Organization:Judson College (Alabama)
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| Type | Private women's college |
|---|---|
| Established | 1838 |
Religious affiliation | Baptist (Alabama Baptist Convention) |
| President | Mark Tew[1] |
Academic staff | 28 full-time and 44 part-time[2] |
| Students | 250[3] |
| Location | Marion , Alabama , United States [ ⚑ ] : 32°37′50″N 87°18′57″W / 32.63063°N 87.31587°W |
| Campus | Rural, 118 acres (48 ha) |
| Website | judson |
Judson College Historic District | |
 Jewett Hall, within the Judson College Historic District | |
| Location | Roughly bounded by East Lafayette, Curb, Mason and Washington Streets |
| Coordinates | [ ⚑ ] 32°37′49″N 87°18′52″W / 32.63028°N 87.31444°W |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference # | 92001825[4] |
| Added to NRHP | February 3, 1993 |
Judson College is a private Baptist women's college in Marion, Alabama.
History
It was founded by members of Siloam Baptist Church in 1838, making it the fifth-oldest women's college in the country. Judson was named after Ann Hasseltine Judson, the first female foreign missionary from the United States to Burma (now Myanmar). It has been affiliated with the Alabama Baptist Convention throughout its history and is funded by the convention.[5]
The principal building of the campus is Jewett Hall, the third of this name. The first Jewett Hall, built in 1840, was a four-story Greek revival building named after Dr. Milo P. Jewett, first president of the college. It was destroyed by fire in 1888. The rebuilding of Jewett Hall was begun that same year. In 1947 the dome was hit by a lightning strike and fire consumed the building. Rebuilding efforts began almost immediately, and funds were raised by the sale of bricks from the rubble. A third fire occurred in the attic of this building as mattresses were lit on fire, but the fire was put out without much damage to the building.
Other notable buildings on campus include A. Howard Bean Hall, a former Carnegie library which now houses the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame as well as 2 classrooms, the Alumnae Auditorium, and the Women's Missionary Union residence hall.
Enrollment at Judson in 2019 was 268.[6] The college offers bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and pre-professional programs.
In 2020 the college experienced severe financial challenges due to declining enrollment and COVID-19. In December, the college's president issued an urgent plea for $500,000 in donations to prevent the college from closing immediately.[7] Although it had raised $1.3 million, enrollment dropped from 145 in the fall of 2020 to 80 for the fall of 2021 and the college plans to cease academic operations in June.[8]
Student life
Judson College participated in joint social and civic events with Marion Military Institute, also located in Marion. Many of these events and traditions date as far back as the civil war and are connected culturally to that era.[citation needed]
Notable alumnae
- Titilayo Adedokun (1973-), singer (soprano) and beauty queen
- Caroline Dormon (1888–1971), botanist and author[9]
- Margaret Lea Houston (1819–1867), First Lady of Texas
- Billie Young (1947-2021), actress, activist, poet and educator.
- Gwen Bristow (1903-1980), author
- Irene Jordan (1919-2016), soprano with Metropolitan Opera
Namesake colleges
- The Baptists' Judson University (Illinois) is the namesake of her husband, Adoniram Judson.
References
- ↑ https://www.judson.edu/directory/w-mark-tew/
- ↑ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=judson+college&s=all&id=101541#general
- ↑ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=judson+college&s=all&id=101541#general
- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP.
- ↑ Judson College. "Heritage". http://www.judson.edu/about-judson/heritage/.
- ↑ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=judson+college&s=all&id=101541
- ↑ Jaschik, Scott (December 18, 2020). "Judson College Will Close If It Doesn't Receive Gifts". Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/12/18/judson-college-will-close-if-it-doesnt-receive-gifts.
- ↑ Garrisson, Greg (May 6, 2021). "Judson College, fifth-oldest women’s college, closing". AL.com. https://www.al.com/news/2021/05/judson-college-fifth-oldest-womens-college-closing.html. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ↑ Caroline C. Dormon, A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography, Vol. 1 (1988), p. 251
External links
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