Blackburn College (Illinois)

Blackburn College
Type Private
Established 1837
Affiliation Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
President Dr. John Comerford
Administrative staff
51
Undergraduates 590
Location Carlinville, IL, USA
39°17′17″N 89°52′19″W / 39.288°N 89.872°W / 39.288; -89.872Coordinates: 39°17′17″N 89°52′19″W / 39.288°N 89.872°W / 39.288; -89.872
Campus Small town
Mascot Barney the Beaver
Website www.blackburn.edu

Blackburn College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Carlinville, Illinois, United States which is the county seat of Macoupin County, Illinois (a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area). It was established in 1837 and named for the Rev. Gideon Blackburn. Blackburn is one of only seven federally recognized work colleges in the United States,[1] and it has the only student-managed work program, enabling students to gain leadership experience as they manage other students. All resident students are required to work, but the program is optional for commuter students. Each student that works receives a tuition discount for the hours they work in the work program. It is also the least expensive private college in Illinois.

History

Blackburn College is named for the Reverend Gideon Blackburn, D.D., a Presbyterian minister and former president of Centre College in Kentucky. Like many founders of American colleges, Dr. Blackburn sought to establish an institution to train young men for the ministry.

If his ambitions were spiritual, his methods were practical indeed. He bought public lands for $1.25 an acre and resold them at $2.00 to people who believed in his mission. More than 16,000 acres were involved, and the people of Carlinville bought another 80 acres on the edge of town to provide Blackburn with a campus.

In 1837 these lands were deeded to a Board of Trustees. Since that time, Blackburn has been continuously governed by an independent Board of Trustees. In 1857, the trustees obtained a charter in the name of Blackburn Theological Seminary. The first building, University Hall, constructed in 1838, cost $12,000. A year later a primary school opened and Blackburn began to function as a teaching and learning institution.

During the Civil War a full collegiate course of study was introduced, including both the classics and the sciences, and in 1869 the name was changed to Blackburn College. Until 1912 the College continued as a small liberal arts institution, largely local in its service and influence.

But that year was a turning point. Dr. William M. Hudson was elected president and good things began to happen. During the 33 years of his administration, Blackburn grew phenomenally, in physical size certainly, but, more important, in the scope and effectiveness of its academic program.

Dr. Hudson initiated the internationally known Work Program at Blackburn a year after he took office. In 1916, the College began to offer an Associate of Arts degree in addition to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Accurately estimating the resources and the success of the two-year program,the College abandoned its four-year program in 1918 and concentrated on a two-year degree. The four-year curriculum was reinstituted in 1947.

Blackburn’s history has been one of strong purpose and imagination. For instance, the first expansion of the physical plant in some years was in 1914, when two Pullman cars were donated by the Pullman Company and used for student housing. It was a daring act of practical wisdom and it attracted a wide and admiring audience. When fire destroyed University Hall in 1927, it destroyed the College offices, chapel, library, classrooms, and the rooms of 80 men. Again, the College took to the rails - this time obtaining two parlor cars from the Pullman Company and two day coaches from the Standard Oil Company to be used as classrooms, library, and offices.

Dr. Hudson’s Work Program has had a strong influence on the character of Blackburn, and until 1943 part of its impact was agricultural. Farm work was included in the program for some 30 years with students raising livestock, poultry and produce for use in the College dining hall.

The Work Program worked wonders in other ways. Not only did it reduce costs, but it attracted the attention and generosity of a number of foundations, companies and individuals. When Dr. Hudson came to Blackburn, institutional assets were under $100,000. When he retired in 1945, they totaled nearly two million.

Nine major campus buildings have been built by student labor under the direction of professionals. Seven others were built by outside contractors. An extended athletic facility was completed in 1984 and a library addition in 1991 - the work again being undertaken by students. In 1999, Hudson Hall was completely renovated so that classrooms and offices are all air conditioned, newly furnished and equipped with the most current instructional technology, including a 21-station computer classroom.

Enrollment has risen to approximately 600 students. Curriculum and faculty have been expanded. Major fields have been added to the academic program, and the College enjoys a reputation for high quality education within an unusual and rewarding campus environment.

Presidents

  1. Reverend John C. Downer 1859-1862
  2. Robert B. Minton, M.A. 1862-1867
  3. John W. Bailey, D.D. 1867-1876
  4. Robert B. Minton, M.A. 1876-1877
  5. Edwin L. Hurd, D.D. 1877-1891
  6. Richard Edwards, LL.D. 1891-1893
  7. James E. Rogers, Ph.D., D.D. 1893-1896
  8. Walter H. Crowell, M.A. 1896-1897
  9. Walter H. Bradley, Ph.D., D.D. 1897-1905
  10. Thomas W. Lingle, Ph.D. 1905-1908
  11. Walter H. Bradley, Ph.D., D.D. 1908-1912
  12. William Mestrezat Hudson, Ph.D., D.D., LL.D. 1912-1945
  13. Robert Ward McEwen, Ph.D. 1945-1949
  14. Donald Matthew MacKenzie, Ph.D. 1949
  15. Robert Phillips Ludlum, Ph.D., L.H.D. 1949-1965
  16. Glenn Lowery McConagha, Ph.D., L.H.D. 1965-1974
  17. John Robert Alberti, Ph.D., LL.D. 1974-1982
  18. William Foster Denman, D. Phil. 1982-1989
  19. David Warfield Brown, J.D. 1989-1991
  20. Miriam R. Pride, D.Litt. 1991-2013
  21. John L. Comerford, Ph.D. 2013-Present

Campus

Blackburn’s campus occupies the 80-acre site originally chosen in 1835 by Dr. Gideon Blackburn, the College’s founder. It is typical central Illinois prairie, gently rolling terrain, with many trees and shrubs. Even though the College has been in existence since 1837, most buildings have been constructed since 1950. Students built nine of the principal buildings entirely or partially as part of the Work Program. You also might see Brian Hendren, a respected alumni, getting the students pumped up at a local sporting event in his Barney the Beaver Costume.

Academic facilities

Classes are held in Hudson Hall, the F.W. Olin Science Building, the Alumni Hall of Biology, the Mahan Science Laboratory wing, the Renner Art Center, a Visual Arts Center, Isabel Bothwell Conservatory of Music, the Rahme Learning Resource Center, the David M. Woodson Center for Business and Economics, and the Woodward Physical Education Center. These academic buildings have excellent facilities for classroom instruction and studio and laboratory work.

Non-academic facilities

Academic

Blackburn College is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and the teacher's education program is accredited by Illinois State Board of Education. It is a member of the Council of Independent Colleges. Blackburn College offers the Bachelor of Arts degree with an academic major. A student has the option of selecting an academic minor, but a minor is not required for graduation. Blackburn students can choose from over 40 majors in the following sixteen academic departments/programs: Art, Biology, Business and Economics, Chemistry, Communications, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Education, English, History, Mathematics, Performing Arts, Physical Education, Political Science, Psychology, and Spanish. The College also offers pre-professional programs in Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science, Law, Theology, Pre-Nursing, and Medical Technology.

Work program

The work program was first instituted at Blackburn College in 1913 in order to provide access to higher education to individuals with the academic ability, but who were lacking the financial means. While cost reduction remains an important value of the work program today, there is an emphasis on the opportunities it provides for student learning. The work program is intended as a vehicle for personal growth including leadership opportunities and community involvement. Most students work a minimum of 160 hours each semester (10 hours a week) in partnership with faculty and staff to help provide virtually all services essential to college operations. By sharing, belonging, and contributing through their work, students gain an added sense of community and individual responsibility, while also establishing some lifelong friendships. This combination of academic preparation and practical work experience uniquely prepares students for meeting the challenges of life, career, and any post-graduate experience.

Athletics

The College Quad
Hudson Hall - The Main Academic Building

Blackburn's athletic teams compete in Division III of the NCAA's St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Blackburn, known athletically as the Beavers, was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1914 to 1923. Blackburn has fielded championship teams in men's basketball, women's basketball, football, men's golf, and baseball. The men's golf team earn the most recent SCIAC championship in 2010.

In January 2009, the college announced that it would stop fielding a football team after the 2008-2009 school year.[2]

Men's sports

Women's sports

Notable alumni

References

  1. "F.A.Q: Work Colleges Consortium". Work Colleges Consortium. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008.
  2. Dettro, Chris (January 14, 2009). "Blackburn makes plans to drop football". State Journal-Register.
  3. "Walt Harrington". University of Illinois College of Media. Retrieved June 1, 2013.

External links

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