Ronal ...

'42, Foreign affairs expert and founder of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C. *

Mark S. McNaughton Mark S. McNaughton (born May 7, 1963) is a former Pennsylvania State Representative in the 104th District, which covers part of Dauphin County. The son of a prominent regional land developer, McNaughton is a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania ...

'85, Former State Representative,

(1997-2007) * Daniel C. Miller, Harrisburg city councilor * Jeffrey B. Miller, former Pennsylvania state police commissioner * Kim Powers, Contestant, Survivor: Africa (finished in sixth place) *

Skip Roderick Arthur "Skip" Roderick is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in the North American Soccer League (1968–1984), North American Soccer League, MISL I, Major Indoor Soccer League and the American Soccer League (1933-1983), Ame ...

'74, former professional soccer player. *Eric Schubert, genealogist *

Bruce I. Smith Bruce Smith (born 1934) is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 92nd District, which covers parts of York and Cumberland counties. Smith was elected in 1980 and retired in 2006. He served as chairman o ...

'56, Former State Representative,

(1981-2007) * David Starr (dropped out), original name Max Barsky professional wrestler *

Jim Tennant James McDonnell Tennant (March 3, 1907 – April 16, 1967) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He made one relief appearance for the New York Giants, on September 28, 1929, as the third of four pitchers in relief of Carl Hubbell.MLB player. *

Jim Testerman James P. Testerman is a prominent labor leader in Pennsylvania and former president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association. He taught in York, Pennsylvania York (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Yarrick''), known as the White Rose City (after th ...

, labor leader *

Mike Tobash Michael G. Tobash (born July 17, 1964) is a politician from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Republican Party and is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 125th district. He was elected on No ...

, State Representative,

(2011–present). *

Charles Walker Charles or Charlie Walker may refer to: Politics * Charles Walker (Fijian politician) (1928–2021), Fijian civil servant, politician and diplomat * Charles Walker (Georgia politician) (born 1947), American politician * Charles Walker (British po ...

, nonviolence trainer and civil rights and peace activist. * Dan Washburn '96, award-winning Shanghai-based writer and journalist. *

Martina White Martina A. White (born July 7, 1988) is an American politician. A Republican, she is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 170th district, being first elected in 2015. Career White, a financial advisor and lifelong res ...

'10, State Representative,

Notable faculty and staff

* Kimberly van Esveld Adams: Scholar of Victorian literature and author of ''Our Lady of Victorian Feminism: The Madonna in the Work of Anna Jameson, Margaret Fuller, and George Eliot''. *

David S. Brown David Scott Brown (born 29 September, 1966) is a Horace E. Raffensperger professor of history at Elizabethtown College, Pennsylvania, United States. He is the author of several books, including biographies of Richard Hofstadter and F. Scott Fitzge ...

: Professor of History, author of biographies including ''The Last American Aristocrat (Scribner, 2020), Paradise Lost: A Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald (Harvard, 2017), and Richard Hofstadter: An Intellectual Biography (Chicago, 2006)''. * Christina Bucher: Biblical scholar and former Elizabethtown College Dean of Faculty, 1975 graduate of Elizabethtown College. * David Cullen: Grammy award-winning guitarist * Oya Dursun-Özkanca: Expert on Turkish foreign policy and the European Union. * Paul Gottfried: Political writer * Mark Harman: Kafka scholar and translator * Yvonne Kauffman: Award-winning coach for the college's women's tennis, basketball, and field hockey teams in the 1980s. * Donald Kraybill: Scholar of Amish studies *

Jeffery D. Long Jeffery D. Long (born 1969) is a religious studies scholar who works on the religions and philosophies of India, particularly Hinduism and Jainism. He is a professor of religion and Asian studies at Elizabethtown College. Education and caree ...

: Professor of Religious Studies,

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

expert and author of '' A Vision for Hinduism: Beyond Hindu Nationalism and Explorations in Indic Traditions''. * Michael G. Long: Author of '' First Class Citizenship: The Civil Rights Letters of Jackie Robinson'' *

W. Wesley McDonald W. Wesley McDonald (June 11, 1946 – September 9, 2014William McDonald Obituary
" ''Mille ...

: Author of '' Russell Kirk and the Age of Ideology''. *

Elizabeth Myer Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

: One of the original faculty members of the college and the first female professor, namesake of Myer Residence Hall. *

Susan Traverso Susan Traverso is the President of Thiel College. She is their first female President, was officially announced as Thiel College's 20th president on May 17, 2016, took office August 1, 2016 and celebrated her inauguration on May 5, 2017. Traverso wa ...

: Former Provost of Elizabethtown College, current President of

Thiel College Thiel College (, ) is a private college in Greenville, Pennsylvania. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is one of the smallest colleges or universities in the region with about 100 full-time and part time faculty ...

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Elizabethtown College, Liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania Universities and colleges affiliated with the Church of the Brethren Educational institutions established in 1899 Sports in Lancaster, Pennsylvania Universities and colleges in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania 1899 establishments in Pennsylvania Private universities and colleges in Pennsylvania