Former names
|
Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (1850-1867) |
---|---|
Motto | Fiat Lux (Latin) |
Motto in English
|
Let there be light |
Type | Private Liberal Arts College |
Established | March 1, 1850 |
Affiliation | Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) |
Endowment | US$58.7 million |
President | Lori E. Varlotta |
Academic staff
|
73 full-time (Fall 2011) |
Undergraduates | 1,334 (Fall 2011) |
Location |
Hiram, Ohio, United States 41°18′37″N 81°08′46″W / 41.31028°N 81.14611°W |
Campus | Rural college town, 110-acre (0.45 km2) main, 390-acre (1.6 km2) J.H. Barrow Field Station, 10-acre (0.040 km2) Northwoods Field Station (the U.P. of MI) |
Colors | Red & Blue |
Athletics | NCAA Division III — NCAC |
Nickname | Terriers |
Affiliations | Shoals Marine Lab |
Website | www.hiram.edu |
Hiram College (/ˈhaɪrəm/ HY-rəm) is a private liberal arts college located in Hiram, Ohio. It was founded in 1850 as the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute by Amos Sutton Hayden and other members of the Disciples of Christ Church. The college is nonsectarian and coeducational. It is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Hiram's most famous alumnus is James A. Garfield, who served as a college instructor and principal, and was subsequently elected the 20th President of the United States.
On June 12, 1849, representatives of the Disciples of Christ voted to establish an academic institution, which would later become Hiram College. On November 7 that year, they chose the village of Hiram as the site for the school because the founders considered this area of the Western Reserve to be "healthful and free of distractions". The following month, on December 20, the founders accepted the suggestion of Isaac Errett and named the school the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute.
The Institute's original charter was authorized by the state legislature on March 1, 1850, and the school opened several months later, on November 27. Many of the students came from the surrounding farms and villages of the Western Reserve, but Hiram soon gained a national reputation and students began arriving from other states. On February 20, 1867, the Institute incorporated as a college and changed its name to Hiram College.