Bridgewater College
Encyclopedia
Bridgewater College, is a private
, coeducational, four-year liberal-arts college
located in Bridgewater, Virginia
, a town in Rockingham County
, Virginia
, United States
. Established in 1880, Bridgewater College admitted women from the time of its founding and was the first private liberal arts college
in Virginia
to do so.
Located in the scenic and historic Shenandoah Valley
, Bridgewater enrolls more than 1,650 students (58% female, 42% male) with guaranteed, required on-campus housing.
degree on June 1, 1891.
Bridgewater College became the first private, senior co-educational liberal arts college in Virginia and one of the few accredited colleges of its type in the South. The emphasis on ethical values in educational programs is a result of Bridgewater’s heritage and institutional idealism. The importance placed on these values can be seen through course offerings and convocation programs that encourage personal integrity and strong social consciousness.
and Bachelor of Science
degrees. Bridgewater students have the opportunity to study abroad through the BCA Study Abroad program and Interterm travel courses. Countries include Australia
, Belgium
, China
, Cuba
, Ecuador
, England
, France
, Germany
, Greece
, Hungary
, Ireland
, Japan
, Mexico
, New Zealand
, Spain
, and Wales
. The student-faculty ratio at Bridgewater is 14:1, and the school has 48.0 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students.
of Virginia. The Bridgewater campus comprises 300 acres (1.2 km²) and the educational activities are focused on the primary campus of 40 acres (161,874.4 m²).
Students can choose to be involved in more than 70 social, cultural, religious, and academic clubs and organizations on campus. In addition, the student-run Eagle Productions hosts a wide variety of free weekend activities available to students. Events range from comedians and musicians to Homecoming festivities and the Springfest Carnival.
The nearby cities of Harrisonburg
, Staunton
, and Charlottesville provide numerous arts and cultural opportunities for students, while the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area is only a 2 hour drive away. Civil War battlefields, national parks, agriculture, and restaurants featuring local food are all part of the culture of the Shenandoah Valley
, bounded by the Allegheny Mountains
to the west and the Blue Ridge
chain to the east, which are both visible from campus.
(NCAA) and follows guidelines and policies set forth by this governing body. The teams are members of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference
(ODAC), which has 14 member institutions.
Bridgewater College sponsors 22 NCAA intercollegiate sports, which include baseball
, basketball
, cross country
, football
, golf
, lacrosse
, soccer, tennis
, indoor track, and outdoor track
for men, and basketball
, cross country
, field hockey
, golf
, lacrosse
, softball
, soccer, tennis
, indoor track, outdoor track
, volleyball
and swimming
for women. Additionally, the athletic program supports cheerleading
, a dance team and pep band
, which perform at home football and basketball games.
The equestrian team has consistently been one of the top teams in the Zone 4 Region 2 of the IHSA, winning the title in 2006 and 2011, and also winning the ODAC championship in 2007 and 2009. In 2011, Bridgewater's first ever trip to the IHSA National Show resulted in a tie for fifth place in the team standings with the University of Kentucky. Bridgewater riders finished in the Top 10 in seven of the eight classes. The top six finishers in each class scored points for their team.
In 2001, the Bridgewater College football team finished the season as national runner-up after a 30-27 loss to Mount Union
in the Stagg
Bowl NCAA
Division III National Football
Championship.
In 2008, civil rights activist Andrew Jackson Young, Jr. was honored during the celebration of the 128th anniversary of the college. President Philip C. Stone awarded Young an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, honoris causa, in recognition for his devoted service to mankind and his country.
Homecoming weekend in October welcomes alumni back to the college with class reunions, outdoor festivities, a home football game, and the annual Athletic Hall of Fame banquet.
Senior Week is the week before graduation at the college, which seniors celebrate with several organized events. Oracles at the Oak was a tradition originally carried out by the senior class during the early-to-mid 1900s underneath an oak tree on campus. Students met to pledge their dedication not only to the school, but to each other in an honor of community and friendship. After the damaged oak tree was removed from campus grounds, the tradition subsided. However, the class of 2008 rekindled this tradition with the help of the Bridgewater College Alumni Association. The end of senior week is marked with the Bridgewater Ball, a formal dinner and dance usually held in Harrisonburg, VA.
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
, coeducational, four-year liberal-arts college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
located in Bridgewater, Virginia
Bridgewater, Virginia
Bridgewater is an incorporated town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,644 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bridgewater is home to the Reds of the Rockingham County Baseball League...
, a town in Rockingham County
Rockingham County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 67,725 people, 25,355 households, and 18,889 families residing in the county. The population density was 80 people per square mile . There were 27,328 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Established in 1880, Bridgewater College admitted women from the time of its founding and was the first private liberal arts college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to do so.
Located in the scenic and historic Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
, Bridgewater enrolls more than 1,650 students (58% female, 42% male) with guaranteed, required on-campus housing.
History
Bridgewater College was established in 1880 as Spring Creek Normal and Collegiate Institute by Daniel Christian Flory. Nine years later, the school was named Bridgewater College and chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia to grant undergraduate degrees. Bridgewater conferred its first Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree on June 1, 1891.
Academics
Bridgewater offers more than 60 majors and minors, awarding the Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degrees. Bridgewater students have the opportunity to study abroad through the BCA Study Abroad program and Interterm travel courses. Countries include Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The student-faculty ratio at Bridgewater is 14:1, and the school has 48.0 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students.
Location and Campus
Bridgewater College is located in the beautiful Shenandoah ValleyShenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
of Virginia. The Bridgewater campus comprises 300 acres (1.2 km²) and the educational activities are focused on the primary campus of 40 acres (161,874.4 m²).
Students can choose to be involved in more than 70 social, cultural, religious, and academic clubs and organizations on campus. In addition, the student-run Eagle Productions hosts a wide variety of free weekend activities available to students. Events range from comedians and musicians to Homecoming festivities and the Springfest Carnival.
The nearby cities of Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...
, Staunton
Staunton, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
, and Charlottesville provide numerous arts and cultural opportunities for students, while the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
metropolitan area is only a 2 hour drive away. Civil War battlefields, national parks, agriculture, and restaurants featuring local food are all part of the culture of the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
, bounded by the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
to the west and the Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
chain to the east, which are both visible from campus.
Athletics
Bridgewater College is a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic AssociationNational 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...
(NCAA) and follows guidelines and policies set forth by this governing body. The teams are members of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference. Its member schools are located primarily in Virginia, with other members in North Carolina and Washington, DC. Only the American Southwest Conference in Texas is larger in Division III. -History:The conference was...
(ODAC), which has 14 member institutions.
Bridgewater College sponsors 22 NCAA intercollegiate sports, which include baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, soccer, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, indoor track, and outdoor track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
for men, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, soccer, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, indoor track, outdoor track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
and swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
for women. Additionally, the athletic program supports cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, a dance team and pep band
Pep band
A pep band is an ensemble of instrumentalists who play at functions or events with the purpose of entertaining and "pepping" up a crowd. Often members of a pep band are a subset of people from a larger ensemble such as a marching band or a concert band. Pep bands are generally associated with...
, which perform at home football and basketball games.
The equestrian team has consistently been one of the top teams in the Zone 4 Region 2 of the IHSA, winning the title in 2006 and 2011, and also winning the ODAC championship in 2007 and 2009. In 2011, Bridgewater's first ever trip to the IHSA National Show resulted in a tie for fifth place in the team standings with the University of Kentucky. Bridgewater riders finished in the Top 10 in seven of the eight classes. The top six finishers in each class scored points for their team.
In 2001, the Bridgewater College football team finished the season as national runner-up after a 30-27 loss to Mount Union
Mount Union College
The University of Mount Union is a 4-year private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Alliance, Ohio.Mount Union enrolls 2200 undergraduates. Approximately 50 percent are women and 50 percent are men, representing more than 22 states and 13 countries. Mount Union has an active alumni base of...
in the Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg was an American athlete and pioneering college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football...
Bowl NCAA
National 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 National Football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
Championship.
Events and tradition
Annual events at Bridgewater College celebrate tradition, community, alumni, and culture. Founder's Day observance at Bridgewater commemorates the April 3, 1854, birth of Daniel Christian Flory, who began Bridgewater College in 1880, at the young age of 26.In 2008, civil rights activist Andrew Jackson Young, Jr. was honored during the celebration of the 128th anniversary of the college. President Philip C. Stone awarded Young an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, honoris causa, in recognition for his devoted service to mankind and his country.
Homecoming weekend in October welcomes alumni back to the college with class reunions, outdoor festivities, a home football game, and the annual Athletic Hall of Fame banquet.
Senior Week is the week before graduation at the college, which seniors celebrate with several organized events. Oracles at the Oak was a tradition originally carried out by the senior class during the early-to-mid 1900s underneath an oak tree on campus. Students met to pledge their dedication not only to the school, but to each other in an honor of community and friendship. After the damaged oak tree was removed from campus grounds, the tradition subsided. However, the class of 2008 rekindled this tradition with the help of the Bridgewater College Alumni Association. The end of senior week is marked with the Bridgewater Ball, a formal dinner and dance usually held in Harrisonburg, VA.
Notable alumni
- George Steven Agee, former Justice of the Supreme Court of VirginiaSupreme Court of VirginiaThe Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears appeals from the trial-level city and county Circuit Courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrative law cases that go through the Court of Appeals of Virginia. It is one of...
and now a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fourth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland*Eastern District of North Carolina... - Pasco Middleton Bowman II, Senior federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Arkansas* Western District of Arkansas...
- David BranshawDavid BranshawDavid Sean Branshaw is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Branshaw was born in Oswego, New York. He turned professional in 1991, and competed on the Nationwide Tour in 1997, 2002, 2003, and 2005. In 2003, he earned his PGA Tour card by finishing...
, PGA Golfer, Nationwide Tour - Moses H. W. ChanMoses H. W. ChanMoses Hung-Wai Chan is a physics professor at Penn State University, where he holds the rank of Evan Pugh Professor. He is an alumnus of Bridgewater College and Cornell University, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1974. He has been at professor at Penn State's University Park Campus since 1979.Through...
, Physicist elected to the National Academy of Science in 2000 - Wolfgang DrechslerWolfgang DrechslerWolfgang Drechsler is a Public Administration, Political Philosophy and Innovation Policy scholar. He is Professor and Chair of Governance, and one of the founders and directors of the Technology Governance program, at the Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia.Drechsler holds degrees...
, German social scientist and government adviser - Phil EylerPhil EylerPhil Eyler is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1986....
, Canadian politician - Jacob A. GarberJacob A. GarberJacob Aaron Garber was a U.S. Representative from Virginia.Jacob A. Garber was born near Harrisonburg, Virginia...
, U.S. RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, 1929-1931 - Nathan H. MillerNathan H. MillerNathan Huff Miller is a graduate of Bridgewater College and T.C. Williams School of Law and was a Republican member of the Virginia General Assembly.- Political career :...
, politician - Richard D. ObenshainRichard D. ObenshainRichard Dudley Obenshain was an attorney in southwest Virginia and rising conservative political leader in the Republican Party of Virginia until his death in the crash of a small airplane.- Biography :...
, politician - James M. StayerJames M. StayerJames M. Stayer is a historian specializing in the German Reformation, particularly the anabaptist movement. He is also a Professor Emeritus at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada....
, historian - Jared M. Chalk, politician