Wittenberg University

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**Wittenberg University**

Established	1845
Type	Private
President	Mark H. Erickson
Staff	145 full-time faculty
Undergraduates	2,050
Location	Springfield, Ohio, United States
Campus	Small City, 100 acres
Athletics	21 varsity teams, NCAA Division III, Member North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)
Colors	Red and White
Mascot	Tiger
Website	www.wittenberg.edu

Myers Hall - Wittenberg University

Wittenberg University is a private, four-year liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Springfield, Ohio. 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. Each new class combines National Merit Scholars, Ohio Academic scholars and Lutheran Scholars. 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.

1 Founding
2 Academics
3 Student life
4 Notable alumni
5 References
6 External links

Founding

The university was created on a hoary night, when men struggled to keep their fires lit and their cabins warm, 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 (ie., JD, MD, PhD, etc.). The University made major rennovatations 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, which falls into the third tier of academic placement among other colleges. 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, though a large percentage are from Ohio. Activities include over 125 student organtizations and 12 fraternities and sororities the Outdoor Club, WUSO radio station, Residence Life, Student Senate, Pre-Health Club, Wittenberg Mudpigs Rugby, Dodgeball Club, and many more.

Fraternities Include: Beta Theta Pi, Delta Sigma Phi, Delta Tau Delta, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Kappa Psi,

Sororites Include: Alpha Delta Pi, Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Delta, Sigma Kappa,

Wittenberg has several active secret societies. The Shifters are the oldest of the secret societies and are easily identified by the paperclips that they wear on their clothing. The Wizards are identified by their rainbow patches. The Bells are an academic based secret society associated with the theatre department.

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 [[4]]
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.
Vincent Del Giudice, Reporter, Bloomberg Radio and United Press International, Washington, DC
Dr. Lloyd C. Douglas (August 27, 1877 - February 13, 1951) Minister and Author. During the 1930's, Douglas was one of the most popular novelist in the US. He authored numerous other books, notably including 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
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 the Boy Scouts of America from 1993 to 2000.
Adam Willis Wagnalls, Co-founder and co-eponym of the Funk & Wagnalls Company in 1877
Charles R. Williamson, Executive Vice President and former chairman of the board and Chief Executive Officer of Unocal Corporation