Bethany College (West Virginia)

Bethany College
Bethany College Seal
Former name
Buffalo Seminary
Motto"World Of Worth And Value"
TypePrivate liberal arts college
Established1840; 186 years ago (1840)
FounderAlexander Campbell
Religious affiliation
Christian Church
Endowment$51.4 million (2023)
Budget45.6 Million
PresidentJamie Caridi
Vice-presidentDr. Jeffrey R. Breese
Academic staff
72
Administrative staff
75
Students623 (fall 2022)
Location
Bethany, West Virginia
,
Bethany
,
West Virginia
,
26032
,
US
Campus
  • 1,300 acres (530 ha)
  • Rural, 1,300 acres (526 ha) total
ColorsGreen and white    
NicknameBison
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division III – PAC
MascotBoomer The Bison
Websitebethanywv.edu
College Logo

Bethany College is a private liberal arts college in Bethany, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1840 by minister Alexander Campbell of the Restoration Movement, who gained support by the Virginia legislature, Bethany College was the first institution of higher education in what is now West Virginia. The college has an enrollment of approximately 620 students.

History

A liberal arts college, Bethany was chartered on March 2, 1840, by the Virginia legislature and given "all degree-granting powers" of the University of Virginia. West Virginia's secession from Virginia on June 20, 1863, recognized existing Virginia charters; Bethany College continues to operate under the Virginia charter.

It was founded by Alexander Campbell, a minister in the Restoration Movement who provided the land and funds for the first building and served as the first president. Bethany has been a four-year private liberal arts college affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), since its inception. This religious body, of which Campbell was one of the principal founders, continues to support and encourage the college but exercises no sectarian control. An early center of coeducation, Bethany has admitted women since the 1880s.

Images of Bethany College, 1904

The college's roots stem from the Buffalo Seminary, founded in 1818, by Campbell; sessions were first held in his mansion in Bethany, home of Alexander Campbell and his father Thomas Campbell. The new Buffalo Seminary, " a continuing education arm of the College" is less than a mile away from the College.

The college is the birthplace of Delta Tau Delta, an international social fraternity founded in 1858.

During World War II, Bethany was one of 131 colleges nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program, which offered students a path to a Navy commission.

A number of campus buildings are contributing resources to the Bethany Historic District. The Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Pendleton Heights was listed in 1975 and the Delta Tau Delta Founders House in 1979.

The campus is also home to the Parkinson Forest, which in 2019 was added to the national Old-Growth Forest Network. The designation identifies the Parkinson Forest as the oldest Old-Growth Forest in Brooke County.

Academics

Old Main

Bethany College Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in more than 25 fields.

In 2021, 95% of Bethany College graduates carried student loan debt, averaging $25,704. The endowment fund in 2016 was worth $46.7 million.

Student life

Bethany College has multiple opportunities for student engagement, ranging from sports to social events. The main social event at the school is Homecoming Weekend, which takes place in October.

Athletics

Bethany athletics wordmark

Bethany College athletic teams are nicknamed the Bison. The college is a member of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.

Bethany men's and women's teams compete in 14 intercollegiate varsity sports: acrobatics, baseball, basketball, cross country, equestrian, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.

Notable alumni

Notes

  1. ↑ West Liberty University is older but was a secondary school until 1870.

References

  1. ↑ "Mission & Goals". Bethanywv.edu. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Bethany College". Datausa.io. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  3. ↑ "Administration | Bethany College". Catalogue.bethanywv.edu. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  4. ↑ "College Leadership". Bethanywv.edu. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Contact & Directions". Bethanywv.edu. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Boomer the Bison - Mascot - Staff Directory". Bethany College. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  7. ↑ "College Navigator - Bethany College". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Bethany College". Usnews.com. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  9. ↑ Council, West Virginia Humanities. "Bethany College". Wvencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  10. ↑ "Bethany College :: Campus Ministry". Bethanywv.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ↑ "Campbell, Alexander (1788-1866)". The Crystal Reference Encyclopedia. Crystal Semantics. 2000-01-01.
  12. ↑ "Bethany College :: Bethany College Establishes Buffalo Seminary". Bethanywv.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  13. ↑ "History | Delta Tau Delta". Delts.org. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  14. ↑ "Naval Training and Education Yearbooks in the Navy Department Library". Department of the Navy. 2011. Archived from the original on July 9, 2006. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  15. ↑ Henry J. Browne (September 1981). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Bethany Historic District" (PDF). State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  16. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Parkinson Forest Added to Old-Growth Network - About Bethany - Bethany College". About Bethany. 2019-10-17. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  18. ↑ "Bethany College :: Degrees and Majors". Bethanywv.edu. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
  19. ↑ "Average Student Loan Debt Statistics for 2021". Lendedu.com. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  20. ↑ "Bethany College (WV) - Profile, Rankings and Data". US News. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  21. ↑ "Homecoming Weekend". Bethany College. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  22. ↑ Bethany College on PAC website
  23. ↑ "Member Support". membersupport.commonapp.org. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  24. ↑ "Clark, (James Beauchamp) Champ (1850-1921)." The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather guide. Abington: Helicon, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 17 September 2012.
  25. ↑ "Gordon, Caroline (1895 – 1981)." The Crystal Reference Encyclopedia. West Chiltington: Crystal Semantics, 2005. Credo Reference. Web. 17 September 2012.
  26. ↑ "Noted Tennessee Jurist Is Dead", The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle (May 18, 1923), p. 7.

40°12′21″N 80°33′37″W / 40.20583°N 80.56028°W / 40.20583; -80.56028