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High Point University is a Private Liberal Arts University in High Point, North Carolina , USA affiliated with the United Methodist Church . The University is dedicated to the traditional Christian principles of inclusiveness and diversity. The mission of High Point University is to "provide vital and distinguished undergraduate and graduate programs that enhance both traditional and non-traditional students' powers of inquiry, breadth of knowledge, command of written and spoken language and insight into ethical behavior." HISTORY Beginnings The school was founded as High Point College in 1924 , a joint venture between the Methodist Protestant Church and the citizens of High Point. When the college opened, the campus consisted of three buildings, attended by nine faculty members, and a student enrollment of 122. The Methodist Protestant Church, which is now part of the United Methodist Church, first became active in educational pursuits in North Carolina in the middle of the 19th century. Of the various institutions which it sponsored, the most ambitious was Yadkin College , which operated in neighboring Davidson County from 1856 to 1895, but failed because of its isolated rural location. At the turn of the century, the vision of a church-related college was revived by Reverend Joseph F. McCulloch of Greensboro, who sought for nearly a quarter-century to bring the dream to fruition. The statewide governing body of the Methodist Protestant Church finally voted to proceed in 1921.Sizemore, F. J., ed. The Buildings and the Builders of a City: High Point, North Carolina. High Point: Hall Printing Company, 1947. p. 318-319 Shortly afterwards it accepted an offer from the citizens of High Point to contribute 60 acres of land and $100,000 to the project.Robinson, Blackwell P., and Alexander R. Stoesen. "The History of Guilford County, North Carolina, U.S.A. To 1980, A.D." Greensboro: The Guilford County Bicentennial Commission, 1980. p. 233 The campus was designed by R. E. Mitchell of Washington, DC, assisted by Herbert Hunter of High Point, in the English Renaissance style. Though finishing touches were still being added to Roberts Hall, Women's Hall, and McCulloch Hall, classes began in September 1924. The steadfast growth that characterized the birth of the College ended abruptly with the Great Depression. This period was difficult for the College in 1932-33, as faculty salaries were cut and expenses were sometimes bartered. Despite a $50,000 fund raising campaign, the College declared bankruptcy on June 15, 1934 and reorganization in an effort to reduce its indebtedness.Robinson, Blackwell P., and Alexander R. Stoesen. "The History of Guilford County, North Carolina, U.S.A. To 1980, A.D." Greensboro: The Guilford County Bicentennial Commission, 1980. p. 235 Reorganization enabled the College to move forward with business and expansion. By the end of the decade, the M. J. Wrenn library and the H. Albion Millis athletic stadium were constructed.Sizemore, F. J., ed. The Buildings and the Builders of a City: High Point, North Carolina. High Point: Hall Printing Company, 1947. p. 318-319 During World War II, the College hosted the 326th College Training Detachment of the U.S. Army Air Force. With the liquidation of debt, financial stability ultimately returned by 1945.Robinson, Blackwell P., and Alexander R. Stoesen. "The History of Guilford County, North Carolina, U.S.A. To 1980, A.D." Greensboro: The Guilford County Bicentennial Commission, 1980. p. 235 Expansion and Growth The postwar decades brought prospects for rapid growth and expansion. Under the influences of the G.I. Bill and the "baby boom" of the 1940s and 1950s, enrollment more than tripled, with a corresponding increase in staff. The College's programs received full accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1951.Robinson, Blackwell P., and Alexander R. Stoesen. "The History of Guilford County, North Carolina, U.S.A. To 1980, A.D." Greensboro: The Guilford County Bicentennial Commission, 1980. p. 235 Additional facilities were added in response to this growth in size and professionalism: four residence halls between 1953 and 1968, two classroom buildings, a second gymnasium, an auditorium, a chapel, and a campus center. By 1959, the school's endowment topped $1 million. A major campaign in the 1960s, entitled "The Golden Decade", exceeded $5 million in donations, and increased the endowment to almost $3 million. Physical expansion of the campus continued with Smith Library in the spring of 1984, featuring a capacity three times the size of the former facility. The original men's residence hall was replaced in 1987 with a 221-resident facility. The "Aspire" campaign sought to raise $20 million in assets for the College and set the tone for the institution into the 1990s. By 1991, the endowment had increased to $24 million, eighth among institutions of higher learning in North Carolina. Recent history A 1990 report from a task force called "The National Commission on the Future of High Point College" outlined the blueprints for growth into the twenty first century. The report called for emphasis on teaching ethics in the curriculum, enhancing international relationships and exchanges, improving academic and dormitory spaces, and reconstituting college as a university. |
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