Bridgewater College: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|College in Bridgewater, Virginia, U.S.}}
{{Short description|Private college in Bridgewater, Virginia, US}}
{{distinguish|text=[[Bridgewater State University]] in Massachusetts}}
{{distinguish|text=[[Bridgewater State University]] in Massachusetts}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Booster|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox university
{{Infobox university
|name = Bridgewater College
|name = Bridgewater College
|former_name = Spring Creek Normal and Collegiate Institute (1880–1889)
|image =
|image =
|image_size = 139px
|image_size = 139px
|motto = College of Character, Community of Excellence
|motto = College of Character, Community of Excellence
|established = {{start date and age|1880}}
|established = {{start date and age|1880}} (predecessor)<br />{{start date and age|1889}} (current institution)
|type = [[Private college|Private]] [[Liberal arts colleges in the United States|liberal arts college]]
|type = [[Private college|Private]] [[Liberal arts colleges in the United States|liberal arts college]]
|religious_affiliation = [[Church of the Brethren]]
|religious_affiliation = [[Church of the Brethren]]
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|country = United States
|country = United States
|pushpin_map = Shenandoah Valley#USA Virginia#USA
|pushpin_map = Shenandoah Valley#USA Virginia#USA
|undergrad = 1,800
|students = 1,421
|faculty = 145
|undergrad = 1,385
|postgrad = 36
|faculty = 94 full-time
|sports_nickname = [[Eagle]]s
|sports_nickname = [[Eagle]]s
|colors = {{color box|#990022}}{{color box|#b5985a}} Red & gold
|colors = {{color box|#990022}}{{color box|#b5985a}} Red & gold
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==History==
==History==
[[File:Bridgewater College gate.JPG|240px|left|thumb|College gate]]
[[File:Bridgewater College gate.JPG|240px|left|thumb|College gate]]
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 Arts]] degree on June 1, 1891. In 1895, the Chairman of the Faculty, Walter B. Yount, a graduate of what would become [[Juniata College]] and the [[University of Virginia]] was named the college's first President. After his retirement in 1910, John S. Flory (an early Bridgewater graduate who also received degrees from other institution and had served on the faculty and as vice-president) succeeded him as the college's president.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bridgewater.edu/about-bc/history-college/bridgewater-college-presidents|title=Bridgewater College Presidents - Bridgewater College|website=www.bridgewater.edu|access-date=5 February 2018}}</ref>
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 Arts]] degree on June 1, 1891. In 1895, the Chairman of the Faculty, Walter B. Yount, a graduate of what would become [[Juniata College]] and the [[University of Virginia]] was named the college's first President. After his retirement in 1910, John S. Flory (an early Bridgewater graduate who also received degrees from other institution and had served on the faculty and as vice-president) succeeded him as the college's president.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bridgewater.edu/about-bc/history-college/bridgewater-college-presidents|title=Bridgewater College Presidents - Bridgewater College|website=www.bridgewater.edu|access-date=5 February 2018}}</ref>


Bridgewater College became the first senior co-educational liberal arts college in Virginia and one of the few accredited colleges of its type in the South.
Bridgewater College became the first senior co-educational liberal arts college in Virginia and one of the few accredited colleges of its type in the South.


The oldest portion of the Bridgewater College campus, consisting of five fine brick collegiate buildings constructed before 1911, is included in the [[Bridgewater Historic District (Bridgewater, Virginia)|Bridgewater Historic District]].<ref name=VAnom>{{cite web|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Rockingham/176-0003_Bridgewater_Historic_District_1984_Final_Nomination.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Bridgewater Historic District|author=Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff|year=1984|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006190418/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Rockingham/176-0003_Bridgewater_Historic_District_1984_Final_Nomination.pdf|archive-date=2013-10-06}} and [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Rockbridge/BrownsburgHD_photo.htm ''Accompanying photo'']</ref> It was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1984.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
The oldest portion of the Bridgewater College campus, consisting of five fine brick collegiate buildings constructed before 1911, is included in the [[Bridgewater Historic District (Bridgewater, Virginia)|Bridgewater Historic District]].<ref name=VAnom>{{cite web|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Rockingham/176-0003_Bridgewater_Historic_District_1984_Final_Nomination.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Bridgewater Historic District|author=Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff|year=1984|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006190418/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Rockingham/176-0003_Bridgewater_Historic_District_1984_Final_Nomination.pdf|archive-date=2013-10-06}} and [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Rockbridge/BrownsburgHD_photo.htm ''Accompanying photo'']</ref> It was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1984.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

=== 2022 shooting ===
{{clear left}}
{{clear left}}


On February 1, 2022, 55-year-old [[Campus police|campus police officer]] John Painter and 48-year-old campus safety officer J.J. Jefferson were shot and killed on campus after being called to investigate a suspicious person on campus. The shooter, 27-year-old Alexander Campbell, was later apprehended after a manhunt and suffered a gunshot injury at some point during the incident.<ref>{{citeweb|last1=Lukpat|first1=Alyssa|last2=Jiménez|first2=Jesus|work=[[New York Times]]|title=Two Officers Killed at Bridgewater College in Virginia|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/01/us/bridgewater-college-shooting-virginia.html|date=February 1, 2022|accessdate=February 1, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Smith|first=Hannah|date=2022-02-01|title=2 officers killed in shooting at Bridgewater College, suspect charged with capital murder|work=NBC12|url=https://www.nbc12.com/2022/02/02/2-officers-killed-shooting-bridgewater-college-suspect-charged-with-capital-murder/|access-date=2022-02-02}}</ref>
On February 1, 2022, 55-year-old [[Campus police|campus police officer]] John Painter and 48-year-old campus safety officer J.J. Jefferson were shot and killed on campus after being called to investigate a suspicious person on campus. The shooter, a 27-year-old former student named Alexander Wyatt Campbell, was later apprehended after a manhunt and suffered a gunshot injury at some point during the incident.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lukpat|first1=Alyssa|last2=Jiménez|first2=Jesus|work=[[New York Times]]|title=Two Officers Killed at Bridgewater College in Virginia|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/01/us/bridgewater-college-shooting-virginia.html|date=February 1, 2022|accessdate=February 1, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Smith|first=Hannah|date=2022-02-01|title=2 officers killed in shooting at Bridgewater College, suspect charged with capital murder|work=NBC12|url=https://www.nbc12.com/2022/02/02/2-officers-killed-shooting-bridgewater-college-suspect-charged-with-capital-murder/|access-date=2022-02-02}}</ref> In February 2024, Campbell plead guilty to murdering both officers and was sentenced to life in prison.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.whsv.com/2024/02/26/bridgewater-college-shooter-pleads-guilty-receives-two-life-sentences/|title=Bridgewater College Shooter pleads guilty, receives two life sentences|last=Johnson|first=Colby|date=February 26, 2024|accessdate=May 4, 2024|agency=WHSV-TV}}</ref>


===Repatriation of Native American items===
==Campus==
The college is returning sacred funerary belongings and remains that were donated to the college. These items are protected by the [[Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act]] (NAGPRA).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hull |first=Lindsey |date=2023-05-04 |title=An archivist has spent 12 years working to return Native American remains and artifacts to their tribes. Success may be close. |url=http://cardinalnews.org/2023/05/04/an-archivist-has-spent-the-last-12-years-working-to-return-native-american-remains-and-artifacts-to-their-tribes-success-may-be-close/ |access-date=2023-05-08 |website=Cardinal News |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Bridgewater College - panoramio - Idawriter.jpg|thumb|McKinney Hall]]
Bridgewater College is located in the [[Shenandoah Valley]] of Virginia. The Bridgewater campus comprises {{convert|300|acre|km2}} and the educational activities are focused on the primary campus of {{convert|40|acre|m2}}.

Students can choose to be involved in approximately 60 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, Virginia|Harrisonburg]], [[Staunton, Virginia|Staunton]], and [[Charlottesville]] provide numerous arts and cultural opportunities for students, while the [[Washington, D.C.]] metropolitan area is only a two-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 mountains|Blue Ridge]] chain to the east, both of which are visible from campus.


==Academics==
==Academics==
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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.<ref>[http://www.bridgewater.edu/alumni "Alumni and Friends"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150809084327/http://bridgewater.edu/alumni |date=2015-08-09 }} Retrieved on 2015-07-28.</ref>
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.<ref>[http://www.bridgewater.edu/alumni "Alumni and Friends"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150809084327/http://bridgewater.edu/alumni |date=2015-08-09 }} Retrieved on 2015-07-28.</ref>

Senior Week is the week before graduation, in which seniors celebrate with several organized events. Oracles at the Oak was a tradition originally carried out by the senior classes during the early to mid 1900s underneath an oak tree on campus. Students met to pledge their dedication to the school and to each other. After the lightning-damaged oak tree was cut down, 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 nearby [[Harrisonburg, Virginia|Harrisonburg]].


=== Athletics ===
=== Athletics ===
{{main|Bridgewater Eagles}}
{{main|Bridgewater Eagles}}
Bridgewater College is a [[Division III (NCAA)|Division III]] member of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (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 is a [[Division III (NCAA)|Division III]] member of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (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 running|cross country]], [[American football|football]], [[golf]], [[lacrosse]], [[soccer]], [[tennis]], [[indoor track]], and outdoor [[Track and field|track]] for men, and [[basketball]], [[Cross country running|cross country]], [[field hockey]], [[golf]], [[lacrosse]], [[softball]], [[soccer]], [[tennis]], [[indoor track]], outdoor [[Track and field|track]], [[volleyball]] and [[swimming (sport)|swimming]] for women. Additionally, the athletic program supports [[cheerleading]], a dance team and [[pep band]], which perform at home football and basketball games. Bridgewater College also has an interactive [http://www.bridgewatereagles.com/hallFame/HallofFame Athletic Hall of Fame] located in Nininger Hall to honor those who, by outstanding achievement in athletics at the college and service thereafter, have made lasting contributions in the community, government, church and/or workplace.

Club sports on campus also include Co-Ed [[ultimate frisbee]] and a men's league [[rugby union]] team.


== Notable people ==
== Notable people ==
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* [[Pasco Middleton Bowman II]], Senior federal judge on the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit]]
* [[Pasco Middleton Bowman II]], Senior federal judge on the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit]]
* [[David Branshaw]], professional golfer.<ref>[https://www.pgatour.com/players/player.21646.david-branshaw.html David Branshaw] at PGATour.com</ref>
* [[David Branshaw]], professional golfer.<ref>[https://www.pgatour.com/players/player.21646.david-branshaw.html David Branshaw] at PGATour.com</ref>
* [[Ray Bussard]], former National Championship (1978) winning Men's Swim Coach at [[University of Tennessee]] from 1968 to 1989
* [[Ray Bussard]], former [[NCAA]] Championship (1978) winning Men's Swim Coach at [[University of Tennessee]] from 1968 to 1989
* [[Moses H. W. Chan]], Physicist elected to the [[National Academy of Sciences]] in 2000<ref name="Moses H. W. Chan">{{cite news
* [[Moses H. W. Chan]], Physicist elected to the [[National Academy of Sciences]] in 2000<ref name="Moses H. W. Chan">{{cite news
|title = Prof. Moses H. W. Chan @ Penn State Physics
|title = Prof. Moses H. W. Chan @ Penn State Physics
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* [[Nathan H. Miller]], politician
* [[Nathan H. Miller]], politician
* [[Richard D. Obenshain]], politician
* [[Richard D. Obenshain]], politician
* [[Chris Obenshain]], politician


=== Faculty ===
=== Faculty ===
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==External links==
==External links==
{{commonscat}}
* [http://www.bridgewater.edu Official website]
* [http://www.bridgewater.edu Official website]
* [http://www.bridgewatereagles.com Official athletics website]
* [http://www.bridgewatereagles.com Official athletics website]
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[[Category:Private universities and colleges in Virginia]]
[[Category:Private universities and colleges in Virginia]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges affiliated with the Church of the Brethren]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges affiliated with the Church of the Brethren]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1880]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1880]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]]
[[Category:Education in Rockingham County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Education in Rockingham County, Virginia]]

Latest revision as of 20:39, 4 May 2024

Not to be confused with Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.

Bridgewater College
Former name
Spring Creek Normal and Collegiate Institute (1880–1889)
MottoCollege of Character, Community of Excellence
TypePrivate liberal arts college
Established1880; 144 years ago (1880) (predecessor)
1889; 135 years ago (1889) (current institution)
Religious affiliation
Church of the Brethren
Endowment$91.9 million (2020)[1]
PresidentDavid W. Bushman
Academic staff
94 full-time
Students1,421
Undergraduates1,385
Postgraduates36
Location
Bridgewater
,
Virginia
,
United States
Colors   Red & gold
NicknameEagles
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division III, Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Websitewww.bridgewater.edu
Bridgewater College is located in Shenandoah Valley
Bridgewater College
Location in Shenandoah Valley
Bridgewater College is located in Virginia
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater College (Virginia)
Bridgewater College is located in the United States
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater College (the United States)

Bridgewater College is a private liberal-arts college in Bridgewater, Virginia. Established in 1880, Bridgewater College admitted both men and women from the time of its founding and was the first four-year liberal arts college in Virginia to do so.[2] Approximately 1,800 students are enrolled.[3]

History[edit]

College gate

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 Arts degree on June 1, 1891. In 1895, the Chairman of the Faculty, Walter B. Yount, a graduate of what would become Juniata College and the University of Virginia was named the college's first President. After his retirement in 1910, John S. Flory (an early Bridgewater graduate who also received degrees from other institution and had served on the faculty and as vice-president) succeeded him as the college's president.[4]

Bridgewater College became the first senior co-educational liberal arts college in Virginia and one of the few accredited colleges of its type in the South.

The oldest portion of the Bridgewater College campus, consisting of five fine brick collegiate buildings constructed before 1911, is included in the Bridgewater Historic District.[5] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[6]

2022 shooting[edit]

On February 1, 2022, 55-year-old campus police officer John Painter and 48-year-old campus safety officer J.J. Jefferson were shot and killed on campus after being called to investigate a suspicious person on campus. The shooter, a 27-year-old former student named Alexander Wyatt Campbell, was later apprehended after a manhunt and suffered a gunshot injury at some point during the incident.[7][8] In February 2024, Campbell plead guilty to murdering both officers and was sentenced to life in prison.[9]

Repatriation of Native American items[edit]

The college is returning sacred funerary belongings and remains that were donated to the college. These items are protected by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).[10]

Academics[edit]

Bridgewater offers more than 60 majors and minors, awarding the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. Bridgewater students have the opportunity to study abroad through the BCA Study Abroad program and May Term Travel Courses.[11]

Bridgewater also offers the Flory Honors Program. Flory Fellows gain access to many opportunities and benefits, including honors sections of general education courses limited to 15 students each, housing within the honors community, and more.[12]

Bridgewater began offering its first masters program in Athletic Training for the 2017–2018 school year, and now offers a Master of Arts in Digital Media Strategy for the 2018–2019 school year. Bridgewater College hopes to include more graduate programs in the future. Bridgewater was ranked #229 in National Liberal arts colleges based on U.S. News Report[13]

Student life[edit]

Traditions[edit]

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 age of 26.

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.[14]

Athletics[edit]

Main article: Bridgewater Eagles

Bridgewater College is a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (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.

Notable people[edit]

Alumni[edit]

Faculty[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  2. ^ "Bridgewater College - History of Bridgewater College". Bridgewater College. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  3. ^ "Peterson's Bridgewater College - College overview". Peterson's, A Nelnet Company. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
  4. ^ "Bridgewater College Presidents - Bridgewater College". www.bridgewater.edu. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  5. ^ Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff (1984). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Bridgewater Historic District" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2013. and Accompanying photo
  6. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  7. ^ Lukpat, Alyssa; Jiménez, Jesus (February 1, 2022). "Two Officers Killed at Bridgewater College in Virginia". New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  8. ^ Smith, Hannah (February 1, 2022). "2 officers killed in shooting at Bridgewater College, suspect charged with capital murder". NBC12. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  9. ^ Johnson, Colby (February 26, 2024). "Bridgewater College Shooter pleads guilty, receives two life sentences". WHSV-TV. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  10. ^ Hull, Lindsey (May 4, 2023). "An archivist has spent 12 years working to return Native American remains and artifacts to their tribes. Success may be close". Cardinal News. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  11. ^ "Study Abroad - Bridgewater College". www.bridgewater.edu. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  12. ^ "Flory Honors Program - Bridgewater College". www.bridgewater.edu. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  13. ^ "Areas of Study". Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  14. ^ "Alumni and Friends" Archived 2015-08-09 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2015-07-28.
  15. ^ David Branshaw at PGATour.com
  16. ^ "Prof. Moses H. W. Chan @ Penn State Physics". Penn State Official Website. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  17. ^ "WCPI search results". University of Winnipeg. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  18. ^ "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress". US Congress BioGuide. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  19. ^ "Directory". Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 3, 2006. Retrieved May 12, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bridgewater College.

38°22′45.7″N 78°58′10″W / 38.379361°N 78.96944°W / 38.379361; -78.96944

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