West Virginia Wesleyan College
Encyclopedia
West Virginia Wesleyan College is a regionally accredited private
, coeducation
al, liberal arts college
in Buckhannon, West Virginia
, United States
. It has an enrollment of about 1,400 students from 35 U.S. state
s and 26 countries. The school was founded in 1890 by the West Virginia Conference
of the United Methodist
church. The college assumed its current name on Tuesday June 5, 1906. (See expanded History.) U.S. News & World Report
considers West Virginia Wesleyan a regional college and ranks it 12th in the South (first-tier) and ranks it second in the South in the Great Schools at Great Prices category. West Virginia Wesleyan College is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
.
Wesleyan was listed as one of the "Best Southeastern Colleges" by the Princeton Review in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 and a "Best-Value College" in 2006 and 2007. Wesleyan is one of 150 schools to receive that distinction http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/bestvalue/default.asp.
Wesleyan continues to serve as a residential, liberal arts college. The primary majors are elementary and secondary education, business, and natural sciences.
Nine Wesleyan students have been named U.S. Fulbright Scholars during the past five years. During that same time span, Wesleyan has had a Gilman and Mitchell Scholar, three NCAA Post-Graduate Scholars, and a Clinton-Global Initiative participant.
, a legacy of the presidency of Stanley H. Martin (1957–1972). The beautiful campus is one of the immediate attractions for potential incoming freshmen. The grounds are situated in a park-like setting of more than 100 acres. It is surrounded by towering oak
and spruce
trees, dogwood
s, laurels, and rhododendron
s. The most recognizable buildings on campus are the Lynch-Raine Administration building, Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library, and the beautiful Wesley Chapel with its towering and majestic steeple which can be seen for miles around.
All students are highly recommended and encouraged to have a laptop computer. The campus is wireless and thoroughly connected offering 2,200 Internet ports.
There are 19 NCAA Division II sports teams, and 70 clubs and organizations. Some 87% of students participate in community service.
The college's athletics teams are the Bobcat
s which compete in the NCAA
Division II West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
(WVIAC). Wesleyan has won over 151 conference championships earning a conference dominance of 18 Commissioner's Cups during the past 20 years and 8 Presidents' Cups in 14 years. Each year, Wesleyan is recognized as having the top athletic program in the WVIAC. All of Wesleyans's 19 NCAA II teams successfully compete at the regional and national levels. Wesleyan also ranks fifth among all NCAA II schools in the number of Academic Achievement Award winners.
The Greek system
was initiated on campus in 1925, when the Board of Trustees authorized the establishment of two sororities and three fraternities. Today, Wesleyan's Greek Community thrives and the character of the young men and women involved with the Greek organizations on campus reflect the values of the college. The majority of active alumni of Wesleyan are affiliated with the Greek system. In addition, Greek Alumni continue to be the most prolific donors to the college. The four Panhellenic
-affiliated sororites are Alpha Gamma Delta
, Alpha Delta Pi
, Alpha Xi Delta
, Zeta Tau Alpha
. The five Interfraterntiy Council
(IFC)-affiliated fraternities are Alpha Sigma Phi
, Chi Phi
, the Kappa Alpha Order
, Theta Chi
, and Theta Xi
. There are also many additional organizational brotherhoods, sisterhoods, and honorary groups on campus including Alpha Phi Omega
, Alpha Psi Omega
, Beta Beta Beta, Kappa Phi, Mortar Board
, Omicron Delta Kappa
, Phi Alpha Theta
, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
, Sigma Alpha Iota
, Sigma Tau Epsilon, Sigma Tau Delta
, and Sigma Theta Epsilon
.
Wesleyan students are highly active in community engagement projects. The school's Center for Community Engagement has been nationally recognized for the past two years.
Although the founders were always loyal to these principles, the immediate catalyst for the College's establishment was perhaps less lofty: by 1882, Methodists believed they had lost control of West Virginia University
in Morgantown, leading to an exodus from the state university of Methodist students who now sought an educational alternative.
Originally known as the West Virginia Conference Seminary, the new school opened on Wednesday, September 3, 1890, in a new three-story brick building, located on the present site of the Lynch-Raine Administration Building. The original building was destroyed by a fire on Sunday February 5, 1905. It was replaced the following year by the current structure. In keeping with the tradition of seminaries or academies of the day, it offered largely pre-college instruction. Bennett W. Hutchinson, a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University
and Boston University School of Theology
and an ordained minister, came from Massachusetts
to accept the presidency. Mr. Roy Reger of Buckhannon was the first of 201 students to enroll that first year.
Agnes Howard Hall
, originally designated Ladies Hall, was built in 1895. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983.
Full-fledged college work was initiated in 1900 and gradually expanded until the first baccalaureate degrees were awarded in 1905. After one year as Wesleyan University of West Virginia, the name was officially changed on Tuesday June 5, 1906 to West Virginia Wesleyan College, in honor of Methodism's founder, John Wesley. Pre-college study continued through 1922-1923, after which it was deemed unnecessary due to the growth of high schools in the state.
The early beginnings of the College were modest, and the fledgling school was frequently plagued by debt. The debt became particularly threatening during the Great Depression
of the 1930s. But the shortage of fiscal resources never dampened the vision of the college community and its supporters. By 1939, when the three major Methodist bodies united to become the United Methodist Church
, leaders of the College dreamed of making Wesleyan the outstanding liberal arts college in the state, a challenging vision for a financially struggling college of fewer than 500 students.
served as Wesleyan's President from 1973 to 1976. The current gymnasium and athletic center was completed during Rockefeller's tenure. For a period of time, it was referred to on campus as "The New Gym," but was re-named the John D. Rockefeller IV Center after his departure in 1976. Immediately following his tenure at Wesleyan, Rockefeller served as Governor
of West Virginia
from 1977 to 1985. Rockefeller went on to serve as senator from West Virginia in the United States Senate
from 1986 to the present date. He became senior senator from the state upon the passing of West Virginia's long-time senator Robert C. Byrd
in June 2010.
In 1976, WV Wesleyan alumnus Rev. Ronald E. Sleeth '42 was inaugurated as president of the institution. Sleeth's wife Natalie Sleeth
, a prolific composer of sacred choral music, wrote the song Joy in the Morning to commemorate the event. Joy in the Morning was performed at the inauguration by the WVWC Concert Chorale. The anthem was later published, and remains a favorite of many church choirs. President Sleeth retired from the presidency one year later and returned to the Chicago area in order to return to his first loves of teaching and preaching.
network and Wesleyan and four other private colleges formed the College Independent Enterprise (ICE) to share a common administrative computing system. President's Haden tenure also had difficult times. During his time in office, Wesleyan accumulated additional debt while faculty salaries were stagnant. His presidency culminated with two no-confidence votes in his administration and, ultimately, the declaration of a financial emergency, which was accompanied by a temporary revocation of all faculty tenure, contributions by the college to pensions, and announcement of a plan to close a number of academic programs. No tenured faculty members were removed from the College during this short period. It is also widely believed by students attending Wesleyan at this time that the financial difficulties were also due to president Haden's misappropriation of school funds.
Wesleyan students have also enjoyed national success. During the Balch presidency, nine Wesleyan students have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships and one student became the first West Virginia college and university student to become a Mitchell Scholar. Wesleyan's Students in Free Enterprise team has finished among the top 40 in the nation the past two years and Wesleyan ranks fifth among all NCAA Division II colleges and universities in the number of Academic Achievement Award winners. Wesleyan students have also been named NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship winners each of the last two years. Over 300 science majors have participated in federal and state-funded scientific research projects during the past five years.
Wesleyan, which is a member of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, has captured the WVIAC Commissioner's Cup 17 of the last 19 years and has won the Presidents' Cup two consecutive years. Wesleyan teams that have advanced to NCAA Division II post season play during the past year include men's and women's tennis, softball, women's soccer, men's swimming, men's and women's cross country, and men's and women's track.
One of the earliest sporting traditions at Wesleyan was football
, which was introduced in the pre-college seminary in 1898. The school colors of orange and black go back to that very first game, when fullback and team captain Frank Thompson wore a turtleneck sweater in Princeton University
's orange and black to honor two football greats of that university whom he especially admired. A more comprehensive athletic program was formally organized at the collegiate level in 1902. Early sports included football, baseball, basketball, and gymnastics, all for men only.
Many WVWC alumni have gone on to play professional sports. Among them, two alumni have been inducted into the National Football League
Hall of Fame - Earl "Greasy" Neale '15 of the Philadelphia Eagles
in 1969 and Cliff Battles '33 of the Washington Redskins
in 1968.
And as early as 1910, the Wesleyan Volunteer Band, followed in 1930 by the Student Volunteer Movement, established a tradition of service among Wesleyan students, concentrating in those early years on foreign missions of the Christian church, but also maintaining strong ties to the local community.
In 1969, a 60 stop, 76 rank Casavant Frères
pipe organ was installed in the newly-built Wesley Chapel. The organ is currently the largest true pipe organ in the state of West Virginia with 4,244 pipes and 4 manuals. The instrument is frequently used for campus convocations, recitals and concerts, chapel services, and West Virginia Annual Conference (United Methodist Church
) events.
Today, WVWC has a wide variety of performing groups including a Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Flute Ensemble. Both the Concert Chorale and the WVWC Jazz Ensemble have toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe and the college's long and proud tradition of choral activity is also represented through Concentus Vocum (a select mixed-voice ensemble) as well as Wesleyan Singers (an all-female choir).
Well-known to many West Virginia Wesleyan College alumni and students is the song "My Home Among the Hills," written by former Wesleyan trustee E. W. “Bill” James. James' original composition is sung by the Concert Chorale at many school ceremonies and functions and the song (in numerous other arrangements) has gained popularity throughout West Virginia as an "unofficial anthem" of both the school and the state.
1984 graduate and country music artist/songwriter Karen Staley was a member of Concert Chorale and received a music minor. Staley went on to have her songs recorded by legends Dolly Parton,
George Jones, Tammy Wynette, as well as superstars like Reba McEntire and Faith Hill. Staley co-wrote the 1995 ACM Song Of The Year "Keeper Of The Stars" as well as hits like " Take Me As I Am" and "Let's Go To Vegas" for Faith Hill, "On A Night Like This" for Trick Pony and many more. Staley also toured as a backup singer/guitar player for both Reba & Faith.
each June. The "Conference Sunday" service, the culmination of the Conference, always fills Wesley Chapel to standing-room-only.
Wesley Chapel also provides a fantastic venue for the Arts. Several campus musical groups perform in the Chapel each semester, as well as artists who visit WVWC as a part of its annual "Arts Alive" Program. Many world renowned artists have performed in Wesley Chapel over the years including a memorable performance by the late Maynard Ferguson
, who famously performed a trumpet solo from the pulpit.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, coeducation
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...
al, liberal arts college
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...
in Buckhannon, West Virginia
Buckhannon, West Virginia
Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States, and is located along the Buckhannon River. The population was 5,725 at the 2000 census. Buckhannon is home to West Virginia Wesleyan College and the West Virginia Strawberry Festival,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It has an enrollment of about 1,400 students from 35 U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s and 26 countries. The school was founded in 1890 by the West Virginia Conference
Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church
The following is a list of the Annual Conferences of The United Methodist Church .-Annual Conferences in the Jurisdiction Conference :...
of the United Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
church. The college assumed its current name on Tuesday June 5, 1906. (See expanded History.) U.S. News & World Report
U.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...
considers West Virginia Wesleyan a regional college and ranks it 12th in the South (first-tier) and ranks it second in the South in the Great Schools at Great Prices category. West Virginia Wesleyan College is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
.
Wesleyan was listed as one of the "Best Southeastern Colleges" by the Princeton Review in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 and a "Best-Value College" in 2006 and 2007. Wesleyan is one of 150 schools to receive that distinction http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/bestvalue/default.asp.
Wesleyan continues to serve as a residential, liberal arts college. The primary majors are elementary and secondary education, business, and natural sciences.
Academics
The College offers over 43 undergraduate majors and 36 minors. Wesleyan also has 3-2 engineering partnerships with Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, and West Virginia University. Undergraduate degrees are awarded in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Bachelor of Music Education. Graduate degrees are awarded in Masters of Athletic Training, Masters of Business Administration, Masters of Education, and Masters of Science in Nursing. Majors include the option of a five-year Masters of Business Administration or Masters of Education Degrees.- Approximately 80% of West Virginia Wesleyan's faculty have earned doctorates or comparable terminal degrees within their field.
- The student-faculty ratio is 14 to 1, with an average class size of 19.
Nine Wesleyan students have been named U.S. Fulbright Scholars during the past five years. During that same time span, Wesleyan has had a Gilman and Mitchell Scholar, three NCAA Post-Graduate Scholars, and a Clinton-Global Initiative participant.
Campus
The campus boasts 23 major buildings of Georgian architectureGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
, a legacy of the presidency of Stanley H. Martin (1957–1972). The beautiful campus is one of the immediate attractions for potential incoming freshmen. The grounds are situated in a park-like setting of more than 100 acres. It is surrounded by towering oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
trees, dogwood
Dogwood
The genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen...
s, laurels, and rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s. The most recognizable buildings on campus are the Lynch-Raine Administration building, Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library, and the beautiful Wesley Chapel with its towering and majestic steeple which can be seen for miles around.
Student life
Wesleyan has retained its residential character; about 90% of the students live on campus, due to its inclusive campus housing policies.All students are highly recommended and encouraged to have a laptop computer. The campus is wireless and thoroughly connected offering 2,200 Internet ports.
There are 19 NCAA Division II sports teams, and 70 clubs and organizations. Some 87% of students participate in community service.
The college's athletics teams are the Bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s which compete 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...
Division II West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which historically operated exclusively in the state of West Virginia, but has now expanded into Pennsylvania...
(WVIAC). Wesleyan has won over 151 conference championships earning a conference dominance of 18 Commissioner's Cups during the past 20 years and 8 Presidents' Cups in 14 years. Each year, Wesleyan is recognized as having the top athletic program in the WVIAC. All of Wesleyans's 19 NCAA II teams successfully compete at the regional and national levels. Wesleyan also ranks fifth among all NCAA II schools in the number of Academic Achievement Award winners.
The Greek system
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
was initiated on campus in 1925, when the Board of Trustees authorized the establishment of two sororities and three fraternities. Today, Wesleyan's Greek Community thrives and the character of the young men and women involved with the Greek organizations on campus reflect the values of the college. The majority of active alumni of Wesleyan are affiliated with the Greek system. In addition, Greek Alumni continue to be the most prolific donors to the college. The four Panhellenic
National Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
-affiliated sororites are Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta is an international women's fraternity, who are mainly sluts, founded in 1904 at Syracuse University. The Fraternity promotes academic excellence, philanthropic giving, ongoing leadership and personal development, and a spirit of loving sisterhood. Also known as "Alpha Gam" and...
, Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi is a fraternity founded on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Alpha Delta Pi is one of the two "Macon Magnolias," a term used to celebrate the bonds it shares with Phi Mu...
, Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta is a women's fraternity founded on April 17, 1893 at Lombard College, Galesburg, Illinois. Alpha Xi Delta is one of the oldest women's fraternities as well as one of the ten founding fraternities of the National Panhellenic Conference...
, Zeta Tau Alpha
Zeta Tau Alpha
Zeta Tau Alpha is a women's fraternity, founded October 15, 1898 at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia. The Executive office is located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
. The five Interfraterntiy Council
North-American Interfraternity Conference
The North-American Interfraternity Conference , is an association of collegiate men's fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates where each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate...
(IFC)-affiliated fraternities are Alpha Sigma Phi
Alpha Sigma Phi
Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity is a social fraternity with 71 active chapters and 9 colonies. Founded at Yale in 1845, it is the 10th oldest fraternity in the United States....
, Chi Phi
Chi Phi
The Chi Phi ' Fraternity is an American College Social Fraternity that was established as the result of the merger of three separate organizations that were each known as Chi Phi. The oldest active organization that took part in the union was originally founded in 1824 at Princeton...
, the Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions...
, Theta Chi
Theta Chi
Theta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities.-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta...
, and Theta Xi
Theta Xi
Theta Xi was founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York on 29 April 1864. Theta Xi Fraternity was originally founded as an engineering fraternity, the first professional fraternity...
. There are also many additional organizational brotherhoods, sisterhoods, and honorary groups on campus including Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
, Alpha Psi Omega
Alpha Psi Omega
Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society is an American recognition honor society recognizing participants in collegiate theatre. The Alpha Cast was founded at Fairmont State College on August 12, 1925 by professor Paul F...
, Beta Beta Beta, Kappa Phi, Mortar Board
Mortar Board
Mortar Board is an American national honor society whose purpose is to recognize outstanding students dedicated to the values of scholarship, leadership, and service. The Cornell University Der Hexenkreis chapter, founded in 1892, is the oldest and predates the national society's founding in 1918...
, Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa, or ΟΔΚ, also known as The Circle, or more commonly ODK, is a national leadership honor society. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, by 15 student and faculty leaders. Chapters, known as Circles, are located on over 300...
, Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta is an American honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and professors of history.The society is a charter member of the Association of College Honor Societies and has over 350,000 members, with about 9,500 new members joining each year through 860 local chapters.-...
, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
, Sigma Alpha Iota
Sigma Alpha Iota
Sigma Alpha Iota , International Music Fraternity for Women. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public...
, Sigma Tau Epsilon, Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta is an international collegiate honor society for students of English. It presently has over 800 active chapters located in Europe, the Caribbean, the United States, and 1 chapter in the Middle East , with more than 1,000 faculty sponsors...
, and Sigma Theta Epsilon
Sigma Theta Epsilon
Sigma Theta Epsilon is an interdenominational national Christian fraternal organization. It is the oldest Christian Fraternity in the United States, tracing its history to its founding in 1925 at Lincoln, Nebraska...
.
Wesleyan students are highly active in community engagement projects. The school's Center for Community Engagement has been nationally recognized for the past two years.
Early History
The mission of West Virginia Wesleyan College is reflected in its name. Its founding in 1890 by the West Virginia Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church climaxed a 16 year effort to establish a center of learning in the then-young state that would reflect the values of the Methodist community, meet the church's need for an educated leadership, and provide an educational resource for the general citizenry of the state and region.Although the founders were always loyal to these principles, the immediate catalyst for the College's establishment was perhaps less lofty: by 1882, Methodists believed they had lost control of West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West 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;...
in Morgantown, leading to an exodus from the state university of Methodist students who now sought an educational alternative.
Originally known as the West Virginia Conference Seminary, the new school opened on Wednesday, September 3, 1890, in a new three-story brick building, located on the present site of the Lynch-Raine Administration Building. The original building was destroyed by a fire on Sunday February 5, 1905. It was replaced the following year by the current structure. In keeping with the tradition of seminaries or academies of the day, it offered largely pre-college instruction. Bennett W. Hutchinson, a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
and Boston University School of Theology
Boston University School of Theology
Boston University School of Theology is the oldest theological seminary of American Methodism and the founding school of Boston University, the largest private research university in New England. It is one of thirteen theological schools maintained by the United Methodist Church...
and an ordained minister, came from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
to accept the presidency. Mr. Roy Reger of Buckhannon was the first of 201 students to enroll that first year.
Agnes Howard Hall
Agnes Howard Hall
Agnes Howard Hall, also known as Ladies Hall or "Aggie," is a historic dormitory building located on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College at Buckhannon, Upshur County, West Virginia. It was built in 1895, and is a four story brick building primarily used as a residence hall. It features an...
, originally designated Ladies Hall, was built in 1895. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983.
Full-fledged college work was initiated in 1900 and gradually expanded until the first baccalaureate degrees were awarded in 1905. After one year as Wesleyan University of West Virginia, the name was officially changed on Tuesday June 5, 1906 to West Virginia Wesleyan College, in honor of Methodism's founder, John Wesley. Pre-college study continued through 1922-1923, after which it was deemed unnecessary due to the growth of high schools in the state.
The early beginnings of the College were modest, and the fledgling school was frequently plagued by debt. The debt became particularly threatening during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s. But the shortage of fiscal resources never dampened the vision of the college community and its supporters. By 1939, when the three major Methodist bodies united to become 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...
, leaders of the College dreamed of making Wesleyan the outstanding liberal arts college in the state, a challenging vision for a financially struggling college of fewer than 500 students.
1890 to 1930
Historians of the College credit Thomas W. Haught, an 1894 graduate of the Seminary, 20 year academic dean (1909–1929), long-time faculty member, and three-time acting president, as one of Wesleyan's most influential champions of academic excellence. In addition to strengthening the faculty and the emphasis on academics, he led efforts to achieve initial accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1927.1957 to 1972
The presidency of Dr. Stanley H. Martin (1957–1972) marks the period of the College's most dramatic growth, measured in student enrollments, increased academic stature, and an expanded physical plant. It was largely his vision that gave the campus its present Georgian character. Wesley Chapel, Christopher Hall of Science, the Benedum Campus Center, Jenkins Hall, Doney Hall, Holloway Hall, McCuskey Hall, and the Martin Religious Center are tangible expressions of the expansion that characterized President Martin's tenure.1973 to 1976
Following the successful tenure of Martin, John D. Rockefeller IVJay Rockefeller
John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV is the senior United States Senator from West Virginia. He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as Governor of West Virginia, a position he held from 1977 to 1985...
served as Wesleyan's President from 1973 to 1976. The current gymnasium and athletic center was completed during Rockefeller's tenure. For a period of time, it was referred to on campus as "The New Gym," but was re-named the John D. Rockefeller IV Center after his departure in 1976. Immediately following his tenure at Wesleyan, Rockefeller served as Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
from 1977 to 1985. Rockefeller went on to serve as senator from West Virginia in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from 1986 to the present date. He became senior senator from the state upon the passing of West Virginia's long-time senator Robert C. Byrd
Robert Byrd
Robert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
in June 2010.
In 1976, WV Wesleyan alumnus Rev. Ronald E. Sleeth '42 was inaugurated as president of the institution. Sleeth's wife Natalie Sleeth
Natalie Sleeth
Natalie Allyn Sleeth was an American composer.Sleeth was born in Evanston, Illinois. In 1934, she began to study the piano at the early age of four. Later in her life, she received an Academic major in music and a BA in music theory at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She married a Professor...
, a prolific composer of sacred choral music, wrote the song Joy in the Morning to commemorate the event. Joy in the Morning was performed at the inauguration by the WVWC Concert Chorale. The anthem was later published, and remains a favorite of many church choirs. President Sleeth retired from the presidency one year later and returned to the Chicago area in order to return to his first loves of teaching and preaching.
1995 to 2006
In 2006, President William Haden retired after eleven years in office. He was the second longest serving President in the history of the college. During his tenure the College completed the most successful capital campaign in its history with $46.4 million in gifts and pledges. The College also significantly upgraded its information technologyInformation technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
network and Wesleyan and four other private colleges formed the College Independent Enterprise (ICE) to share a common administrative computing system. President's Haden tenure also had difficult times. During his time in office, Wesleyan accumulated additional debt while faculty salaries were stagnant. His presidency culminated with two no-confidence votes in his administration and, ultimately, the declaration of a financial emergency, which was accompanied by a temporary revocation of all faculty tenure, contributions by the college to pensions, and announcement of a plan to close a number of academic programs. No tenured faculty members were removed from the College during this short period. It is also widely believed by students attending Wesleyan at this time that the financial difficulties were also due to president Haden's misappropriation of school funds.
Recent Years
Dr. Pamela Jubin Balch, a 1971 graduate of Wesleyan, became the College's 18th president in July 2006. In the history of the college, Dr. Balch is the first female to serve as president. During her tenure as President, Wesleyan has reinstated the nursing program and 3-2 engineering programs and has added graduate programs in athletic training, education, English Writing, and nursing. In 2009 Wesleyan opened the $7.2 million Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts and opened the $8.9 million David E. Reemsnyder Research Center in 2010. The school will open a new 140-bed residence hall this fall and recently renovated Fleming residence hall. Wesleyan also also developed spacious green space in front of Wesley Chapel with a stunningly beautiful fountain. The Balch presidency has seen enrollment growth from 1,150 students to 1,400. Wesleyan has also reorganized its academic program into seven schools: Arts and Humanities, Athletic Training and Exercise Science, Business, Education, Nursing, Science, and Social Sciences.Wesleyan students have also enjoyed national success. During the Balch presidency, nine Wesleyan students have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships and one student became the first West Virginia college and university student to become a Mitchell Scholar. Wesleyan's Students in Free Enterprise team has finished among the top 40 in the nation the past two years and Wesleyan ranks fifth among all NCAA Division II colleges and universities in the number of Academic Achievement Award winners. Wesleyan students have also been named NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship winners each of the last two years. Over 300 science majors have participated in federal and state-funded scientific research projects during the past five years.
Athletics
Many features of modern campus life at Wesleyan have long traditions. The college currently boasts 19 sports, competing in NCAA Division II. The college offers varsity men's sports in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field. The college offers varsity women's sports in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. A 19th varsity sport, women's lacrosse, will formally begin competition in the fall of 2010.Wesleyan, which is a member of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, has captured the WVIAC Commissioner's Cup 17 of the last 19 years and has won the Presidents' Cup two consecutive years. Wesleyan teams that have advanced to NCAA Division II post season play during the past year include men's and women's tennis, softball, women's soccer, men's swimming, men's and women's cross country, and men's and women's track.
One of the earliest sporting traditions at Wesleyan was football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, which was introduced in the pre-college seminary in 1898. The school colors of orange and black go back to that very first game, when fullback and team captain Frank Thompson wore a turtleneck sweater in Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
's orange and black to honor two football greats of that university whom he especially admired. A more comprehensive athletic program was formally organized at the collegiate level in 1902. Early sports included football, baseball, basketball, and gymnastics, all for men only.
Many WVWC alumni have gone on to play professional sports. Among them, two alumni have been inducted into the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Hall of Fame - Earl "Greasy" Neale '15 of the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The 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...
in 1969 and Cliff Battles '33 of the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in 1968.
Music on Campus
Music was an important part of campus life, beginning in 1890 when two pianos and an organ were installed in the seminary's new building. In 1902, the current Annex Building was constructed as the Conservatory of Music, the College's first building dedicated solely to academic purposes.And as early as 1910, the Wesleyan Volunteer Band, followed in 1930 by the Student Volunteer Movement, established a tradition of service among Wesleyan students, concentrating in those early years on foreign missions of the Christian church, but also maintaining strong ties to the local community.
In 1969, a 60 stop, 76 rank Casavant Frères
Casavant Frères
Casavant Frères is a prominent Canadian company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which has been building fine pipe organs since 1879. As of 2008, they have produced over 3800 organs.- Company history :...
pipe organ was installed in the newly-built Wesley Chapel. The organ is currently the largest true pipe organ in the state of West Virginia with 4,244 pipes and 4 manuals. The instrument is frequently used for campus convocations, recitals and concerts, chapel services, and West Virginia Annual Conference (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...
) events.
Today, WVWC has a wide variety of performing groups including a Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Flute Ensemble. Both the Concert Chorale and the WVWC Jazz Ensemble have toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe and the college's long and proud tradition of choral activity is also represented through Concentus Vocum (a select mixed-voice ensemble) as well as Wesleyan Singers (an all-female choir).
Well-known to many West Virginia Wesleyan College alumni and students is the song "My Home Among the Hills," written by former Wesleyan trustee E. W. “Bill” James. James' original composition is sung by the Concert Chorale at many school ceremonies and functions and the song (in numerous other arrangements) has gained popularity throughout West Virginia as an "unofficial anthem" of both the school and the state.
1984 graduate and country music artist/songwriter Karen Staley was a member of Concert Chorale and received a music minor. Staley went on to have her songs recorded by legends Dolly Parton,
George Jones, Tammy Wynette, as well as superstars like Reba McEntire and Faith Hill. Staley co-wrote the 1995 ACM Song Of The Year "Keeper Of The Stars" as well as hits like " Take Me As I Am" and "Let's Go To Vegas" for Faith Hill, "On A Night Like This" for Trick Pony and many more. Staley also toured as a backup singer/guitar player for both Reba & Faith.
Wesley Chapel
An important legacy of the College is Wesley Chapel. With the ability to seat 1,800 people, Wesley Chapel currently claims the largest worship space in the state of West Virginia. Wesley Chapel annually hosts the West Virginia United Methodist Annual ConferenceAnnual Conferences of the United Methodist Church
The following is a list of the Annual Conferences of The United Methodist Church .-Annual Conferences in the Jurisdiction Conference :...
each June. The "Conference Sunday" service, the culmination of the Conference, always fills Wesley Chapel to standing-room-only.
Wesley Chapel also provides a fantastic venue for the Arts. Several campus musical groups perform in the Chapel each semester, as well as artists who visit WVWC as a part of its annual "Arts Alive" Program. Many world renowned artists have performed in Wesley Chapel over the years including a memorable performance by the late Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957...
, who famously performed a trumpet solo from the pulpit.
Written Histories
- Haught, Thomas W., West Virginia Wesleyan College 1890-1940, Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College Press, 1940.
- McCuskey, Roy, All Things Work Together for Good to them that Love God, Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College Press, ca. 1950.
- Plummer, Kenneth M., A History of West Virginia Wesleyan College, 1890-1965, Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College Press, 1965.