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Bethune-Cookman College
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Bethune-Cookman University or simply BCC (as it was formerly called) or BCU (as it is called as of Feb. 14, 2007) is a historically black college in Daytona Beach, Florida affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
History
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls in 1904. The school underwent several stages of growth and development through the years and in 1923, it merged with the Cookman Institute of Jacksonville, Florida and became a co-ed high school.
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Bethune-Cookman University or simply BCC (as it was formerly called) or BCU (as it is called as of Feb. 14, 2007) is a historically black college in Daytona Beach, Florida affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
History
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls in 1904. The school underwent several stages of growth and development through the years and in 1923, it merged with the Cookman Institute of Jacksonville, Florida and became a co-ed high school. A year later in 1924, it became affiliated with the Methodist church. By 1931, the school had become a junior college and became Bethune-Cookman College.
The school became a four-year college in 1941 when the Florida State Department of Education approved a 4-year baccalaureate program in Liberal Arts and Teacher Education.
On February 14, 2007, its Board of Trustees approved the name Bethune-Cookman University after the institution established its first graduate program.
Presidents
Mrs. Bethune retired in 1942 at which time James E. Colston became president until 1946 when Mrs. Bethune resumed the presidency for a year.
Richard V. Moore, Sr. became president in 1947. Under his tenure the college was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1970, joined the United Negro College Fund and other academic and professional organizations. The curriculum expanded, student enrollment increased and new buildings were constructed for residential housing and classrooms.
Oswald P. Bronson, Sr., Ph.D., an alumnus of the College, served as the 4th president of the college from 1975 to 2004. During his tenure increased student enrollment led to continuous development and expansion of the college. A rapidly increasing student enrollment led to construction of more student housing and classroom buildings. Major fields of study increased from 12 in 1974 to 37 by 2003. In addition, seven continuing education centers for students began operating throughout the state. While maintaining accreditation by SACS, Florida State Board of Education, and the United Methodist Church Board of Higher Education the college added new accreditations in the Nursing and the Teacher Education programs.
Trudie Kibbe Reed, Ed.D., was appointed to the presidency in August 2004 by the Board of Trustees. Dr. Reed is the first woman to serve in this capacity since Dr. Bethune. Since beginning her tenure, the university has continued to increase enrollment and new buildings have been built, including the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center, the Larry Handfield Music Annex and band hall, a new student and athletic center, scholarship houses, a new building housing the School of Nursing and an alumni center. The university is currently raising funds to build a football field house and Wildcat Football Hall of Fame. Dr. Reed also established the university's first graduate program under the School of Graduate & Professional Studies. The new program was accredited by SACS on February 14, 2007 and it triggered the name change to university status.
Alumni
Since 1943, the college has graduated more than 13,000 students who have provided support to the college. Traditionally, the college has maintained intercollegiate athletics programs, instrumental and choral groups which have achieved national recognition. Many alumni are employed in the fields of education, medicine, business, politics, government, science, religion, athletics and environmental sciences.
University Mission
Founded by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune in 1904, Bethune-Cookman University is a historically Black, United Methodist Church-related university offering baccalaureate and master’s degrees. The mission is to serve in the Christian tradition the diverse educational, social, and cultural needs of its students and to develop in them the desire and capacity for continuous intellectual and professional growth, leadership and service to others. The University has deep roots in the history of America and continues to provide services to the broader community through a focus on service learning and civic engagement.
Bethune-Cookman University accomplishes its mission by providing quality instruction in an intellectually stimulating environment that nurtures the mind (intellect), the heart (transformative leadership) and the hand (service learning) according to our founder’s motto and the institution’s seal.
Adopted March 14, 2008 by the Board of Trustees of the GREAT Bethune-Cookman University.
Academics
Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, Florida is a small, private, co-educational, and residential institution. The college meets its commitment to excellence through expanding and modifying academic programs and innovative curricular offerings by preparing students to meet the demands of the future.
The academic program of the college is conducted within seven Divisions. The non-degree granting General Studies division provides freshman developmental programs, tutorial laboratories, and instruction in general education English, mathematics and reading courses. Retention programs provide students the support and confidence to make the transition to college life. Such programs are the Student Support Services Program, Challenger Institute, Renewing Ethical Values Program, and the Teacher Education Institute.
Degree Offerings
The academic program of the college is conducted within seven Schools
School of Arts & Humanities
School of Business
School of Education
School of Nursing
School of Social Sciences
School of Science, Engineering and Mathematics
School of Graduate & Professional Studies
Student activities
Athletics
Bethune-Cookman University is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and participates in NCAA Division I (Football Championship Subdivision, former I-AA). The school sponsors basketball, bowling, baseball, cross country, football, track and field and volleyball. The Wildcats joined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 1979. The Wildcats have 25 MEAC titles; 10 in baseball, 1 in bowling, 1 in men's cross country, 2 in women's cross country, 3 in football, 2 in women's indoor track and field, 5 in softball and 2 in women's tennis.
Larry Little who is an alumnus of Bethune-Cookman, and a National Football League Hall of Fame Offensive Tackle, was a standout player at Bethune-Cookman during the mid 1960s, as well as its head coach during the mid 1990s.
B-CU has an intense in-state rivalry with Florida A&M University. Today, they meet annually in the Florida Classic, a regular-season, neutral-site game held at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The series began in 1925, with Florida A&M winning 25-0. Bethune-Cookman's first win came a year later, 12-0 in 1926.
Alvin B. Wyatt, Sr.(B-CU alumnus) was named the ninth head football coach at Bethune-Cookman University on November 27, 1996, becoming the sixth alumnus to head the program. He led the Wildcats to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship and an 11-2 record in 2002, the winningest season in B-CU football history.
In 2000, B-CU alumnus Mervyl S. Melendez was named as the head coach for the Wildcats' baseball program. He's the first B-CU head coach to win a MEAC title in his first season, and under his tutelage, the Wildcats baseball team has won seven conference championships in the last eight years (2000-2004, and 2006-2007).
In 2001, the Wildcats defeated Florida International University in an NCAA regional. In 2007, the Wildcats finished the regular season with a , with notable wins against both University of Tennessee and Stetson University, as well as ranking #1 in the 2007 Black College Baseball poll.
In 2004, the softball team made headlines by upsetting Florida -- who they shut out during the regular season -- and South Florida to win an NCAA regional. They then played Texas and US National team pitcher Cat Osterman, in a Sweet 16 series.
Marching Wildcats
The Marching Wildcats are a 325 plus member unit that includes instrumentalists, the Sophisticat Flag Corps and the 14 Karat Gold dancers. Known as "The Pride," the band is under the direction of a Bethune-Cookman alumnus and former Marching Wildcat, Donovan Wells.
The 14 Karat Gold dancers are featured performers in all engagements of the Marching Wildcats and occasionally perform as a solo act. The 14 Karat Gold dancers can be seen frequently in BET video clips promoting Black colleges. The Sophisticat Flag Corps blends traditional flag techniques with innovative choreography to create highly entertaining presentation.
Performances
The Marching Wildcats perform pre-game and halftime shows at all home games of the Fighting Wildcats football team. Games played in neutral sites where Bethune-Cookman University is deemed the home team, The Pride also performs a traditional pre-game show.
style="font-size: 1.25em;" |The Pride's leadership | Donovan Wells | Director of College Bands | | James Poitier | Associate Director and Arranger | | Pedro Orey | Assistant Director and Percussion Instructor | | Ernest Hamilton | Auxiliary Instructor | | Horatio Walker | Announcer |
The Pride has been featured in numerous events, including televised performances. On January 26, 2008, the band performed in its fifth Honda Battle of the Bands showcase of HBCU bands in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference representative. In December 2005, a small group of The Prides percussion section filmed a commercial unveiling the new Cadillac DTS. The commercial made its debut in February 2006 and continued air play throughout the rest of the year. Immediately following the band's January 2005 performance at the Honda Battle of the Bands, the event's producers nominated The Pride to be featured in the Super Bowl special episode of the Emmy-winning Ellen DeGeneres Show.
See also
External links
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