Ferrum College
Encyclopedia
Ferrum College is a private college in Ferrum
, Virginia
, USA, in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains
of Southwest Virginia
. Ferrum College has the second-oldest environmental science
program in the nation and was ranked 41st by US News and World Report in Comprehensive Colleges–Bachelor's (South) for 2006. The college itself is on the Virginia Historic Register. Roberts Hall and Beckham Hall are part of the Ferrum College Historic District and listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
The branch schools closed as public education took hold in the area. The elementary division closed in the early 1940s, followed by the high school division in 1955 to allow the program to concentrate on its junior college offerings. The junior college received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
in 1960.
The college experienced dramatic growth and facilities improvement in the 1960s and 1970s and began offering bachelor's degree
s in a selection of human service fields in 1977. The college was awarded accreditation as a four-year college by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1976. The last associate degrees were awarded in 1991.
Today, Ferrum College offers bachelor's degrees in thirty-three major degree programs. The college continues to operate under the auspices of the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
and the United Methodist Women of the Virginia Annual Conference.
In 2006 Ferrum College welcomed its largest class of new students since the 1980s and enrolled over 1,400 total students for the first time in ten years.
. The nearest large cities are Roanoke, Virginia
(35 miles (56.3 km) miles northeast) and Greensboro, North Carolina
(70 miles south).
in 1986, is on the main campus near the Blue Ridge Farm Museum.
The Institute holds the annual Blue Ridge Folklife Festival on the fourth Saturday in October to showcase regional traditions. In 1999, the museum's collection of Great Road Pottery was featured on an episode of the American version of Antiques Roadshow
.
Ferrrum's Schoolfield Hall is also home to the Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre. Local legend has it that Schoolfield Hall is haunted.
(formerly the Dixie Conference). Its football team played in the Atlantic Central Football Conference
from 1998 to 2000. Ferrum joined the NCAA Division III in 1985 after being previously classified as a junior college. Under head coach W.H. "Hank" Norton, Ferrum won the National Junior College Athletic Association
national football championship four times (1965, 1968, 1974, 1977). Norton's last great team, in 1989, finished third overall in NCAA Division III, losing in the national semifinal to Dayton. This team featured the double-threat backfield of future AFC leading rusher Chris Warren and Freddie Stovall. The football team plays its home games at W.B. Adams Stadium
.
The 2010-2011 men's basketball team received the pre-season first place ranking. They are currently ranked #23 in NCAA division III.
Under future Evansville head basketball coach (who died in the December 1977 plane crash) Bobby Watson, Ferrum's basketball team was the national runner-up in 1972, losing in the NJCAA title game to Vincennes (Indiana) Junior College, led by future NBA great Bob McAdoo.
Many Ferrum alumni have competed in professional sports
.
Distinguished alumni in sports:
Ferrum, Virginia
Ferrum is a census-designated place in Franklin County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,313 at the 2000 census. Ferrum is home to Ferrum College and its Blue Ridge Folklife Festival...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, USA, in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
of Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or...
. Ferrum College has the second-oldest environmental science
Environmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems...
program in the nation and was ranked 41st by US News and World Report in Comprehensive Colleges–Bachelor's (South) for 2006. The college itself is on the Virginia Historic Register. Roberts Hall and Beckham Hall are part of the Ferrum College Historic District and listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
History
Ferrum was founded in 1913. It is a liberal arts institution founded on Christian principles and related to the United Methodist Church. Ferrum's official mission is to educate students in the disciplines of higher learning and to help them be thoughtful and perceptive, to be articulate and professionally capable, and to be caring and concerned citizens of their community, nation and world.The branch schools closed as public education took hold in the area. The elementary division closed in the early 1940s, followed by the high school division in 1955 to allow the program to concentrate on its junior college offerings. The junior college received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
in 1960.
The college experienced dramatic growth and facilities improvement in the 1960s and 1970s and began offering bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
s in a selection of human service fields in 1977. The college was awarded accreditation as a four-year college by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1976. The last associate degrees were awarded in 1991.
Today, Ferrum College offers bachelor's degrees in thirty-three major degree programs. The college continues to operate under the auspices of the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
and the United Methodist Women of the Virginia Annual Conference.
In 2006 Ferrum College welcomed its largest class of new students since the 1980s and enrolled over 1,400 total students for the first time in ten years.
Campus
The Ferrum campus is located on 700 acres (2.8 km²) near the town of Ferrum, VirginiaFerrum, Virginia
Ferrum is a census-designated place in Franklin County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,313 at the 2000 census. Ferrum is home to Ferrum College and its Blue Ridge Folklife Festival...
. The nearest large cities are Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
(35 miles (56.3 km) miles northeast) and Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
(70 miles south).
Notable buildings
The Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, designated as the State Center for Blue Ridge Folklore by the Virginia General AssemblyVirginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
in 1986, is on the main campus near the Blue Ridge Farm Museum.
The Institute holds the annual Blue Ridge Folklife Festival on the fourth Saturday in October to showcase regional traditions. In 1999, the museum's collection of Great Road Pottery was featured on an episode of the American version of Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
.
Ferrrum's Schoolfield Hall is also home to the Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre. Local legend has it that Schoolfield Hall is haunted.
Athletics
Ferrum's sports teams participate in the NCAA's Division III in the USA South Athletic ConferenceUSA South Athletic Conference
The USA South Athletic Conference is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III...
(formerly the Dixie Conference). Its football team played in the Atlantic Central Football Conference
Atlantic Central Football Conference
The Atlantic Central Football Conference is a college athletic conference which competes in football only in the NCAA Division III...
from 1998 to 2000. Ferrum joined the NCAA Division III in 1985 after being previously classified as a junior college. Under head coach W.H. "Hank" Norton, Ferrum won the National Junior College Athletic Association
National Junior College Athletic Association
The National Junior College Athletic Association , founded in 1938, is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. It is held as Divisions and Regions. The current NJCAA holds 24 separate regions.-History:The idea for the NJCAA was...
national football championship four times (1965, 1968, 1974, 1977). Norton's last great team, in 1989, finished third overall in NCAA Division III, losing in the national semifinal to Dayton. This team featured the double-threat backfield of future AFC leading rusher Chris Warren and Freddie Stovall. The football team plays its home games at W.B. Adams Stadium
W.B. Adams Stadium
W. B. Adams Stadium is a 5,500-seat stadium in Ferrum, Virginia where it serves as home to the Ferrum College football team as well as the school's recently founded Men's Lacrosse team....
.
The 2010-2011 men's basketball team received the pre-season first place ranking. They are currently ranked #23 in NCAA division III.
Under future Evansville head basketball coach (who died in the December 1977 plane crash) Bobby Watson, Ferrum's basketball team was the national runner-up in 1972, losing in the NJCAA title game to Vincennes (Indiana) Junior College, led by future NBA great Bob McAdoo.
Many Ferrum alumni have competed in professional sports
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
.
Distinguished alumni in sports:
- Jim GrobeJim GrobeJim Grobe is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Wake Forest University, a position he has held since the 2001 season. From 1995 to 2000, Grobe served as the head coach at Ohio University...
- head football coach, Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest UniversityWake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is... - Chris Warren '90 - football, running backRunning backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Seattle SeahawksSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, and Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... - Billy WagnerBilly WagnerWilliam Edward Wagner , nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He pitched for the Houston Astros , the Philadelphia Phillies , the New York Mets , the Boston Red Sox , and the Atlanta Braves...
- baseball, pitcher for the Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
; has played for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(2009), New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
(2006-2009), Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(2004-2005), and Houston AstrosHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
(1995-2003) and was a first-round draft pick (12th pick overall) in the 1993 MLB draft. - Eric Owens '93 - baseball, outfielder, most recently played for the Anaheim AngelsLos Angeles Angels of AnaheimThe Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
in 2003. Played for the Florida MarlinsFlorida MarlinsThe Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
(2001-2002), San Diego PadresSan Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
(1999-2000), Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1998), and Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1995-1997). - Jerry Venable - former member of Harlem GlobetrottersHarlem GlobetrottersThe Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team. - Bruce GossettBruce GossettBruce Gossett is a former National Football League placekicker from 1964-1974....
- kicker for San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in 1970s. - Billy Joe MantoothBilly Joe MantoothBilly Joe Mantooth was an American football linebacker from Clendenin, West Virginia, known as "The Man-Eater" during his playing days. He started his career at Ferrum College; after being honored as an NJCAA All-American in 1970, he transferred to West Virginia University...
- 1970 All-American at Ferrum, transferred to West Virginia UniversityWest Virginia UniversityWest Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
and later played in the NFL. - Julius CampbellJulius CampbellJulius Campbell, Jr. is an African American former American football player. He played for the 1971 T.C. Williams High School football team.Campbell was born in Alexandria, Virginia, the son of Hazel , and Julius Campbell, Sr. Campbell attended the Ferrum Junior College where he suffered a bad...
-Defensive standout immortalized by the film Remember the TitansRemember the TitansRemember the Titans is a 2000 American sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the...
.