Bluffton University
Encyclopedia
Bluffton University, located in Bluffton
, Ohio
, United States
, is a Christian
liberal arts college
affiliated with Mennonite Church USA
.
It was founded in 1899 as Central Mennonite College and became Bluffton College in 1913. The name Bluffton University was adopted in 2004.
Bluffton "seeks to prepare students of all backgrounds for life as well as vocation, for responsible citizenship, for service to all peoples and ultimately for the purposes of God’s universal kingdom."
Students at Bluffton are not proctored during exams. Instead, students are on their honor not to cheat and to report any students who do to the instructor. Students are expected to write the honor pledge ( “I am unaware of any inapropriate aid having been given or received during this exam") on their exams and sign their names.
The honor system was created in 1918 by chemistry professor H.W. Berky, who borrowed the idea from his undergraduate education at Princeton University.
The spirit of the honor system is supposed to pervade every area of campus life.
and became affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA
when it was created in 2002 by a merger between the GCMC and the Mennonite Church. It has been a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
since 1991.
The Mennonite church is an Anabaptist
denomination committed to nonviolence, social justice and voluntary service.
Bluffton has been open to non-Mennonites since its founding and members of the denomination now make up a minority of students.
Historian Perry Bush, in his centennial history of the college, argues that Bluffton's distinctive religious orientation has been to avoid both secularization and generic American evangelicalism. While many other denominational colleges adopted the latter, Bluffton leaders "refused to separate Mennonite ethical principles from the doctrines they held in common with other evangelicals. They refused to treat peace and service as if they were add-ons, 'nonessentials,' extra-chrome options. Christ's theological and ethical teachings were all of one piece, Mennonites have insisted, and a proper Christian college would be built on the firm integration of the two."
Evidence of this focus can be found in the high percentage of Bluffton graduates "devoting lives to service occupations: teaching, medicine, social work, church ministry, and the like."
Division III and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
. Its sports teams are nicknamed the Beavers; the school colors are royal purple and white.
The school fields seven men's teams (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, indoor and outdoor track & field) and seven women's teams (basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball).
In 1913, under President Samuel Mosiman (1910-1935), the college reorganized as Bluffton College with support from five Mennonite groups. The first baccalaureate degrees were confirmed in 1915.
By 1930 enrollment had increased to 371 students, but it fell to 185 by 1936 as the college was battered by the Great Depression
and by charges from some of its Mennonite constituency that it promoted theological liberalism. The college had a seemingly successful raising drive in 1929 in an effort to increase its endowment to $500,000 and qualify for accreditation from the North Central Association. However, donors were unable to make good on their pledges after the stock market crash; the college failed to gain accreditation and fell into financial crisis.
In 1931, Witmarsum Theological Seminary, which had been affiliated with the college, closed its doors for good.
Musselman Library was completed in 1930, joining College Hall (1900) and Science Hall (1913, later renamed Berky Hall) as the primary academic buildings.
After the brief presidency of Arthur Rosenberger (1935-1938), Lloyd Ramseyer assumed the Bluffton College presidency in 1938 and served until 1965. Although enrollment plummeted to as low as 77 students during World War II
, Ramseyer's tenure was marked by growth and expansion. Enrollment surpassed 300 in 1957 and 400 in 1960. The college finally received NCA accreditation in 1953.
Under presidents Ramseyer and Robert Kreider (1965-1972) the college also underwent a building boom. Since 1924, Bluffton had had just two residence halls, Ropp Hall (1914) for women and Lincoln Hall (1924) for men. Ropp Annex was completed in 1958 followed by four others (Bren-Dell Hall, Hirschy Hall, Hirschy Annex and Ropp Addition) by 1967.
Other new buildings during this period included Founders Hall/Burky Addition (1951/1971), a sports facility with a 2,000-seat auditorium; Mosiman Hall (1960), the music building; a four-story expansion to the library (1966); Marbeck Center (1968), a student union with dining facilities, book store and other student facilities; and Riley Court (1969), a five-building complex that now house administrative offices.
There were plans for future expansion and growth, but the 1970s instead were a time of retrenchment and conflict. Enrollment peaked at 789 in 1969 but dropped below 700 by 1972 and below 600 by 1975. The college fell deep into debt and made significant cut-backs.
Bluffton's sixth president, Ben Sprunger (1972-1977), proposed increasing enrollment by transforming Bluffton into an evangelical college. This proposal was resisted by faculty, leading to Sprunger's resignation. However, during Sprunger's term, the college managed to balance the budget, conduct a successful capital campaign and construct Shoker Science Center (1978).
Enrollment at Bluffton was below 600 for most of the 1980s, but the college experienced another era of growth and expansion in the 1990s under presidents Elmer Neufeld (1978-1996) and Lee F. Snyder (1996-2006), the first female president at Bluffton or any other Mennonite college. By 1995, the enrollment surpassed 1,000 for the first time.
The college built two new residence halls, Ramseyer Hall (1994) and Neufeld Hall (2003), to meet housing demand. Other building projects included Sauder Visual Arts Center (1991), which houses an art gallery and studios for painting, drawing, sculpture and other arts; Yoder Recital Hall (1994), a 300-seat, state-of-the-art performance facility; and Centennial Hall (2000), a new academic building.
Another major addition was the Emery Sears Athletic Complex, which includes 2,600-seat Dwight Salzman Stadium (1993) plus a baseball diamond, all-weather track, and soccer field.
In 1995, Bluffton began a masters program in education, the first of its graduate programs.
In 2004, the college, which now had three graduate programs, became Bluffton University.
In 2006, James Harder became Bluffton's ninth president.
WBWH-LP
99.3 FM serves as the campus and community radio station.
in Atlanta, Georgia
, after the driver apparently mistook a southbound left-side exit ramp for a high-occupancy vehicle lane
. The bus crashed into and flipped over a concrete barrier on the overpass and fell 30 feet back onto the interstate.
Four members of the Bluffton baseball team were killed in the accident, along with the bus driver and his wife. A fifth player died a week later from injuries caused by the crash. On March 12, 2008, a memorial titled the "Circle of Remembrance" located near the baseball field was dedicated prior to a Service of Remembrance to mark the one year anniversary of the event.
Of the 35 people on the bus, the following were killed as a result of the crash:
Bluffton, Ohio
Bluffton is a village in Allen and Hancock counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. It had a population of 3,896 at the 2000 census. Bluffton is home to Bluffton University, a four-year educational institution affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. Bluffton is served by the Bluffton general aviation...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
affiliated with Mennonite Church USA
Mennonite Church USA
The Mennonite Church USA, or MCUSA, is an Anabaptist Christian denomination in the United States. Although the organization is a recent 2002 merger of the Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church, the body has roots in the Radical Reformation of the 16th century...
.
It was founded in 1899 as Central Mennonite College and became Bluffton College in 1913. The name Bluffton University was adopted in 2004.
Bluffton "seeks to prepare students of all backgrounds for life as well as vocation, for responsible citizenship, for service to all peoples and ultimately for the purposes of God’s universal kingdom."
Academics
Bluffton offers 39 undergraduate majors organized in 13 academic departments. It also offers three graduate degrees: Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Organizational Management, and Master of Arts in Education.Students at Bluffton are not proctored during exams. Instead, students are on their honor not to cheat and to report any students who do to the instructor. Students are expected to write the honor pledge ( “I am unaware of any inapropriate aid having been given or received during this exam") on their exams and sign their names.
The honor system was created in 1918 by chemistry professor H.W. Berky, who borrowed the idea from his undergraduate education at Princeton University.
The spirit of the honor system is supposed to pervade every area of campus life.
Religious heritage and life
Bluffton University was founded (as Central Mennonite College) by the General Conference Mennonite ChurchGeneral Conference Mennonite Church
The General Conference Mennonite Church was an association of Mennonite congregations based in North America from 1860 to 2002. The conference was formed in 1860 when congregations in Iowa invited North American Mennonites to join together in order to pursue common goals such as higher education...
and became affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA
Mennonite Church USA
The Mennonite Church USA, or MCUSA, is an Anabaptist Christian denomination in the United States. Although the organization is a recent 2002 merger of the Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church, the body has roots in the Radical Reformation of the 16th century...
when it was created in 2002 by a merger between the GCMC and the Mennonite Church. It has been a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities is an organization designed to help primarily Protestant and evangelical Christian institutions of higher education cooperate and communicate with one another...
since 1991.
The Mennonite church is an Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
denomination committed to nonviolence, social justice and voluntary service.
Bluffton has been open to non-Mennonites since its founding and members of the denomination now make up a minority of students.
Historian Perry Bush, in his centennial history of the college, argues that Bluffton's distinctive religious orientation has been to avoid both secularization and generic American evangelicalism. While many other denominational colleges adopted the latter, Bluffton leaders "refused to separate Mennonite ethical principles from the doctrines they held in common with other evangelicals. They refused to treat peace and service as if they were add-ons, 'nonessentials,' extra-chrome options. Christ's theological and ethical teachings were all of one piece, Mennonites have insisted, and a proper Christian college would be built on the firm integration of the two."
Evidence of this focus can be found in the high percentage of Bluffton graduates "devoting lives to service occupations: teaching, medicine, social work, church ministry, and the like."
Athletics
Bluffton is a member of NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division III and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio...
. Its sports teams are nicknamed the Beavers; the school colors are royal purple and white.
The school fields seven men's teams (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, indoor and outdoor track & field) and seven women's teams (basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball).
History
The university was founded in 1899 as Central Mennonite College but in its early years functioned as an academy and junior college. When the first president, Noah Hirschy, resigned in 1908, the college had only one building.In 1913, under President Samuel Mosiman (1910-1935), the college reorganized as Bluffton College with support from five Mennonite groups. The first baccalaureate degrees were confirmed in 1915.
By 1930 enrollment had increased to 371 students, but it fell to 185 by 1936 as the college was battered by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and by charges from some of its Mennonite constituency that it promoted theological liberalism. The college had a seemingly successful raising drive in 1929 in an effort to increase its endowment to $500,000 and qualify for accreditation from the North Central Association. However, donors were unable to make good on their pledges after the stock market crash; the college failed to gain accreditation and fell into financial crisis.
In 1931, Witmarsum Theological Seminary, which had been affiliated with the college, closed its doors for good.
Musselman Library was completed in 1930, joining College Hall (1900) and Science Hall (1913, later renamed Berky Hall) as the primary academic buildings.
After the brief presidency of Arthur Rosenberger (1935-1938), Lloyd Ramseyer assumed the Bluffton College presidency in 1938 and served until 1965. Although enrollment plummeted to as low as 77 students during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Ramseyer's tenure was marked by growth and expansion. Enrollment surpassed 300 in 1957 and 400 in 1960. The college finally received NCA accreditation in 1953.
Under presidents Ramseyer and Robert Kreider (1965-1972) the college also underwent a building boom. Since 1924, Bluffton had had just two residence halls, Ropp Hall (1914) for women and Lincoln Hall (1924) for men. Ropp Annex was completed in 1958 followed by four others (Bren-Dell Hall, Hirschy Hall, Hirschy Annex and Ropp Addition) by 1967.
Other new buildings during this period included Founders Hall/Burky Addition (1951/1971), a sports facility with a 2,000-seat auditorium; Mosiman Hall (1960), the music building; a four-story expansion to the library (1966); Marbeck Center (1968), a student union with dining facilities, book store and other student facilities; and Riley Court (1969), a five-building complex that now house administrative offices.
There were plans for future expansion and growth, but the 1970s instead were a time of retrenchment and conflict. Enrollment peaked at 789 in 1969 but dropped below 700 by 1972 and below 600 by 1975. The college fell deep into debt and made significant cut-backs.
Bluffton's sixth president, Ben Sprunger (1972-1977), proposed increasing enrollment by transforming Bluffton into an evangelical college. This proposal was resisted by faculty, leading to Sprunger's resignation. However, during Sprunger's term, the college managed to balance the budget, conduct a successful capital campaign and construct Shoker Science Center (1978).
Enrollment at Bluffton was below 600 for most of the 1980s, but the college experienced another era of growth and expansion in the 1990s under presidents Elmer Neufeld (1978-1996) and Lee F. Snyder (1996-2006), the first female president at Bluffton or any other Mennonite college. By 1995, the enrollment surpassed 1,000 for the first time.
The college built two new residence halls, Ramseyer Hall (1994) and Neufeld Hall (2003), to meet housing demand. Other building projects included Sauder Visual Arts Center (1991), which houses an art gallery and studios for painting, drawing, sculpture and other arts; Yoder Recital Hall (1994), a 300-seat, state-of-the-art performance facility; and Centennial Hall (2000), a new academic building.
Another major addition was the Emery Sears Athletic Complex, which includes 2,600-seat Dwight Salzman Stadium (1993) plus a baseball diamond, all-weather track, and soccer field.
In 1995, Bluffton began a masters program in education, the first of its graduate programs.
In 2004, the college, which now had three graduate programs, became Bluffton University.
In 2006, James Harder became Bluffton's ninth president.
WBWH-LP
WBWH-LP
WBWH is a low-power FM radio station operating at 99.3 mHz in Bluffton, Ohio. It is the campus and community radio station owned and operated by Bluffton University....
99.3 FM serves as the campus and community radio station.
2007 bus crash
On March 2, 2007, a bus carrying the Bluffton baseball team fell off the Northside Drive overpass on Interstate 75Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, after the driver apparently mistook a southbound left-side exit ramp for a high-occupancy vehicle lane
High-occupancy vehicle lane
In transportation engineering and transportation planning, a high-occupancy vehicle lane is a lane reserved for vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers...
. The bus crashed into and flipped over a concrete barrier on the overpass and fell 30 feet back onto the interstate.
Four members of the Bluffton baseball team were killed in the accident, along with the bus driver and his wife. A fifth player died a week later from injuries caused by the crash. On March 12, 2008, a memorial titled the "Circle of Remembrance" located near the baseball field was dedicated prior to a Service of Remembrance to mark the one year anniversary of the event.
Of the 35 people on the bus, the following were killed as a result of the crash:
- Zachary Arend (freshman), 18, Oakwood, OhioOakwood, Paulding County, OhioOakwood is a village in Paulding County, Ohio, United States. The population was 607 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oakwood is located at ....
, pitcher, Bluffton University Beavers Baseball Team, died from injuries on March 9, 2007 - David Betts (sophomore), 20, Bryan, OhioBryan, OhioAs of the census of 2000, there were 8,333 people, 3,528 households, and 2,155 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,821.7 people per square mile . There were 3,733 housing units at an average density of 816.1 per square mile...
, second-baseman, Bluffton University Beavers Baseball Team - Scott Harmon (freshman), 19, Lima, OhioLima, OhioLima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
, third-baseman, Bluffton University Beavers Baseball Team - Cody Holp (freshman), 19, Arcanum, OhioArcanum, OhioArcanum is a village in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,076 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Arcanum is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
, pitcher, Bluffton University Beavers Baseball Team - Jean Niemeyer, 61, Columbus Grove, OhioColumbus Grove, OhioColumbus Grove is a village in Putnam County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,200 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbus Grove is located at ....
, wife of bus driver - Jerome Niemeyer, 65, Columbus Grove, OhioColumbus Grove, OhioColumbus Grove is a village in Putnam County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,200 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbus Grove is located at ....
, bus driver, Executive Coach Luxury Travel, Inc., Ottawa, OhioOttawa, OhioOttawa is a village in and the county seat of Putnam County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,460 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1792 Major Alexander Truman, his servant William Lynch and guide/interpreter William Smalley were sent by George Washington on a peace mission... - Tyler Williams (sophomore), 19, Lima, OhioLima, OhioLima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
, outfielder, Bluffton University Beavers Baseball Team
Notable alumni
- Bluffton's most famous former students are broadcaster Hugh DownsHugh DownsHugh Malcolm Downs is a long time American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, and music composer; and is perhaps best known for his role as co-host the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971, host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969, and...
and comedienne Phyllis DillerPhyllis DillerPhyllis Diller is an American actress and comedian. She created a stage persona of a wild-haired, eccentrically dressed housewife who makes jokes about a husband named "Fang" while pretending to smoke from a long cigarette holder...
. Neither graduated. - Arthur ComptonArthur ComptonArthur Holly Compton was an American physicist and Nobel laureate in physics for his discovery of the Compton effect. He served as Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis from 1945 to 1953.-Early years:...
, physicist and Nobel laureate attended for a year. - Baldemar VelasquezBaldemar VelasquezBaldemar Velásquez is an American labor union activist. He co-founded and is president of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO...
, founder and president of the Farm Labor Organizing CommitteeFarm Labor Organizing CommitteeThe Farm Labor Organizing Committee , AFL-CIO, is a labor union representing migrant farm workers in the Midwestern United States and North Carolina.-History:...
and a 1989 MacArthur Fellow, received a BA in sociology from Bluffton in 1969 and an honorary doctorate in 1999. - Buffalo Bills' wide receiver Elbert DubenionElbert DubenionElbert Dubenion was an American football wide receiver. He played college football for Bluffton College in northwest Ohio....
played college football at Bluffton. - Ceramic artist Paul SoldnerPaul SoldnerPaul Soldner was an American ceramic artist.- Biography :...
received a B.A. from Bluffton in 1946 and an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts in 2003. - Jeff TimmonsJeff TimmonsJeffrey Brandon Timmons is an American pop singer and producer and founding member of the Grammy-nominated pop group 98 Degrees.-98 Degrees:...
, member of the boy band 98 Degrees98 Degrees98 Degrees is an American adult contemporary boy band consisting of four vocalists: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons. The group was formed by Timmons in Los Angeles, California....
, attended Bluffton during the fall 1991 quarter and was a member of the football team. - Allen Yoder Jr., former president of RV company Jayco and 1995 RV President of the Year.
- Science fiction writer Tobias BuckellTobias S. BuckellTobias S. Buckell is a Grenadian science fiction writer. His 2008 novel, Halo: The Cole Protocol, made the The New York Times Best Seller list. He currently lives in Bluffton, Ohio.-Biography:...
- Comedian Judson LaipplyJudson LaipplyJudson Laipply is an American motivational speaker and dancer from Bucyrus, Ohio. He is best known for his performance in the Evolution of Dance viral video clip. He has worked as a public speaker since 2000.-The Evolution of Dance:...
, whose Evolution of Dance video is one of the most viral on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. - Ross Weber former vice president of Manulife FinancialManulife FinancialManulife Financial Corporation , is a Canadian insurance company and financial services provider. Manulife Financial's global head office is located in Toronto, Canada and the Company has operations in 21 countries and territories worldwide.The Company operates in Canada and Asia through the brand...
External links
- Official website
- Bluffton University in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online