Houghton College is a 4-year Christian
liberal artsLiberal arts are the skills derived from the Classical education curriculum.-Definition:The term liberal arts denotes a curriculum that imparts general knowledge and develops the student’s rational thought and intellectual capabilities, unlike the professional, vocational, technical curricula...
college, affiliated with the
Wesleyan ChurchThe Wesleyan Church is a Holiness Methodist Christian denomination in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Namibia and Australia. The Church is part of the Holiness Movement and has roots in the teachings of John Wesley...
. Houghton's main campus is in
HoughtonHoughton is a hamlet located in the Town of Caneadea in Allegany County, New York. The population was 1,748 at the 2000 census.Houghton College is a private, coeducational college next to the hamlet.-Geography:...
, in the
Genesee ValleyThe Genesee River's name is derived from the Seneca tribe word meaning a beautiful open valley, good valley or pleasant valley...
of southwestern New York; a secondary suburban campus is in
West SenecaWest Seneca is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 45,920 at the 2000 census. West Seneca is a centrally-located interior town of the county, and a suburb of Buffalo...
, a suburb of
BuffaloBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, second only to New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River, Buffalo is the principal city of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area and the seat of Erie...
. It also has campus extensions at
Star LakeStar Lake is a hamlet in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 860 at the 2000 census.Star Lake is in the Town of Clifton, but part of the community is in the Town of Fine....
in the Adirondack Park, and in
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
,
TanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in central East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.The United...
, and
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, England.
Houghton began as
Houghton Seminary, offering high school-level work, in 1883, and began offering college level classes in 1899. The founder was Willard J. Houghton, a Wesleyan Methodist minister. It was chartered as a liberal arts college by New York State in 1923 and accredited by the
Middle States Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
in 1935.
The school offers baccalaureate degrees in 48 fields as well as master's degrees in music and theology, and a soon-to-be master's degree in education. A recent $15 million gift enabled an expansion of the School of Music, and it was renamed the Greatbatch School of Music. A wide range of graduate degree programs was added to an existing undergraduate program that includes general music, composition, conducting and performance. The student body is interdenominational, with recent demographics showing 10% of the students as a part of the Wesleyan church.
The sports teams are the Highlanders. Houghton fields teams in men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, women's field hockey and volleyball, and co-ed track and cross country. Most of the teams have enjoyed some degree of success, with the women's soccer team reaching the NAIA National Tournament six times since 1998, including three-straight trips.
Houghton College is a member of the
Christian College ConsortiumThe Christian College Consortium is an affiliation of Christian colleges and universities.- Member Schools :Founded in 1971, the Consortium currently includes 13 member institutions located throughout the United States:*Asbury College*Bethel University...
and the
Council for Christian Colleges and UniversitiesThe Council for Christian Colleges and Universities is an organization designed to help primarily Protestant and evangelical Christian institutions of higher education cooperate and communicate with one another...
.
History
Houghton College began in 1883 as a seminary (high school) under the Wesleyan Methodist Connection. Coeducational from its founding, Houghton operated as a secondary school for its first 15 years. In 1899 a few college classes were offered; the college department's first diploma was awarded in 1901. While early principals were Wesleyan Methodist pastors willing to accept the job, in 1908 Houghton acquired its first academically-trained president, James S. Luckey, who served until his death in 1937.
Houghton College received its provisional charter from New York State in 1923 and awarded its first 19 baccalaureate degrees two years later. A permanent charter was granted in 1927, and accreditation by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges came in 1935. Stephen W. Paine succeeded Luckey and served as president until 1972. Under Paine’s leadership the college expanded from about 300 students to 1,200, necessitating the addition of new buildings, and the percentage of faculty holding earned doctorates tripled.
Daniel R. Chamberlain, president from 1976, oversaw the erecting of several other major campus buildings and an extensive adult degree-completion program. Houghton College continues its historical connection with the Wesleyan Church. In 2006, the College named Dr. Shirley Mullen as the fifth president of Houghton College.
The college initiated its first master’s program (in music) in 2004, funded by a $15 million gift to the college. Subsequent master’s programs have since been added in theological studies and literacy education.
Presidents of the college
- James S. Luckey, 1908-1937
- Stephen W. Paine, 1937-1972
- Wilber Dayton, 1972-1976
- Daniel R. Chamberlain
Daniel R. Chamberlain is a former president of Houghton College. He is married to the former Joyce Books, and has 7 children: Rodney, Mark, Anthony, Priscilla, Aletha, Cynthia, and Marianne. On February 14, 2005, Dr. Chamberlain announced his retirement from the post of president effective May...
, 1976-2006
- Shirley Mullen, 2006-present
Historical personages
Stephen W. Paine served as president of the college for thirty-five years. He taught classical languages in addition to his duties as president. When he became president in 1937 he was twenty-eight years old, making him the youngest head of a college in the U.S. at the time. Paine was a well known Greek and Biblical scholar in his time, and served on the translation committee of the
New International VersionThe New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan, in the United States it became one of the most popular modern translations made in the twentieth century.-History:...
of the Bible as well as numerous other important evangelical national organizations, including the International Bible Institute.
The
Ortlip family is responsible for most of the artistic heritage of the college. H. Willard Ortlip was a benefactor of the college, and together with his wife Aimée was responsible for the historic mural in the foyer of the campus chapel. Several Ortlip family members have taught art and painting at the college over the years. The Ortlip Art Gallery, an all-purpose exhibition space, located in the College's Center for the Arts was named for H. Willard and Aimee Ortlip and their family.
Campuses
Houghton College’s main campus is in the hamlet of Houghton, Allegany County, in western New York, about southeast of Buffalo and southwest of Rochester. The campus of sits on the Allegheny Plateau at roughly , on the site of the former Caneadea Indian Reservation of the early 1800s. Fifteen miles to the north are the Genesee’s magnificent Portage Falls and
Letchworth State ParkLetchworth State Park is a New York state park located 35 miles southwest of Rochester and 60 miles southeast of Buffalo in Livingston and Wyoming Counties. The park is roughly 17 miles long, covering of land along the Genesee River...
.
When the former Buffalo Bible Institute in West Seneca merged with Houghton College in 1969, the
West Seneca campus was created. The programs on this campus have evolved from lower-divisional status to specialized courses and internships designed to complement majors offered on the main campus, particularly those requiring an urban setting. The West Seneca Campus is also the primary setting for Houghton’s adult degree completion program in management, P.A.C.E.
Houghton’s Adirondack Park Campus, purchased in 2001, is a wooded site located on Star Lake in New York State’s famed Adirondack Park. The campus includes a main lodge with dining and sleeping facilities, classroom and meeting room facilities and a number of cabins, plus waterfront and beach. Activities in the area include wilderness hiking, rock-climbing, canoeing and cross-country skiing. The college has developed an on-site academic program in environment and Culture for both Houghton and non-Houghton students. The facilities are also available to outside groups on a limited basis.
Academics
Houghton College grants two-year and four-year degrees in forty-six majors. The college has sixteen academic departments: Art, Biology, Business and Economics, Chemistry, Communication, Education, English, Foreign Languages, History and Political Science, Intercultural Studies, Mathematics and Computer Science, Music, Physical Education and Recreation/Leisure, Physics and Earth Science, Psychology and Sociology, and Religion and Philosophy.
The college offers graduate degrees in music, made possible by a $15 million endowment. Degrees include the master of arts (M.A.) and master of music (M.M.). A master of arts degree in theological studies will begin courses in the fall 0f 2008. A graduate degree in literacy education (M.Ed.) has been approved and will begin in the fall of 2009.
The college business department has also been recognized in the top 5th percentile of all colleges and universities in the nation. The Business Major Field Test, provided by the
Educational Testing ServiceEducational Testing Service , founded in 1947, located just outside Princeton, NJ, US, is the world's largest private educational testing and assessment nonprofit organization....
, is given every year to senior business majors. Houghton ranks both in the top 5 percent for all schools that participate, 564 schools in 2008, and out of all Christian schools.
First year honors
A distinctive Houghton academic program, the First Year Honors Program provides unique opportunities for qualified first year Houghton students. The honors program has three options: London Honors, East Meets West, and Science Honors.
The honors program initially began with the London Honors program in 1996. The London Honors Program involves the second semester of the first-year spent in London, England, with several trips elsewhere in the United Kingdom. The program explores the roots of Western culture and ideas through studying history, literature, philosophy and the fine arts.
In 2004 the East Meets West portion of the First-Year Honors Program was added. This program involves the first two semesters spent at Houghton studying and preparing for travels in the Eastern Mediterranean during Mayterm. Study sites include such cities as Venice, Split, Dubrovnik, and Zagreb. East Meets West also emphasizes development of Western culture and history while focusing on its relationship with Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Soon to be added beginning fall of 2009 is the Science Honors Program. Whereas the London Honors and East Meets West programs focus on history, literature, and the arts, the science honors program will be for those who are drawn to such areas as mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry and others. The goal for this program is for the participants to work together in a collaborative process to solve a real-world problem. The topic for the first installment of the program will be researching alternative sources of energy and designing and building a working vehicle.
Acceptance into one of the honors programs is by invitation through an application and interview process based on but separate from the general application.
Clubs and organizations
Numerous student groups are active on the campus in all areas of interest. Some of these include: Allegany County Outreach, the Boulder, the Star, the Drawing Board, the Intercultural Student Association, Clown Ministry, Habitat for Humanity, Gadfly Society (the Houghton Philosophy Student club), Equestrian Club, Evangelicals for Social Action, Dayspring, Swim Club, Climbing Club, Global Christian Fellowship, and
Youth for ChristYouth for Christ is the name of a number of previously unaffiliated evangelical protestant religious campaigns which led to the creation of Youth for Christ International in 1946....
. The college also provides both interscholastic and intramural athletics.
Housing
The majority of the College's students live in College-owned housing. There are two dormitories for female students, Gillette (formerly East Hall) and Lambein, while the men live in Rothenbuhler (formerly South Hall) and Shenawana. The college also owns numerous townhouses and a building of flats.
Students also have the opportunity to apply to live in approved off-campus housing, called Community Living Opportunities (CLOs). This option is generally open only to Juniors, Seniors and Super Seniors, and a limited number of spots in the program are available. Super Seniors (those students with over 120 credits) automatically qualify for CLO housing.
Traditions
On the path leading up to the Nielsen Center and Stevens Art Studios, certain trees in close proximity to the path have become the recipients of unwanted chewing gum. It is hard to say when this tradition began or what its original purpose was (avoiding being caught chewing gum in class, perhaps?).
The day of graduation, the seniors are led around the quad by a bagpiper dressed in traditional Scottish attire. Graduates pass through a line of professors before proceeding into Wesley chapel to begin graduation ceremonies.
- Ski hill sledding with trays
Trays were often removed from the cafeteria, during the lengthy Winter season, and used as makeshift sleds for use on the ski hill as well as other hilly locations on campus. This practice is not generally looked down upon, but has been made difficult by the permanent removal of cafeteria trays.
Each semester, a "talent" showcase of sorts takes place. In the fall, it is during homecoming week and in the spring it is during the newly reinstated Purple and Gold week. There is also a Senior Spot organized and run by seniors prior to graduation. Notable sketches include Chapel Linebacker, Houghton Wars, The Phantom of the Opera and performances by the band Cheech and the Chimichangas, to name but a few.
At all the men's home soccer games, a group of Shenawana residents, dubbed Shen Men, dress in costumes designed to be as zany as possible, usually involving wearing kilts or clashing apparel. During the game they cheer on the team with organized chanting, yelling, and drum playing (including upside down trash cans).
Athletics
The Houghton Highlanders field 10 varsity teams. The women are able to participate in soccer,
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
,
field hockeyField hockey is a team sport in which a team of players attempt to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking the ball with hockey sticks into the opposing team's goal. Its official name is simply hockey, and this is the common name for it in many countries...
,
volleyball Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules...
,
trackTrack and field athletics is a collection of sports events that involve running, throwing, jumping and walking. Organised athletics are traced back to the Ancient Olympic Games from 776 BC, and most modern events are conducted by the member clubs of the International Association of Athletics...
, and
cross countryCross country running is a sport in which runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain. The courses used at these events may include grass, mud, woodlands, and water...
. The teams provided for the men are soccer,
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
,
trackTrack and field athletics is a collection of sports events that involve running, throwing, jumping and walking. Organised athletics are traced back to the Ancient Olympic Games from 776 BC, and most modern events are conducted by the member clubs of the International Association of Athletics...
, and
cross countryCross country running is a sport in which runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain. The courses used at these events may include grass, mud, woodlands, and water...
. The Houghton Highlanders are members of the
NAIAThe National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA permits membership to colleges and universities...
and
American Mideast ConferenceThe American Mideast Conference is an affiliate of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics that includes 16 member institutions in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Founded in 1949, it was known as the Mid-Ohio Conference until 1998 when it adopted its current moniker...
. Houghton is a member of the "Champions of Character" program of the NAIA. It is a "program [that] is designed to instill an understanding of character values in sport and provide practical tools for student-athletes, coaches and parents to use in modeling exemplary character traits."
Notable alumni
- Dr Robert Beckford
Robert Beckford is a British academic theologian and a reader in black theology and popular culture at Oxford Brookes University, whose documentaries for both the BBC and Channel4 have caused controversy and debate among the Christian and British religious community.-Biography:Beckford was born to...
, leading UK theologian, academic, and film-maker based at the Oxford Brooks University.
- Wilfred Bain (1908-1997), collegiate level music school administrator
- Ronald Enroth
Ronald M. Enroth is Professor of Sociology at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California, and a prominent evangelical Christian author of books concerning what he defines as "cults" and "new religious movements"....
, prolific author and Professor of Sociology, Westmont CollegeWestmont College, founded in 1937, is an interdenominational Christian liberal arts college in Santa Barbara, California.- History :Ruth Kerr, owner of the Kerr Mason Jar Company, established the school as the Bible Missionary Institute , later renamed the Western Bible College...
.
- Alan Heatherington
Alan Heatherington is one of the leading orchestra conductors in Illinois. He has conducted and/or played with virtually all of the major orchestras in the Chicago area...
, orchestra conductor
- Kenneth (K.J.) Hill, former professional soccer player of the Charlotte Eagles
Charlotte Eagles is an American professional soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in the USL Second Division , the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
.
- Diane M. Komp, author and Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Yale has produced many notable alumni, including five...
.
- Neil MacBride
Neil MacBride is currently serving in a senior Justice Department post under Attorney General Eric Holder.Neil MacBride formerly served as Vice President, Anti-Piracy and General Counsel, of the Business Software Alliance, where he oversaw global anti-piracy enforcement and copyright policy. Prior...
, Vice President, Anti-Piracy and General Counsel of the Business Software AllianceThe Business Software Alliance is a trade group established in 1988 and representing a number of the world's largest software makers...
, formerly Chief Counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee to Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-Del.)Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. , is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States under the administration of President Barack Obama. He was a United States Senator from Delaware from January 3, 1973 until his resignation on January 15, 2009, following his election to the Vice...
and Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Richard J. Mouw
Richard J. Mouw is currently President at Fuller Theological Seminary. He also holds the post of Professor of Christian Philosophy.- Education and Career :...
, prominent Christian educator, leader, author and president of Fuller Theological SeminaryFuller Theological Seminary, located in Pasadena, California, is the largest multi-denominational seminary in the world. A leading Christian theological institution known for its academic rigor and ethnic and denominational diversity, Fuller has over 4,000 students from over 70 countries and 100...
.
- Matthew Noonan, renowned organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
and musicianA musician is a person who performs or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument.* A singer uses his or her voice as an instrument....
.
- Paul Pang, General Director, Schools for Christ Foundation, Hong Kong.
- Sanjeev Parmar, former professional soccer player with Charlotte Eagles
Charlotte Eagles is an American professional soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in the USL Second Division , the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
, an American soccer team, and the Wizards, a Canadian soccer team.
- Barbara Pinto, ABC
The American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
's Chicago-based news correspondent.
- Bruce Waltke
Bruce K. Waltke is a Reformed evangelical professor of Old Testament and Hebrew. He has held professorships in the Old Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary, Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Reformed Theological...
, Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological SeminaryReformed Theological Seminary is a non-denominational, evangelical Protestant seminary dedicated to training current and future leaders to be pastors, missionaries, educators, and Christian counselors. It maintains a belief in the inerrancy of the Bible and follows the Reformed tradition,...
and Professor Emeritus of Old Testament Studies, Regent CollegeRegent College is an international graduate school of Christian Studies, located next to the campus of the University of British Columbia in the University Endowment Lands west of Vancouver, British Columbia, and is an affiliated college of that university....
.
- Anthony C. Yu
Anthony C. Yu is a literature and religion scholar. He is currently the Carl Darling Buck Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago....
, comparative literature and religion scholar and Carl Darling Buck Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at the University of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private, coeducational research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by oil magnate and benefactor John D...
.
- Dean S. Gilliland, senior professor of Contextualized Theology and African Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary, located in Pasadena, California, is the largest multi-denominational seminary in the world. A leading Christian theological institution known for its academic rigor and ethnic and denominational diversity, Fuller has over 4,000 students from over 70 countries and 100...
and notable scholar and author on the topics of cultural anthropology and sociology especially pertaining to Christian Mission.
External links
- http://www.houghton.edu/
- http://www.cccu.org/