Marion College (Missouri)

Marion College was a Presbyterian work college that closed in 1844. Its three schools were located in the Missouri towns of Philadelphia, East Ely and West Ely.

Marion College was originally proposed as communal college with a manual labor concept of students assigned a number of acres of land to farm. The institution was organized with an "upper" college in Philadelphia, Missouri and two "lower" or preparatory schools at East Ely and West Ely, Missouri. Land was provided by Thomas Muldrow and buildings were erected. William S. Potts, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri agreed to serve as president. The college suffered from the Old School/New School controversy among Presbyterians over slavery. The final blow came with the financial panic of 1837-39 and the institution closed in 1844.

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