The King's College, New York
Encyclopedia
The King's College is a Christian liberal arts college located in Midtown Manhattan
.
founded The King’s College in 1938 in Belmar, New Jersey
. The school re-located in 1941 to New Castle, Delaware
, and again in 1955 to the former Briarcliff Lodge site in Briarcliff Manor, New York
. At Briarcliff, The King's College sponsored the The King's Tournament, a sports tournament
in which East Coast
Christian
college athletes competed each year.
In 1962, after Crawford's death in 1960, Dr. Robert A. Cook
became the college's second president. The college prospered under his leadership, with enrollment growing to a high of 870 students in 1980. After 23 years as president, Cook retired and became the college's chancellor in 1985, a position which he held until his death in 1991. Friedhelm Radandt succeeded Cook to become the college's third president. Nine years later, in December 1994, the college shut down, as a result of years of declining enrollment, bad financial decisions, and the deterioration of the Briarcliff campus. The college declared bankruptcy, owing more than $25 million to its creditors.
the sole member of the corporation. Together with Campus Crusade founder Bill Bright
, J. Stanley "Stan" Oakes, then the director of Faculty Commons
, a Campus Crusade ministry, began work to pay off the institution's debts and re-establish it in New York City, along with the recently acquired Northeastern Bible College
, which had experienced a similar decline and closure as King's. In 1999 King's leased 45000 square feet (4,180.6 m²) of space on three floors of the Empire State Building
in New York City for classrooms, a student recreation center, and administrative offices. Radandt remained president, with Oakes as Chairman. In January 2003, Oakes became the fourth president; five years later, Oakes became chancellor and Andy Mills became the fifth president. Following treatment for brain cancer, Oakes reassumed the presidency on January 1, 2009. In December 2009, the College announced that Oakes would take a year-long sabbatical.
On August 23, 2010, the college announced the appointment of conservative writer Dinesh D'Souza
as its new president.
, claims the “Protestant evangelical tradition” as its own. It "seeks ambitious students who want to make a difference in the world," and who "seek a rigorous undergraduate education that is rooted in the Christian liberal arts tradition" in order to educate them for "principled leadership." "Through its commitment to the truths of Christianity and a biblical worldview," the TKC mission statement reads, "The King’s College seeks to transform society by preparing students for careers in which they help to shape and eventually to lead strategic public and private institutions, and by supporting faculty members as they directly engage culture through writing and speaking publicly on critical issues."
accreditation
from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
' Commission on Higher Education. The college currently maintains degrees in "Business Management," "Politics, Philosophy, and Economics" ("PPE"), and a major in "Media, Culture and the Arts" ("MCA"), which was officially launched in August 2009. Within the PPE program, students are able to pursue "concentrations" in literature, media, theology, and foundations of education. The MCA program has concentrated electives in literature, creative writing, journalism, media studies, and the visual and theatre arts. Students also take courses in theology and Western civilization.
. During the summer, King's leases these apartments to students in the city for summer internships.
King's has a house system
, although the school describes the system as also having similarities to traditional fraternities and sororities
. All incoming students are assigned to one of the ten currently established houses, which are named for historic leaders: C.S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
, Corrie Ten Boom
, Elizabeth I, Margaret Thatcher
, Ronald Reagan
, Sojourner Truth
, Susan B. Anthony
, Winston Churchill
, and Clara Barton
. Students are encouraged to develop strong ties within their houses. During the year, they participate in inter-house competition in events such as "The Great Race," a scavenger hunt throughout the City, and the house GPA contest, where each house attempts to achieve the highest average GPA
. As upperclassmen, students are eligible for election by their peers to one of four house leadership positions: President, Scholar, Helmsman, and Chamberlain. Each position has certain spiritual, academic, or residence life responsibilities within the house.
debate; Mock Trial
, which puts students in the shoes of courtroom lawyers and witnesses, competing against other colleges at a regional and national level. The King's College is one of the only Christian colleges in the United States that offers Mock Trial.
The Tent is a Christian group that meets to worship God and edify one another through prayer and music. Other clubs include The King's College Theatre (TKCT), which puts on dramatic performances and other theater-related events, The King's Dancers, which schedules dance practices, performances, and outings.
Other organizations include The King's Council, the King’s student government group; and the Empire State Tribune, the King’s student newspaper. King's students are encouraged to start groups they see a need for at the college.
, basketball
, cross country
and soccer. Women's sports include basketball, volleyball
, cross country and soccer. Beginning in the 2012–2013 school year, TKC will be a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association
(NCCAA). Continuing TKC's policy of encouraging students to start their own programs and take active ownership in student life, most teams at King's are student-started and run ventures. Athletic teams at The King's College have been started since the college was re-chartered in 1999, meaning they are not directly affiliated with and do not receive support from TKC's athletics programs that were centered at Briarcliff Manor. The athletics program at The King's College is designed to serve students' interests in sports and recreational activities, whether they are competitive, recreational, or instructional. Emphasis is placed on student leadership and involvement, as well as on the dedication and commitment of club members.
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
.
History
Percy CrawfordPercy Crawford
Percy Bartimus Crawford was an evangelist and fundamentalist leader who especially emphasized youth ministry. During the late 1950s, he saw the potential of FM radio and UHF television and built the first successful Christian broadcasting network...
founded The King’s College in 1938 in Belmar, New Jersey
Belmar, New Jersey
Belmar is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,794. The Borough of Belmar is governed under the Faulkner Act system of municipal government....
. The school re-located in 1941 to New Castle, Delaware
New Castle, Delaware
New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...
, and again in 1955 to the former Briarcliff Lodge site in Briarcliff Manor, New York
Briarcliff Manor, New York
Briarcliff Manor is a village in Westchester County in the state of New York. It is shared between the towns of Mount Pleasant and Ossining, and lies entirely within the ZIP code of 10510...
. At Briarcliff, The King's College sponsored the The King's Tournament, a sports tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
in which East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
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...
college athletes competed each year.
In 1962, after Crawford's death in 1960, Dr. Robert A. Cook
Robert A. Cook
Dr. Robert Andrew Cook was the president of The King's College in Briarcliff Manor, a Christian author, radio broadcaster, and pastor....
became the college's second president. The college prospered under his leadership, with enrollment growing to a high of 870 students in 1980. After 23 years as president, Cook retired and became the college's chancellor in 1985, a position which he held until his death in 1991. Friedhelm Radandt succeeded Cook to become the college's third president. Nine years later, in December 1994, the college shut down, as a result of years of declining enrollment, bad financial decisions, and the deterioration of the Briarcliff campus. The college declared bankruptcy, owing more than $25 million to its creditors.
Reestablishment in New York City
The college charter, first granted by the New York Board of Regents in 1955, remained in force. In 1997, the College's charter was amended to make Campus Crusade for ChristCampus Crusade for Christ
Campus Crusade for Christ is an interdenominational Christian organization that promotes evangelism and discipleship in more than 190 countries...
the sole member of the corporation. Together with Campus Crusade founder Bill Bright
Bill Bright
William R. "Bill" Bright was an American evangelist. The founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, he wrote The Four Spiritual Laws in 1952 and produced the Jesus Film in 1979.-Early life:...
, J. Stanley "Stan" Oakes, then the director of Faculty Commons
Faculty Commons
Faculty Commons is the faculty ministry of the Campus Crusade for Christ. Its aim is to "disciple and mentor Christian professors" with a goal of 500 "Faculty Affiliates" and at least three Faculty Affiliates in each of the 100 largest universities in the United States of America, to...
, a Campus Crusade ministry, began work to pay off the institution's debts and re-establish it in New York City, along with the recently acquired Northeastern Bible College
Northeastern Bible College
Northeastern Bible College was founded by Charles W. Anderson and first opened in September, 1950, as Brookdale Bible School, at the Brookdale Baptist Church in Bloomfield, New Jersey. The college relocated to a campus in Essex Fells in the fall of 1952...
, which had experienced a similar decline and closure as King's. In 1999 King's leased 45000 square feet (4,180.6 m²) of space on three floors of the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
in New York City for classrooms, a student recreation center, and administrative offices. Radandt remained president, with Oakes as Chairman. In January 2003, Oakes became the fourth president; five years later, Oakes became chancellor and Andy Mills became the fifth president. Following treatment for brain cancer, Oakes reassumed the presidency on January 1, 2009. In December 2009, the College announced that Oakes would take a year-long sabbatical.
On August 23, 2010, the college announced the appointment of conservative writer Dinesh D'Souza
Dinesh D'Souza
Dinesh D'Souza is an author and public speaker and a former Robert and Karen Rishwain Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He is currently the President of The King's College in New York City. D'Souza is a noted Christian apologist and conservative writer and speaker....
as its new president.
Organization
The college, a subsidiary of Campus Crusade for ChristCampus Crusade for Christ
Campus Crusade for Christ is an interdenominational Christian organization that promotes evangelism and discipleship in more than 190 countries...
, claims the “Protestant evangelical tradition” as its own. It "seeks ambitious students who want to make a difference in the world," and who "seek a rigorous undergraduate education that is rooted in the Christian liberal arts tradition" in order to educate them for "principled leadership." "Through its commitment to the truths of Christianity and a biblical worldview," the TKC mission statement reads, "The King’s College seeks to transform society by preparing students for careers in which they help to shape and eventually to lead strategic public and private institutions, and by supporting faculty members as they directly engage culture through writing and speaking publicly on critical issues."
Academics
The college is authorized by the Board of Regents to grant two degrees in a total of four programs. and has received regionalRegional accreditation
Regional accreditation is a term used in the United States to refer to educational accreditation conducted by any of several accreditation bodies established to serve six defined geographic areas of the country for accreditation of schools, colleges, and universities...
accreditation
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
' Commission on Higher Education. The college currently maintains degrees in "Business Management," "Politics, Philosophy, and Economics" ("PPE"), and a major in "Media, Culture and the Arts" ("MCA"), which was officially launched in August 2009. Within the PPE program, students are able to pursue "concentrations" in literature, media, theology, and foundations of education. The MCA program has concentrated electives in literature, creative writing, journalism, media studies, and the visual and theatre arts. Students also take courses in theology and Western civilization.
Accreditation status
The King's College has been accredited by the New York Board of Regents for over 40 years. The King's College pursued regional accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and after completing a self-study and being reviewed by the Commission on Higher Education in 2009, The King's College was granted regional accreditation as of November 19, 2009. King's is now fully accredited and no longer needs to pursue accreditation with the New York Board of Regents. The King's College will complete its next self-study with Middle States for accreditation renewal between 2014 and 2015. http://msche.org/documents/SAS/224/Statement%20of%20Accreditation%20Status.htmStudent life
During the 2007-2008 academic year, the school enrolled a total of 220 students from 11 countries and 37 states. By the fall term of 2008, enrollment had grown to 258, and the average ACT score of the 2008 incoming class was 28, putting the King's College in the 90th percentile nationwide.Residence life
King’s does not require attendance at church or chapel services, and students are not required to sign a statement of faith (although faculty are). Instead, students sign an honor code pledging not to “lie, cheat, steal, or turn a blind eye to those who do.” This is described by the school as “the minimum standard of ethical behavior that all students have contracted to live by.” Students live in groups of three or four in apartments in two high-rise buildings on Sixth Avenue near the school's facilities in the Empire State BuildingEmpire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
. During the summer, King's leases these apartments to students in the city for summer internships.
King's has a house system
House system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
, although the school describes the system as also having similarities to traditional fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. All incoming students are assigned to one of the ten currently established houses, which are named for historic leaders: C.S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and martyr. He was a participant in the German resistance movement against Nazism and a founding member of the Confessing Church. He was involved in plans by members of the Abwehr to assassinate Adolf Hitler...
, Corrie Ten Boom
Corrie ten Boom
Cornelia "Corrie" ten Boom was a Dutch Christian, who with her father and other family members helped many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II. Her family was arrested due to an informant in 1944, and her father died 10 days later at Scheveningen prison where they were first held...
, Elizabeth I, Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth was the self-given name, from 1843 onward, of Isabella Baumfree, an African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to court to recover her son, she...
, Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony
Susan Brownell Anthony was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. She was co-founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement with Elizabeth Cady Stanton as President...
, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, and Clara Barton
Clara Barton
Clarissa Harlowe "Clara" Barton was a pioneer American teacher, patent clerk, nurse, and humanitarian. She is best remembered for organizing the American Red Cross.-Youth, education, and family nursing:...
. Students are encouraged to develop strong ties within their houses. During the year, they participate in inter-house competition in events such as "The Great Race," a scavenger hunt throughout the City, and the house GPA contest, where each house attempts to achieve the highest average GPA
Grade (education)
Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters , as a range , as a number out of a possible total , as descriptors , in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary...
. As upperclassmen, students are eligible for election by their peers to one of four house leadership positions: President, Scholar, Helmsman, and Chamberlain. Each position has certain spiritual, academic, or residence life responsibilities within the house.
Extracurricular activities
King’s has many student groups, including The King's Debate Society, which competes against other university teams in British Parliamentary StyleBritish Parliamentary Style
British Parliamentary style debate is a common form of academic debate. It has gained support in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Europe, Africa, Philippines and United States, and has also been adopted as the official style of the World Universities Debating Championship and European...
debate; Mock Trial
Mock trial
A Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
, which puts students in the shoes of courtroom lawyers and witnesses, competing against other colleges at a regional and national level. The King's College is one of the only Christian colleges in the United States that offers Mock Trial.
The Tent is a Christian group that meets to worship God and edify one another through prayer and music. Other clubs include The King's College Theatre (TKCT), which puts on dramatic performances and other theater-related events, The King's Dancers, which schedules dance practices, performances, and outings.
Other organizations include The King's Council, the King’s student government group; and the Empire State Tribune, the King’s student newspaper. King's students are encouraged to start groups they see a need for at the college.
Athletics
The King's College has a number of athletic teams, competing at various levels. Men's sports include baseballBaseball
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...
and soccer. Women's sports include basketball, 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...
, cross country and soccer. Beginning in the 2012–2013 school year, TKC will be a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association
National Christian College Athletic Association
The National Christian College Athletic Association is an association of approximately 100 Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada which see collegiate sports primarily as an opportunity for Christian fellowship and ministry. The national headquarters...
(NCCAA). Continuing TKC's policy of encouraging students to start their own programs and take active ownership in student life, most teams at King's are student-started and run ventures. Athletic teams at The King's College have been started since the college was re-chartered in 1999, meaning they are not directly affiliated with and do not receive support from TKC's athletics programs that were centered at Briarcliff Manor. The athletics program at The King's College is designed to serve students' interests in sports and recreational activities, whether they are competitive, recreational, or instructional. Emphasis is placed on student leadership and involvement, as well as on the dedication and commitment of club members.
Further reading
- Briarcliff Lodge/King's College at Xydexx's Exploring and Modern Ruins
- Briarcliff Lodge and The King's College at Hudson Valley Ruins