Mary Baldwin University

Technopedia Center

Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science
S1 Informatics S1 Information Systems S1 Information Technology S1 Computer Engineering S1 Electrical Engineering S1 Civil Engineering

faculty of Economics and Business
S1 Management S1 Accountancy

Faculty of Letters and Educational Sciences
S1 English literature S1 English language education S1 Mathematics education S1 Sports Education

Mary Baldwin University - Wikipedia

Coordinates: 38°9′16.8″N 79°4′3.1″W / 38.154667°N 79.067528°W

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Augusta Female Seminary)

Mary Baldwin University

Former names	Augusta Female Seminary (1842–1895) Mary Baldwin Seminary (1895–1923) Mary Baldwin College (1923–2016)
Motto	Non pro tempore sed aeternitate
Motto in English	Not for time but for eternity
Type	Private university
Established	1842; 182 years ago (1842)
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian Church (USA)
Academic affiliations	CIC APCU WCC
Endowment	$30.2 million (2019)^[1]
President	Jeff Stein
Academic staff	95 full-time, 118 part-time, 91% of full-time hold terminal degree
Students	1,761
Undergraduates	1,313
Postgraduates	227
Doctoral students	201
Location	Staunton , Virginia , United States
Campus	Small city, 58.5 acres
Colors	Gold and white Each class has its own colors.
Nickname	Fighting Squirrels
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III – USA South
Mascot	Baldwin the Fighting Squirrel and Gladys the Squirrel^[2]
Website	marybaldwin.edu

Location in Shenandoah Valley Show map of Shenandoah Valley Mary Baldwin University (Virginia) Show map of Virginia Mary Baldwin University (the United States) Show map of the United States

Mary Baldwin University (MBU, formerly Mary Baldwin College) is a private university in Staunton, Virginia. It was founded in 1842 as Augusta Female Seminary.^[3] Today, Mary Baldwin University is home to the Mary Baldwin College for Women, a residential college and women's college with a focus on liberal arts and leadership,^[4] as well as co-educational residential college for undergraduate programs within its University College^[5] structure. MBU also offers co-educational graduate degrees as well as undergraduate degree and certificate programs for working professionals and non-traditional students.

The university is the oldest institution of higher education for women in the nation affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA),^[6]^[7] and it is home to the only all-female corps of cadets in the world.^[8]^[9]

History

Located in Staunton, Virginia within Augusta County, the university was founded as the Augusta Female Seminary in 1842 by Rufus William Bailey. Among the first students was Mary Julia Baldwin. In 1863, Baldwin was named principal and headed the school through the Civil War, although most schools in the area had closed due to the war and economic hardship.^[10]

In 1895, the school was renamed Mary Baldwin Seminary in honor of Baldwin. In 1923, the name changed to Mary Baldwin College when the school became a four-year institution.^[7]^[11]

In 1963, Mary Baldwin became racially de-segregated, officially ending its policy of admitting only white women.^[12]

In the mid-1970s, men began to be admitted as day students and graduate students. Four decades later, in 2017, the school began accepting residential male students, albeit not without some controversy at the time.^[13]

In 1976, when Staunton Military Academy (SMA) closed, its grounds and buildings were purchased by Mary Baldwin, expanding the campus from 19 to 58.5 acres (7.7 to 23.7 hectares).^[14]

In 1977, Mary Baldwin became the first college in Virginia to launch an adult degree program. Cynthia Haldenby Tyson was appointed as the eighth president in 1985. That same year, the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG) was established to allow academically gifted girls to earn bachelor's degrees.^[3]^[7]^[11]

In 1995, the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership was established as the only all-female cadet corps. In 2001, the university established the Shakespeare and Performance graduate program after the American Shakespeare Center opened the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton.^[3]

In 2003, after 18 years as president, Cynthia Haldenby Tyson retired and Pamela Fox, dean of Miami University's School of Fine Arts, was named the ninth president.^[15]^[16]

In May 2015, the board of trustees voted unanimously to change the name of the institution to Mary Baldwin University, effective August 31, 2016, reflecting the school's range of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs.^[17]

On July 1, 2023, Dr. Jeffrey P. "Jeff" Stein, EdD, began his tenure as Mary Baldwin University's tenth president after two decades at Elon University.^[18]

Academics

Mary Baldwin University offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Social Work degrees in more than 30 majors.^[19] Undergraduate degrees are offered through the Mary Baldwin College for Women and two co-educational programs: University College and MBU Online. The school offers graduate degrees through the College of Education (Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Education, Master of Science in Higher Education, and Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis), Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences (Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Master of Science in Physician Assistant, and RN-to-BSN), and the Shakespeare and Performance program (Master of Letters and Master of Fine Arts).^[20]

Additionally, Mary Baldwin offers fast-track degrees, bachelor's-plus-master's-degree plans, professional school preparation and certificate programs. Community service and study-abroad opportunities are supplied through the Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement, which opened in 2007.^[6]

Institutional partnerships

The co-educational Master of Letters and Master of Fine Arts students in the Shakespeare and Performance program is partnered with the American Shakespeare Center, allowing the students to learn and perform in the Blackfriars Playhouse located a block away from campus.^[21]

The Heifetz International Music Institute, founded by violinist Daniel Heifetz, was moved from its Wolfeboro, New Hampshire location to Mary Baldwin University in 2012. The institute accepts applicants annually from around the world and offers summer programs for classically trained musicians.^[22]^[23]

MBU has also partnered with international organizations including the Clinton Global Initiative and Women for Women International to sponsor participants in Women for Women programs and raise awareness of human trafficking around the world.^[24]^[25]

Mary Baldwin has partnerships with several women's colleges around the world including Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts in Japan, Sungshin Women's University in South Korea, and Lady Doak College in India.

The Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership (VWIL)

Founded in 1995 by request of the Commonwealth of Virginia,^[26] VWIL (pronounced "vee-will") is an all-female cadet corps and four-year program preparing participants for both military and civilian leadership through academics, fitness, military training, practical experiences and co-curricular activities. Cadets also participate in co-educational ROTC training.^[27] Commandant of the corps of cadets is Brig. Gen. Teresa "Terry" A. H. Djuric (USAF, Retired).^[28]^[29]

Program for the Exceptionally Gifted

The Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG) at Mary Baldwin University is an early entrance college program for girls who have completed 6th-10th grade and have not yet completed, or in some cases not yet started, high school. Critically, the program accepts young women between the ages of 12 and 16. Applicants of later ages are encouraged to apply for early admission instead. The program was founded in 1985 with a class of 11 students and now enrolls up to 30 new students each year. Early success of the program was greatly boosted by the women-only residential campus, which eased parental concerns, as well as exceptionally strong participation and attention by faculty in providing extra challenges and opportunities to the gifted students. Participants ("PEGs") reside in a PEG-specific dorm building named for past president Cynthia Tyson, but attend classes with traditional-age students with the exception of a mandatory, PEG specific, introductory philosophy course named "Knowing the Self" (Phil 112). PEGs typically earn a bachelor's degree in the normal four years.^[30]^[31]

Campus

The MBU main campus is located in Staunton, and its Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences is located in nearby Fishersville.

The first building on Staunton campus was the Mary Baldwin University, Main Building, built in 1844. The building now houses administrative offices and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1973.^[32]

Traditions

MBU celebrates several annual traditions with the surrounding community. Every autumn, Mary Baldwin University commemorates Apple Day, during which students and faculty glean apples at a Virginia orchard. In recent years, the collected fruit has been distributed to area food pantries.^[33] The college also has marked Founders Day each October since 1898 to honor founders Mary Julia Baldwin and Rufus William Bailey.^[34]

The "Mary Baldwin College Fight Song" is sung to the tune of "Blue and Gold." The song was used by Staunton Military Academy (SMA) until it closed in 1976. After Mary Baldwin purchased the SMA campus, the college began using the academy's athletic fields, adopted the melody of the SMA fight song in 2008, and still flies SMA flags during parades.^[14] VWIL continues to hold an annual SMA reunion weekend involving a parade, banquet, and awarding of several scholarships.

Athletics

Mary Baldwin athletic teams are the Fighting Squirrels. The university is a member of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the USA South Athletic Conference (USA South) since the 2007–08 academic year. The Fighting Squirrels previously competed in the Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference (AWCC) from 1995–96 to 2006–07, and in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) from 1984–85 to 1991–92.

Mary Baldwin competes in 13 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis and track & field. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

Mary Baldwin began to sponsor men's sports since the university became co-educational, effective in the 2019–20 school year; beginning with cross country, soccer, tennis and track & field. Later baseball was added for the 2021–22 school year. And recently, basketball was added for the 2021–22 school year.

Mascot

The original mascot of the Mary Baldwin athletics program was Gladys the Fighting Squirrel. Baldwin was introduced as the new athletics mascot in November 2019.^[2]

Notable alumni

Cora Lily Woodard Aycock, First Lady of North Carolina
Tallulah Bankhead, actress
Claudia Brind-Woody, IBM executive
Dorie Clark, author and executive education professor
Mary S. Cummins, educator
Judith Godwin, abstract painter
Caroline Rose Hunt, hotelier and philanthropist
Anna Jarvis, founder of Mother's Day
Louisa Venable Kyle, writer
Custer LaRue, musician
Lucille Foster McMillin, federal official
Jason Narvy, actor
Susan Schmidt, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist
Susan Swecker, chair of the Virginia Democratic Party
St. Clair Wright, historic preservationist

References

^ As of June 30, 2019. "U.S. and Canadian 2019 NTSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2019 Endowment Market Value, and Percentage Change in Market Value from FY18 to FY19 (Revised)". National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Hoop-La Celebrates 2019–20 Women's Basketball, Introduces Athletics Mascot". marybaldwin.edu. Mary Baldwin University. November 5, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2021. Pumping up the crowd during the rally was a special surprise guest — Baldwin the Fighting Squirrel, the official mascot of MBU Athletics — who took to the court for the first time at an athletics event to celebrate women's basketball.
^ ^a ^b ^c Gary Robertson (October 30, 2013). "Women's colleges leverage their advantages". Virginia Business. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
^ "private liberal arts college for women". Mary Baldwin University. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
^ Times-Dispatch, Karin Kapsidelis | Richmond. "Mary Baldwin to add coed residential programs". The Daily Progress. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Megan Williams (September 8, 2013). "Steering Baldwin: A decade of innovation, tradition for MBC president Pamela Fox". NewsLeader. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c Mary Watters (1942). The History of Mary Baldwin College 1842–1942. Mary Baldwin College.
^ Bob Stuart (October 18, 2013). "New commandant takes over Virginia Women's Institute". The News Virginian. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
^ "Five Lusby women part of all-female cadet corps". Maryland Community Gazette. September 13, 2013. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
^ "History". MBU. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
^ ^a ^b Patricia H. Menk (1992). To Live in Time: The Sesquicentennial History of Mary Baldwin College. Mary Baldwin College. ISBN 978-0-9633486-0-9.
^ "Grade-a-Year Mix Plan Approved in Tallahassee". The Tuscaloosa News. April 23, 1963.
^ "History and Traditions at Mary Baldwin University". Mary Baldwin University. 2020.
^ ^a ^b "The MBC Fight Song". MBC Athletics. July 12, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
^ "Dean Pamela Fox named president at Mary Baldwin College". Miami University. April 3, 2003. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
^ "Graduation at RCC set". Sentinel. April 22, 2009. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
^ Kapsidelis, Karen (May 12, 2015). "Mary Baldwin to become University". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
^ "Jeffrey P. Stein Elected 10th President of Mary Baldwin University". Mary Baldwin University. April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
^ "MBU Academics". Mary Baldwin University. September 12, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
^ Charlie Tyson (July 21, 2014). "What's Expendable?". Inside HigherEd. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
^ "Shakespeare and Performance". Mary Baldwin College. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
^ Holly Prestidge (September 13, 2011). "Heifetz International Music Institute moving to Mary Baldwin campus". Richmond Times Dispatch. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
^ Tim Smith (August 11, 2014). "NPR veteran Ben Roe to be executive director of Heifetz Institute". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
^ "Clubs and Organizations". Mary Baldwin College. Archived from the original on March 6, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
^ "Spencer Center- Changemakers for Women". MBC. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
^ Biskupic, Joan (June 27, 1996). "Supreme Court Invalidates Exclusion of Women by VMI". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 10, 2018. Rehnquist agreed with the majority that the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership, at nearby Mary Baldwin women's college, was 'distinctly inferior.' Ginsburg noted the VWIL program, established in response to a lower court ruling against VMI, offers a faculty with 'significantly fewer Ph.D.'s' than at VMI and enrolls students with SAT scores about 100 points lower than the score for VMI freshmen.
^ Meghan Modafferi (November 2013). "It's a Woman's World". US Airways Magazine.
^ Stuart, Bob (October 18, 2013). "New commandant takes over Virginia Women's Institute". The News Virginian. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
^ Charles House II (October 18, 2013). "Mary Baldwin College Sees Leadership Change for Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership". WHSV-TV. Retrieved August 10, 2018. Authority was transferred to Brigadier General Teresa Djuric from Brigadier General N. Michael Bissell.
^ Kleiner, Carolyn (September 12, 1999). "The Littlest Freshman of All: Colleges recruit adolescent geniuses. But who benefits?". U.S. News & World Report. page 2. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
^ Glod, Maria (December 2, 2007). "Young, Gifted and Skipping High School: Va. College Feeds Academic Cravings". Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
^ "Mary Baldwin College, Main Building". National Park Service. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
^ Voth, Sally (October 2010). "Mary Baldwin Students glean orchard to feed needy". Retrieved November 5, 2016.
^ "Traditions". MBU. Retrieved May 1, 2018.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mary Baldwin University.

Official website
Official athletics website
Campus map
Collection of scanned archival materials from MBC library hosted at archive.org (Yearbooks, college newsletters, etc.)

v t e Mary Baldwin University
Facilities	Hilltop Kable House Mary Baldwin University, Main Building C. W. Miller House Rose Terrace
People	Mary Julia Baldwin

Links to related articles

Staunton, Virginia

Education

Closed	Staunton Military Academy

Landmarks

Media

The News Leader

This list is incomplete.

v t e Colleges and universities in Virginia
Public	Christopher Newport University College of William & Mary Eastern Virginia Medical School George Mason University James Madison University Joint Forces Staff College Longwood University Marine Corps University Norfolk State University Old Dominion University Radford University Richard Bland College University of Mary Washington University of Virginia University of Virginia's College at Wise Virginia Commonwealth University VCU School of Dentistry VCU School of Education VCU College of Health Professions Virginia Community College System Virginia Military Institute Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VT-WFU School Biomedical Engineering & Sciences Virginia State University Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
Private	Appalachian College of Pharmacy Appalachian School of Law Art Institute of Virginia Beach Atlantic University Averett University Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond Bluefield University Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing Bridgewater College Christendom College DeVry University Divine Mercy University Institute for the Psychological Sciences Eastern Mennonite University ECPI University Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Emory and Henry University Fairfax University of America Ferrum College George Washington University Virginia Campus Hampden–Sydney College Hampton University Hartland College Hollins University Jefferson College of Health Sciences John Leland Center for Theological Studies Liberty University University of Lynchburg Mary Baldwin University Marymount University Patrick Henry College Randolph College Randolph–Macon College Regent University Roanoke College Shenandoah University Southern Virginia University Sweet Briar College Union Presbyterian Seminary University of Management and Technology University of the Potomac University of Richmond Virginia Theological Seminary Virginia Union University Virginia University of Lynchburg Virginia Wesleyan University Washington and Lee University
Defunct	Art Institute of Washington Blackstone College for Girls Cordoba University Eastern College Elizabeth College Fauquier Institute Frederick College Gibbs College Marion College Richmond Professional Institute Saint Paul's College Stratford University Sullins College University of Northern Virginia Virginia Intermont College Westwood College
Complete list

American women's colleges that became coeducational

Became
coeducational

Coordinate
colleges

Evelyn College for Women (with Princeton University; closed)
H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College (merged with Tulane University)
Margaret Morrison Carnegie College (merged with Carnegie Mellon University)
Maryhill College (merged with St. Edward's University)
Mt. Vernon College (with George Washington University)
Pembroke (merged with Brown University)
Radcliffe College (merged with Harvard University)

v t e USA South Athletic Conference
Full members with football	Brevard Greensboro Methodist North Carolina Wesleyan Southern Virginia
Full, non-football members	Mary Baldwin Meredith^† Pfeiffer Salem^† William Peace
Football associate members	Belhaven Huntingdon LaGrange Maryville
^† Women's sports only

Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities

Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States

Senior military colleges

Public	The Citadel Texas A&M University University of North Georgia Virginia Military Institute Virginia Tech
Private	Norwich University Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership

Military junior colleges

Public	Georgia Military College Marion Military Institute New Mexico Military Institute
Private	Valley Forge Military Academy and College

Preparatory schools

v t e Colleges and universities in Virginia
Public	Christopher Newport University College of William & Mary Eastern Virginia Medical School George Mason University James Madison University Joint Forces Staff College Longwood University Marine Corps University Norfolk State University Old Dominion University Radford University Richard Bland College University of Mary Washington University of Virginia University of Virginia's College at Wise Virginia Commonwealth University VCU School of Dentistry VCU School of Education VCU College of Health Professions Virginia Community College System Virginia Military Institute Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VT-WFU School Biomedical Engineering & Sciences Virginia State University Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
Private	Appalachian College of Pharmacy Appalachian School of Law Art Institute of Virginia Beach Atlantic University Averett University Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond Bluefield University Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing Bridgewater College Christendom College DeVry University Divine Mercy University Institute for the Psychological Sciences Eastern Mennonite University ECPI University Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Emory and Henry University Fairfax University of America Ferrum College George Washington University Virginia Campus Hampden–Sydney College Hampton University Hartland College Hollins University Jefferson College of Health Sciences John Leland Center for Theological Studies Liberty University University of Lynchburg Mary Baldwin University Marymount University Patrick Henry College Randolph College Randolph–Macon College Regent University Roanoke College Shenandoah University Southern Virginia University Sweet Briar College Union Presbyterian Seminary University of Management and Technology University of the Potomac University of Richmond Virginia Theological Seminary Virginia Union University Virginia University of Lynchburg Virginia Wesleyan University Washington and Lee University
Defunct	Art Institute of Washington Blackstone College for Girls Cordoba University Eastern College Elizabeth College Fauquier Institute Frederick College Gibbs College Marion College Richmond Professional Institute Saint Paul's College Stratford University Sullins College University of Northern Virginia Virginia Intermont College Westwood College
Complete list

38°9′16.8″N 79°4′3.1″W / 38.154667°N 79.067528°W / 38.154667; -79.067528

Categories:

Hidden categories:

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF
National	United States Israel