Elizabethtown College

Founding and early years Elizabethtown College was founded in 1899 by members of the Church of the Brethren in response to an initiative by Jacob G. Francis . Francis advocated for Elizabethtown because of the proximity to the railways. First classes for the new college were held on November 13, 1900, in the Heisey Building in downtown Elizabethtown. During its first two decades, the college operated as an academy, offering a limited curriculum centering on four-year teaching degrees and high school type classes. [ citation needed ]

The college's presidents were referred to as principals prior to 1902. Isaac Newton Harvey "I.N.H." Beahm , 1900–1901 & 1904–1909 George Ness Falkenstein , 1901–1902 Daniel Conrad Reber , 1902–1904 & 1909–1918 Henry Kulp Ober , 1918–1921 & 1924–1928 Jacob Gibble Meyer , 1921–1924 Ralph Weist Schlosser , 1928–1929 & 1930–1941 Harry Hess Nye , 1929–1930 Charles Abba "A.C." Baugher , 1941–1961 Roy Edwin McAuley , 1961–1966 Morley Josiah Mays , 1966–1977 Mark Chester Ebersole , 1977–1985 Gerhard Ernest Spiegler , 1985–1996 Theodore E. Long , 1996–2011 Carl Strikwerda , 2011–2019 Cecilia McCormick , 2019–2021 Elizabeth “Betty” Rider, 2022–present

The college maintains 19 academic departments, offering 53 majors and 90+ minors and concentrations. [ citation needed ] Continuing education Over 50 years, the college's adult program evolved into what is known today as the School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS). The school offers graduate degree programs, including Master of Business Administration, Curriculum and Instruction, and Master of Music Education. [ 6 ] [ better source needed ]

Established in 1999, the Elizabethtown College Honors Program is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council. The Honors Program was founded with an endowment gift from The Hershey Company . [ citation needed ]