Grundy College

Grundy College, c.1920s

Grundy College[1] was a secondary and post-secondary school that existed in Grundy Center, Iowa, United States, from 1916 to 1934. It was associated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America,[2] and was founded on October 4, 1916[3] by German speakers within that denomination.[4] Supporters of the college were called on when Dordt College was being formed in northwest Iowa. As of 1930, Grundy College was divided into (at least) Grundy Academy (a high school),[5][6] Grundy Junior College,[7] and the Commercial Department.[8][9]

As noted by William Katerberg, professor of history and curator of Heritage Hall at Calvin University, some within the Christian Reformed Church viewed Grundy College as competition to Calvin College in Grand Rapids:

Professor Rooks viewed normal schools and Grundy College as competition not just for Calvin Junior College and its teacher training program, but for the larger dream of a four-year, bachelors degree granting college.[10]

Grundy College Dormitory, c.1920s

In 1926, the college had a faculty of 10 and an enrollment of 94 students. At that time it had an endowment of $24,000 and property valued at $100,000.[11] Buildings included a main building and a dormitory. The college ceased operation in 1934 after enduring financial downturns caused in part by the conditions of the Great Depression, but also by rivalries with other institutions.[12][13]

Timeline

1916 - College founded[3]

1919 - supporting territory proposed to be expanded to include Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, North Dakota and South Dakota.[14]

1929 - Grundy College's thirteenth annual commencement was held June 2, 3, and 4, 1929.[15]

1930 - commencement 28 May 1930[8][9]

Grundy College's men's dormitory was in use as an apartment building in January, 1960.[16]

The southern portion of Grundy County Memorial Hospital was built over the site.[17]

References

  1. ^ Iowa, GrundyCo (2007-07-19), ChristianReformedCollege, retrieved 2021-04-13
  2. ^ Yearbook of American Churches: 1st -40th Issue; 1915-1972. Missionary Education Movement of the United States and Canada. 1922. p. 208.
  3. ^ a b "Christian Reformed - 1857 - 1957". migenweb.org. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  4. ^ "The Rest of Our Story". The Banner. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  5. ^ "Lake County Teachers and Other Miscellaneous Records--CRA 478.pdf" (PDF). 13 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Genealogie Familie van Roekel 17-620". roekelg.home.xs4all.nl. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  7. ^ "Lyon County Reporter October 22 Page 3". lyc.stparchive.com. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  8. ^ a b "Grundy College Graduates 1930". iagenweb.org. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  9. ^ a b "Clipped From The Courier". The Courier. 1930-05-17. p. 15. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  10. ^ "Training Teachers". Origins Online. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  11. ^ United States Bureau of the Census (1929). Religious Bodies, 1926: Separate denominations : statistics, history, doctrine, organization, and work. Norman Ross Pub. p. 1243. ISBN 978-0-88354-685-7.
  12. ^ Waddilove, Alan (2001). "Grundy College; Undying Legacy or Broken Promises, in Origins XIX No. 1". Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  13. ^ Zwaart, David (April 2012). "Faithful Remembering: Constructing Dutch America in the Twentieth Century". ScholarWorks@WMU.
  14. ^ "IAGenWeb Grundy Co.: Schools: Grundy College". iagenweb.org. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  15. ^ "Grundy College 1929 Commencement". Genealogy Today. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  16. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  17. ^ "Image 4 of Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Grundy Center, Grundy County, Iowa". The Library of Congress. 1916. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.

42°21′33″N 92°45′46″W / 42.3592°N 92.7629°W / 42.3592; -92.7629