History of Stephens
The
West was wild, and for the most part, the frontier unsettled when
Col. Richard Gentry called together Columbia’s 14 leading
male citizens on Aug. 24, 1833, to discuss the education of their
daughters. More than a century and a half later, these daughters
are making their own decisions, voicing their opinions and taking
on leadership roles in every industry and field of study imaginable.
Just as it has since 1833, Stephens College continues to meet the
changing needs of women by building on a strong tradition of innovation.
Once housed in a Presbyterian church building, Stephens’ forerunner,
the Columbia Female Academy, was a single building where the first
class of 25 students studied English grammar, moral philosophy,
algebra and celestial geography among other subjects. In 1856, David
H. Hickman, businessman, financier and legislator, led citizens
in reshaping the academy into a full-scale college — the Columbia
Female Baptist Academy.
More than a decade later, James L. Stephens endowed the College
with $20,000, and the institution was renamed the Stephens Female
College. While the nationally known women’s college in Columbia,
Mo., bears his name, no other monument exists for James L. Stephens,
farmer, mule trader and entrepreneur, who permanently left his
mark on central Missouri. Stephens’s continued dedication
to the College led to his election as chairman of the College’s
Board of Curators, a post later filled by his son Edwin and his
grandson Hugh. Carl Stephens Otto retired from the Board of Trustees
in 1998 as the fifth and last generation of the Stephens family
to serve the College.
Throughout its history, Stephens College has developed a tradition
of cutting-edge educational programs in which change has paralleled
that of a changing nation. Under the leadership of James Madison
Wood from 1912 to 1947, Stephens became one of the first institutions
to provide women with a curriculum designed specifically to meet
their needs. In 1920, Wood appointed Dr. Werrett Wallace Charters
as director of research at Stephens and assigned to him the task
of building “the strongest curriculum found in any women’s
college in the world.” Charters’ findings resulted
in the development of study in the following areas: social problems,
philosophy of living, communications, physical health, mental
health and humanities.
Stephens College not only broke barriers in curriculum development
but also set new standards for the roles of women in society. In
1944, Stephens introduced the first aviation program for women,
embodying the spirit that would drive the development of a comprehensive
educational plan at Stephens College. This innovative program was
introduced during World War II and enabled women to move into new,
dynamic roles.
In 1960, Stephens developed the Searcy House Plan, a living/learning honors program
for academically talented freshmen, and in 1975, the College implemented the
women’s studies program to examine the distinct experiences, perspectives
and lives of women and their impact on individuals and society.
Demonstrating national leadership, Stephens was among the first
to participate in a nationwide plan to help students whose life
situations kept them from enrolling in traditional residential
programs by developing the University Without Walls (now the Division
of
Graduate, Online & Non-Credit Programs) in 1970. Today, the College's
online-based continuing studies programs enable adults to earn
an
undergraduate degree while balancing work and family responsibilities.
An online-based M.B.A. and an on-campus evening M.Ed. in Counseling
program, introduced in 1997, are also offered, as is a new M.Ed.
in Curriculum and Instruction.
Today, Stephens remains committed to women’s education at the
undergraduate level. Numerous majors and minors are offered, as well
as degree partnerships and study experiences with other institutions.
In 2005, Stephens established a School of Performing Arts, uniting existing
majors in theatre, dance, film, television and radio. Its School of
Design and Fashion, organized in 2006, brings together majors in fashion
(design, marketing, and communication), graphic design and interior
design.
The campus occupies 86 acres adjacent to downtown Columbia. Stephens
invites thousands of visitors onto campus each year for a variety
of lectures, performances, exhibits and other events. More than
30,000 women across the world call Stephens their alma mater.
