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Gordon College (Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
Gordon College is a liberal arts college
located on the former Princemere estate in Wenham, Massachusetts
, northeast of Beverly
. Founded by Baptist
minister A. J. Gordon as a missionary
training institute, the college is largely undergraduate and Protestant.
, into a facility given by Martha Frost, in 1919. In 1921, it was renamed to Gordon College of Theology and Missions. In the early 1950s, a Gordon student named James Higginbotham approached Frederick H. Prince
about selling his 1000 acres (4 km²) estate to the college and, in 1955, Gordon moved to its Wenham campus. Gordon sold its old facilities to the Wentworth Institute of Technology
, the Prince Memorial Chapel on the new campus (since razed) was named for Frederick Prince, and Prince's mansion was renamed Frost Hall after Martha Frost. In 1962, the school changed its name again to Gordon College and Divinity School. In 1970, the Gordon Divinity School separated from the college and merged with the Conwell School of Theology in Philadelphia, once part of Temple University
to form the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
in South Hamilton
, Massachusetts
. Then in 1985, Barrington College
of Rhode Island
went bankrupt and merged into Gordon College.
heritage, Gordon is largely evangelical
and Protestant
, but not tied to one Christian denomination
. Students are required to be professing Christian
s to attend the school, and faculty are required to sign that they agree with the college's own statement of faith. The school has a semester system divided into quads and a 4-week long May term.
and the Christian College Consortium
. It is also a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
(CCCU). Gordon has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
, Inc. (NEASC) since 1961. The music program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music
(NASM) and the social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
(CSWE). Its teacher education program is recognized by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts under the Interstate Service Compact.
, BM
, BS
, MAT
, MEd
, and MMEd
degrees. It offers undergraduate degrees from 38 majors and 42 concentrations. Gordon offers both a graduate degree in education and music. The Graduate Education program offers M.A.T., M.Ed., and C.A.G.S degrees. The Graduate Music program offers a M.M.Ed.degree, Licensure-only options, and workshops.
and Habitat for Humanity. Varsity
sports are NCAA Division III, The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) and Eastern College Athletic Conference
(ECAC). Teams represent Gordon College in baseball
, basketball
, cross-country
, field hockey
, lacrosse
, soccer, softball
, swimming
, tennis
, track & field (indoor and outdoor). Many other outreach programs are led by Gordon College, based in other sites, such as Lynn, MA, where the school has several partners for community development. Several student-led groups organize spring break, winter break and summer break community service trips and mission trips to different sites around the country and the globe.
is offered on Mondays and Wednesdays while an academic convocation takes place on Fridays; attendance is required to graduate.
is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame
. Former Gordon College president Harold Ockenga
was a leading figure of 20th century American evangelicalism
, part of the reform movement known as "Neo-Evangelicalism". Alumnus Pete Holmes
is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and cartoonist. Thomas Howard
, writer and scholar, is a notable former faculty member who was "obliged to resign" after converting to Catholicism
.
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...
located on the former Princemere estate in Wenham, Massachusetts
Wenham, Massachusetts
Wenham is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,875 at the 2010 census.The Town of Wenham was originally settled in 1635 and has retained much of its unique historic character and tranquil rural scenery...
, northeast of Beverly
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
. Founded by Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister A. J. Gordon as a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
training institute, the college is largely undergraduate and Protestant.
History
Adoniram Judson Gordon opened a Bible school named Gordon Bible Institute in the basement of his Baptist church in 1889 to train Christian missionaries for work in the Belgian Congo. It was renamed Gordon Bible College in 1916 and moved out of its church and Newton Theological Institution facilities to The FenwayThe Fenway
Fenway, commonly referred to as The Fenway, is a mostly one-way, one- to three-lane parkway that runs along the southern and eastern edges of the Back Bay Fens in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston...
, into a facility given by Martha Frost, in 1919. In 1921, it was renamed to Gordon College of Theology and Missions. In the early 1950s, a Gordon student named James Higginbotham approached Frederick H. Prince
Frederick H. Prince
Frederick Henry Prince was an American stockbroker, investment banker and financier.He was born in Winchester, Massachusetts, the son of Frederick O. Prince, former Mayor of the city of Boston and Helen Henry Prince. He studied at Harvard University, but left in his sophomore year to get an early...
about selling his 1000 acres (4 km²) estate to the college and, in 1955, Gordon moved to its Wenham campus. Gordon sold its old facilities to the Wentworth Institute of Technology
Wentworth Institute of Technology
The Wentworth Institute of Technology is an independent, co-educational, technical design and engineering college located in Boston, Massachusetts...
, the Prince Memorial Chapel on the new campus (since razed) was named for Frederick Prince, and Prince's mansion was renamed Frost Hall after Martha Frost. In 1962, the school changed its name again to Gordon College and Divinity School. In 1970, the Gordon Divinity School separated from the college and merged with the Conwell School of Theology in Philadelphia, once part of Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
to form the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary is an evangelical theological seminary whose main campus is based in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, with three other campuses in Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina and Jacksonville. The current president of Gordon-Conwell is Dennis Hollinger...
in South Hamilton
South Hamilton, Massachusetts
South Hamilton is that part of Hamilton, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States that the Postal Service has assigned the zip code 01982; otherwise it is indistinguishable from Hamilton...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Then in 1985, Barrington College
Barrington College
Barrington College was a four-year Christian liberal arts college located in Barrington, Rhode Island. It is no longer in operation.-History:...
of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
went bankrupt and merged into Gordon College.
Organization
As a product of its BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
heritage, Gordon is largely evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
and Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, but not tied to one Christian denomination
Christian 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...
. Students are required to be professing Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s to attend the school, and faculty are required to sign that they agree with the college's own statement of faith. The school has a semester system divided into quads and a 4-week long May term.
Academic associations
Gordon is a member of the Annapolis GroupAnnapolis Group
The Annapolis Group is an American organization that describes itself as "a nonprofit alliance of the nation’s leading independent liberal arts colleges." It represents approximately 130 liberal arts colleges in the United States...
and the Christian College Consortium
Christian College Consortium
The Christian College Consortium is an affiliation of Christian colleges and universities.-Member schools:Founded in 1971, the Consortium currently includes 13 member institutions located throughout the United States:*Asbury University*Bethel University...
. It is also 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...
(CCCU). Gordon has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. is the U.S. regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation for all levels of education, from pre-kindergarten to the doctoral level, in the six-state New England region. It also provides accreditation for some...
, Inc. (NEASC) since 1961. The music program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music
National Association of Schools of Music
The National Association of Schools of Music is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music...
(NASM) and the social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
Council on Social Work Education
The Council on Social Work Education is the national association for social work education in the United States of America.The CSWE sets and maintains standards of courses and accreditation of bachelor's degree's and Master's degree programs in social work.The CSWE specifies foundation social work...
(CSWE). Its teacher education program is recognized by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts under the Interstate Service Compact.
Academics
Gordon College offers the BABachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, BM
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, BS
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, MAT
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, MEd
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, and MMEd
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
degrees. It offers undergraduate degrees from 38 majors and 42 concentrations. Gordon offers both a graduate degree in education and music. The Graduate Education program offers M.A.T., M.Ed., and C.A.G.S degrees. The Graduate Music program offers a M.M.Ed.degree, Licensure-only options, and workshops.
Student life
There were a total of 1,599 student enrolled at Gordon College in 2011, of whom 1,514 were undergraduates.Extracurriculars
Gordon College has a student association, student ministries, intramural sports, and a Campus Events Council. There are student-led community service and outreach organizations, ranging from drama troupes to Big Brothers Big SistersBig Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501 non-profit organization whose mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that try to have a measurable impact on youth....
and Habitat for Humanity. Varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
sports are NCAA Division III, The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) and Eastern College Athletic Conference
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
(ECAC). Teams represent Gordon College in 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...
, 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...
, 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, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, track & field (indoor and outdoor). Many other outreach programs are led by Gordon College, based in other sites, such as Lynn, MA, where the school has several partners for community development. Several student-led groups organize spring break, winter break and summer break community service trips and mission trips to different sites around the country and the globe.
Religion
Students who attend the college must be Christians and are asked to fill out a Statement of Faith. Students must also sign a Life and Conduct Statement agreeing to the standards of behavior that Gordon values. Gordon College prohibits alcohol, tobacco, and narcotic or hallucinogenic drugs on-campus and has a dorm visitation policy that allows for male-female visitation only during particular hours. ChapelChapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
is offered on Mondays and Wednesdays while an academic convocation takes place on Fridays; attendance is required to graduate.
Notable persons
Alumnus Christian SmithChristian Smith (sociologist)
Christian Smith is an American sociologist, currently the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame...
is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. Former Gordon College president Harold Ockenga
Harold Ockenga
Harold John Ockenga was a leading figure of 20th century American evangelicalism, part of the reform movement known as "Neo-Evangelicalism". A Congregational minister, Ockenga served for many years as pastor of Park Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts. He was also a prolific author on...
was a leading figure of 20th century American evangelicalism
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
, part of the reform movement known as "Neo-Evangelicalism". Alumnus Pete Holmes
Pete Holmes
Pete Holmes is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and cartoonist based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:Holmes was born in Lexington, Massachusetts, United States....
is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and cartoonist. Thomas Howard
Thomas Howard (writer and scholar)
Thomas Howard is a highly acclaimed writer and scholar. A convert to Roman Catholicism, he is known for his studies of C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams, as well as for books such as his Christ the Tiger and Evangelical is Not Enough ....
, writer and scholar, is a notable former faculty member who was "obliged to resign" after converting to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
.