Pfeiffer University is a

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

in Misenheimer, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...

History

Pfeiffer originated from a home school operated by Miss Emily Prudden in the late 19th century. The school first began operation on the outskirts of

Hudson, North Carolina Hudson is a town in Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,776 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hickory–Lenoir– Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Hudson originated as a sawmill camp, ...

, on Lick Mountain in Caldwell County, North Carolina. University archivist Jonathan Hutchinson said in 2013, "Our accepted founding date is 1885," referring to the date Prudden's first school began, "but Emily probably started the school in about 1898." The school was called Oberlin, after John Frederick Oberlin, a French priest noted for his social improvement in the Alsace Region of France. The school was later endowed by Mrs. Mary P. Mitchell, and the name was changed to the Mitchell School. A fire destroyed the school in 1907 and it moved to the nearby town of Lenoir, North Carolina. As that location proved inadequate, the school again relocated in 1910, this time to its current location in Misenheimer. The Mitchell School began awarding high school diplomas in 1913. In 1928 the school began offering junior college classes and was accredited as such in 1934. It was that year that the Pfeiffer family of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

gave generous financial gifts to the school for construction of new buildings, and it was then that the name Pfeiffer Junior College was used. During the 1950s the school began offering senior college courses. The four-year Pfeiffer College was accredited in 1960 during the administration of Dr. J. Lem Stokes II, President. Pfeiffer opened a satellite campus in Charlotte, approximately forty miles away, in 1977. The campus moved to a new location in 2017. In 1996 the college's trustees voted to re-organize to achieve university status, and the current name of Pfeiffer University was adopted. An outdoor drama entitled "The Legacy of Lick Mountain" relates the beginning of the school, and was presented in Hudson, N.C. in the summer of 2015.

Pfeiffer Junior College Historic District

The Pfeiffer Junior College Historic District is a national

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from cer ...

encompassing 14 contributing buildings and 1 contributing structure on the campus of Pfeiffer University. They include

Georgian Revival Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover— George I, George II, Ge ...

-style brick academic buildings erected between 1923 and 1948. Notable buildings include the Administration Building (1923, remodeled in 1936), Rowe Hall (1935), Merner Hall (1935), Goode Hall (1935), "Practice Home" (1941-1942), Cline Hall (1935), President's House (1935), Jane Freeman Hall (1937), Henry Pfeiffer Chapel (1941-1942), Delight and Garfield Merner Center (1941-1942), Washington Hall (1941-1942), Mitchell Gymnasium (1948-1950), and the Campus Gates (1935). It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1999.

Organization

*Division of Business *Division of Education *Division of Health-Related Programs *The Graduate School

Graduate studies

Pfeiffer has three graduate campuses. The main graduate campus is located in Charlotte, North Carolina near the SouthPark area. The campus has been in Charlotte since 1996 and currently serves several hundred students. On October 12, 2016, Pfeiffer announced plans to leave its Park Road campus, which it will sell to a developer planning a six-story building with apartments, restaurants, retail and offices. The new location across the street in the Park Seneca building on Mockingbird Lane, with 26,440 square feet on three floors, officially opened October 20, 2017. Pfeiffer's

Research Triangle Park Research Triangle Park (RTP) is the largest research park in the United States, occupying in North Carolina and hosting more than 300 companies and 65,000 workers. The facility is named for its location relative to the three surrounding cities ...

campus, located in

Morrisville, North Carolina Morrisville is a town located primarily in Wake County, North Carolina, United States (a small portion extends into neighboring Durham County). The population was 18,576 at the 2010 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the town's population t ...

, serves graduate students in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and surrounding areas. In November 2016, Albemarle City Council approved incentives for a campus in the city several miles south of the main campus. Graduate programs will be located in a new building at the location of the former Stanly County Museum, which relocated to the City Hall Annex. The Albemarle Hotel may be renovated as a result, because students could live there. Groundbreaking took place January 7, 2019. The first classes were held September 17, 2020. The graduate degrees offered include master's degrees in business administration, healthcare administration, education, organizational change and leadership, and marriage & family therapy, some of which are offered online as well.

Accreditations

Business School accreditation

Pfeiffer University's Division of Business is a candidate for accreditation from the

Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), formerly the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, is a U.S. organization offering accreditation services to business programs focused on teaching and learn ...

in May 2017.

Marriage and Family Therapy program

Pfeiffer University's Marriage and Family Therapy program, Raleigh-Durham campus, is accredited by the

Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of another ...

Programs

Music

For many years (especially the 1970s), Pfeiffer experienced success as a nationally recognized choral program, mostly under the direction of Dr. Richard Brewer. Later, noteworthy instrumental music programs surfaced under the direction of composer Ed Kiefer and Fulbright Professor * Tom Smith.

MFT program

In collaboration with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), the Pfeiffer University MFT Program is an accredited MFT Graduate School approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).

Athletics

Pfeiffer's athletic teams are known as the ''Falcons''. They previously competed in the NCAA's Division II as a member of the

Conference Carolinas Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) primarily at the Divisi ...

(formerly the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference), but transitioned to Division III and joined the D-III

USA South Athletic Conference The USA South Athletic Conference (formerly the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference or the Dixie Conference) is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member schools are located in North Carolina and Virginia ...

in 2017. Men's teams include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and track and field. Women's sports consist of basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball.

Notable alumni

Keith Crisco John Keith Crisco Sr. (April 22, 1943 – May 12, 2014) was an American businessman and public official from the State of North Carolina. Early life and career Born in 1943 in Stanly County, North Carolina, Crisco graduated from Pfeiffer ...

'64 North Carolina Secretary of Commerce * Antonio Harvey, former

professional basketball In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought lar ...

player *

Vincent Maddalone Vincent "Vinny" Maddalone (born December 29, 1973) is an American professional boxer who fights at heavyweight. Professional career Maddalone, a hard-hitting brawler, turned professional in 1999 and became a popular contender often featured on E ...

, professional boxer * Susan Abulhawa, International best selling author * Coleman Breland, President, Turner Network Sales, Turner Broadcasting System

Gray Stone Day School

Gray Stone Day School, a

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the re ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, started in Pfeiffer's Harris Building in 2002 and moved to its own campus in 2011, on land donated by Pfeiffer.

References

External links

*
Pfeiffer Falcon Sports
{{authority control Private universities and colleges in North Carolina Education in Stanly County, North Carolina University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina Georgian Revival architecture in North Carolina Educational institutions established in 1885 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Universities and colleges in Charlotte, North Carolina Buildings and structures in Stanly County, North Carolina 1885 establishments in North Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Stanly County, North Carolina