Eastern University (United States)
Eastern University is a private Christian university in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. The university is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and has an interdenominational Christian student body, faculty, and administration. Eastern University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.[1]
Former names | Division of Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (1925–1952), Eastern Baptist College (1952–1972), Eastern College (1972–2001) |
---|---|
Motto | Faith, Reason and Justice |
Type | Private |
Established | 1925 |
Religious affiliation | American Baptist Churches USA |
President | Ronald A. Matthews |
Students | 3,300 |
Location | , , U.S. |
Campus | Suburban |
Colors | Maroon and white |
Athletics | NCAA Division III , MAC Freedom Conference |
Affiliations | Council for Christian Colleges and Universities |
Mascot | Eagle |
Website | eastern |
History
Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Theological Seminary) was founded to provide a theologically conservative seminary within the American Baptist Churches. Beginning in 1925 as a department in the seminary, in 1952 Eastern University became a separate institution and moved to its present St. Davids location, taking the name "Eastern Baptist College". In 1972, it was renamed "Eastern College".[1] In 2001, the Pennsylvania Department of Education granted the institution "university status" and it was renamed Eastern University. In 2004, the institution's Board voted to acquire its previous parent institution, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and EBTS changed its name to Palmer Theological Seminary in honor of a previous president in 2005.[2]
Colleges and campuses
Eastern University consists of the College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Business and Leadership, the College of Education, the College of Health and Sciences, Templeton Honors College, Palmer Theological Seminary, and Esperanza College (Eastern's junior college.)[3]
The main campus is 114 acres just west of Philadelphia, in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. The main campus was originally a private estate, named Walmarthon, which was owned by the Walton family. The size of the campus has expanded through purchase of surrounding buildings.
Warner Memorial Library is housed in the Harold Howard Center. The Mazie Hall African American History Room contains books and memorabilia from a local educator. The Edison Room houses several drawings and artifacts which belonged to Thomas Edison.
In addition to the main campus in St. Davids, Eastern has additional sites in Center City, Philadelphia; City Avenue, Philadelphia; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Ripley, West Virginia. Eastern also offers a variety of online programs.[4]
Eastern University is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA.
Athletics
Eastern University is a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).[5] Eastern University joined the Middle Atlantic Conferences (commonly referred to as the MAC) in 2008.[6]
Sports include men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's volleyball, men's and women's lacrosse, men's baseball, women's field hockey, women's softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, and cross country.[7]
In 2002, senior Andrea Collesidis broke an NCAA scoring record for women's lacrosse.[8][9][10][11]
Notable persons
- Morgan Hikaru Aiken – alumnus and professional basketball player in Japan.
- Tony Campolo – alumnus, professor emeritus, and international Christian speaker
- Phillip Cary – philosophy professor, philosopher, noted Augustine scholar, and author
- Shane Claiborne – alumnus, author, prominent figure in New Monasticism movement, founder of The Simple Way and on its board of directors[12]
- Peter Enns – history of religions professor, scholar, author
- Wilson Goode – professor emeritus and former mayor of Philadelphia
- Christopher Hall – emeritus professor, Episcopalian theologian
- Carolivia Herron – alumna and scholar of African-American Judaica
- C. Everett Koop – trustee 1970-c. 1980 (first non-Baptist board member)
- Andrew Marin – founder of The Marin Foundation in Chicago, Illinois
- Jamie Moffett – alumnus and independent motion picture director, producer, and social activist
- Richard Muenz – alumnus and noted American actor and singer
- Marvin Rees – Mayor of Bristol, England
- Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson – sports writer, radio host, television personality most notably with CBS Sports Radio.[13]
- Ron Sider – professor, activist, author, and founder/president emeritus of Evangelicals for Social Action[14]
- Bryan Stevenson – alumnus, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative[15]
See also
References
- "Eastern University". Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- "Palmer Theological Seminary - About - Doctrinal Statement - Chrisitan Community". palmerseminary.edu. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- "About Eastern University - Eastern University". www.eastern.edu. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- "Campus and Sites - Eastern University". eastern.edu. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- "NCAA Directory - Directory - Member Listing". web3.ncaa.org. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- "Middle Atlantic Conference". gomacsports.com. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- "Eastern University Eagles - Eastern University". goeasterneagles.com. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- "Eastern hoops player breaks NCAA all-time lax goals mark". April 18, 2002. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- "2002 Women's Lacrosse Archives". CSAC. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- "NCAA Lacrosse: Women's Division III Records" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
- O'Loughlin, Kathy. "Main Line History: Test your knowledge of Main Line colleges, Part II". Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Rzeppa, Brian (May 25, 2016). "Former Nets Radio Prodigy Brandon Robinson Catches on at CBS Sports". Nothin' But Nets. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- "Ron Sider". Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- "Who We Are". Retrieved July 20, 2016.
Further reading
- Boehlke, Frederick (2003). Faith, Reason And Justice: The First 50 Years of Eastern University. Exton, Pennsylvania: Apple Press. ISBN 978-0-9674912-3-3.