Hanover College

Founding Founder John Finley Crowe In the early 19th century, missionaries went to Hanover as part of the Second Great Awakening . Crowe served as pastor of the Hanover Presbyterian Church. He opened the Hanover Academy on January 1, 1827, in a small log cabin near his home. Two years later, the state of Indiana granted the academy a charter. On November 9, 1829, the academy's board of trustees accepted the Presbyterian Synod of Indiana's proposal to adopt the school, provided a theological department was established. A two-story brick building was constructed to house both the academy and the new Indiana Seminary. The state of Indiana issued the academy a new charter, creating Hanover College effective January 1, 1833. Under this charter, the college's board of trustees is independent of ecclesiastical control, but it has formally adopted the standards for Presbyterian colleges for Hanover. The association continues to this day. In the 1830s, the College Edifice (now serving as the Hanover Presbyterian Church) was the center of a 3-acre (12,000 m 2 ) campus. In 1834, 119 students attended Hanover Preparatory School (formerly Hanover Academy) and 101 students attended Hanover College, rapid growth from the six students of seven years earlier. In 1843 the college's president and its trustees accepted a proposal from Madison city leaders to move Hanover College. The trustees dissolved the Hanover charter and established Madison University five miles east. But Crowe purchased the college property and established the Hanover Classical and Mathematical School. Four months after Madison University was founded, its president had resigned while its students began to return to Crowe's school. By May 1844, all of Madison's students and faculty had made the trip. Hanover College was officially restored when Indiana's legislature granted the college a new charter on Christmas Day.

Crowe, who served as college faculty for more than 30 years and refused to have his name considered for the presidency, is described as "twice the founder of Hanover College." [ citation needed ] In 1849 the board of trustees voted to purchase a 200-acre (0.8 km 2 ) farm one-half mile east of Hanover's campus. By the mid-1850s, Classic Hall was constructed on a bluff known as the Point, and College classes were moved to that location. "Old Classic" would be Hanover's signature building for more than 90 years. During the Civil War , the Confederate offensive maneuvers of Morgan's Raid came close to campus; faculty and students were alerted that the troops might try to burn Classic Hall. In 1870, Presbyterian Church officials proposed that Hanover College be merged with Wabash College , with Hanover becoming a women's school. The Hanover board of trustees rejected that proposal, as well as one from businessmen in 1873 that would have moved the college to Indianapolis and renamed it Johnson University. In 1880, Hanover began enrolling women.

Quick facts Area, Built ... Thomas A. Hendricks Library Hendricks Hall U.S. National Register of Historic Places Hendricks Hall front entrance Area < 1 acre (0.40 ha) Built 1903 Architect Patton & Miller Architectural style Colonial Revival NRHP reference number "}]]}">No. 82000043 [ 6 ] Added to NRHP February 26, 1982 Close During Hanover College's first 50 years of operations, it had nine presidents, none of whom served for longer than nine years; five served three years or less. But after that, conditions stabilized. Daniel Fisher led Hanover from 1879 until his retirement in 1907. This stability of leadership ushered in a new era of growth. Fisher oversaw the construction of five buildings, including Thomas A. Hendricks Library (now Hendricks Hall). Named for Thomas Hendricks , an alumnus and former U.S. vice president, it is now used for offices and known as Hendricks Hall, the oldest classroom building on Hanover's campus. [ 7 ] Aerial view of Hendricks Hall Albert G. Parker Jr. was inaugurated as Hanover's 12th president November 27, 1929, less than one month after the stock market crash that precipitated the Great Depression . The economic hard times cut investment revenues and operational expenses had to be closely monitored. On December 7, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor plunged the United States into World War II . In just two years, Hanover's enrollment plummeted to 164 students, including only 20 men. In the early morning of December 19, 1941, a huge fire destroyed most of Classic Hall. By 1946, the postwar enrollment at Hanover was 679 students. In 1947 Long College for Women was founded as a coordinate college . Until the 1960s, all women who graduated from Hanover had their degree officially conferred by Long instead of Hanover. Long College operated until the two colleges fully merged in 1978, making Hanover officially co-ed . Parker had announced that he would retire as Hanover's president as of September 1, 1958, but died in March of that year.

John E. Horner was named as an interim president and ended up serving 29 years. Hanover students say that Parker's ghost still haunts Parker auditorium. Under Horner's 29-year leadership, Hanover enjoyed unprecedented growth in its academic program, financial standing, and student enrollment. Soon after his arrival, he encouraged faculty members to reform their curriculum. Eventually Hanover divided its academic year into two 14-week terms, in which students took three classes, and a five-week Spring Term, in which students took one course of specialized, intensive study. With some modifications, it still serves as Hanover's curricular model today. Spring, or May, Term is a one-month period where students engage in intensive study, often with a focus on travel or unique on-campus courses. Many courses involve study abroad. By the mid-1960s, the campus expanded to more than 500 acres (2 km 2 ) of land, enrollment topped 1,000 students, and Hanover's assets approached $15 million. In the late afternoon of April 3, 1974, the campus was devastated by a tornado, part of the 1974 Super Outbreak of tornadoes that struck 13 states and one Canadian province that day. No one was killed or seriously injured, but 32 of the college's 33 buildings were damaged, including two that were completely destroyed and six that sustained major structural damage. One of the completely destroyed buildings was a residence hall which had previously, back in 1890, served as the first fraternity house in the entire Sigma Chi Fraternity. Hundreds of trees were down, completely blocking every campus road. All utilities were knocked out and communication with those off campus was nearly impossible. Government officials estimated the damage at $10 million. Some wondered if Hanover College could survive. The Hanoverians, led by Horner, sprang into action. Winter term ended one week early and students were dismissed, but many stayed to help faculty, staff and others clear the debris.