is a small, highly respected
Liberal Arts College in
Berea, Ohio . It was founded in
1845 , and is home to the
Riemenschneider-Bach Institute and the
Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory Of Music , an internationally renowned music school. Founded by
Methodist Missionaries , the college enjoys a long and rich affiliation with the
United Methodist Church . Students receive both a broad liberal arts tradition with focused career skills and guidance in their education.
Baldwin- Wallace College is a member of the
Ohio Athletic Conference including
Mount Union College ,
Capital University ,
Heidelberg College ,
John Carroll University ,
Marietta College ,
Muskingum College ,
Ohio Northern University ,
Otterbein College , and
Wilmington College .
Baldwin- Wallace College's motto is "Quality Education with a Personal Touch". The motto was adopted in the 1980’s under the tenure of President Neal Malicky. Past college mottos include “Educandis”, the motto of the old
German Wallace College . Its school colors are officially brown and gold, though in the past, magenta and teal, as well as maroon and gold were used in marketing literature. US News and World Report regards Baldwin-Wallace as a university, with its numerous schools, however, the alumni continue to support the historic name "Baldwin-Wallace College", opposing any name change in the future.
Baldwin-Wallace offers more than 50 majors, as well as several cooperative and pre-professional programs. Evening and weekend programs include 12 majors and six certificate programs.
{Link without Title} Programs lead to
Bachelor Of Arts ,
Bachelor Of Science ,
Bachelor Of Science in
Education ,
Bachelor Of Music ,
Bachelor Of Music in
Education ,
Master Of Arts in
Education , and
Master Of Business Administration degrees. Their radio station,
WBWC , is well known in the Cleveland area.
The College maintains 27 academic departments leading to a bachelor’s degree. In addition to on-campus study, students also have the opportunity to broaden their horizons through a number of off-campus study programs. Liberal arts remain at the center of the academic program, but they are augmented by opportunities to explore career options and develop professional skills.
Both the college and the town of
Berea were founded by
Methodist settlers from
Connecticut . These settlers moved west after their homes were burned by the British in the
Revolutionary War . The region in Northern
Ohio became known as the
Firelands , as the state of
Connecticut gave land grants to these fire victims. Among these settlers was
John Baldwin . Baldwin enjoyed early success in the
Sandstone Quarry industry. He set out to found a
Lyceum School , modeled after the
Christian Perfectionist movement championed by
Robert Owen . While the Lyceum school and commune failed, Baldwin’s next school, the
Baldwin Institute preparatory school, was founded in
{Link without Title} .
Baldwin Institute became
Baldwin University by
1855 . Baldwin's sense of equality led to the school accepting any student regardless of race or gender, and was one first in the nation to do so. Moreover, Baldwin University's courses were not segregated.
The surge of
German workers in Baldwin’s
Sandstone quarries led to the establishment of a German department in the Institute.
German Methodist minister and Baldwin professor Jacob Rothweiler approached another local quarry owner,
James Wallace , to establish a separate school for the German students, where courses would be taught in their mother tongue. Rothweiler named his project after
Wallace , and
German Wallace College was founded in
1855 . Students at both institutions were free to enroll in courses at Baldwin or German Wallace. Baldwin and Wallace were the primary benefactors to the two Berea colleges. After their deaths, and the decline of the quarry industry in Ohio, both schools came close to financial ruin. Options were thin, and the
United Methodist Church considered merging the schools with the more successful
Ohio Wesleyan University in 1880, to form the
University Of Cleveland . The University of Cleveland concept was abandoned for a more elegant solution. Baldwin University and German Wallace College merged in
1913 , to form the present Baldwin-Wallace College.
After
1913 , the College began building the present day campus. Under the leadership of
Alfred Bryan Bonds , Baldwin-Wallace grew to a large and well respected suburban institution. Bonds oversaw the construction of fifteen buildings on campus during his 26 year tenure.
Neal Malicky 's tenure as college president stabilized the college's finances and endowment, finally placing Baldwin-Wallace in financial security after centuries of financial struggle.
Unlike neighboring institutions such as
Kent State University , and
Oberlin College , Baldwin-Wallace enjoyed relative calm during the
Vietnam War era. Campus culture has always been more pragmatic and inclusive instead of reactionary. However, the college made headlines in its involvement in the federal
Witness Protection Program , by producing credentials for mob informants in the
1970 ’s. Also, the College experienced setbacks in credibility in accepting a donation of paintings by the great masters from the
Cosla family in the
1970 ’s. These paintings were later discredited as forgeries.
Since then, the college has positioned itself as a preparatory college for students, as many graduates pursue advanced degrees from leading institutions around the globe. The college has particular strengths in
Education ,
Business ,
Musical Theatre ,
Music Therapy and
Music Performance . BW has also engaged in attracting a more diverse student body from nearby
Cleveland ,
Ohio , and internationally as well.
The school's varsity sports teams are the
Yellow Jacket . They participate in the
NCAA 's Division III and the
Ohio Athletic Conference . Baldwin Wallace's
Football team was coached by
Lee Tressel , who led the team to a undefeated record in
1978 , and subsequently the NCAA Division III Championship. Perhaps the most notable BW athlete from the 20th century was
Harrison Dillard , the only male so far to win
Olympic titles in both
Sprinting and
Hurdling events, in the
1948 Olympics .
- Paul Berns , Principal percussionist, Indianapolis Symphony
- David Byrd , M.D., Professor in 1880 of Latin, first African- American president of the National Medical Association.
- David Cangelosi , Opera artist with the Metropolitan Opera.
- Harrison Dillard , 1947, U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist in 100 meter dash, and hurdles. Charter member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
- Jane Edna Hunter , L.B. 1925, founder of the Phyllis Wheatley Center for the poor in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Norb Hecker , first coach of the Atlanta Falcons, won 8 NFL championships as a coach of the Green Bay Packers , San Francisco 49ers , and New York Giants
- Anthony Holland , composer
- William Kelso , archeologist, and discoverer of the original Jamestown colony in Virginia.
- James Lawson , civil rights leader and minister, worked alongside Martin Luther King in the Southern Baptist Leadership Conference.
- Bill Moffit , legendary University of Michigan Marching Band Director
- George Norris , U.S. Senator from Nebraska, creator of the Tennessee Valley Authority, creator of the Nebraska Unicameral legislature, and author of the 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
- Robert Overmyer , NASA astronaut.
- Aaron Schulyer , noted mathematician, professor of mathematics and president of Baldwin University.
- Larry Shinn , President of Berea College , Kentucky
- Jim Tressel , 2002 National Championship-winning Coach of the Ohio State University football team.
- Hazel Mountain Walker , L.B. 1919, among the first African- American lawyers in the State of Ohio.
- David Yavornitsky , principal Bass, Utah Symphony
- Dwight Oltman , present conductor of the Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival, as well as music director of the Ohio Chamber Orchestra, the Cleveland Ballet, and the San Jose Ballet.
- Eric Fingerhut , present Director of Economic Development Education and Entrepreneurship. Currently representing the 25th Ohio Senate district in the Ohio State Senate .
