Eastern University is a co-educational, comprehensive Christian university located in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia on the Pennsylvania Main Line. The school is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and has undergraduate and graduate programs and an interdenominational Christian student body, faculty and administration.
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". 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.
Colleges and campuses
Eastern University has a college preparatory school called Eastern University Academy Charter School, and five different colleges - the College of Arts and Sciences, Campolo College of Graduate and Professional Studies, Templeton Honors College, Palmer Theological Seminary, and the junior college Esperanza College.
The main campus is 114 acres just west of Philadelphia, in St. Davids, PA. 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.
Other campus sites include Harrisburg, PA, Valley Forge, PA and Ripley, WV.
Athletics
Eastern University is a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Eastern University joined the Middle Atlantic Conferences (commonly referred to as the MAC) in 2008.
Sports include Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Men's and Women's Basketball, 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.
In 2002, senior Andrea Collesidis broke an NCAA scoring record for Women's Lacrosse.
Notable persons
(In alphabetical order)
- Tony Campolo- alumnus and professor emeritus
- 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
- Peter Enns- biblical studies professor, scholar, author
- Wilson Goode- professor emeritus and former mayor of Philadelphia
- Christopher Hall- Professor, Episcopalian theologian
- Carolivia Herron- alumna
- C. Everett Koop- trustee 1970-c. 1980 (first non-Baptist board member)
- Andrew Marin- founder of The Marin Foundation in Chicago, IL
- Jamie Moffett- alumnus
- Richard Muenz- alumnus
- Marvin Rees Mayor of Bristol, England
- Ron Sider- professor, activist, author, and founder/president emeritus of Evangelicals for Social Action
- Bryan Stevenson- alumnus, founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative
See also
- Palmer Seminary
References
Further reading
- Boehlke, Frederick (2003). Faith, Reason And Justice: The First 50 Years of Eastern University. Exton, Pennsylvania: Apple Press. ISBNÂ 0-9674912-3-1.Â
External links
- Official website