Randolph College

Randolph College

Motto	Vita Abundantior (Life More Abundant)
Type	Private liberal arts college
Established	1891
Interim President	Virginia Worden
Academic staff	72
Undergraduates	730
Location	Lynchburg , VA , USA
Campus	suburban; 100 acres
Endowment	$131 million (2005)
Mascot	Wanda the WildCat
Website	www.rmwc.edu

Randolph College is a private liberal arts college located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It was founded in 1891 as a woman's college and was known as Randolph-Macon Woman's College. It will be re-named July 1, 2007 to Randolph College for fall 2007 when the college becomes coeducational.

History

The college was founded by William Waugh Smith, then-president of Randolph-Macon College, under Randolph-Macon's charter after failing to convince R-MC to become co-educational. Randolph-Macon Woman's College and R-MC have been governed by a separate board of trustees since 1953. Randolph-Macon Woman's College has historic ties to the United Methodist Church. After many attempts to find a location for Randolph-Macon Woman's College, the city of Lynchburg donated the property for the purpose of establishing a women's college.

The school is well-respected as an academic institution and while a women's college was considered one of the "Seven Sisters of the South." In 1916, it became the first women's college in the South to earn a Phi Beta Kappa charter.

Randolph-Macon Woman's College is in the top 10% of all colleges and universities in America in the percentage of women graduates who eventually earn a Ph.D.

Coeducation

On 9 September, 2006, the school announced the adoption of a new strategic plan which included a platform for a global honors emphasis and coeducation. Men will be eligible for admission beginning in Fall 2007.

There were numerous protests on campus including rallies, blocking administrative offices, mass requests for transfer transcripts, banners all over campus, striking from classes, participation in quiet protest to highlight lack of student voices in the board of trustee votes. This lead to the formation of a non-profit "Preserve Education Choice" http://www.preserveeducationalchoice.org/, which has ongoing legal efforts to restore RMWC on the basis that the college had a contract with existing students to remain a women's college until current students graduated and that the assets of the college were part of a charitable trust established for the purpose of educating primarily women. in the liberal arts with the name Randolph-Macon Woman's College.

A letter in the 17 September 2006 issue of the Washington Post claims that the college decided to become coeducational because it felt that the market for women's colleges has decreased. An 1 October article in The Washington Times stated that the controversial decision drew protests from current students, faculty, and alumnae. [1] According to an October 22 2006 article in The Washington Post, two lawsuits were filed by Preserve Educational Choice, a group opposed to the decision. [2]. On January 23, 2007, both lawsuits were dismissed in Lynchburg Circuit Court. [3]

Alumnae

Name	Known for	Relationship to Randolph College
Pearl S. Buck	Nobel Prize-winning author	(1914)
Blanche Lincoln	U.S. Senator
Candy Crowley	CNN senior political correspondent
Anne Tucker	Museum of Fine Arts, Houston photography curator (named "America's Best Curator" by Time Magazine, 2001)
Suzanne Patrick	US Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Industrial Policy

Traditions

Tradition is at the heart of student life at Randolph-Macon.

Odd/Even Rivalry

One of the oldest traditions is the Even/Odd rivalry. The year the student graduates denotes if they are an Even (class of 2008, 2010, etc.) or an Odd (class of 2007, 2009, etc.). Evens use the set of stairs to the left when one enters Main Hall lobby, Odds use the right hand side set of stairs. Lore states that if an Even or Odd uses the wrong set of stairs they will not graduate.

The class of 1903 unwittingly established the Odd/Even tradition by adopting the class of 1905 as "little sisters." The Odd classes are lead in spirit by the Gamma 13. Legend has it that the class of 1914 ordered a coffin to be delivered to Main Hall to "bury Odd spirit." A sophomore, class of 1913 intercepted the coffin and with some friends hauled it into the woods behind campus. Later that night, fearing the Evens were on the prowl, the Odds carried the coffin across the street to Dr. Lipscomb's house. There it was hidden under his bed until they could burn it the next day. The Odds supposedly hold the ashes of the coffin, and its silver handles as trophies.

The Odds have the task of keeping the Odd Tree white and pristine. The original Odd Tree stood near the Crush Path until, according to lore, the Evens viciously burned it down. Now all that remains is a large cement replica of the trunk in the spot of where the original tree stood.

Odd Class symbols are the witch and the devil. Their colors are red, grey and blue, to be worn on the 13th of very month.

Even class spirit is lead by the Etas, founded in 1922. The Evens adopted Dr. William Waugh Smith's dog, Mr. Bones as a mascot. His horse, Mr. Buttons was tied to the the hitching post in front of Main every day; this post was later adopted as the Even Post. This post is to be kept clean and white by the Evens.

Symbols of the Even classes are bones, buttons, and the Even Post. Their colors are green, white and tan. Their trophies are the dog, the horse's ears, and tail, and a flag that depicts Bones and Buttons.

The Gamma 13 and the Etas lead stomps through the academic year. The school wakes to loud cheers, and class songs being sung as the spirit groups move across campus.

Skeller Sings are held throughout the year by the Etas and the Gammas. Together they lead in singing class songs. These lively exchanges can be heard throughout Main Hall.

Bury the Hatchet is celebrated in the spring. A senior passes down a hatchet to the most spirited junior to symbolize all the classes coming together to bond at the end of a spirited year.

Ring Week

First-years take part in Ring Week in November with with their sister class, the juniors. During this week first-years leave presents at the door of their selected junior. Ring Night is marked by the ringing of Conway Bell. After the junior class dinner a scavenger hunt begins to find her first-year who will present the junior her ring.

Pumpkin Parade

Pumpkin Parade is celebrated by sophomores and seniors. The sophomore picks a senior and decorates her door and leaves presents for a week. The sophomore at the end of the week presents a carved pumpkin to her senior. The seniors then parade their pumpkins in their robes and funny hats along the Crush Path and there is a serenade. This tradition takes place during Family Weekend in October.

Other Traditions

In addition to the Odd/Even rivalry R-MWC is host to a myriad of other traditions.

Never Ending Weekend is celebrated during the fall semester. The weekend kicks off on Friday with Tacky Party, a huge dance party where the attendents aim to dress in the most tacky outfit possible. Fall Formal is held on Saturday night in main hall lobby where there is more dancing. Simmer-down Sunday is a cooling off day before a return to studies and homework.

Holiday dinner is celebrated during the last week of the fall semester. Sister classes dine together for a delicious meal in the decorated dining hall. At the end of the meal students stand on their chairs and sing holiday songs. The evening is closed with the singing of the school song.

Maier Museum of Art

Located behind Main Hall, and across the athletic field, perched atop a hill is the Maier Museum of Art[4]. Randolph-Macon Woman's College was chosen in 1951 to be the site of a confidential storage facility to be used by the National Gallery of Art in the event of a national emergency. The college signed a 50 year contract with the gallery and began work on "Project Y." The construction was finished in 1952, and the museum was dedicated later that year. The Maier Museum of Art specializes in solely American artwork. The collection includes:

• George Wesley Bellow's Men of the Docks was the first purchase made by the Randolph-Macon Art Association in 1920. It has been suggested that the college sell the Bellow's piece in order to generate funds for the college. This idea has been met much resistance.
• Red Umbrella by Colleen Browning is often cited as favorite among students and is subject of the Mayonnaise girl legend. The painting was given to the museum as a gift from the Cynthia L. Hellman Memorial Fund in 1973.
• The Peaceable Kingdom by Edward Hicks was given to the college by Phyllis Crawford, class of 1920 and author of The Last Semester.
• Mrs. Scott's House by Edward Hopper was purchased by the Louise Jordan Smith Fund in 1936. There is photographic evidence in the Helianthus that this painting used to hang in Main Hall lobby until the mid-1970s.
• Yellow Cactus by Georgia O'Keefe was also purchased by the Louise Jordan Smith Fund in 1944.
• Gilbert Stuart's portrait of Mrs. Robert Hooper, circa 1811 was purchased in part by the Fine Arts Fund, and Dr. and Mrs. Ben T. Bell in 1961.

The College currently has on loan Paris Courtyard by Winslow Homer at the Naples Museum of Art in Naples, Florida. Sun and Wind on Roof by John Sloan is also on loan and can be seen at the William's College Museum of Art in Williams, Massachusetts. Both works will return to the college in the summer of 2007.

The Maier Museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday during the academic year, and 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday during the summer months. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

Special programs

Since 1968, Randolph-Macon Woman's College has provided a junior year of study at the University of Reading, England. Each year approximately 30 to 35 students are selected for the program from R-MWC and a variety of other American colleges and universities.

Additionally, a unique major in American Culture offers the opportunity to study American society and culture by drawing upon resources, techniques, and approaches from a variety of disciplines. The American Culture Program also accepts visiting students from other American colleges and universities for a one-semester intensive study of a particular theme and region, including literature, art, history, and travel components.

The administration of Randolph-Macon Woman's College has attempted to sell or terminate this program due to perceived financial problems at the college. See the link below to the announcement by President Kathleen G. Bowman why the Reading Program was "discontinued" in 2006, citing rising costs, increased interest in locations other than England, and preferences for semester-long or shorter study abroad programs. "http://www.rmwc.edu/alumnae/news_detail.asp?nid=47" The college paid for a study and it told them to discontinue the program. It was revived after protests and pledges of donations from alumnae. There is a related yahoo group called RMWC_Reading, which was established by alumnae to help make a case for keeping the program. Yahoo Description: Group dedicated to maintaining R-MWC as a WOMAN'S College and to saving R-MWC's 38-year-old educational program at University of Reading. Without the persistent voices of these women, the program would already be terminated. Without ongoing alumnae support, which has been affected due to unilateral changes to the college name and curriculum, the future of this program is in doubt. "http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RMWC_Reading/" Another recent article from Dec 2006 refers to the possibility of selling off assets such as the Reading Program to stave off financial difficulties, highlighted by a recent Southern Association of Colleges and Schools warning to the college. Here is a link to recent statements that the program may be sold for financial reasons with quotes from current president.

External links

• Randolph College
• Information about the name change to Randolph College
• Preserve Educational Choice Non-profit supporting legal fight to preserve Randolph-Macon Woman's College as single-sex institution
• Alumnae Association website