Hiram College

Hiram College is an institution of higher learning located in Hiram, Ohio. Founded by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1850 as the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute, the school was rechartered under the current name in 1867.

Related Topics:
Hiram, Ohio - Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) - 1850 - 1867

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Since the College's first days, it has been nonsectarian and coeducational, and throughout its existence Hiram College has sustained this egalitarian tradition of educating men and women from diverse backgrounds. The institute's original charter was authorized by the state legislature on March 1, 1850, and modified in 1867 to recognize the institution's new collegiate rank when it became Hiram College.

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U.S. President James Garfield was a student, instructor, and president of the institution while it was still the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute. Garfield was a classical scholar and taught Greek and Latin, along with such subjects as mathematics and geology. Garfield broadened the curriculum offered at the Institute and insisted on its nonsectarian character. Although he left Hiram in 1861 to take up the Civil War command of Company A of the 42nd Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a regiment recruited from Hiram, his name appeared in the Institute's catalogues until 1863. Throughout his life, he retained his fondness for Hiram, making frequent visits and corresponding with numerous Hiram people. Two of his greatest friends were Almeda Booth, teacher of English, classics and mathematics from 1851 to 1866, and Burke A. Hinsdale, a student of Garfield's and future president of the College.

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The school's sports teams are called the Terriers. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the North Coast Athletic Conference. The Hiram College basketball team, competing as the United States national team, won the 1904 Olympic gold medal in St. Louis.

Related Topics:
NCAA - North Coast Athletic Conference - 1904 - Olympic - St. Louis

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Hiram is a small, liberal arts college with a student body of about 900 as of 2005. Its strengths as an institution relate to its small class sizes and low student-to-professor ratio. Hiram's education plan also focuses on international study experiences and diveristy. Although the majority of Hiram's student body represent the demographic of its surrounding area (middle-class Caucasian), Hiram's students come from twenty-six states and twenty-three countries and represent more than twenty-five different religions.

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Ninety-five percent of Hiram students live in the College's eleven residence halls and eat their meals on campus. This is due, in part, to Hiram's strict regulations regarding off-campus living, which are designed to protect the college's close-knit atmosphere.

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Student services include a health center, a fitness center (newly rebuilt in 2005), a career placement office, professional counseling on a range of personal and academic concerns, optional religious services and activities, and sports. Many student organizations are active on campus, including honorary societies, social clubs, music and drama groups, student publications, religious groups, and student government and political and social-action groups. All student organizations, including the campus radio station and student publications, are managed and directed by Hiram College students.

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Hiram's student newspaper is called The Advance. It is a bi-monthly, student-produced publication, containing news and opinions regarding the campus and beyond.

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On the "Best Bargain Schools" list, Hiram ranks 8th out of all the private schools in The Best 357 Colleges. The ranking is based on a combination of The Princeton Review's academic rating and the average tuition paid per student (sticker price minus the average financial aid award).

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In September 2004, Thomas V. Chema was appointed as the 21st president of Hiram College.

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