Midway College - Heritage and Prestige

Midway College was established in 1847 as Kentucky Female Orphan School. Dr. Lewis Letig Pinkerton, a young minister of the Disciples of Christ Church, and James Ware Parrish, who led the fundraising for the school, planned to launch a revolutionary educational experiment. The intention was to grant all women, especially disadvantaged women, the opportunity to obtain an education in the field of teaching.

As a proactive career training provider, Midway College showed a high level of leadership in the industry by identifying the needs of the community, the resources in the area and the demand for higher education. The aim was to empower women of all adult-learning ages to become independent and skillful and to succeed as mothers and teachers.

Dr. Pinkerton created a liberal arts curriculum that he hoped would support further advancements for woman in Kentucky and in the surrounding region. The benefits of this new educational opportunity went well beyond a woman’s ability to read the Bible to her children. The newly licensed teachers passed on the knowledge and passion for learning to other young people – men and women in the state of Kentucky and beyond.

Over the years, the founders’ philosophy and creed have been preserved and nurtured. Midway continues to carry the torch forward for the progress and enlightenment of new generations. Still based on a strong liberal arts curriculum, Midway College continues to develop instructional avenues and to build excellence in education. Its academic offerings are among the most respected and sought after in the region and in the country.

Modern day programs at Midway College extend from nursing and equine management to organizational leadership. Moreover, since the advent of distance learning, more and more students have found Midway College Online to be a fine option for higher education. The convenience and flexibility of the online programs provide students across the country with the same quality education as Midway’s face-to-face, on-campus programs.  

Midway College’s quality academics will continue to translate into professional success for those who seek to realize the opportunities the College provides.