Wittenberg University

Wittenberg University

File:Witt seal.gif
Type	Private
Established	1845
President	Mark H. Erickson
Academic staff	145 full-time
Undergraduates	2,050
Location	Springfield, Ohio , U.S.
Campus	Small city, 100 acres
Colors	Red and White
Mascot	Tiger
Website	http://www.wittenberg.edu/

Wittenberg University, located in Springfield, Ohio, is a private, four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college was founded in 1842 by Ezra Keller in Wooster, Ohio, and moved three years later to its present location. Wittenberg consistently admits academically strong students. Of the entering freshman, approximately 68 percent of students graduated in the top quarter of their high school classes. Wittenberg provides a liberal arts education dedicated to intellectual inquiry and wholeness of person within a diverse residential community. The college is named after the University of Wittenberg in Germany, where Martin Luther posted his 95 theses.

Founding

Wittenberg was created by a group of pastors who broke with the German church and created the English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Ohio. They believed that the English language was a way to foster the inclusiveness of the new American nation. In 1842, the new synod voted unanimously to establish a theological and literary institution that would serve the educational and cultural needs of new immigrants and new communities: Wittenberg University.

In its early years Wittenberg wavered on a permanent home. The first class sessions for the college were held in Wooster, Ohio. It wasn't until Ezra Keller, Wittenberg's founder and first president, stepped upon the highest point in South-Central Ohio that Wittenberg would have a permanent place to lay its first cornerstone. Springfield was considered a boomtown in the mid-1800s and had many resources to offer the college. The city was conveniently located on the National Road and was easily accessed by travelers as they made their way through the Ohio Valley. The city was also a crossroads for rail shipping and received hundreds of trains each day, another benefit for a blossoming institution. [1]

Academics

Wittenberg has more than 50 majors and special programs from which students may choose to focus their studies. Wittenberg is distinguished by its strong interdisciplinary programs such as East Asian Studies and Russian Area Studies.

Although Wittenberg's traditional strengths have been in the liberal arts, recently the sciences, management and education have also developed into popular majors for students. Eight thriving pre-professional programs contribute to the educational experience of Wittenberg students, 70 percent of whom eventually pursue graduate studies." [2] These students who pursue graduate studies place Wittenberg at the top of the national list in the percentage of graduates who attain the highest degree in their selected fields of study (JD, MD, PhD, etc.). The University made major renovations to its science facilities with the opening of the Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center in 2003. In 2006, US News & World Report ranked Wittenberg the 118th best Liberal Arts college in the US. This lower rank from previous years was addressed in the student run newspaper, "The Torch," on 11/9/06. [3]

Student life

The campus body is made up of 2,050 students and 145 full-time faculty members. Students come from more than 40 states and 36 foreign countries.

Activities that Wittenberg offers include 12 fraternities and sororities as well as over 125 student organizations. Activities include Student Senate, Anime Club, Chemistry Club, Chinese Dragon Dance Team, Cigar Club, Colleges Against Cancer/Relay for Life, Comic Book Club, Wittenberg Student Dance Club (WSDC), Dodgeball Club, East Asian Studies Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, Habitat for Humanity, Intermural Sports, Martial Arts Club, New York Times Discussion Group, Outdoor Club, Pre-Health Club, Residence Life, Ski Club, Society of Physics Students, Student Global AIDS Campaign, Swing Dance Club, Union Board, Wittenberg Art League, Wittenberg Rugby, WUSO radio station, Younglife, and many more. More information about Wittenberg's Student Activities can be found at the Student Activity Website: [4]

Fraternities include:

• Beta Theta Pi
• Delta Tau Delta
• Delta Sigma Phi
• Lambda Chi Alpha
• Phi Gamma Delta
• Phi Kappa Psi

Sororities include:

• Alpha Delta Pi
• Chi Omega
• Delta Gamma
• Gamma Phi Beta
• Kappa Delta
• Sigma Kappa

Wittenberg is also special in that it has several active secret societies. The "Shifters" are the oldest of the secret societies and are easily identified by the paper clips worn on their clothing, usually around the collar of their shirts. The "Wizards" can be identified by their rainbow patches, and are said to be the second oldest active society. There are also a plethora of other identifiable societies, such as: the "Bells" who are believed to be an academic based secret society associated with the theater department. The "Gnomes" identified by their roach clips, is a group composed mostly of rugby players, believed to now be inactive. The "numbers" or "number people" a group that can be spotted by their small duct tape badges have red serial numbers, are said to have been started in 2002. And finally, the "knights", identified by their plastic sword embellishments, are also said to have been founded in 2002, but have been said not to be active on campus as of late.

[5][6] [7]

Notable alumni

• Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders of the NFL.
• Sherwood Anderson (September 13, 1876 – March 8, 1941), an American writer. His influence on American fiction was profound; his literary voice can be heard in Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and Thomas Wolfe.
• Former Lieutenant Governor Jennette Bradley, Ohio State Treasurer
• Dr. Joye Carter, the nation's first black female chief medical examiner [8].
• Dr. Winberg Chai, author and political scientist. Executive Editor, Asian Affairs: An American Review, an international quarterly published in Washington, D.C.
• John Chowning, American musician, inventor and professor.
• Vinny Del Giudice, Bloomberg Radio, Washington, DC.
• Dr. Lloyd C. Douglas (August 27, 1877 - February 13, 1951), minister and author. During the 1930s, Douglas was one of the most popular novelists in the US. He wrote numerous other books, notably The Robe and The Big Fisherman."
• Sandy Dukat, an American athlete. Won two bronze medals for skiing at the 2002 Winter Paralympics Games in Salt Lake City and one bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Paralympics Games in Turin.
• Isaac Kaufmann Funk (1839-1912) An American editor, lexicographer, publisher. Founded the publishing firm of Funk & Wagnalls Company in 1877.
• Elwood V. Jensen, renowned scientist.
• H.O. Hirt, founder of the Erie Insurance Group.
• Ho Pak Kong, Chairman of Lotus International, Ltd.
• Ronald Li, Founder of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX).
• John E. McLaughlin, former director of the CIA.
• James Rebhorn, actor.
• Jere Ratcliffe, Chief Scout Executive of Boy Scouts of America, from 1993 to 2000.
• Adam Willis Wagnalls, co-founder of the Funk & Wagnalls Company, in 1877.
• Walter L. Weaver (April 1, 1851 - May 26, 1909), a U.S. Representative from Ohio.
• Charles R. Williamson, Executive Vice President and former chairman of the board and Chief Executive Officer of Unocal Corporation.

References

• Wittenberg Athletic Press Release. Wittenberg Football Qualifies for NCAA Division III Playoffs. Retrieved August 3, 2005.
• The founding of Wittenberg University

External links

• Wittenberg Homepage
• Wittenberg Athletics
• Wittenberg Music Department
• Virtual Tour