Kentucky Wesleyan College: Leading the Way in Owensboro
The history of Kentucky Wesleyan University began shortly before the American Civil War. In 1858, the Kentucky Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the South voted to establish Kentucky Wesleyan College in Millersburg, Kentucky. In 1866, following the end of hostilities between the North and South, the college began to officially offer classes. Although the institution was begun as a training ground for ministers and missionaries, the school quickly evolved to offer a wide array of liberal arts and business courses.
By the late 1880s, after nearly half the institution's alumni were employed as either businessmen or teachers, the school decided that its home in Millersburg was too remote and inadequate to meet the needs of its students. Therefore, in 1890, the school was relocated to the town of Winchester in Clark County, Kentucky. Built at the junction of two railroads, Winchester represented an ideal spot for the college's students to congregate for their studies.
Shortly after the move to Winchester, women were admitted to the student body, making Kentucky Wesleyan College one of the first institutes in Kentucky to offer co-educational classes. In addition, the 1890s saw the addition of solid athletic programs for both men and women, an important development for that era.
The first few years of the 20th century brought difficult times for Kentucky Wesleyan College. In 1905, the main classroom building on campus was destroyed by fire. Although devastating, the fire supplied the college with one of its most important relics. Amongst the flames, an ornament of Minerva (the Roman goddess of wisdom) fell undamaged from the building. It is now displayed on the current campus and serves as a rallying point for many school activities.
With the advent of World War I, Kentucky Wesleyan once again began to offer courses in Military Science. Following the war, the college bolstered its science and humanities programs under the direction of Dean Paul Farrier. In addition, a new gymnasium was constructed for the college's ever-expanding athletics program.
After the harsh years of the Great Depression and World War II, the school underwent its most drastic change to date. In the late 1940s, a former student of Kentucky Wesleyan, Talmage Hocker ('27), led a campaign to raise $1,000,000 to persuade the college to move to Owensboro. Once all of the money had been collected, the Board of Trustees voted in 1950 to move the campus to Owensboro in western Kentucky. After four years at a temporary campus in downtown Owensboro, the school was then moved permanently to its new, fully operational campus in 1954.
Even though the school received its accreditation from the Association of Southern Colleges and Schools in 1947, the institution sought to further recognize the outstanding academic performances of its students. Therefore, in 1955, the school founded the Order of the Oak and Ivy, an organization to honor students with exceptional academic and service-related achievements.
Throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the college experienced a series of construction projects. New residence halls were completed. Computer classrooms were installed with corresponding courses in technological science, and a new library was built. Plus, further services for students became available with the opening of the Health and Recreation Center and the newly reconstructed College Quadrangle.
During the 1990s, the college made several changes to its curriculum as well as to its academic goals. With a renewed desire to prepare future leaders in the 21st century, Kentucky Wesleyan partnered with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to offer grants in leadership education courses. Furthermore, the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation began the Leadership Lecture Series, a collection of seminars designed to provide instruction in the qualities of leadership. By the end of the century, Kentucky Wesleyan had also become one of the first colleges in America to provide Internet access for students in their dorm rooms.
The 21st century at Kentucky Wesleyan began with a somber affair. On January 3, 2000, the campus was crippled by an F3 tornado. Several buildings were damaged, including administration buildings and the physical plant. Nevertheless, the college community pledged to rebuild, eventually returning the campus to its original glory within a few years.
Over the past few years, Kentucky Wesleyan has seen additional new developments as well. In further response to the destruction left by the 2000 tornado, the college constructed new facilities such as the Winchester Center, the Yu Hak Hahn Center for the Sciences, the President's Home and Steele Stadium. In addition to a sharp increase in enrollment numbers, several new faculty members and academic programs have been added. In 2007, the college established the W. Terry Woodward Chair of Entrepreneurial Studies.
The future for Kentucky Wesleyan College appears bright and full of possibilities. The college has already initiated a plan called Future 2010, a program designed to further expand and upgrade the school on all levels. With an aim to obtain 1,050 enrollments by 2010, Kentucky Wesleyan is on track as one of the nation's fastest growing institutions of higher learning.
2008 will also be a very special year for Kentucky Wesleyan College. The school will mark its 150-year sesquicentennial anniversary with a series of celebration. If you would like to learn more about Kentucky Wesleyan College, please visit us on campus or on the Web (www.kwc.edu). We would be delighted to show you around our wonderful school and welcome you to our family!
