SENATE RESOLUTION 36

(By Senators Weld, Ihlenfeld, Rucker, Stollings, Hamilton, Lindsay, Swope, Jeffries, Beach, Maroney, and Baldwin)

[Introduced February 11, 2019]

Recognizing Bethany College on the 179th anniversary of its charter.

Whereas, Bethany College, located at Bethany in Brooke County, was chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia as a college on March 2, 1840, and was recognized as a college by the new State of West Virginia in 1863, and, is therefore, the oldest baccalaureate institution in continuous operation in the State of West Virginia; and

Whereas, Alexander Campbell, one of the principal founders of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States, established Bethany College for the “Instruction of youth in the various branches of science and literature; the useful arts and foreign languages” and while Bethany College is affiliated with the Christian Church, the church exercises no sectarian control on the college; and

Whereas, Bethany College has provided its students with an excellent liberal education to prepare them for service in a myriad of careers in all areas of society, including medicine, the law, the economy, education, and service, as well as generations of young men and women as ministers of the gospel and missionaries of the faith to all parts of the world; and

Whereas, Bethany College has also produced numerous political leaders both for the United States, including a Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and governments abroad, including a member of the Mother of Parliaments in Westminster, England; and

Whereas, Bethany College has a long connection with chief executives of the government of the United States, including Board of Trustees member, James A. Garfield, and other U. S. presidents who have visited the Bethany College campus, including John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Gerald Ford; and

Whereas, Bethany College became an early proponent of the admission of female students in 1878 and has continued its commitment to provide an education to a diverse population in all areas, and is currently recognized as featuring the most diverse student population of any baccalaureate institution in West Virginia; and

Whereas, Bethany College sustains some of the most enduring academic traditions with all students required to pass comprehensive exams and submit senior projects in their majors, while continuing to be a leader in innovative curricula with new majors in cybersecurity and interdisciplinary sports medicine, as well as aspirational initiatives to expand its international education and impact on the public health issues facing our state; and

Whereas, Bethany College has repeatedly answered the call to service to the nation in times of peril, such as helping to establish the V-12 Program for the United States Navy during World War II, when nearly 1,000 naval personnel participated in an accelerated degree program to become engineering officers in the great struggle against fascism and Japanese militarism; and

Whereas, Bethany College is one of the largest employers in Brooke County and occupies a campus of several hundred developed acres within the village of Bethany, including two buildings designated National Historic Landmarks, Old Main and the Campbell Mansion, as well as other structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and

 Whereas, From 1840, when Alexander Campbell served as the first president of the college, only 20 individuals have served as president, with Dr. Tamara Rodenberg now serving as the second woman in that position. Among those 20 presidents was former West Virginia Governor, Cecil Underwood, who served as Bethany College’s 13th president from 1972-1975; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate:

That the Senate hereby recognizes Bethany College on the 179th anniversary of its charter; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the appropriate officials of Bethany College.