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A Look at Macalester College The Rev. Edward Duffield Neill (1849-1884): Founder and First President Macalester was founded as a Presbyterian-related but non-sectarian college by a pioneer clergyman and educator who also helped develop public education in Minnesota. Neill served as the first Superintendent of Schools for the Territory and as a Chancellor for the University of Minnesota, and was the founding pastor of two St. Paul Presbyterian churches, House of Hope and First Presbyterian. Neill envisioned a private Christian college for men patterned after his own alma mater, Amherst, which ranked among the best private colleges of the East. He and his board struggled to obtain funds. A gift from Philadelphia businessman Charles Macalester finally enabled the trustees to purchase the land at Summit and Snelling Avenues to construct the college's first building. James Wallace (1894-1906): Academic Excellence In his 12 years as president, James Wallace secured the college's lasting reputation for scholastic excellence in its programs, faculty and students. Moreover, he made almost superhuman efforts to secure the financial support necessary to keep the college alive. Wallace joined the Macalester faculty in 1887. Until shortly before his death in 1939, he taught religion, Greek and political science. As a scholar, teacher and friend to students, he was without peer. Throughout his years at Macalester, he epitomized the highest ideals of service to humanity, a tradition to which the college has clung ever since. Charles Turck (1939-1958): Service and Internationalism The post-World War II period found the college academically sound, sufficiently supported and committed, under the leadership of President Turck, to broadening its base of community service. To the stream of ministers and other professional men and women who had graduated from the college were added teachers, nurses, scientists, civil servants and statesmen. Turck also developed the college's focus on internationalism-another significant part of Macalester's make-up today-through overseas study opportunities, programs for foreign students and the hiring of faculty from diverse backgrounds. Under Turck's leadership, the college also intensified its continuing interest in civic and national affairs. Harvey M. Rice (1958-1968): Growth and Change During the 1960s, the college engaged in a concerted effort to strengthen its faculty, attract the best and brightest students, and enhance its instructional program. Generous gifts from alumni and friends, especially DeWitt and Lila Wallace, co-founders of the Reader's Digest and major benefactors of the college, enabled the college to advance markedly. DeWitt Wallace was the son of President James Wallace and a member of the college's class of 1911. A major building effort produced three facilities which were among the finest in the country at the time: Olin and Rice Halls of Science (now combined into the Olin-Rice Science Center) and the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, a focus for cultural events on campus and in the Twin Cities. Late in the decade, the college began an Expanded Educational Opportunity program to provide the opportunity of a liberal arts education to students from low-income and culturally diverse backgrounds, a program acknowledged as one of the most ambitious and innovative in the nation. John B. Davis, Jr. (1975-1984): Recommitment and Confidence As on many other campuses, the early 1970s produced a period of turmoil and change at Macalester. Under the leadership of John Davis, the college in 1975 recommitted itself to its liberal arts curriculum and reasserted five traditional and distinguishing strengths: collaboration between students and faculty in the pursuit of academic excellence, an international outlook, a diverse campus community, a commitment to service and a commitment to learning through involvement in the metropolitan community. John Davis regained the confidence of DeWitt Wallace, who established the DeWitt Wallace Fund for Macalester College before his death in 1981, the foundation of a truly significant difference in the financial future of the college. Robert M. Gavin, Jr. (1984-1996): Academic Leadership In 1991, thanks in large part to the DeWitt Wallace Fund for Macalester College, the college's endowment grew significantly, allowing the college to take its place among the nation's leading liberal arts colleges and to pursue its ideals with renewed vision. In the late 1990s, the college added about 20 new faculty positions. This step reduced the student-faculty ratio and enabled the college to deepen the curriculum, enhance an already strong emphasis on faculty-student collaborative research and writing, and further diversify the perspectives represented in the curriculum. In addition, the college increased international study opportunities for students and faculty and strengthened co-curricular programs. A $10 million library, opened in September 1988, was the first step in a comprehensive campus improvement program that continues to this day; about $106 million has been invested in campus facilities in the past 15 years. Michael S. McPherson (1996-2003): Building for The Future and Civic Engagement By a variety of measures, the student body is the strongest in college history. The alumni community is more engaged than ever before. President McPherson presided over the most successful fund-raising campaign in the college's history, which included construction of a new Campus Center and renovation of science facilities, endowed funds for academic programs, faculty support, student-faculty research stipends and financial aid. McPherson also completed the diversification of the college's endowment, once heavily concentrated in Reader's Digest Association stock. A planning process begun by President McPherson is resulting in implementation of strategic initiatives that include incorporating Macalester's urban identity more fully into campus life, emphasizing civic engagement, revising curriculum and academic organization and communicating the college's distinctive strengths more effectively. |
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