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Muskingum University is a
private university Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they often receive tax breaks, public student loans, and government grants. Depending on the count ...
in New Concord, Ohio, United States. Chartered in 1837 as Muskingum College, the institution is affiliated with the
Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination in the Religion in the United States, United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States too. Its th ...
. New Concord is located in far eastern Muskingum County, which derives its name from the
Muskingum River The Muskingum River ( ; ) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately long, in southeastern Ohio in the United States. An important commercial route in the 19th century, it flows generally southward through the eastern hill country of Ohio ...
. It offers more than 60 undergraduate majors and graduate programs and enrolled 2,100 students in 2023. Muskingum's campus consists of 21 buildings, a football stadium, and a small lake which all sit atop of rolling hills overlooking New Concord. Alumni are referred to as the "Long Magenta Line" and students are known simply as "Muskies", while its athletic teams are called the "Fighting Muskies".


History

In 1827, the
National Road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...
(now US 40) was laid through what is now New Concord, roughly following what had been the primitive roadway known as Zane's Trace. A year later, the village of New Concord was established by Scotch-Irish
Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
. On July 9, 1836, the first recorded meeting of the "Friends of Education" in New Concord, led by residents Samuel Willson and Benjamin Waddle, was held. A year later, the
Ohio General Assembly The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate. Both houses of the General Assembly meet at the Ohio Statehouse in Colu ...
authorized the creation of a college in New Concord after being petitioned by the "Friends of Education" committee. On April 24, 1837, Muskingum College opened. Muskingum became a coeducational institution in 1854. In 1958, the United Presbyterian Church of North America and the
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) was a Presbyterian denomination existing from 1789 to 1958. In that year, the PCUSA merged with the United Presbyterian Church of North America. The new church was named the United ...
merged by signing a historic agreement in Brown Chapel on Muskingum's campus. In 2001, the school's women's
softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
team captured the NCAA Division III National Championship, the school's first national title. In 2009, Muskingum College achieved university status to become Muskingum University.


Academics

Muskingum has been continuously
accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
by the North Central Association of college and Secondary Schools or one of its successors since 1919. "The school up on the hill", as it is sometimes called by locals, offers
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
and
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degrees at the undergraduate level, and at the graduate level Master of Information Strategy Systems and Technology, Master of Arts in Education, and
Master of Arts in Teaching A Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) or Master of Science in Teaching (MST) is a professional master's degree that prepares an individual for primary or secondary teaching in a specific field of studies. The degree is generally a pre-service degre ...
graduate degrees. The university offers 44
academic major An academic major is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits. A student who successfully completes all courses required for the major qualifies for an undergraduate degree. The word ''major'' (also called ''con ...
s along with a large number of minors, nine pre-professional programs (including
pre-law In the United States and Canada, pre-law (or prelaw) refers to any course of study taken by an undergraduate in preparation for study at a law school. The American Bar Association (ABA) requires law schools to admit only students with an accredi ...
and pre-medicine) and teaching licensure.


Campus

Most of Muskingum's academic buildings are clustered around a traditional quad near the southern part of the campus. The quad is bordered by Montgomery Hall and the College Library to the south, Caldwell Hall, Cambridge Hall and the Student/Faculty Center to the west, the Recreation Center and John Glenn Gym to the north and Boyd Science Center to the east. Brown Chapel sits on the southeastern corner of the quad. * Paul Hall (1873) is the oldest building on Muskingum's campus. Two previous versions of this building burnt down early in the school's history. This third structure is named for Dr. David Paul, president of the college from 1865 to 1879. The building, which currently houses the art department, is registered as a National Historic Site. * Johnson Hall (1899) is named for Dr. Jesse Johnson, Muskingum's president from 1883 to 1902. Renovated in 1977, it contained art studios, the Louis Palmer Gallery and a 160-seat proscenium thrust theater. Johnson Hall was torn down in 2008. * The Little Theater (1900) was constructed for physical education purposes and remodeled in 1943 for theatrical use, and was used as classroom space primarily in theatre until it was torn down in 2009. * Brown Chapel (1912) is a multi-purpose building which serves the college as a church, chapel, auditorium and classroom. The chapel was named for J.M. Brown, a benefactor of the college and long-time member of the school's board of trustees. * Montgomery Hall (1921) is the administrative hub of the campus, containing administrative and faculty offices and classrooms. The building is named for Dr. John Knox Montgomery Sr., president of Muskingum from 1904 until 1931, and the unofficial ''"Father of Muskingum College"''. * Cambridge Hall (1929) was built largely with funds contributed by citizens of nearby Cambridge, Ohio. Along with classrooms, the business, English, political science, psychology, sociology, history departments. * John Glenn Gym (1935) was named in 1962 in honor of the distinguished astronaut-senator graduate. It houses two gymnasiums, a swimming pool, recreation and intramural equipment and coaches' offices. * The Student/Faculty Center (1960) includes the campus center, snack bar, mailroom, bookstore, and meeting rooms. It also houses the Student Life Office, the Office of Career Services, Internships and Leadership Development, Student Senate, Student Activities, Counseling and Special Events. * Boyd Science Center (1971) is a four-floor building housing the biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics, modern languages, computer science and physics departments. * Anne C. Steele Center (1986) is a four-story building named for Dr. Anne C. Steele, Muskingum's 20th president, and first female president. Muskingum's Opening Convocation and Commencement are held each year in the center. It houses a 2,800-seat gym, dance rooms, racquetball courts, weight room, athletic training room and locker rooms. It also houses the physical education department and the athletic department. * Caldwell Hall (2004) a . sq., state-of-the-art facility houses Muskingum's speech, journalism and theatre programs, and graphic arts initiative. This 21st century instructional space features multi-media classrooms, computer-aided design laboratory, lecture hall, seminar rooms, exhibit hall, radio and television studios, a 250-seat theatre, recital hall and cinema, costume & set design laboratories, tech support areas and an experimental theatre/rehearsal hall. * Chess Center (2008) a . sq., state-of-the-art campus center. featuring a three-level forum where students gather, socialize, study, work, & work out. The innovative design of this new building also "bridges" the east and west hills of the campus. * The Neptune Center (2008) This building is home for the Art Department's program in ceramics, sculpture, and other three-dimensional creative work. * Walter Hall (2010) - Dedicated in April 2011. It became the new home for the music program, world languages and the Center for the Advancement of Learning (PLUS program). * Roberta A. Smith Library (2016) This new facility houses the new library as well as the Teacher Preparation Program. * Louis O. Palmer Gallery (2013) The Palmer Gallery is a teaching gallery designed to showcase the work of Muskingum students, faculty, alumni, and guest artists. It features a central gallery, auxiliary spaces to support events, and environmentally-friendly solar panels to help support its electricity consumption.


Fraternities and sororities

The university has five active fraternities:
Phi Kappa Tau Phi Kappa Tau (), commonly known as Phi Tau (), is a collegiate fraternity located in the United States. The fraternity was founded in 1906. As of May 2024, the fraternity has 161 chartered chapters, 83 active chapters, 7 associate chapters, a ...
,
Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Psi (), commonly known as Phi Psi, is an American collegiate social fraternity that was founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania in 1852. The fraternity has over ninety chapters at accredited four-year colleges and uni ...
,
Kappa Sigma Kappa Sigma (), commonly known as Kappa Sig or KSig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international Fraternities and sororities in North America, fr ...
, Ulster (local), and M.A.C.E. (local). The Muskingum chapters of Phi Kappa Tau and Kappa Sigma both trace their roots to local fraternities, Alban and Sphynx. The university also has four active sororities: Chi Alpha Nu (local), FAD (local), Delta Gamma Theta (local), and Theta Phi Alpha.


Athletics

Muskingum competes athletically in the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
as a Division III school and as one of the first and longest affiliated members of the
Ohio Athletic Conference The Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. All member institutions are located in Ohio. Formed in 1902, it is the third oldest athletic conference in the United States ...
(OAC). M.U.'s teams compete under the name the ''Fighting Muskies''. Its mascot is the Fighting Muskie (''
muskellunge The muskellunge (''Esox masquinongy''), often shortened to muskie, musky, ski, or lunge, is a species of large freshwater predatory fish native to North America. It is the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae. Origin of name The name ...
''), the largest member of the pike family. Rather than using the traditional magenta, Muskies athletics wear black and red. The school's main athletic rival is fellow OAC competitor the
Marietta College Marietta College (MC) is a private liberal arts college in Marietta, Ohio, United States. Its campus encompasses approximately six city blocks next to downtown Marietta and enrolls 1,200 students. History Marietta College began as the Muskin ...
Pioneers (which ironically was originally called the Muskingum Academy when established in 1797). Muskingum fields teams in
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
, men's and women's basketball, women's
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
,
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
, women's STUNT, women's
softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
,
wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
and men's and women's indoor track, outdoor track,
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
,
tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
, cross country, lacrosse, and
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
. Muskingum has won 79 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Championships, since the school joined the conference in the 1922–23 school year. In the 41 seasons between 1926 and 1966, Muskingum won 12 OAC football championships, ten outright, and two shared. Six of those championships were won from 1945 to 1966 when the team was led by
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
member Ed Sherman, a former Muskingum quarterback. In Sherman's last three seasons, the Muskies represented the OAC in the
Grantland Rice Bowl The Grantland Rice Bowl was an annual college football bowl game held from 1964 through 1977. The game originated as an NCAA College Division regional final, then became a playoff game for Division II. It was named in honor of Grantland Rice, an ...
in 1964 and 1966.


Notable alumni

Collectively, Muskingum's alumni are referred to as the "Long Magenta Line". Former
astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member of a spa ...
and U.S. senator
John Glenn John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American Marine Corps aviator, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space and the first to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1 ...
grew up in New Concord and graduated with a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degree in
Engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
from Muskingum in 1943. He was awarded an honorary degree from Muskingum in 1961, and announced his retirement from the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
in Brown Chapel live on national television in 1997. Upon his retirement, Glenn donated his archives to the
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
, with special conditions that Muskingum students could benefit from the collection at any time.


References


External links

*
Athletics website
{{authority control Victorian architecture in Ohio Private universities and colleges in Ohio Universities and colleges established in 1837 Education in Muskingum County, Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Muskingum County, Ohio Buildings and structures in Muskingum County, Ohio Universities and colleges affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) Tourist attractions in Muskingum County, Ohio 1837 establishments in Ohio