Culver–Stockton College

Culver–Stockton College

Type	Private
Established	1853
Affiliation	Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Endowment	$21.0 million (as of 2013)[1]
President	Kelly M. Thompson
Students	830
Location	Canton, Missouri, United States 40°07′46″N 91°31′51″W / 40.1295°N 91.5309°W / 40.1295; -91.5309Coordinates: 40°07′46″N 91°31′51″W / 40.1295°N 91.5309°W / 40.1295; -91.5309
Campus	140 acres (56.7 ha)
Website	www.culver.edu

Culver–Stockton College is a private, residential, four-year, liberal arts college located in Canton, in the U.S. state of Missouri. Culver–Stockton College offers a liberal arts education with practical learning experiences. The campus is located on 140 acres (56.7 ha) on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, 150 miles north of St. Louis. Culver–Stockton College was founded as Christian University in 1853 as the first institution west of the Mississippi River chartered specifically for men and women. As of fall 2014, the college enrolled 830 students.

The mission of Culver–Stockton College is to provide students of promise a superb education within an active learning community founded upon integrity and the best values of faith and the human spirit. Culver–Stockton College was ranked thirty-fourth in The US News and World Report 2015 Best Colleges in its Midwest Regional Colleges listing.^[2]

History

In the 1850s, D. Pat Henderson and other Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) leaders were interested in creating an institution for the education of male and female students. Describing the site of the college that he had helped to select, Henderson said:^[3]

“

Here on the summit of two of a circle of hills, divided by a vale so virgin in its primitive luxuriance of forest and tangled wood that twilight lingers at midday beneath its bough, are to arise the structures dedicated to the equal culture of the male and female mind.[4]

”

In 1853, the college's founders were granted a charter by the State of Missouri to establish Christian University, in which classes began in 1855. Christian University was the United States' first co-educational institution of higher learning west of the Mississippi River. Dr. James Shannon became the college's first president the following year.^[3]

Civil War

After a local scuffle between Southern and Northern sympathizers, federal troops were sent to Canton in July 1861 where they occupied the school's only building. The troops left after a short stay. Another wave of federal troops arrived in October 1861 and took forcible possession of the Old Main. They occupied it until early December 1862, using the building as a base for expeditions to fight Confederate units, chase down deserters, and seize property of disloyal citizens. They left Old Main a ghostly shell with broken doors and windows and locks, burned seats, and much of the furniture and teaching materials carried off or destroyed. Many trees on campus had been felled and the fences burned. It was nearly the death of Christian University. Under the leadership of B. H. Smith, the college reopened in 1865, but made little financial and physical progress until Dr. Carl Johann became president in 1902. When Old Main burned in 1903, the building was replaced by Henderson Hall.^[3]

College renamed

The college changed its name in 1917 to reflect the generosity of two donors, Mary Culver and Robert Stockton. Stockton and Culver, both of St. Louis, played a vital role in the college's history with generous donations for residence halls, a new gymnasium, and grants for faculty salaries.^[3]

Born Mary Elizabeth Comegys in Champaign County, Ohio, on March 19, 1841, Culver was one of three daughters and two sons born to Cornelius M. Comegys and his second wife, Anibel Dunlap McCune. As a child, she moved to Indiana. On December 1, 1860, she was married to Lucius Llewellyn (L.L.) Culver. The couple moved from Illinois to St. Louis in 1876. Her husband, an inventive man who was skillful in improving kitchen ranges, became a business partner with Robert Stockton. Their Company, Majestic Manufacturing Co., produced iron kitchen ranges. The Culvers had no children but invested their energy and funds into philanthropic activities.^[3]

Robert Stockton was born in Mt. Sterling, Ky., on July 5, 1842. Orphaned at the age of 12, he stayed with his grandmother and worked in a shoe store until he was 15 and moved to Missouri with an uncle. He joined the Confederate army near the end of the Civil War and was stationed in Richmond, N.C. After the war, he moved back to Missouri and worked for Simmons Co. He met L.L. Culver, and they began the Majestic Manufacturing Co. Christian University's President Carl Johann met Stockton on a fund-raising campaign. Stockton became a generous donor to the college, giving money to help repair the college after a fire, funds for cottages to house married students, funds for teachers' salaries, money to eliminate Christian University's debt and many other projects.^[3]

Presidents

Twenty-six presidents have served Christian University/Culver–Stockton College through the years. The first was James Shannon. Shannon served as president of State College of Louisiana, Bacon College in Kentucky, and the University of Missouri before coming to Christian University in August 1856. He served as president until his death in 1859.^[5]
Presidents and their years of service include:^[5]

Recent presidents

President Valentine launched the first capital campaign in twenty years which increased the endowment from $15.8 million in 2009 to $21.0 million.^[6] In addition to raising the endowment, there were upgrades in buildings, scholarships and athletic facilities.^[7][8] Enrollment has grown from 771 2010 to 830 in 2015. Unlike the national trend of many more women than men students, Culver- Stockton is evenly divided 50/50 between men and women.^[2]

Richard Valentine (2009-2014)

Richard Valentine, a 1970 graduate of Culver–Stockton, served as the 25th president of Culver-Stockton from 2009 to 2014. Valentine’s educational career spans 38 years at four institutions. At Culver he has served as the first C-SC alumnus president, as a member of the Culver–Stockton Board of Trustees and as a dean of admissions. Valentine raised $2M to endow a Travel Study program. “Ninety percent of our enrollment will have had travel experience by the time they leave Culver-Stockton," Valentine said. Among his accomplishments while President include successfully completing C-SC’s first capital campaign, increasing alumni participation to the highest level in its history and bringing in two years in a row an incoming class of 300+ students for the first time in 15 years. Other projects completed as listed in the ‘’Herald-Whig’ article include remodeling a residence hall and the library, constructing a new softball complex and C-SC's coffee shop, installing a state-of-the art recording studio and television studio, enhancing campus beautification through landscaping, fountains, benches and installing a new entrance and funding a new Recreation and Wellness Center.^[8]

Kelly M. Thompson (2014-present)

Dr. Kelly M. Thompson became the twenty-sixth president of Culver–Stockton College on July 1, 2014. She is the College’s first woman president and succeeds Mr. Richard Valentine, the College’s first alumnus president. According to Ron Leftwich, Class of 1964, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and former vice president of Shell Oil, "We look forward to her leadership and working with her as we continue to become a stronger College focused on enhancing the Student Experience." Dr. Thompson is a higher education administrator who has specialized in enrollment management and fund raising. Thompson served as Vice President for External Relations since 2008 at Barton College in Wilson, N.C., which is also affiliated with the Disciples of Christ denomination. Thompson has experience in major gift fundraising, campaign management, annual fund programs, planned giving, marketing, alumni and parent relations, admissions and financial aid. She raised $3.5 million for a new theatre, $1.6 million for a new entrance, and increased Barton College’s net tuition revenue by $2.4 million. Her previous employers included Davenport University, National-Louis University and the National College of Education. Thompson earned an Ed.D. in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Arts in communications and theater from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater from the University of Illinois-Champaign.^[9]

Campus

Buildings

Most of the buildings on today's Culver–Stockton campus have been built since 1937. Much construction and complete renovation of the major buildings on campus have taken place since 1980.

Henderson Hall

The first building on Culver–Stockton Campus was Old Main, today known as Henderson Hall. Construction was begun in 1853 and completed in 1855. The building was destroyed by fire on March 23, 1903. In keeping with a tradition that carries on today, students didn’t miss one day of school. Officials organized classes in local churches. College President Carl Johann resolved to rebuild; and within 10 days of the fire, the citizens of Canton raised $15,000 for a new building. The college collected $8,000 insurance and salvaged $4,000 worth of stone and brick from the old building. The new building was completed and occupied by May 15, 1904. Since funds were still short to complete payment, orator and three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan spoke on campus on August 24, 1904, to help raise funds. The new building was named for Dr. Pat Henderson, one of the founders and first president of the board of trustees. Henderson was a church leader, an editor and publisher of religious publications, and a tireless public servant. He was instrumental in the founding of Eureka College and Columbia College in addition to Culver–Stockton. He served in several governmental social service capacities during and after the Civil War. He was an outspoken advocate of education for women. Since the original building had a dome, a dome also was part of the new construction. The dome on Henderson Hall continues to be an important symbol of the College to this day. Henderson Hall originally housed science laboratories, men’s and women’s gymnasiums, a museum, a dining room, a “commercial” department, library, administrative offices, classrooms, an assembly hall that seated about 600 with a rolling door at the rear that could be opened to add 400 more spectators, and three meeting rooms for student groups. As educational activities were dispersed to other buildings, Henderson continued to serve, as it does today, as a primary administrative and classroom building. Henderson Hall was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Johnson Hall

Johnson Hall was built in 1912 as Culver–Stockton Hall as a “co-educational” residence hall with 44 men living on one wing and 44 women on the other. There was a superintendent’s office in the middle to maintain no communication between the sides. Culver–Stockton has historically considered the physical fitness of the student body a high priority. A gymnasium occupied the main floor of the center section. A swimming pool, dining hall, and laundry occupied the basement. The hall represents an early collaboration between important pioneer donors, Mary Culver and Robert Stockton, each of whom contributed $25,000. The dormitory wings of Johnson burned in 1923 but were rebuilt to house 100 women. Male students moved to another building. A new gymnasium building with swimming pool was constructed on a nearby site and the old gymnasium and swimming pool area was remodeled into parlors, classrooms, meeting rooms, practice rooms and a YWCA room. Students still live in Johnson Hall. Its basement has been a dining hall and a theater but currently serves as administrative offices for student organizations and the Student Development office.

Carl Johann Memorial Library

The college library had been housed in Henderson Hall before discussion began in 1937 about a separate building. The Great Depression and looming war slowed money raising, but $23,000 was raised before World War II broke out. In 1947 the need for a separate library/classroom building became acute. Six faculty houses were razed to make room for the new building. The building was named after Carl Johann, an important early college president. The original building housed the bookstore/soda fountain, a projection room, a phonograph room, and a museum in the basement. The second floor was used for administrative offices and classrooms. The library and the headquarters of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society were on the third floor. Administrative offices were moved back to Henderson after renovations were completed, and offices in Johann were remodeled for faculty. Wings added in 1965 were initially to be funded using a federal grant under the Higher Education Facilities Act of 1963. After the grant was approved the Board of Trustees realized that complying with government regulations would add $50,000 to the cost of the building and prohibit the teaching of religion classes in the new wings. The board turned down the grant. It was a newsworthy act. As word got out many newspapers and individuals praised the College’s independence. One of the wings housed science classrooms, offices, and labs. The other wing housed general classrooms, offices and additional library study space on the third floor. In 2002 the science department was moved to its own building. In 2012, "The Lab," a coffeehouse and gathering spot, was constructed in the area that used to house a science lab.

Ellison A. Poulton Memorial Stadium

The Ellison A. Poulton Memorial Stadium was dedicated at Homecoming in 1953 to Ellison A. Poulton, a Canton native. While a student at Culver–Stockton, he played on the football team. He graduated from Culver–Stockton in 1919 and Harvard Law School in 1922. The Roy D. Wilcox Memorial Pressbox was added in 2003.

Carla Rifkind Warsaw Memorial Chapel of All Faiths

Required daily chapel was a ritual of academic life at Culver–Stockton from the beginning. In the 1960s one focus of student unrest was required chapel. Ultimately, required chapel services were eliminated. Voluntary chapel service continued reflecting the historic affiliation with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the mission of the college. Services were held in an assortment of places including an outdoor chapel on the northeast corner of campus.

In 1970 the college began planning the new Gladys Crown Student Center named for the wife of Col. Henry Crown, prominent businessman and philanthropist.^[10] Connected to the east wing is the Carla Rifkind Warsaw Memorial Chapel of All Faiths. The chapel contains centers for worship and meditation for Protestant, Catholic and Jewish students. Rabbi Dr. Louis Binstock of Chicago led the dedication service in 1972. Long-time art professor, Grant Kenner created the All Faiths Frieze encircling the chapel interior in 1973-76. The frieze displays an original ecumenical emblem designed by Prof. Kenner and 44 other symbols representing the great religions of the world. In 2002, Professor Kenner created stained glass and metal doors for the chapel.

Herrick Foundation Center

The Herrick Foundation Center, renovated in 1983 from the L.L. Culver Gymnasium, built in 1925, was named for the Herrick Foundation which contributed funds toward the building. A center for business and art, the building features classrooms and seminar rooms, a 125-seat auditorium, five art studios, a photography darkroom, a general computer lab and a graphic arts lab, and the Mabee Art Gallery, located in a two-story gallery that hosts several professional art exhibitions are planned annually as well as faculty and student art shows.

Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center

The Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center was added to Alexander Campbell Auditorium in 1990. It is named in honor of Robert W. Brown, president emeritus. The state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center houses all three of Culver–Stockton's performing spaces. The Alexander Campbell Auditorium, which was built in 1966, is a 900-seat proscenium theatre used for musicals and larger theatre productions. Mabee Little Theatre is a flexible seating "Black Box" experimental theatre, used for theatre department productions and student-directed productions. The Performing Arts Center also houses practice and rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, a costume shop, orchestra pit, the music computer lab, piano lab, faculty studios, and classrooms.

Science Center

Opened for classes in 2002, the Science Center is Culver–Stockton College's newest academic building. The facility houses the college’s science, mathematics and computer information systems academic departments. The Science Center features the John A. Sperry Jr. Astronomical Observation Platform, Carolyn L. Brown Lecture Hall, a computer lab, several science laboratories, classrooms and faculty offices.

Roy D. Wilcox Memorial Pressbox

The Roy D. Wilcox Memorial Pressbox was built in 2003. It is named in honor of Roy D. Wilcox, a Culver–Stockton alumnus and Wildcat sports fan. Wilcox's family attended the dedication ceremony during Homecoming 2003.

The "Hill"

Throughout the College’s history the “Hill” has been an enduring symbol of the college. For decades students climbed the east front of the campus up the steep hill to get from downtown to class. In the winter, students and local children used the hill for sledding. In 1964, after much discussion, a roadway was built connecting Lewis Street and Henderson Hall. Alongside the road a sidewalk and steps were built. The Board of Trustees envisioned a road that would give a panoramic view of the college on one side and the Mississippi Valley on the other. The site was named after Ada Wallace Roberts, a long-time English professor and administrator. At the base of the hill was placed a memorial with the names of those alumni who had given their lives in World War II.^[11]

The Concourse continues to provide the panoramic view the trustees originally sought. About 200 campus older trees were lost in the tornado of May 2003. The College developed a Greenspace Committee to advise on landscaping matters and to protect the historic views.

Academics

Culver–Stockton College offers bachelor's degrees in many different fields of study. The semester consists of 12 week classes and a 3-week class designed to give students "experiential" or intense learning experience that often includes domestic and international travel. Also, through its Online Campus, courses can be taken in an 8-week accelerated format. In addition, Culver–Stockton partners with the Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing in Quincy, Ill., just across the river, to offer a four-year nursing degree.

The 2014-2015 listed tuition and fees are $24,050 and room and board is $7,780. Over 90% who apply for financial aid receive it. On average need based aid covered 75% of students' costs.^[2] The student-faculty ratio at Culver–Stockton College is 13:1, and the school has 64.1 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students.^[2]

Starting in 2013, the Business Division began offering an online MBA. The most popular majors are Business Administration and Management; Sport and Fitness Administration/Management; Psychology; Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse; and Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration.^[12] The College is divided into three large divisions as of July 1, 2014, which contain many different majors and programs. An individualized major is also an option. The three new divisions are entitled Applied Liberal Arts and Sciences (ALAS), Fine, Applied, and Literary Arts (FALA), and Business, Education, and Law (BEL). The information below summaries some of the largest programs which have been recently regrouped into the larger divisional categories.

Business

The Business Department offers bachelor of science degree programs, with majors in Accounting, Business, Finance, Management, and Management Information Systems. Programs are focused around hands-on experience and leadership development. There are several student organizations in the division, including one which operates an online e-Bay business. Minor concentrations also are available.

Education

The Education Department offers degree programs and certification for future teachers, including early childhood, elementary education, middle education and secondary education. Although some states may require additional certification tests, all states will accept Culver–Stockton's teaching credentials at least provisionally.

Applied Arts

This program offers accredited bachelor of science degrees in applied arts, including athletic training, physical/health education, and recreation management.

Fine Arts

Culver–Stockton includes Programs of Fine Arts, with degree programs in art, arts management, music, theatre, and musical theatre. Culver–Stockton is one of only two colleges to offer an arts management degree, which combines courses in fine arts, business, and communications. The musical theatre major, new in 2007, combines courses in music, theatre, and dance.

Humanities

Humanities balances a solid liberal arts foundation with preparation for a professional career. The program offers degrees in English, history, religion, and philosophy.

Natural and Mathematical Sciences

The Programs of Natural and Mathematical Sciences offers majors in biology, biological chemistry, mathematics, or clinical laboratory science. Pre-professional programs are available in occupational and physical therapy, dentistry, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine.

Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Programs in Social and Behavioral Sciences offers degrees in Criminal Justice, Legal Studies (Pre-Law), Communications, Psychology, Sociology and Political Science. Specializations include Forensic Science, Forensic Accounting, and Law Enforcement (Criminal Justice), Media Communication, Public Relations Communication, and Sports Communication (Communications), Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, and Occupational Therapy (Psychology), International Studies, Public Policy for Political Science majors and Legal Studies.

Student Organizations include: International and Domestic Events Awareness Society (IDEAS), Delta Phi Epsilon International Society of Business and Foreign Affairs (Colony), Student Government Association, Phi Eta Sigma, Mock Trial, Mediation, Alpha Phi Sigma, KCSW, Megaphone Newspaper, Lambda Pi Eta, Psi Chi, Psychology Club, and Occupational Therapy club.^[13]

Nursing Program

Partnering with the Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing, Culver–Stockton combines staff and faculty expertise, resources, and commitment of both campuses to offer a four-year program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The baccalaureate degree is jointly conferred by Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Culver–Stockton College. Students generally spend their freshman and sophomore years attending class on the Culver–Stockton campus and their last two years at Blessing-Rieman in Quincy, Ill., although many students continue to live on the Canton campus.^[14]

Athletics

Culver–Stockton's athletic teams are known as the Wildcats and compete in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, an affiliate of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Eighteen Wildcat teams compete in the HAAC: basketball (men's and women's), soccer (men's and women's), golf (men's and women's), track and field (men's and women's), cross country (men's and women's), baseball, football, volleyball (men's and women's), softball, bowling (men's and women's),y and a co-ed spirit squad. Both track and field and cross country were reintroduced in 2007. Complete records of all teams are available online.^[15]

Student life

Undergraduate customs and traditions had solidified by the 1930s. The sophomores lorded over the freshmen, making them wear little green caps. As the college historian notes:

It was one of the inseparable parts of college life, as important as football games, dances, fraternities, sororities, and other activities.^[16]

Greek life

Over a third of the men (36%) live together in fraternities and a third of the women (39%) live together in sororities.^[2] Greek life on Culver–Stockton's campus differs from many as the college provides on campus housing for the Greek houses. The sororities are housed in three separate buildings located near the center of campus. The fraternities, with one exception, are housed in fraternity park which was completed in 1996. The college has plans to build a fourth house in "the park" to house the last fraternity.^[17]

Interfraternity Council

Fraternity	Chapter	Founded	National Affiliation Date	Local Name
Alpha Tau Omega	Eta Omicron Chapter	1967	1971	Beta Gamma Phi
Delta Upsilon	Culver–Stockton Chapter	1988	1988
Kappa Alpha Psi	Eta Kappa Chapter	1974	1974
Lambda Chi Alpha	Kappa Mu Chapter	1867	1939	Hawkins Literary Institute
Tau Kappa Epsilon	Zeta Pi Chapter	1868	1959	Mathatropian Literary Society

Panhellenic Council

Sorority	Chapter	Founded	National Affiliation Date	Local Name
Chi Omega	Mu Gamma Chapter	1867	1927	Zetolophian Literary Society
Sigma Kappa	Beta Mu Chapter	1927	1947	Omega Delta
Sigma Sigma Sigma	Eta Sigma Chapter	2005	2005	Phi Kappa Chi

Past Greek Organizations

Organization	Chapter	Founded	Date Left Campus	Local Name
Alpha Xi Delta	Beta Nu Chapter	1943	2004
Sigma Phi Epsilon	Missouri Epsilon	1952	1990s

Professional Greek Organizations

Organization	Chapter	Focus	Founded	National Affiliation
Delta Phi Epsilon	Culver-Stockton	International Affairs	2013	2014

Honor Greek Organizations

Organization	Subject/Class
Alpha Chi	Senior
Alpha Phi Sigma	Criminal Justice
Beta Beta Beta	Biology
Lambda Pi Eta	Communications
Phi Alpha Theta	History
Phi Eta Sigma	Freshman
Pi Lambda Theta	Education
Psi Chi	Psychology
Sigma Beta Delta	Business
Sigma Phi Zeta	Music
Sigma Tau Delta	English
Theta Alpha Phi	Theatre

Notable alumni

• Jason Kaiser, Football player who has played in the CFL, NFL, XFL, and the AFL.
• Edward V. Long, US Senator from Missouri
• Craig Redmon, member of the Missouri House of Representatives
• Larry Thompson, Former United States Deputy Attorney General
• Harold Kottman, Former member of the Boston Celtics
• Michèle Crider, operatic soprano

References

Further reading

• Peters, George. Dreams Come True: A History of Culver-Stockton College (1941)
• Lee, George R Culver-Stockton College: The First 130 Years (1984)

External links

• Official website