Peace College
Encyclopedia
William Peace University is a small liberal arts
college located in downtown Raleigh
, North Carolina
, United States
. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian church.
of North Carolina. The leading donation of $10,000 USD ($205,000 in 2005 dollars) came from William Peace, a prominent local merchant. Peace was a member of the second class of the University of North Carolina (class of 1800) and a longtime proponent of education as a benefactor of Raleigh Academy, a school primarily for boys.
Additionally, Peace donated 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) for the campus site. Main Building
, a red brick, white-columned Greek revival building was built between 1859–1862,but was commandeered by the Confederate States government early in the Civil War to be used as an army hospital. Main Building was designed and built by the Holt Brothers, Thomas and Jacob
, who were notable builders from nearby Warrenton, NC.
The Civil War and Reconstruction Era delayed the opening of the school, but Peace Institute opened in January 1872. The first president was John Burwell, assisted by his son Robert. The Burwells, and his successor James Dinwiddie, served the school until 1910 and were strong Presbyterians and descendants of old Virginia families.
A member of the Women's College Coalition
, William Peace University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women
in the United States
. It was the second-oldest in North Carolina, predated only by Salem College
(the first school for girls in the United States
, founded in 1772).
William Peace University will begin admitting men in the fall of 2012. Initial announcements of the change included a controversial promise to "offer select single-gender courses in targeted disciplines where research shows that women and men learn differently and that each benefit from a single-gender classroom," a plan that critics believe may run afoul of equal opportunity laws such as Title IX
. Concurrent with its announcement that it will begin admitting men, Peace College changed its name to "William Peace University" in 2011.
, biology
, business administration
, child development
, communication
, education
, English
, graphic design
, history
, human resources
, Leadership Studies
, liberal studies
, music performance
, theatre
, politics and public affairs
, psychology
, and Spanish
.
As an exclusively undergraduate college, William Peace University offers only Bachelor's degree
s. The most popular majors at the college are in the field of communications, where one quarter of all students focus their studies. Peace also offers an honors program for academically-advanced students.
All Bachelor of Arts
candidates must complete an intern
ship while at William Peace University. The college also encourages study abroad
, paying 15% of all costs for qualified students looking to study outside of the United States.
placed Peace 36th out of the 53 colleges in its "Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelor's (South)" category in their America's Best Colleges rankings for 2006, deeming it a "less selective" school in terms of admissions standards. It was tied with Elizabeth City State University
, also located in North Carolina.
as a Division III school in the NCAA
. Teams are fielded in basketball
, cross country
, softball
, soccer
, tennis
, and volleyball
. William Peace University has been a full member of the NCAA since 2002 after having been granted provisional membership in 1995. Prior to that, Peace had competed in Region X of the NJCAA dating back to 1973. USA South membership was granted in 2003, making it the first women's college in the state to join a co-educational
conference.
s including the Fall Cocktail, a formal dance held each year; Little Siblings Weekend, held to encourage family ties and involvement while at Peace; Honor Day, when all first-year students sign the college's code of honor
; and the Red Rose Ball, a formal dance held each spring.
During the entire year of 2007, Peace celebrated its Sesquicentennial with a variety of campus and public events and a special Founders' Day ceremony in March at which a bronze statue of founding benefactor William Peace was unveiled. The statue of Mr. Peace seated on a bench became immediately popular as a place to sit or to pose for photos. The bronze of William Peace by artist Chas Fagan is often decorated with an array of hats, Hawaiian leis, scarfs, and other garments.
William Peace University alumnae were pioneers in public service. In the 1930s, Gertrude Dills McKee, a graduate of the 1890s, became the first woman elected to the North Carolina Senate
. Lilly Morehead Mebane was one of the first women elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives
. Jane Simpson McKimmon became the youngest graduate of Peace College when she finished the then 2-year college program at age 16; she later became the first woman to graduate from NC State University. McKimmon became a leader in "home economics" and greatly advanced the state agriculture department's home extension service. NC State University's conference and continuing education center is named for her and the chair of Peace's Leadership Studies program is named for McKimmon. Addie Worth Bagley Daniels, the spouse of Raleigh News & Observer publisher, Josephus Daniels
, served for many years during the first half of the 20th century on the Peace College Board of Trustees, a rare role for women in that era.
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
college located in downtown Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian church.
History
William Peace University was founded in 1857 as Peace Institute by prominent men within the Presbyterian SynodSynod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
of North Carolina. The leading donation of $10,000 USD ($205,000 in 2005 dollars) came from William Peace, a prominent local merchant. Peace was a member of the second class of the University of North Carolina (class of 1800) and a longtime proponent of education as a benefactor of Raleigh Academy, a school primarily for boys.
Additionally, Peace donated 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) for the campus site. Main Building
Peace College Main Building
Peace College Main Building is the focal point of the Peace College campus in Raleigh, North Carolina. Built between 1859 and 1862, Main Building is located at the northern end of Wilmington Street in downtown Raleigh and is considered one of the largest antebellum buildings surviving in the city...
, a red brick, white-columned Greek revival building was built between 1859–1862,but was commandeered by the Confederate States government early in the Civil War to be used as an army hospital. Main Building was designed and built by the Holt Brothers, Thomas and Jacob
Jacob W. Holt
Jacob W. Holt was an early to mid 19th century carpenter and builder-architect of Warrenton, North Carolina. Some twenty or more buildings are known to have been built by him or are attributed to him and his workshop by local tradition or their distinctive style. Some of his work includes among...
, who were notable builders from nearby Warrenton, NC.
The Civil War and Reconstruction Era delayed the opening of the school, but Peace Institute opened in January 1872. The first president was John Burwell, assisted by his son Robert. The Burwells, and his successor James Dinwiddie, served the school until 1910 and were strong Presbyterians and descendants of old Virginia families.
A member of the Women's College Coalition
Women's College Coalition
The Women's College Coalition was founded in 1972 and describes itself as an "association of women's colleges and universities – public and private, independent and church-related, two- and four-year – in the United States and Canada whose primary mission is the education and advancement of...
, William Peace University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women
Women's colleges in the United States
Women's colleges in the United States are single-sex U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was the second-oldest in North Carolina, predated only by Salem College
Salem College
Salem College is a liberal arts women's college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina founded in 1772. Originally established as a primary school, it later became an academy and finally a college. It is the oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college...
(the first school for girls in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, founded in 1772).
William Peace University will begin admitting men in the fall of 2012. Initial announcements of the change included a controversial promise to "offer select single-gender courses in targeted disciplines where research shows that women and men learn differently and that each benefit from a single-gender classroom," a plan that critics believe may run afoul of equal opportunity laws such as Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
. Concurrent with its announcement that it will begin admitting men, Peace College changed its name to "William Peace University" in 2011.
Academics
William Peace University offers majors in the following areas:anthropologyAnthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, business administration
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, child development
Child development
Child development stages describe theoretical milestones of child development. Many stage models of development have been proposed, used as working concepts and in some cases asserted as nativist theories....
, communication
Communication studies
Communication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, human resources
Human resources
Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
, Leadership Studies
Leadership studies
Leadership studies is a multidisciplinary academic field of study that focuses on leadership in organizational contexts and in human life. Leadership studies has origins in the social sciences , in humanities , as well as in professional and applied fields of study...
, liberal studies
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
, music performance
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, politics and public affairs
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
As an exclusively undergraduate college, William Peace University offers only 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. The most popular majors at the college are in the field of communications, where one quarter of all students focus their studies. Peace also offers an honors program for academically-advanced students.
All Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
candidates must complete an intern
Intern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
ship while at William Peace University. The college also encourages study abroad
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
, paying 15% of all costs for qualified students looking to study outside of the United States.
Rankings
U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
placed Peace 36th out of the 53 colleges in its "Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelor's (South)" category in their America's Best Colleges rankings for 2006, deeming it a "less selective" school in terms of admissions standards. It was tied with Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City State University is a public, historically black college located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in the United States...
, also located in North Carolina.
Campus life
William Peace University competes 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...
as a Division III school in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
. Teams are fielded in basketball
Basketball
Basketball 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...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six 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.The complete rules are extensive...
. William Peace University has been a full member of the NCAA since 2002 after having been granted provisional membership in 1995. Prior to that, Peace had competed in Region X of the NJCAA dating back to 1973. USA South membership was granted in 2003, making it the first women's college in the state to join a co-educational
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
conference.
Traditions
William Peace University has a number of traditionTradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
s including the Fall Cocktail, a formal dance held each year; Little Siblings Weekend, held to encourage family ties and involvement while at Peace; Honor Day, when all first-year students sign the college's code of honor
Honor code
An honour code or honour system is a set of rules or principles governing a community based on a set of rules or ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community. The use of an honor code depends on the idea that people can be trusted to act honorably...
; and the Red Rose Ball, a formal dance held each spring.
During the entire year of 2007, Peace celebrated its Sesquicentennial with a variety of campus and public events and a special Founders' Day ceremony in March at which a bronze statue of founding benefactor William Peace was unveiled. The statue of Mr. Peace seated on a bench became immediately popular as a place to sit or to pose for photos. The bronze of William Peace by artist Chas Fagan is often decorated with an array of hats, Hawaiian leis, scarfs, and other garments.
Becoming Coeducational
The William Peace University administration announced it plans to begin admitting male students at the start of the fall 2012 semester. The college determined this transition would make them a more attractive option for potential applicants, stating that only 2% of female applicants are likely to consider applying to a women's college, whereas 98% would only consider attending coeducational institutions.Alumnae
William Peace University has always educated women, with the only exception being the admittance of some boys in primary grades from its opening years through the 1920s when the school served levels from Kindergarten through junior college years. Today, the college maintains records on nearly 10,000 living alumnae.William Peace University alumnae were pioneers in public service. In the 1930s, Gertrude Dills McKee, a graduate of the 1890s, became the first woman elected to the North Carolina Senate
North Carolina Senate
The North Carolina Senate is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly.Its prerogatives and powers are similar to those of the other house, the House of Representatives. Its members do, however, represent districts that are larger than those of their colleagues in the House. The...
. Lilly Morehead Mebane was one of the first women elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
. Jane Simpson McKimmon became the youngest graduate of Peace College when she finished the then 2-year college program at age 16; she later became the first woman to graduate from NC State University. McKimmon became a leader in "home economics" and greatly advanced the state agriculture department's home extension service. NC State University's conference and continuing education center is named for her and the chair of Peace's Leadership Studies program is named for McKimmon. Addie Worth Bagley Daniels, the spouse of Raleigh News & Observer publisher, Josephus Daniels
Josephus Daniels
Josephus Daniels was a newspaper editor and publisher from North Carolina who was appointed by United States President Woodrow Wilson to serve as Secretary of the Navy during World War I...
, served for many years during the first half of the 20th century on the Peace College Board of Trustees, a rare role for women in that era.