Baldwin Wallace University

Baldwin Wallace University

Motto	"Creating contributing, compassionate citizens of an increasingly global society."
Type	Private liberal arts college
Established	1845
Affiliation	United Methodist Church
Endowment	$119.7 million
President	Robert C. Helmer, Ph.D., J.D.
Academic staff	165 full-time faculty
Administrative staff	543 full-time employees
Undergraduates	3,461 full-time
Postgraduates	716 full-time
Location	Berea, Ohio, USA
Campus	Suburban, 120 acres (49 ha)
Colors	Brown and Gold
Athletics	NCAA Division III – OAC
Sports	21 varsity teams
Nickname	Yellow Jackets
Mascot	Stinger
Affiliations	CIC IAMSCU
Website	www.bw.edu

Baldwin Wallace University is a 4-year private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Berea, Ohio, United States. The school was founded in 1845 as Baldwin Institute by Methodist settlers. Eventually the school merged with nearby German Wallace College in 1913 to become Baldwin–Wallace College. As of July 1, 2012 the school became Baldwin Wallace University. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and several graduate programs. Baldwin Wallace University is often referred to as simply "BW". BW has two campus sites: Berea, which serves as the main campus, and BW at Corporate College East in Warrensville Heights. Today BW enrolls around 3,050 full-time undergraduate students, 800 evening and weekend adult learners, and 830 graduate students. BW recruits students throughout Ohio but also students from all over the United States and internationally. Baldwin Wallace's motto is "Creating contributing, compassionate citizens of an increasingly global society." Baldwin Wallace's athletic teams compete as members of NCAA Division III athletics in the Ohio Athletic Conference.

BW is known for its education, business, neuroscience, and music programs. BW is home to the Riemenschneider-Bach Institute and the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music. The BW Conservatory holds the title for the oldest collegiate Bach Festival in the nation. Beyond this, the college's radio station WBWC is known throughout the Cleveland area.

Both the university and the town of Berea were founded by Methodist settlers from Connecticut. These settlers moved west after their homes were burned by the British in the Revolutionary War. The region in Northern Ohio became known as the Western Reserve (a part of which was designated the Firelands, as the state of Connecticut gave land grants to these fire victims). Among early settlers of this area was John Baldwin. Baldwin enjoyed early success in the sandstone quarry industry. He eventually founded Baldwin Institute in 1845. Baldwin Institute became Baldwin University in 1856. Baldwin's sense of equality led to the school accepting any student regardless of race or gender, and was one of the first in the nation to do so. Moreover, Baldwin University's courses were not segregated. The surge of German workers in Baldwin’s sandstone quarries led to the establishment of a German department at the Institute.