Eastern University
Encyclopedia
Eastern University is a private
university
in St. Davids
, Pennsylvania
, United States
affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA
, with an interdenominational student body. Its schools are Palmer Theological Seminary
, Campolo College of Graduate and Professional Studies, Templeton Honors College, College of Arts and Sciences, and Esperanza College.
s. In 2001, the Pennsylvania Department of Education
granted the institution "university
status" and it was renamed Eastern University. In 2004, the institution's Board voted to acquire its previous parent institution, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and EBTS changed its name to Palmer Theological Seminary
in honor of a previous president in 2005.
es:
It also has centers in Ripley, West Virginia
; Washington D.C., central Pennsylvania, 1800 JFK Blvd in Philadelphia and some international locations.
Eastern University also has a charter school located on 3300 Henry Avenue in Philadelphia called the Eastern University Academy Charter School.
s, a special collections room with books dating back 450 years, an archives room, and the Edison room which houses several artifacts which belonged to Thomas Edison
, (donated to the library by his son, Charles Edison
). After the death of Roland Frye
in 2005, his book collection was donated to the library. An African American
collections room to house rare books on African American history bequeathed by a local African American centenarian
, Mazie Hall, was opened in November 2006. The library also has maintained a world in the Active Worlds
Educational Universe since the early 2000s and in 2006 started inviting students to participate in its construction. In November 2008 Active worlds was dropped due to costs and began assisting with a Korean nursing world in Second Life
.
Citations: The First 50 Years of Eastern University by Dr. Frederick J. Boehlke (2003) ISBN 0-9674912-3-1.
Andrews Hall contains classrooms and laboratories for the Chemistry department.
•Eagle Learning Center
Eagle Learning Center, the newest building on campus contains offices for the graduate program's staff, and classrooms for the nursing department.
•Fowler Hall
Fowler Hall contains the administrative offices of the president and provost of Eastern as well as the admissions department.
•McInnis Learning Center
McInnis Learning Center contains Eastern's primary auditorium, a curriculum lab, classrooms, as well as offices for a majority of the faculty, two computer labs, and offices for computing staff.
•Walton Hall
Walton Hall is the name given to the original mansion on the estate. It now has been renovated and includes a dining commons, a chapel, snack bar, and offices.
•Workman Hall
Workman Hall contains classrooms and offices for Eastern's music department.
Colleges:
Preparatory School:
All faculty are required to be in agreement with the University's doctrinal statement, which they sign annually at the Academic Convocation.
Eastern offers majors in 31 fields of study in the College of Arts and Sciences.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA
) Eastern University joined the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation (MASCAC or commonly referred to as the MAC) in 2008. At that time, Eastern University aligned with the 15 member institutions of the MASCAC in competition, and left the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC). A charter member of the PAC, Eastern University spent 16 successful years competing as a member of the PAC. The move to the MAC Conference came in the midst of several recent improvements to the athletic facilities, as well as growth in the traditional undergraduate population of the school. The move also came with the return of Men’s Lacrosse and Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, as well as the construction of state-of-the-art outdoor athletic facilities as evidence of Eastern’s commitment to providing outstanding opportunities for student-athletes as they compete within the Division III model.
The MASCAC is, for most sports, divided into two conferences, and Eastern competes with current MAC Freedom Schools Wilkes, Kings, DeSales, FDU-Florham, and Delaware Valley as well two other schools, Alvernia and Misericordia, moving from the PAC in 2008, and Manhattanville who enters the MAC in 2007 in the Freedom Conference. The MASCAC also includes the Commonwealth Conference. Albright, Arcadia, Elizabethtown, Lebanon Valley, Lycoming, Messiah, and Widener.
Sponsored athletic programs at Eastern] are as follows:
Eastern University has 7 men’s sports teams, including baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer and tennis. In addition, the University offers 4 men’s club teams, including cheerleading, swimming, volleyball and ultimate frisbee. The University has 8 women’s sports teams including basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. The University also offers 3 women’s club teams, including cheerleading, swimming and ultimate frisbee.
Eastern's school mascot is the eagle
, which was chosen by students in the 1960s.
In 2002, Senior Andrea Collesidis broke an NCAA
scoring record for women's lacrosse.
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...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in St. Davids
St. Davids, Pennsylvania
St. Davids is an unincorporated community in Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is served by its own train station. St. Davids is home to the main campus of Eastern University, a four-year, liberal arts university affiliated with the American Baptist Churches...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA
American Baptist Churches USA
The American Baptist Churches USA is a Baptist Christian denomination within the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The organization is usually considered mainline, although varying theological and mission emphases may be found among its...
, with an interdenominational student body. Its schools are Palmer Theological Seminary
Palmer Theological Seminary
Palmer Theological Seminary was founded in 1925 as Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Originally located on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, it moved in 1940 to its present location in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, just across the street from the city boundary...
, Campolo College of Graduate and Professional Studies, Templeton Honors College, College of Arts and Sciences, and Esperanza College.
History
Eastern's roots go back to 1925 as a department of Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Theological Seminary), which was founded to provide a theologically conservative Seminary alternative within the American Baptist Churches. Eastern was meant to provide an alternative to the nearby and theologically liberal Crozier Seminary. In 1952, Eastern University became a separate institution, moved to its present St. Davids location, and took the name "Eastern Baptist College". In 1972, it was renamed "Eastern College" to encourage enrollment by members of other Christian denominationChristian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
s. In 2001, the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are directed by Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education, Gerald L. Zahorchak...
granted the institution "university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
status" and it was renamed Eastern University. In 2004, the institution's Board voted to acquire its previous parent institution, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and EBTS changed its name to Palmer Theological Seminary
Palmer Theological Seminary
Palmer Theological Seminary was founded in 1925 as Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Originally located on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, it moved in 1940 to its present location in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, just across the street from the city boundary...
in honor of a previous president in 2005.
Campuses
It has four major campusCampus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
es:
- Main Campus (St. Davids, PennsylvaniaSt. Davids, PennsylvaniaSt. Davids is an unincorporated community in Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is served by its own train station. St. Davids is home to the main campus of Eastern University, a four-year, liberal arts university affiliated with the American Baptist Churches...
) - Falls Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Esperanza College (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Palmer Theological SeminaryPalmer Theological SeminaryPalmer Theological Seminary was founded in 1925 as Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Originally located on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, it moved in 1940 to its present location in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, just across the street from the city boundary...
(Wynnewood, PennsylvaniaWynnewood, PennsylvaniaWynnewood, Pennsylvania is a suburban community located outside of Philadelphia in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania and Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, United States. Wynnewood was named in 1691 for Dr. Thomas Wynne, William Penn's physician and the first Speaker of the Pennsylvania General...
)
It also has centers in Ripley, West Virginia
Ripley, West Virginia
Ripley is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, West Virginia, United States.-Geography:Ripley is located at , along Mill Creek....
; Washington D.C., central Pennsylvania, 1800 JFK Blvd in Philadelphia and some international locations.
Eastern University also has a charter school located on 3300 Henry Avenue in Philadelphia called the Eastern University Academy Charter School.
Main campus
The main campus was originally a private estate, named Walmarthon, which was owned by the Walton family. The size of the campus has expanded through purchase of surrounding buildings.Warner Library/Harold Howard Center
The Frank Warner Memorial Library, better known as the Warner Library, was built in 1965. It houses the library collection and classrooms. The current library director is James L. Sauer, who has held the position since the early 1980s. The library collection includes roughly 175,000 volumes, 865,000 pieces of microfiche, and 19,500 audio-visual materials. There is a non-profit collection room which houses books related to non-profit organizationNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
s, a special collections room with books dating back 450 years, an archives room, and the Edison room which houses several artifacts which belonged to Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
, (donated to the library by his son, Charles Edison
Charles Edison
Charles Edison was son of Thomas Edison to Mina, businessman, Assistant and then United States Secretary of the Navy, and served as the 42nd Governor of New Jersey.-Biography:...
). After the death of Roland Frye
Roland Frye
Professor Roland Mushat Frye was an American English literature scholar and theologian.Frye was born in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1943 he interrupted his studies to enlist in the United States Army and fought at the Battle of the Bulge, winning a Bronze Star...
in 2005, his book collection was donated to the library. An African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
collections room to house rare books on African American history bequeathed by a local African American centenarian
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
, Mazie Hall, was opened in November 2006. The library also has maintained a world in the Active Worlds
Active Worlds
Active Worlds is a 3D virtual reality platform. The Active Worlds client runs on Windows. Users assign themselves a name, log into the Active Worlds universe, and explore 3D virtual worlds and environments that other users have built. Users can chat with one another or build structures and areas...
Educational Universe since the early 2000s and in 2006 started inviting students to participate in its construction. In November 2008 Active worlds was dropped due to costs and began assisting with a Korean nursing world in Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
.
Citations: The First 50 Years of Eastern University by Dr. Frederick J. Boehlke (2003) ISBN 0-9674912-3-1.
Buildings and landmarks
•Andrews HallAndrews Hall contains classrooms and laboratories for the Chemistry department.
•Eagle Learning Center
Eagle Learning Center, the newest building on campus contains offices for the graduate program's staff, and classrooms for the nursing department.
•Fowler Hall
Fowler Hall contains the administrative offices of the president and provost of Eastern as well as the admissions department.
•McInnis Learning Center
McInnis Learning Center contains Eastern's primary auditorium, a curriculum lab, classrooms, as well as offices for a majority of the faculty, two computer labs, and offices for computing staff.
•Walton Hall
Walton Hall is the name given to the original mansion on the estate. It now has been renovated and includes a dining commons, a chapel, snack bar, and offices.
•Workman Hall
Workman Hall contains classrooms and offices for Eastern's music department.
Campus landmarks
Landmarks on campus include an historic waterwheel and a sculpture of an eagle, the campus mascot.Academics
Eastern University has five different colleges, and one college preparatory school.Colleges:
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Campolo College of Graduate and Professional Studies
- Templeton Honors College
- Palmer Theological SeminaryPalmer Theological SeminaryPalmer Theological Seminary was founded in 1925 as Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Originally located on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, it moved in 1940 to its present location in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, just across the street from the city boundary...
- Esperanza College
Preparatory School:
- Eastern University Academy Charter School
All faculty are required to be in agreement with the University's doctrinal statement, which they sign annually at the Academic Convocation.
Eastern offers majors in 31 fields of study in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Traditions
A student tradition since the early 1960s has been to paint messages and sayings on a boulder in the center of campus known as "the rock" initially discouraged by the institution when it began, some staff and faculty are now participants in the decoration of the rock.Athletics
Eastern University is a Division III member of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association
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...
(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...
) Eastern University joined the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation (MASCAC or commonly referred to as the MAC) in 2008. At that time, Eastern University aligned with the 15 member institutions of the MASCAC in competition, and left the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC). A charter member of the PAC, Eastern University spent 16 successful years competing as a member of the PAC. The move to the MAC Conference came in the midst of several recent improvements to the athletic facilities, as well as growth in the traditional undergraduate population of the school. The move also came with the return of Men’s Lacrosse and Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, as well as the construction of state-of-the-art outdoor athletic facilities as evidence of Eastern’s commitment to providing outstanding opportunities for student-athletes as they compete within the Division III model.
The MASCAC is, for most sports, divided into two conferences, and Eastern competes with current MAC Freedom Schools Wilkes, Kings, DeSales, FDU-Florham, and Delaware Valley as well two other schools, Alvernia and Misericordia, moving from the PAC in 2008, and Manhattanville who enters the MAC in 2007 in the Freedom Conference. The MASCAC also includes the Commonwealth Conference. Albright, Arcadia, Elizabethtown, Lebanon Valley, Lycoming, Messiah, and Widener.
Sponsored athletic programs at Eastern] are as follows:
Eastern University has 7 men’s sports teams, including baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer and tennis. In addition, the University offers 4 men’s club teams, including cheerleading, swimming, volleyball and ultimate frisbee. The University has 8 women’s sports teams including basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. The University also offers 3 women’s club teams, including cheerleading, swimming and ultimate frisbee.
Eastern's school mascot is the eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
, which was chosen by students in the 1960s.
In 2002, Senior Andrea Collesidis broke an 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...
scoring record for women's lacrosse.
Residence life
All residence halls are single-sex by floor and there are designated visiting hours. The residence halls on campus are Doane, Eagle, Gallup, Gough, Guffin, Hainer, Kea, and Sparrowk.Notable persons
- Tony CampoloTony CampoloDr. Anthony "Tony" Campolo is an American pastor, author, sociologist, and public speaker known for challenging evangelical Christians by illustrating how their faith can offer solutions in a world of complexity. With his liberal political and social attitudes, he has been a major proponent for...
, alumnus and professor emeritus - Shane ClaiborneShane ClaiborneShane Claiborne is one of the founding members of The Simple Way in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This community was featured on the cover of Christianity Today as a pioneer in the New Monasticism movement. Claiborne is also a prominent activist for nonviolence and service to the...
, alumnus - Wilson Goode, professor emeritus
- Carolivia HerronCarolivia HerronCarolivia Herron is a Jewish American writer of children's and adult literature, and a scholar of African-American Judaica.-Personal life:She was born to Oscar Smith Herron and Georgia Carol Herron, in Washington D.C....
, alumna - Jamie MoffettJamie Moffett-Personal background:Moffett attended Eastern University. After graduation, Moffett co-founded The Simple Way, a non-profit organization focused on community development in Kensington, Philadelphia along with Shane Claiborne in January 1998.-Career:...
, alumnus - Richard MuenzRichard MuenzRichard Muenz is an American actor and baritone who is mostly known for his work within American theatre. Muenz has frequently performed in musicals and in concerts. He has also periodically acted on television.-Biography:...
, alumnus - Ron SiderRon SiderRonald James Sider is a Canadian-born American theologian and Christian activist. He is often identified by others with the Christian left, though he personally disclaims any political inclination. He is the founder of Evangelicals for Social Action, a think-tank which seeks to develop biblical...
, professor - Bryan Stevenson, alumnus