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{{Short description|Private college in Buckhannon, West Virginia, U.S.}}
{{Infobox university
{{Infobox university
|name = West Virginia Wesleyan College
|name = West Virginia Wesleyan College
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|image = WVWCOfficialSeal.jpg
|image = WVWCOfficialSeal.jpg
|image_size = 200px
|image_size = 200px
|former_name = Wesleyan University of West Virginia (1905–1906)
|image_name =
|image_name =
|motto =
|motto =
|established = 1890
|established = {{start date and age|1890}}
|type = [[Private university|Private]] [[Liberal arts colleges in the United States|liberal arts college]]
|type = [[Private college]]
|religious_affiliation = [[United Methodist Church]]
|religious_affiliation = [[United Methodist Church]]
|endowment = $42.4 million
|endowment = $42.4 million
|president = Joel Thierstein
|president = James Moore
|faculty = 137
|faculty = 137
|students = 1,452
|students = 1,055
|undergrad = 1,360
|undergrad = 971
|postgrad = 92
|postgrad = 84
|doctoral =
|doctoral =
|city = [[Buckhannon, West Virginia|Buckhannon]]
|city = [[Buckhannon, West Virginia|Buckhannon]]
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|coor = {{coord|38|59|19|N|80|13|18|W|display=inline,title}}
|coor = {{coord|38|59|19|N|80|13|18|W|display=inline,title}}
|campus = [[Rural area|Rural]]
|campus = [[Rural area|Rural]]
|colors = [[Orange (colour)|Orange]] and [[Black]] {{color box|#FF6600}}{{color box|black}}
|colors = [[Orange (colour)|Orange]] and [[black]] {{color box|#FF6600}}{{color box|black}}
|athletics = [[NCAA Division II]] - [[Mountain East Conference|MEC]]
|sporting_affiliations = [[NCAA Division II]] - [[Mountain East Conference|MEC]]
|nickname = [http://www.wesleyanbobcats.com/ Bobcats / Lady Bobcats]
|nickname = [[West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats|Bobcats and Lady Bobcats]]
|mascot = [[Bobcat]]
|mascot = [[Bobcat]]
|affiliations = [[Council of Independent Colleges|CIC]]<br>[[National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities|NAICU]]<br>[[International Association of Methodist-related Schools, Colleges, and Universities|IAMSCU]]
|academic_affiliations = [[Council of Independent Colleges|CIC]]<br>[[National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities|NAICU]]<br>[[International Association of Methodist-related Schools, Colleges, and Universities|IAMSCU]]
|website = [http://www.wvwc.edu/ wvwc.edu]
|website = [https://www.wvwc.edu/ wvwc.edu]
|accreditation = [[Higher Learning Commission|HLC]]
}}
}}


'''West Virginia Wesleyan College''' is a [[private school|private]] [[liberal arts college]] in [[Buckhannon, West Virginia]]. It has an enrollment of about 1,400 students from 35 [[U.S. state]]s and 26 countries. The school was founded in 1890 by the [[Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church|West Virginia Conference]] of the [[Methodism|United Methodist]] church. West Virginia Wesleyan College is accredited by the [[Higher Learning Commission]].
'''West Virginia Wesleyan College''' is a [[private college]] in [[Buckhannon, West Virginia]], United States. It has an enrollment of about 1,055 students from 35 [[U.S. state]]s and 26 countries. The school was founded in 1890 by the [[Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church|West Virginia Conference]] of the [[Methodist Episcopal Church]] and is currently affiliated with the [[United Methodist Church]]. West Virginia Wesleyan College is [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accredited]] by the [[Higher Learning Commission]].


== History ==
== History ==
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=== Early history ===
=== Early history ===
West Virginia Wesleyan College was founded in 1890 by the West Virginia Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The school opened on September 3, 1890, in a new three-story brick building that was where the current Lynch-Raine Administration Building now stands. [[Ohio Wesleyan University]] and [[Boston University School of Theology]] alumnus Bennett W. Hutchinson was the college's first president.
West Virginia Wesleyan College was founded in 1890 by the West Virginia Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The school opened in 1890, in a new three-story brick building where the current Lynch-Raine Administration Building now stands. [[Ohio Wesleyan University]] and [[Boston University School of Theology]] alumnus Bennett W. Hutchinson was the college's first president.


Following ten years focusing on college preparatory work, college-level instruction was first offered in 1900 culminating in the first baccalaureate degrees in 1905. For one year the institution was named Wesleyan University of West Virginia but it was quickly changed to West Virginia Wesleyan College in honor of [[John Wesley]], the founder of Methodism. Pre-college instruction continued until 1923 when it was discontinued because the high schools in the state had grown enough to adequately perform that task.
Following ten years focusing on college preparatory work, college-level instruction was first offered in 1900 culminating in the first baccalaureate degrees in 1905. For one year the institution was named '''Wesleyan University of West Virginia''' but it was quickly changed to '''West Virginia Wesleyan College''' in honor of [[John Wesley]], the founder of Methodism. Pre-college instruction continued until 1923 when it was discontinued because the high schools in the state had grown enough to adequately perform that task.


=== Recent years ===
=== Recent years ===
[[Dr. Pamela Balch|Dr. Pamela Jubin Balch]], a 1971 graduate of Wesleyan, became the college's 18th president in July 2006. Dr. Balch is the first woman to serve as president in the college's history. At the outset of her tenure as President, Balch reinstated the college's briefly-discontinued nursing program as well as its 3-2 engineering program. The college has since expanded its academic programs, adding graduate degrees in athletic training, education, English Writing, and nursing.
[[Dr. Pamela Balch|Pamela Jubin Balch]], a 1971 graduate of Wesleyan, became the college's 18th president in July 2006. Dr. Balch is the first woman to serve as president in the college's history. At the outset of her tenure as president, Balch reinstated the college's briefly-discontinued nursing program as well as its 3-2 engineering program. The college has since expanded its academic programs, adding graduate degrees in athletic training, business administration, English Writing, and nursing.

In 2009 Wesleyan opened the $7.2 million Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts followed shortly thereafter by the $8.9 million David E. Reemsnyder Research Center in 2010. A series of residential improvements to the campus were realized in the construction of a new 140-bed residence hall on Camden Avenue as well as a comprehensive renovation and restructuring of Fleming Hall, the college's second oldest permanent residence hall after Agnes Howard Hall. Adding to its already-beautiful and decidedly park-like campus, Wesleyan developed a sprawling green space in front of Wesley Chapel and included a fountain that had long been envisioned for the space since President Stanley Martin's campus master plan of the mid-1960s. Recent academic restructuring has contributed to the academic success of the college, with individual departments now consolidated into seven schools: Arts and Humanities, Athletic Training and Exercise Science, Business, Education, Nursing, Science, and Social Sciences. The College has seen consistent enrollment growth, with the number of students growing from 1,150 in 2006 to around 1,400 at present.

Wesleyan students have also enjoyed national success. During the Balch presidency, nine Wesleyan students have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships and one student became the first student from any West Virginia college or university student to become a Mitchell Scholar. Wesleyan's Students in Free Enterprise team has finished among the top 40 in the nation the past two years and Wesleyan ranks fifth among all NCAA Division II colleges and universities in the number of Academic Achievement Award winners. Wesleyan students have also been named NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship winners each of the last two years. Over 300 science majors have participated in federal and state-funded scientific research projects during the past five years.


==Academics==
==Academics==
The college offers over 43 undergraduate majors and 36 minors. Wesleyan also has [[3-2 engineering]] partnerships with Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, and West Virginia University. Undergraduate degrees are awarded in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Bachelor of Music Education. Graduate degrees awarded include the Master of Science in Athletic Training, Master of Business Administration, Master's in Education, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and Master of Science in Nursing.
The college offers over 50 undergraduate majors and 33 minors. Wesleyan also has [[3-2 engineering]] partnerships with Marshall University and West Virginia University. Undergraduate degrees are awarded in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Bachelor of Music Education. Graduate degrees awarded include the Master of Science in Athletic Training, Master of Business Administration, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Master of Science in Nursing and Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling


Approximately 80% of West Virginia Wesleyan's faculty have earned doctorates or comparable terminal degrees within their field. The student-faculty ratio is 14 to 1, with an average class size of 19.
Approximately 80% of West Virginia Wesleyan's faculty have earned doctorates or comparable terminal degrees within their field. The student-faculty ratio is 11.6 to 1, with an average class size of 15.


==Campus==
==Campus==
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[[File:WVWCWelcomeSign.jpg|thumbnail|West Virginia Wesleyan College welcome sign on the corner of College Avenue and Meade Street]]
[[File:WVWCWelcomeSign.jpg|thumbnail|West Virginia Wesleyan College welcome sign on the corner of College Avenue and Meade Street]]
[[File:JohnWesleyStatueWVWC.jpeg|thumbnail|Statue of John Wesley in front of Wesley Chapel at WV Wesleyan College]]
[[File:JohnWesleyStatueWVWC.jpeg|thumbnail|Statue of John Wesley in front of Wesley Chapel at WV Wesleyan College]]

The campus boasts 23 major buildings of [[Georgian architecture]], a legacy of the presidency of Stanley H. Martin (1957–1972). The grounds are situated in a park-like setting of more than 100 acres. The campus also hosts a variety of local flora, such as [[white oak]] and [[spruce]] trees, [[dogwood]]s, [[Laurel family|laurel]]s, and [[rhododendron]]s. Some of the recognizable buildings on campus are the Lynch-Raine Administration building, Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library, Reemsnyder Research Center, and Wesley Chapel, which is the highest capacity chapel in West Virginia.
The campus boasts 23 major buildings of [[Georgian architecture]]. The grounds are situated in a park-like setting of more than 100 acres.


==Student life==
==Student life==
Wesleyan has retained its residential character; about 90% of the students live on campus, due to its inclusive campus housing policies.
Wesleyan has retained its residential character; about 90% of the students live on campus.


There are 21 [[NCAA Division II]] sports teams, and 70 clubs and organizations.
There are 21 [[NCAA Division II]] sports teams, and 70 clubs and organizations.


The college's athletics teams are the [[Bobcat]]s, which compete in the [[NCAA Division II]] [[Mountain East Conference]], of which it was a founding member in 2013. The Bobcats were former members of the [[West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference]] (WVIAC), having been recognized as having the top athletic program in the WVIAC.{{Citation needed|date=March 2013}}by winning, over 151 conference championships and earning a conference dominance of 18 Commissioner's Cups during the past 20 years{{When|date=March 2013}} and eight Presidents' Cups in 14 years. Each year, Wesleyan's 21 NCAA II teams successfully{{Clarify|date=March 2013}} compete at the regional and national levels. Wesleyan also ranks fifth among all NCAA II schools in the number of Academic Achievement Award winners.
The college's athletics teams are the [[Bobcat]]s, which compete in the [[NCAA Division II]] [[Mountain East Conference]], of which it was a founding member in 2013. The Bobcats were former members of the [[West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference]] (WVIAC), having been recognized as having the top athletic program in the WVIAC.{{Citation needed|date=March 2013}}by winning, over 151 conference championships and earning a conference dominance of 18 Commissioner's Cups during the past 20 years{{When|date=March 2013}} and eight Presidents' Cups in 14 years. Each year, Wesleyan's 21 NCAA II teams successfully{{Clarify|date=March 2013}} compete at the regional and national levels.


The [[Fraternities and sororities in North America|Greek system]] was initiated on campus in 1925, and many fraternities and sororities have been founded since.
The [[Fraternities and sororities in North America|Greek system]] was initiated on campus in 1925, when the Board of Trustees authorized the establishment of two sororities and three fraternities. The four [[National Panhellenic Conference|Panhellenic]]-affiliated sororities are [[Alpha Gamma Delta]], [[Alpha Delta Pi]], [[Alpha Xi Delta]], and [[Zeta Tau Alpha]]. The five [[North-American Interfraternity Conference|Interfraternity Council]]-affiliated fraternities are [[Alpha Sigma Phi]], [[Chi Phi]], the [[Kappa Alpha Order]], [[Theta Chi]], and [[Theta Xi]]. There are also many additional organizational brotherhoods, sisterhoods, and honorary groups on campus including [[Alpha Phi Omega]], [[Alpha Psi Omega]], [[Beta Beta Beta]], [[Kappa Phi]], [[Mortar Board]], [[Omicron Delta Kappa]], [[Phi Alpha Theta]], [[Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia]], [[Sigma Alpha Iota]], [[Sigma Tau Epsilon]], [[Sigma Tau Delta]], and [[Sigma Theta Epsilon]].


Wesleyan students are highly active in community engagement projects. Some 87% of students participate in community service through the Center for Community Engagement and Leadership Development (CCE). The CCE has been recognized on both a state and national level for its community service endeavors.<ref>{{cite press release | url = http://www.wvwc.edu/news/2013/03/wv-campus-compact-awards-engagement-honors-to-west-virginia-wesleyan/ | title = WV Campus Compact Awards Engagement Honors to West Virginia Wesleyan | date = March 28, 2013 | publisher = West Virginia Wesleyan College | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140512222244/http://www.wvwc.edu/news/2013/03/wv-campus-compact-awards-engagement-honors-to-west-virginia-wesleyan/ | archive-date = May 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release | url = http://www.wvwc.edu/news/2013/03/west-virginia-wesleyan-college-earns-place-on-national-honor-roll-for-community-service/ | title = West Virginia Wesleyan College Earns Place on National Honor Roll for Community Service | date = March 8, 2013 | publisher = West Virginia Wesleyan College | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141020062046/http://www.wvwc.edu/news/2013/03/west-virginia-wesleyan-college-earns-place-on-national-honor-roll-for-community-service/ | archive-date = October 20, 2014}}</ref> Students in the CCE also organized the first collegiate [[American Heart Association|Jump Rope for Heart]] events in the United States.<ref>{{cite press release | url = http://www.wvwc.edu/news/2013/04/second-annual-jump-rope-for-heart-a-success/ | title = Second Annual Jump Rope for Heart a Success | date = April 22, 2013 | publisher = West Virginia Wesleyan College | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140512231439/http://www.wvwc.edu/news/2013/04/second-annual-jump-rope-for-heart-a-success/ | archive-date = May 12, 2014}}</ref>
Some Wesleyan students participate in community service through the Center for Community Engagement and Leadership Development (CCE).<ref>{{cite press release | url = http://www.wvwc.edu/news/2013/03/wv-campus-compact-awards-engagement-honors-to-west-virginia-wesleyan/ | title = WV Campus Compact Awards Engagement Honors to West Virginia Wesleyan | date = March 28, 2013 | publisher = West Virginia Wesleyan College | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140512222244/http://www.wvwc.edu/news/2013/03/wv-campus-compact-awards-engagement-honors-to-west-virginia-wesleyan/ | archive-date = May 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release | url = http://www.wvwc.edu/news/2013/03/west-virginia-wesleyan-college-earns-place-on-national-honor-roll-for-community-service/ | title = West Virginia Wesleyan College Earns Place on National Honor Roll for Community Service | date = March 8, 2013 | publisher = West Virginia Wesleyan College | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141020062046/http://www.wvwc.edu/news/2013/03/west-virginia-wesleyan-college-earns-place-on-national-honor-roll-for-community-service/ | archive-date = October 20, 2014}}</ref> Students in the CCE also organized the first collegiate [[American Heart Association|Jump Rope for Heart]] events in the United States.<ref>{{cite press release | url = http://www.wvwc.edu/news/2013/04/second-annual-jump-rope-for-heart-a-success/ | title = Second Annual Jump Rope for Heart a Success | date = April 22, 2013 | publisher = West Virginia Wesleyan College | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140512231439/http://www.wvwc.edu/news/2013/04/second-annual-jump-rope-for-heart-a-success/ | archive-date = May 12, 2014}}</ref>


== Wesleyan traditions ==
== Wesleyan traditions ==


===Athletics===
===Athletics===
{{main|West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats}}
Many features of modern campus life at Wesleyan have long traditions. The college currently boasts 21 sports, competing in [[NCAA Division II]]. The college offers varsity men's sports in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. The college offers varsity women's sports in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and volleyball. The 21st varsity sport, women's lacrosse, formally began competition in the fall of 2010.
The college currently boasts 21 sports, competing in [[NCAA Division II]]. The college offers varsity men's sports in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. The college offers varsity women's sports in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and volleyball. The 21st varsity sport, women's lacrosse, formally began competition in the fall of 2010.

Wesleyan was a member of the [[West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference]] (WVIAC). The WVIAC disbanded after the 2012-13 season and the school joined the new [[Mountain East Conference]].

One of the earliest sporting traditions at Wesleyan was [[College football|football]], which was introduced in the pre-college seminary in 1898. The school colors of orange and black go back to that very first game, when fullback and team captain Frank Thompson wore a turtleneck sweater in [[Princeton University]]'s orange and black to honor two football greats of that university whom he especially admired. A more comprehensive athletic program was formally organized at the collegiate level in 1902. Early sports included football, baseball, basketball, and gymnastics, all for men only.

Many WVWC alumni have gone on to play professional sports. Among them, two alumni have been inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] - [[Greasy Neale|Earl "Greasy" Neale]] '15 of the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] in 1969 and [[Cliff Battles]] '33 of the [[Washington Redskins]] in 1968.


=== Wesley Chapel ===
=== Wesley Chapel ===
An important legacy of the college is Wesley Chapel. With the ability to seat 1,800 people,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wvwc.edu/about/spiritual-and-religious-life/weddings | title = Weddings | work = West Virginia Wesleyan College | publisher = West Virginia Wesleyan College | access-date = January 27, 2017 | quote = The chapel seats 1800 people and has a complete sound system, grand piano and the largest pipe organ in West Virginia.}}</ref> Wesley Chapel holds the claim of largest worship space in the state of West Virginia.<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.wvwc.edu/MCEUploads/PDFs/Alumni/Sundial_Sum_Fall_2015_web.pdf | format = PDF | title = 125 Things We Love About Wesleyan | magazine = Sundial | issue = Summer/Fall 2015 | publisher = West Virginia Wesleyan College | page = 18 | quote = 67. Wesley Chapel and Martin Religious Center: Wesley Chapel, which is a designated United Methodist historical site, is truly one of the iconic landmarks of Wesleyan’s campus. From its 204-foot tall steeple, to its 1,800-person sanctuary (the largest worship space in West Virginia), to the classrooms, meeting rooms, and offices in Martin Religious Center, Wesley Chapel stands as the literal, as well as the spiritual, religious and intellectual heart of West Virginia Wesleyan College, just as it was intended to be when it was constructed in 1966.}}</ref> Wesley Chapel annually hosts the [[Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church|West Virginia United Methodist Annual Conference]] each June. The "Conference Sunday" service, the culmination of the Conference, always fills Wesley Chapel to standing-room-only.
With the ability to seat 1,800 people,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wvwc.edu/about/spiritual-and-religious-life/weddings | title = Weddings | work = West Virginia Wesleyan College | access-date = January 27, 2017 | quote = The chapel seats 1800 people and has a complete sound system, grand piano and the largest pipe organ in West Virginia.}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.wvwc.edu/MCEUploads/PDFs/Alumni/Sundial_Sum_Fall_2015_web.pdf | title = 125 Things We Love About Wesleyan | magazine = Sundial | issue = Summer/Fall 2015 | publisher = West Virginia Wesleyan College | page = 18 | quote = 67. Wesley Chapel and Martin Religious Center: Wesley Chapel, which is a designated United Methodist historical site, is truly one of the iconic landmarks of Wesleyan’s campus. From its 204-foot tall steeple, to its 1,800-person sanctuary, to the classrooms, meeting rooms, and offices in Martin Religious Center, Wesley Chapel stands as the literal, as well as the spiritual, religious and intellectual heart of West Virginia Wesleyan College, just as it was intended to be when it was constructed in 1966.}}</ref> Wesley Chapel annually hosts the [[Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church|West Virginia United Methodist Annual Conference]] each June.

Wesley Chapel also provides a fantastic venue for the Arts. Several campus musical groups perform in the Chapel each semester, as well as artists who visit WVWC as a part of its annual "Arts Alive" Program. Many world-renowned artists have performed in Wesley Chapel over the years including a memorable performance by [[Maynard Ferguson]], who famously performed a trumpet solo from the pulpit.

==Written histories==
⚫
*Haught, Thomas W., ''West Virginia Wesleyan College 1890-1940'', Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College Press, 1940.
⚫
*McCuskey, Roy, ''All Things Work Together for Good to them that Love God'', Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College Press, ca. 1950.
⚫
*Miller, Brett T., ''Our Home Among the Hills: West Virginia Wesleyan's First 125 Years'', Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company Publishers, 2014.
⚫
*Plummer, Kenneth M., ''A History of West Virginia Wesleyan College, 1890-1965'', Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College Press, 1965.


==Notable alumni==
==Notable alumni==
{{alumni|date=August 2023}}
*[[Maggie Anderson]] (born 1948), poet
*[[Maggie Anderson]] (born 1948), poet
*[[Ken Ash]] (1901–1979), baseball player
*[[Ken Ash]] (1901–1979), baseball player
*[[Chalmers Ault]] (1900–1979), American football player
*[[Chalmers Ault]] (1900–1979), football player
*[[William Eli Baker]] (1873–1954), judge
*[[William E. Baker]] (1873–1954), judge
*[[Pamela Balch]], academic; 18th president of West Virginia Wesleyan College
*[[Pamela Balch]], president emerita of West Virginia Wesleyan College
*[[Len Barnum]] (1912–1998), American football player
*[[Len Barnum]] (1912–1998), football player
*[[Cliff Battles]] (1910–1981), American football player
*[[Cliff Battles]] (1910–1981), football player
*[[Thomas Bickerton]] (born 1958), bishop
*[[Thomas Bickerton]] (born 1958), bishop
*[[Sheriff Blake]] (1899–1982), baseball player
*[[Sheriff Blake]] (1899–1982), baseball player
*[[Shannon Breen]] (born 1989), American football player
*[[Shannon Breen]] (born 1989), football player
*[[Jim Brogan (basketball)|Jim Brogan]] (born 1958), basketball player
*[[Jim Brogan (basketball)|Jim Brogan]] (born 1958), basketball player
*[[Lewis C. Cantley]] (born 1949), cell biologist
*[[Lewis C. Cantley]] (born 1949), cell biologist
*[[Ted Cassidy]] (1932–1979), actor
*[[Ted Cassidy]] (1932–1979), actor
*[[Robin Davis]] (born 1956), jurist
*[[Robin Davis]] (born 1956), jurist
*[[Ray Dorr]] (1941–2001), American football player
*[[Ray Dorr]] (1941–2001), football player
*[[William Flanagan (American football)|William Flanagan]] (1901–1975), American football player
*[[William Flanagan (American football)|William Flanagan]] (1901–1975), football player
*[[Matt Foreman (activist)|Matt Foreman]], activist
*[[Matt Foreman (activist)|Matt Foreman]], activist
*[[Denise Giardina]] (born 1951), novelist
*[[Denise Giardina]] (born 1951), novelist
*[[L. J. Hanifan]] (1879–1932), economist
*[[L. J. Hanifan]] (1879–1932), economist
*[[Charles Hoyes]], actor
*[[John Kellison]] (1886–1971), American football player
*[[John Kellison]] (1886–1971), football player
*[[Jason Koon]] (born 1985), poker player
*[[Jason Koon]] (born 1985), poker player
*[[Oscar Lambert]] (1890–1970), athlete
*[[Oscar Lambert]] (1890–1970), athlete
*[[Jean Lee Latham]] (1902–1995), writer
*[[Jean Lee Latham]] (1902–1995), writer
*[[Blanche Lazzell]] (1878–1956), painter
*[[Blanche Lazzell]] (1878–1956), painter
*[[Bil Lepp]], TV host
*[[Carl Martin (politician)|Carl Martin]], member of the [[West Virginia House of Delegates]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wvlegislature.gov/House/lawmaker.cfm?member=Delegate%20Martin|title=West Virginia Legislature |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=www.wvlegislature.gov}}</ref>
*[[John F. McCuskey]] (born 1947), justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
*[[Irene McKinney]] (1939–2012), poet
*[[Irene McKinney]] (1939–2012), poet
*[[Jim Miller (halfback)|Jim Miller]] (1908–1965), American football player
*[[Jim Miller (halfback)|Jim Miller]] (1908–1965), football player
*[[Scott Douglas Miller]], president of [[Virginia Wesleyan University]]
⚫
*[[Greasy Neale]] (1891–1973), American football player
*[[Ken Moore (American Football)|Ken Moore]] (1917–2003), American football player, New York Giants
⚫
*[[Greasy Neale]] (1891–1973), football player
*[[Daniel Pitt O'Brien]] (1900–1957), politician
*[[Daniel Pitt O'Brien]] (1900–1957), politician
*[[Roy Earl Parrish]] (1888–1918), politician<ref>{{Cite web |title=West Virginia Veterans Memorial - Roy Earl Parrish |url=https://archive.wvculture.org/history/wvmemory/vets/parrishroy/parrishroy.html |access-date=2023-07-20 |website=[[West Virginia Archives and History]]}}</ref>
*[[Okey L. Patteson]] (1898–1989), politician
*[[Okey L. Patteson]] (1898–1989), politician
*[[Anthony Peters]] (born 1983), American soccer player
*[[Anthony Peters]] (born 1983), soccer player
*[[Nelson Peterson]] (1913–1990), American football player
*[[Nelson Peterson]] (1913–1990), football player
*[[Edward G. Rohrbough]] (1874–1956), politician
*[[Edward G. Rohrbough]] (1874–1956), politician
*[[Harry Shriver]] (1896–1970), baseball player
*[[Harry Shriver]] (1896–1970), baseball player
Line 127: Line 122:
*[[Margaret Smith (West Virginia politician)|Margaret Smith]] (born 1952), politician
*[[Margaret Smith (West Virginia politician)|Margaret Smith]] (born 1952), politician
*[[David E. Stuart]], anthropologist
*[[David E. Stuart]], anthropologist
*[[Chalmers Tschappat]] (1896–1958), American football player
*[[Chalmers Tschappat]] (1896–1958), football player
*[[Peter D. Weaver]] (born 1945), bishop
*[[Peter D. Weaver]] (born 1945), bishop
*[[Lillian Mayfield Wright]] (1894–1986), poet
*[[Dan A. Buckholt]] (born 1969), Football Player, Ironworker
<!-- Editors: please maintain alphabetical order. -->


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
⚫
*Haught, Thomas W., ''West Virginia Wesleyan College 1890-1940'', Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College Press, 1940.
⚫
*McCuskey, Roy, ''All Things Work Together for Good to them that Love God'', Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College Press, ca. 1950.
⚫
*Miller, Brett T., ''Our Home Among the Hills: West Virginia Wesleyan's First 125 Years'', Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company Publishers, 2014.
⚫
*Plummer, Kenneth M., ''A History of West Virginia Wesleyan College, 1890-1965'', Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College Press, 1965.


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.wvwc.edu/ Official website]
*[https://www.wvwc.edu/ Official website]


{{Mountain East Conference navbox}}
{{Mountain East Conference navbox}}
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[[Category:Buildings and structures in Upshur County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Upshur County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:1890 establishments in West Virginia]]
[[Category:1890 establishments in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Buckhannon, West Virginia]]

Latest revision as of 23:12, 3 January 2025

West Virginia Wesleyan College
Latin: Wesleyanum Collegium Virginiae Occidentalis
Former name
Wesleyan University of West Virginia (1905–1906)
TypePrivate college
Established1890; 135 years ago (1890)
AccreditationHLC
Religious affiliation
United Methodist Church
Academic affiliations
CIC
NAICU
IAMSCU
Endowment$42.4 million
PresidentJames Moore
Academic staff
137
Students1,055
Undergraduates971
Postgraduates84
Location
Buckhannon
,
West Virginia
,
United States

38°59′19″N 80°13′18″W / 38.98861°N 80.22167°W / 38.98861; -80.22167
CampusRural
ColorsOrange and black   
NicknameBobcats and Lady Bobcats
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division II - MEC
MascotBobcat
Websitewvwc.edu

West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private college in Buckhannon, West Virginia, United States. It has an enrollment of about 1,055 students from 35 U.S. states and 26 countries. The school was founded in 1890 by the West Virginia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church and is currently affiliated with the United Methodist Church. West Virginia Wesleyan College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

History

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Main Hall, 1908

Early history

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West Virginia Wesleyan College was founded in 1890 by the West Virginia Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The school opened in 1890, in a new three-story brick building where the current Lynch-Raine Administration Building now stands. Ohio Wesleyan University and Boston University School of Theology alumnus Bennett W. Hutchinson was the college's first president.

Following ten years focusing on college preparatory work, college-level instruction was first offered in 1900 culminating in the first baccalaureate degrees in 1905. For one year the institution was named Wesleyan University of West Virginia but it was quickly changed to West Virginia Wesleyan College in honor of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Pre-college instruction continued until 1923 when it was discontinued because the high schools in the state had grown enough to adequately perform that task.

Recent years

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Pamela Jubin Balch, a 1971 graduate of Wesleyan, became the college's 18th president in July 2006. Dr. Balch is the first woman to serve as president in the college's history. At the outset of her tenure as president, Balch reinstated the college's briefly-discontinued nursing program as well as its 3-2 engineering program. The college has since expanded its academic programs, adding graduate degrees in athletic training, business administration, English Writing, and nursing.

Academics

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The college offers over 50 undergraduate majors and 33 minors. Wesleyan also has 3-2 engineering partnerships with Marshall University and West Virginia University. Undergraduate degrees are awarded in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Bachelor of Music Education. Graduate degrees awarded include the Master of Science in Athletic Training, Master of Business Administration, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Master of Science in Nursing and Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Approximately 80% of West Virginia Wesleyan's faculty have earned doctorates or comparable terminal degrees within their field. The student-faculty ratio is 11.6 to 1, with an average class size of 15.

Campus

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Panorama of West Virginia Wesleyan College
West Virginia Wesleyan College
West Virginia Wesleyan College welcome sign on the corner of College Avenue and Meade Street
Statue of John Wesley in front of Wesley Chapel at WV Wesleyan College

The campus boasts 23 major buildings of Georgian architecture. The grounds are situated in a park-like setting of more than 100 acres.

Student life

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Wesleyan has retained its residential character; about 90% of the students live on campus.

There are 21 NCAA Division II sports teams, and 70 clubs and organizations.

The college's athletics teams are the Bobcats, which compete in the NCAA Division II Mountain East Conference, of which it was a founding member in 2013. The Bobcats were former members of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC), having been recognized as having the top athletic program in the WVIAC.[citation needed]by winning, over 151 conference championships and earning a conference dominance of 18 Commissioner's Cups during the past 20 years[when?] and eight Presidents' Cups in 14 years. Each year, Wesleyan's 21 NCAA II teams successfully[clarification needed] compete at the regional and national levels.

The Greek system was initiated on campus in 1925, and many fraternities and sororities have been founded since.

Some Wesleyan students participate in community service through the Center for Community Engagement and Leadership Development (CCE).[1][2] Students in the CCE also organized the first collegiate Jump Rope for Heart events in the United States.[3]

Wesleyan traditions

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Athletics

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Main article: West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats

The college currently boasts 21 sports, competing in NCAA Division II. The college offers varsity men's sports in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. The college offers varsity women's sports in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and volleyball. The 21st varsity sport, women's lacrosse, formally began competition in the fall of 2010.

Wesley Chapel

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With the ability to seat 1,800 people,[4][5] Wesley Chapel annually hosts the West Virginia United Methodist Annual Conference each June.

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "WV Campus Compact Awards Engagement Honors to West Virginia Wesleyan" (Press release). West Virginia Wesleyan College. March 28, 2013. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014.
  2. ^ "West Virginia Wesleyan College Earns Place on National Honor Roll for Community Service" (Press release). West Virginia Wesleyan College. March 8, 2013. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014.
  3. ^ "Second Annual Jump Rope for Heart a Success" (Press release). West Virginia Wesleyan College. April 22, 2013. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014.
  4. ^ "Weddings". West Virginia Wesleyan College. Retrieved January 27, 2017. The chapel seats 1800 people and has a complete sound system, grand piano and the largest pipe organ in West Virginia.
  5. ^ "125 Things We Love About Wesleyan" (PDF). Sundial. No. Summer/Fall 2015. West Virginia Wesleyan College. p. 18. 67. Wesley Chapel and Martin Religious Center: Wesley Chapel, which is a designated United Methodist historical site, is truly one of the iconic landmarks of Wesleyan's campus. From its 204-foot tall steeple, to its 1,800-person sanctuary, to the classrooms, meeting rooms, and offices in Martin Religious Center, Wesley Chapel stands as the literal, as well as the spiritual, religious and intellectual heart of West Virginia Wesleyan College, just as it was intended to be when it was constructed in 1966.
  6. ^ "West Virginia Legislature". www.wvlegislature.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  7. ^ "West Virginia Veterans Memorial - Roy Earl Parrish". West Virginia Archives and History. Retrieved 2023-07-20.

Further reading

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  • Haught, Thomas W., West Virginia Wesleyan College 1890-1940, Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College Press, 1940.
  • McCuskey, Roy, All Things Work Together for Good to them that Love God, Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College Press, ca. 1950.
  • Miller, Brett T., Our Home Among the Hills: West Virginia Wesleyan's First 125 Years, Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company Publishers, 2014.
  • Plummer, Kenneth M., A History of West Virginia Wesleyan College, 1890-1965, Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College Press, 1965.
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