Who Remembers Milton College Milton College was a private college located in Milton, Wisconsin. Founded in 1844 as the Milton Academy, it closed in 1982. Its campus is now part of the Milton Historic District. Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Closing of the College 3 Campus Adaptive Reuse 4 Notable alumni 5 Notable faculty 6 References 7 External links History[edit] The College was founded as the Milton Academy (high school) by a group of early Milton settlers, including Milton House owner Joseph Goodrich. It eventually grew to encompass 16 buildings spread over 24 acres (97,000 m2). Its music department was renowned, and a high percentage of foreign students for the era kept the student body diverse. Although initially many of the students came from Milton, in later years alumni of the college would stay in Milton or return.[1] Closing of the College[edit] On May 15, 1982 the college abruptly closed its doors. At the time, it was Wisconsins oldest continually operating college.[1] The colleges board of trustees voted 18-2 to close the campus. The decision was forced by a notification from a reviewing committee of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools that the colleges accreditation would be dropped with the coming of the fall term; the college had previously been in a probational status. The decision from North Central stemmed from the colleges continual shaky financial situation, which culminated in a $4 million debt. The college had, in fact, been struggling financially since the Great Depression, 50 years earlier. Without accreditation, the college would not have seen any federal loans or grants, adding to an already difficult situation of decreasing student enrollment. Furthermore, the college could no longer compete with other schools in the Wisconsin State University system. Some 135 students had been planning to come back to campus when the school closed, many with only a few credits left until completion of their studies. Officials at that time were negotiating with other campuses about accepting Milton students.[2] Campus Adaptive Reuse[edit] When the school closed, the buildings were turned over to the banks that keep it alive over the years. Now, most of the buildings have been converted to commercial or residential use. Main Hall is maintained by the Main Hall Preservation Society, and serves as a memorial to the college. Portraits in the building commemorate faculty and alumni over the years. The library is now the Shaw Community Center, owned by the City of Milton, and houses both city hall and the city library.[1] The dorms have been converted into apartment buildings. The gymnasium is currently the home of CrossPointe Community Church which has multiple Christian church services in Wisconsin (Milton, Whitewater and Jefferson) and another in Guadalajara Mexico. Notable alumni[edit] Stephen Bolles, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin[3] Hellen M. Brooks, educator and Wisconsin State Assemblywoman[4] Ward Christensen, inventor of XMODEM[5] Kerry G. Denson, U.S. National Guard general[citation needed] Joseph Dutton, Civil War veteran and later Catholic lay brother and assistant of Father Damien on Molokai.[6] Adoniram J. Holmes, U.S. Representative from Iowa[7] Dave Kraayeveld, former NFL player[8] Dave Krieg, NFL quarterback[9] Gilbert L. Laws, U.S. Representative from Nebraska[10] Canute R. Matson, Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois at the time of the 1886 Haymarket Square Riot in Chicago[11] Kerwin Mathews, former American actor[12] Charles P. Smith, American educator who served as Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin[13] Francis Marion Smith, American business magnate known as The Borax King[14] Don S. Wenger, U.S. Air Force Major General[15] Albert Whitford, astronomer[16] Notable faculty[edit] William Clarke Whitford, American educator, legislator, and pastor of the Seventh Day Baptist Church from Wisconsin[17] Lorenzo D. Harvey, American educator who served as Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin[18] Edward Searing, American educator who served as Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin[19] Ellsworth Snyder, American abstract painter, professional pianist, conductor and scholar[20]
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 01:01:08 +0000
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