Culver–Stockton College

After a local scuffle between Southern and Northern sympathizers, federal troops were sent to Canton in July 1861 where they occupied the school's only building. The troops left after a short stay. Another wave of federal troops arrived in October 1861 and took forcible possession of the Old Main. They occupied it until early December 1862, using the building as a base for expeditions to fight Confederate units, chase down deserters, and seize property of disloyal citizens. They left Old Main a ghostly shell with broken doors and windows and locks, burned seats, and much of the furniture and teaching materials carried off or destroyed. Many trees on campus had been felled and the fences burned. It was nearly the death of Christian University. Under the leadership of B. H. Smith, the college reopened in 1865, but made little financial and physical progress until Dr. Carl Johann became president in 1902. When Old Main burned in 1903, the building was replaced by Henderson Hall.[3]

The college changed its name in 1917 to reflect the generosity of two donors, Mary Culver and Robert Stockton. Stockton and Culver, both of St. Louis, played a vital role in the college's history with generous donations for residence halls, a new gymnasium, and grants for faculty salaries.[3]

Richard Valentine, a 1970 graduate of Culver–Stockton, served as the 25th president of Culver-Stockton from 2009 to 2014. He launched the first capital campaign in twenty years which increased the endowment from $15.8 million in 2009 to $21.0 million.[5] In addition to raising the endowment, there were upgrades in buildings, scholarships and athletic facilities.[6][7] Kelly M. Thompson became the twenty-sixth president of Culver–Stockton College on July 1, 2014. She is the college's first woman president.[8] Enrollment grew from 771 in 2010 to 830 in 2015.

Twenty-six presidents have served Christian University/Culver–Stockton College through the years. The first was James Shannon. Shannon served as president of State College of Louisiana, Bacon College in Kentucky, and the University of Missouri before coming to Christian University in August 1856. He served as president until his death in 1859.[3]
Presidents and their years of service include:[3]

Most of the buildings on today's Culver–Stockton campus have been built since 1937. Much construction and complete renovation of the major buildings on campus have taken place since 1980.

Henderson Hall, now on the National Register of Historic Places

The first building on Culver–Stockton Campus was Old Main, known today as Henderson Hall. Construction began in 1853 and was completed in 1855. The building was destroyed by fire on March 23, 1903. In keeping with a tradition that carries on today, students didn't miss one day of school. Officials organized classes in local churches. College President Carl Johann resolved to rebuild; and within 10 days of the fire, the citizens of Canton raised $15,000 for a new building. The college collected $8,000 from insurance and salvaged $4,000 worth of stone and brick from the old building. The new building was completed and occupied by May 15, 1904. Since funds were still short to complete payment, orator and three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan spoke on campus on August 24, 1904, to help raise funds. Since the original building had a dome, a dome also was part of the new construction. The dome on Henderson Hall continues to be an important symbol of the College to this day. Henderson Hall originally housed science laboratories, men's and women's gymnasiums, a museum, a dining room, a “commercial” department, library, administrative offices, classrooms, an assembly hall that seated about 600 with a rolling door at the rear that could be opened to add 400 more spectators, and three meeting rooms for student groups. As educational activities were dispersed to other buildings, Henderson Hall continued to serve, as it does today, as a primarily administrative and classroom building. The new building was named for Dr. Pat Henderson, one of the founders and first president of the board of trustees. Henderson was a church leader, an editor and publisher of religious publications, and a tireless public servant. He was instrumental in the founding of Eureka College and Columbia College in addition to Culver–Stockton. He served in several governmental social service capacities during and after the Civil War. He was an outspoken advocate of education for women. Henderson Hall was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. [9]

Johnson Hall was built in 1912 as Culver–Stockton Hall as a “co-educational” residence hall with 44 men living on one wing and 44 women on the other. There was a superintendent's office in the middle to maintain no communication between the sides. Culver–Stockton has historically considered the physical fitness of the student body a high priority. A gymnasium occupied the main floor of the center section. A swimming pool, dining hall, and laundry occupied the basement. The hall represents an early collaboration between important pioneer donors, Mary Culver and Robert Stockton, each of whom contributed $25,000. The dormitory wings of Johnson burned in 1923 but were rebuilt to house 100 women. Male students moved to another building. A new gymnasium building with swimming pool was constructed on a nearby site and the old gymnasium and swimming pool area was remodeled into parlors, classrooms, meeting rooms, practice rooms and a YWCA room. Students still live in Johnson Hall. Its basement has been a dining hall and a theater but currently serves as administrative offices for student organizations and the Student Development office.

The college library had been housed in Henderson Hall before discussion began in 1937 about a separate building. The Great Depression and looming war slowed money raising, but $23,000 was raised before World War II broke out. In 1947 the need for a separate library/classroom building became acute. Six faculty houses were razed to make room for the new building. The building was named after Carl Johann, an important early college president. The original building housed the bookstore/soda fountain, a projection room, a phonograph room, and a museum in the basement. The second floor was used for administrative offices and classrooms. The library and the headquarters of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society were on the third floor. Administrative offices were moved back to Henderson after renovations were completed, and offices in Johann were remodeled for faculty. Wings added in 1965 were initially to be funded using a federal grant under the Higher Education Facilities Act of 1963. After the grant was approved the Board of Trustees realized that complying with government regulations would add $50,000 to the cost of the building and prohibit the teaching of religion classes in the new wings. The board turned down the grant. It was a newsworthy act. As word got out many newspapers and individuals praised the College's independence. One of the wings housed science classrooms, offices, and labs. The other wing housed general classrooms, offices and additional library study space on the third floor. In 2002 the science department was moved to its own building. In 2012, "The Lab," a coffeehouse and gathering spot, was constructed in the area that used to house a science lab.

The Ellison A. Poulton Memorial Stadium was dedicated at Homecoming in 1953 to Ellison A. Poulton, a Canton native. While a student at Culver–Stockton, he played on the football team. He graduated from Culver–Stockton in 1919 and Harvard Law School in 1922. The Roy D. Wilcox Memorial Pressbox was added in 2003.

Required daily chapel was a ritual of academic life at Culver–Stockton from the beginning. In the 1960s one focus of student unrest was required chapel. Ultimately, required chapel services were eliminated. Voluntary chapel service continued reflecting the historic affiliation with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the mission of the college. Services were held in an assortment of places including an outdoor chapel on the northeast corner of campus.

In 1970 the college began planning the new Gladys Crown Student Center named for the wife of Col. Henry Crown, prominent businessman and philanthropist.[10] Connected to the east wing is the Carla Rifkind Warsaw Memorial Chapel of All Faiths. The chapel contains centers for worship and meditation for Protestant, Catholic and Jewish students. Rabbi Dr. Louis Binstock of Chicago led the dedication service in 1972. Long-time art professor, Grant Kenner created the All Faiths Frieze encircling the chapel interior in 1973-76. The frieze displays an original ecumenical emblem designed by Prof. Kenner and 44 other symbols representing the great religions of the world. In 2002, Professor Kenner created stained glass and metal doors for the chapel.

The Herrick Foundation Center, renovated in 1983 from the L.L. Culver Gymnasium, built in 1925, was named for the Herrick Foundation which contributed funds toward the building. A center for business and art, the building features classrooms and seminar rooms, a 125-seat auditorium, five art studios, a photography darkroom, a general computer lab and a graphic arts lab, and the Mabee Art Gallery, located in a two-story gallery that hosts several professional art exhibitions are planned annually as well as faculty and student art shows.

The Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center was added to Alexander Campbell Auditorium in 1990. It is named in honor of Robert W. Brown, president emeritus. The state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center houses all three of Culver–Stockton's performing spaces. The Alexander Campbell Auditorium, which was built in 1966, is a 900-seat proscenium theatre used for musicals and larger theatre productions. Mabee Little Theatre is a flexible seating "Black Box" experimental theatre, used for theatre department productions and student-directed productions. The Performing Arts Center also houses practice and rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, a costume shop, orchestra pit, the music computer lab, piano lab, faculty studios, and classrooms.

Opened for classes in 2002, the Science Center is Culver–Stockton College's newest academic building. The facility houses the college's science, mathematics and computer information systems academic departments. The Science Center features the John A. Sperry Jr. Astronomical Observation Platform, Carolyn L. Brown Lecture Hall, a computer lab, several science laboratories, classrooms and faculty offices.

The Roy D. Wilcox Memorial Pressbox was built in 2003. It is named in honor of Roy D. Wilcox, a Culver–Stockton alumnus and Wildcat sports fan. Wilcox's family attended the dedication ceremony during Homecoming 2003.

Throughout the College's history the “Hill” has been an enduring symbol of the college. For decades students climbed the east front of the campus up the steep hill to get from downtown to class. In the winter, students and local children used the hill for sledding. In 1964, after much discussion, a roadway was built connecting Lewis Street and Henderson Hall. Alongside the road a sidewalk and steps were built. The Board of Trustees envisioned a road that would give a panoramic view of the college on one side and the Mississippi Valley on the other. The site was named after Ada Wallace Roberts, a long-time English professor and administrator. At the base of the hill was placed a memorial with the names of those alumni who had given their lives in World War II.[11]

The Concourse continues to provide the panoramic view the trustees originally sought. About 200 campus older trees were lost in the tornado of May 2003. The College developed a Greenspace Committee to advise on landscaping matters and to protect the historic views.

Culver–Stockton partners with the Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Students generally spend their freshman and sophomore years attending class on the Culver–Stockton campus and their last two years at Blessing-Rieman in Quincy, Illinois, although many students continue to live on the Canton campus.[16]