U.S. News has again singled out Wabash College as one of the best private liberal arts colleges in the nation. The annual U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges of 2014 features just two Indiana private liberal arts schools. Wabash was 57th on the list. Four North Coast Athletic Conference schools, Oberlin, Kenyon, Denison and DePauw, also made the list. The recent news complements with The Princeton Review and Fiske Guide to College singling out Wabash College for excellence and value. “The rankings allow you to compare at a glance the relative quality of institutions based on such widely accepted indicators of excellence as freshman retention, graduation rates, and the strength of the faculty,” the publication reported today on how it compiles the rankings. “And as you check out the data for colleges already on your short list, you may discover unfamiliar schools with similar metrics, and thus broaden your options.”
President Gregory Hess spoke of Wabash tradition and new goals in
Thursday’s Chapel talk, the first day of the 2013-2014 school year.
The new President and Sphinx Club broke with recent tradition and
hosted a packed Chapel on the first day of classes. Hess delivered a
talk titled, “Why I am Thankful for Wabash College.” During his remarks
he suggested a new mojo to go along with the great mission statement,
Gentleman’s Rule, and the College’s great motto. President Hess delivers his first Chapel Talk“I want us to move from “A to The and from But to And,” Hess said. “And by that I want us to be The Liberal Arts College for Men, not just A Liberal Arts College for Men.
“I want us to move from ‘We’re a liberal arts college, but it’s for men,’ to ‘We’re a liberal arts college, and it’s for men.’ That’s what I mean by ‘From A to The and from But to And.’ ”
And then he delivered the words that rang with students and,
certainly, alumni alike. “As long as I am President, I will never
apologize for Wabash being a liberal arts college for men. I’ll ask you
never to do so as well. It is what makes us distinctive, and it is what
makes us great. We need to demonstrate and educate others about how best
to educate men.”
He began his Chapel Talk with words from poet e.e.cummings about
being thankful. He outlined three themes that he would emphasize
throughout the year: The value of a liberal arts education; Our need to
continue to expand Wabash’s Academic footprint; and, Enhancing the
leadership capabilities of our young men.
He said he would not take the time to introduce himself and talk
about how he got to Wabash because he thinks he should “tell the story about Wabash College and not be the story of Wabash College.”
He praised the College Mission Statement to To Educate Men to Think
Critically, Act Responsibly, Lead Effectively, and Live Humanely. He
called it “the most elegant, succinct, informative, and parsimonious as
that of any liberal arts college that I know.” The president then drew
laughs when he said it could only be better if it were a haiku.
He saluted the Gentleman’s Rule, and compared the expectations of the
“lifting our collective sights” to Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream
Speech” and President Obama’s words at Wednesday’s 50th Celebration of
King’s speech.
He talked about students, staff, and faculty he met during his two
months on the job and how “this place drips with commitment to our very
unique purpose.”
Hess’s entire Chapel Talk will be here and on the Wabash YouTube Channel shortly.
Wabash
College is the only private Indiana College to be named to the Fiske
Guide to Colleges "Best Buy" list. Wabash joins 19 other private schools
across the nation on the list.
For the last 30 years, Fiske Guide to Colleges has chosen a select group of schools, noted for quality academic offerings and affordable cost, for its annual Best Buy list.
The tradition continues with the Fiske Guide to Colleges Best Buys of
2014, comprised of 21 public and 20 private colleges and universities in
the U.S., Canada, and the UK. All of the Best Buy schools fall into the
inexpensive or moderate price category, and most have four- or
five-star academics ratings.
For 30 years, millions of students, parents, and guidance counselors
have relied on the Fiske Guide to Colleges to present the “best and most
interesting” schools during their college search.
Compiled by former New York Times education editor Edward B. Fiske, the
top independent voice in college admissions, Fiske Guide to Colleges
2014 is a selective, subjective, and systematic look at 300+ colleges
and universities in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain.
Readers will discover more about Wabash College based on a broad range
of subjects, including student body, academics, social life, financial
aid, campus setting, housing, food, and extracurricular activities.
Edward Fiske served for 17 years as education editor of the New York
Times, where he realized that college-bound students and their families
needed better information on which to base their educational choices. He
is also the author of the Fiske Guide to Getting into the Right
College.
The only other Indiana institution to make either list was Purdue
University as a public institution. The College of Wooster was the only
other NCAC or GLCA school on the list.
Here is the latest news from Wabash. As you scroll down, look at the story by archivist Beth Swift about that famed statue of Lincoln and his dog on the steps of the Campus Center (Sparks Center). With great fondness, I can recall Vic Powell, many times, telling with wonderful zest the happenings of that event. He could barely get through the tale without falling in fits of laughter.
September 19-21, 2013 Homecoming, including a special Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday evening. November 2, 2013Family Day November 16, 2013Monon Bell Game (Away)
SUPPORT WABASH
To refer a high school student of promise to Wabash, click here.
To inform the Schroeder Center for Career Development staff of an opportunity for a Wabash student or alumnus, click here.
Special Hall of Fame Ceremony
Wabash will hold a special, one-time Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on September 20, 2013 as part of the 2013 Homecoming Festivities. All of the details will be included in the Homecoming Invitation.
Wabash Centers of Distinction
Despite the small size of the College, Wabash has several well-recognized Centers of Distinction. (Read More)
From The Archives
The Lincoln Statue The Lincoln Statue that sat in front of the newly built Campus
Center (now the Sparks Center) is the subject of one of Beth Swift's
favorite Wabash stories. (Read More)
Link of the Month
Big Bash 2013 on You Tube
You can watch the Chapel Sing and several Colloquia on the Wabash You Tube site here.
This summer my wife, Patience, and I are bringing out a volume titled, 500 Strong: Wabash College Students in the Civil War.
There will be over 500 biographical sketches of students who served in
the war, plus a description of how these all came together.
Starting
in the fall of 1981 and continuing for 25 years, my senior history
majors and I researched the lives of early Wabash students. These
included those who were in military service. Now all this material and
effort will be brought together in one book.
You will be hearing from the College about a special alumni gathering on September 27, 2013
to help commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. For this
gathering we shall also use the theme of Wabash College Students in the
Civil War, and presentations will be made by alumni, faculty, and staff.
Beginning at 1 p.m. the sessions will conclude about 6:00, followed by further refreshments and dinner. I look forward to chatting with many of you, especially those of you who did research and writing on those Civil War vets.
Cordially yours, James J. Barnes Professor of History, Emeritus
June 30, 2013End of Wabash's Fiscal Year For the entire College calendar, click here.
SAVE THE DATES
August 24, 2013Freshman Saturday
September 19-21, 2013 Homecoming, including a special Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday evening. November 2, 2013Family Day November 16, 2013Monon Bell Game (Away)
SUPPORT WABASH
To refer a high school student of promise to Wabash, click here.
To inform the Schroeder Center for Career Development staff of an opportunity for a Wabash student or alumnus, click here.
175th Commencement
The Class of 2013 is on its way. To read about Commencement, clickhere.
Wabash Adds Lacrosse
President Pat White announced recently that Wabash will add Lacrosse as a varsity sport.(Read More) Internships and Opportunities
Students and new grads are interning, working, or going to
graduate school in 26 States, the District of Columbia, China, Greece,
Mozambique, Mexico, France, Jamaica, Marshall Islands, Italy, and
Nepal. To see the list, click here. If you’d like names and contact info for those coming to your area, email Scott Crawford.
Laura Wysocki, Professor of Chemistry
Professor Wysocki is the Byron K. Trippet Assistant Professor of Chemistry. (Read More)
Bits and Pieces
Immersion Learning
The seniors have graduated and the classrooms may be
vacant, but the learning goes on. Check out the Immersion Learning
blogs, especially the recent trip to Germany. Clickhere.
Annual Giving Update
30 Days Remaining! June 30
is the final day to make a gift for the 2012-2013 fiscal year and help
the College reach this year’s $3.25 million Annual Fund goal.
We want to thank the more than 3,800 alumni, parents, and friends who
have already participated in the Annual Fund this year. You can view
the names of those who have supported students and faculty on the online Honor Roll.
Don’t see your name listed? Then take a few minutes to make your Annual Fund gift to Wabash today! But hurry—the June 30 fiscal year-end is fast approaching.
Links of the Month
175th Commencement
You can watch the entire video of the Commencement ceremonyhere.
Wabash has launched a new Facebook group for parents. Many
thanks to Michele Ward in Alumni and Parent Relations and new Wabash
parent Sue Black for helping us get the program going. Click here to log into Facebook and join the group.
Here is a promotional video about Wabash College, made in 1963 and using some images from our class of '62. Recognize anyone? It was sent to members of the Class of '63 in preparation for their 50th reunion.
Here are three Wabash men at a recent spring training baseball game at Talking Stick Field in Scottsdale, AZ. The game was between the Diamondbacks and the Rockies. The occasion was actually an outing of Wabash vs DePauw alumni. Sadly there were only three from Wabash and many more from that other school. After the photo was taken, another graduate from class of '53 came up, but the others had left. So here are Thom Feit '62, Robert Rae '77 and Roger Colehowen '65
Wabash College has long been proud of touting the quality of its
faculty. The rest of the U.S. is reading Wabash’s name as one of the top
25 schools in the nation with the best college professors. The Center for College Affordability and Productivity complied the list by looking at composite teaching scores that schools received from RateMyProfessors.com
Oklahoma Wesleyan University again topped this list, but as CBS
Moneywatch reported many of the schools are hardly household names.
The
top five also included North Greenville University, U.S. Military
Academy, Carleton College, and Northwestern of Iowa. Wabash
came in at No. 21 on the list, the only Indiana school recognized.
Moneywatch pointed out Wabash was one of four single-sex schools to make
the top 25. All-female institutions Bryn Mawr, Wellesley, and Hollins
University were the others making the cut.
Not surprisingly, liberal arts colleges dominated the list. After the top five, the list included: U.S. Air Force Academy (Colo.), Wellesley College (Mass.), Master's College
and Seminary (Calif.), Bryn Mawr College (Pa.), Whitman College
(Wash.), Whitworth University (Wash.), Wisconsin Lutheran University,
Randolph College (Va.), Doane College (Neb.), Marlboro College (Vt.),
Centenary College of Louisiana, Pacific University (Ore.), College of
the Ozarks (Mo.), Sewanee - University of the South (Tenn.), Emory &
Henry College (Va.), Wabash College (Ind.), Sarah Lawrence College (N.Y.), Hastings College (N.E.), Cornell College (Iowa), Hollins University (Va.).
Wabash College has been rated a “Best Value College” and one of the “Best in the Midwest” by the Princeton Review.
The Princeton Review prints an annual book of The Best Value Colleges: 2013. The Review awards the designation based on assessments that examine more than 30 data points covering academics, costs, and financial aid. The Review chooses 150 schools for the list from 650 reviewed – 75 private and 75 public institutions.
Only the top 10 schools in each category are listed with others presented alphabetically. Wabash made the list in best private colleges.
"The Princeton Review's resources for high school students and their
families often provide an insider's look into the nation's best colleges and universities," said Jim Amidon, Director of Communications. "Wabash's inclusion in this year's Best Value Colleges for 2013
confirms what generations of the College's alumni know about Wabash: it
provides an unparalleled liberal arts education that prepares graduates
for successful lives and careers."
The annual publication
listed Swarthmore College, PA., as the top private college in the nation
followed by Harvard, Williams, Princeton and Pomona in the top five.
The remaining schools in the top 10 were Yale, Rice, Hamilton, Claremont
McKenna, and Grinnell.
The Top 10 public universities were:
Virginia, UNC, New College of Florida, William & Mary, California,
NC State, Wisconsin, U. of New York at Binghamton, Michigan, and
Georgia.
You can read the entire Wabash profile in the Princeton Review here.
“We commend Wabash College and all of our extraordinary 2013 ‘Best
Value Colleges’ for their stellar academics and for all they are doing
to make their colleges affordable, especially for applicants with need
in these tough economic times,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s
Senior VP/Publisher.
The Princeton Review is also known for its annual school rankings and profiles in its book, The Best 377 Colleges, published in August, and its books, The Best 296 Business Schools and The Best 168 Law Schools, published in October, as well as its school profiles in its Guide to 322 Green Colleges, published in April. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University
First I should say that I’m sorry I
missed the 50th. I had planned to come – even had plane and motel
reservations – but in the end it just got too complicated. I had planned a trip
to Paris for April which I ended up not doing at the last minute for
uninteresting reasons, but I went to Cambridge, MA to visit friends as well as
pretending to do some scholarship over many ales, and made 2 trips to the Bay
Area for grandparent duty last spring. In addition I was scheduled to go on a
teaching assignment in China for 8 weeks in late June. It just got to be too
much traveling in such a short time. And as we all know traveling by plane
these days isn’t what it used to be.
The week before I was scheduled to
leave for China I had a pleasant visit from our classmate Mike Davis (more on
that in a bit) and then fell and broke my ankle 5 days before I was to leave.
The ankle injury was serious (I now have enough metal in the ankle to insure
that I’ll never get through airport security unscathed again), and in general I
don’t recommend it. I’m fairly certain that the cause was my having bragged a
few days before that I had never spent a night in the hospital. There are
forces in the universe that pay attention to such boasts and act vengefully. So
China got cancelled. I spent 2 months hopping behind a walker and another 2
months walking, sort of, but undergoing intense physical therapy (for the
atrophied leg muscles as well as the ankle).
I’m now back to normal more or less
with the occasional aches and pains – for all I know it’s that old age I keep
hearing about. As I say I don’t recommend it, but I also realize that at our
age this is not the worst thing that might happen. Otherwise I’m in great
health except for a slight touch of diabetes, well controlled with magic pills,
lots of exercise, and losing 50 pounds. It has, however, put a dent in my ale,
donut, and ice cream passions (not at the same time), and Mexican food has
become a luxury as well. My doctor insists that such eating habits caused the
diabetes in the first place, but I’m convinced that it’s punishment for larger
sins. Fortunately I like fruit and veggies.
I’ve been officially retired for a
couple of years, but the nice part about being a college professor is that the
lines between employment and retirement are dim. Until last year I had been
teaching a couple of courses a year, but I’m taking this year off – maybe
permanently. Office space is at a premium at Rice these days, so I’m in the
process of vacating my office which I guess makes retirement seem rather
permanent. Going through 50 years of accumulated stuff and deciding what to
send to the trash can has been somewhat painful, and it’s been going slowly. Of
course, I’ve also been discovering all sorts of memos and correspondence that
have reminded me of things I had forgot. I even ran across grade books from my
early days teaching at Amherst, Brandeis, and Stanford and miraculously even
managed to generate some faces to go with some of the names. Wonder what’s happened
to those kids (as they were then). It’s shocking to realize that some of them
have probably met their maker, and others are retired and maybe even rich or
homeless. They’re old by now, and what that makes me, I refuse to contemplate.
I’ve stopped doing research, but I do have what will probably be my last book
(on prejudice this time) at the publisher in manuscript form. Not looking
forward to the revisions.
As I mentioned Kappa Sig fraternity
brother Mike Davis found his way to Houston recently with his charming French
wife and daughter. Mike is retired from the foreign service and now lives in
Marseilles. I had forgot that he actually got a PhD in history from Rice, so we
did a mini-tour of the campus, much changed since his time here in the early
60s. It is a beautiful campus which has managed to keep some architectural
integrity as it’s added an uncountable number of new buildings over the past 40
or so years. It was good to see Mike.
Life is good. We live close to Rice so
I take in most sporting events (a labor of love and lost cause given their
performances except in baseball and the country club sports– well, we did win a
bowl game of sorts this past December). There’s lots of good music at the music
school, one of the best in the country, and we also do opera at various venues
around town, theater, etc.I have been a
docent at the local art museum for several years, and find explaining the
higher mysteries of art to mostly 3rd and 4th graders
with the occasional middle school, high school, or college group great fun and
highly rewarding. Art has become a love of my middle age and beyond (I refuse
to say old or elderly). I have been, on and off, doing other sorts of volunteer
work, AIDs clinic and various groups of those whose lives are less fortunatethan mime – mostly working with kids.
Our oldest daughter, Kris, lives about
an hour away. She graduated from Austin College (north of Dallas) which except
for the women reminded me a lot of Wabash – small and the same commitment to
real education and a warm environment. You might be interested to get a copy of
Loren Pope’s 40 Colleges That Change
Lives (an approximate title) which gives rave reviews both to Austin
College and Wabash. Kris works as a legal consultant for Hartford insurance,
and her husband, Scott is a claims adjuster for Chubb; he spent most of
November and December in New Jersey doing what claims adjusters do – hopefully
helping out some. They have two children. Daughter Alyssa is a freshman in
college, and son Taylor is a sophomore in high school.
Our daughter Caitlin and her husband
both graduated from Stanford with law and business degrees from University of
Virginia; they refuse to leave the Bay Area and live in San Carlos. She is a
judge with EEOC, meaning she judges discrimination and sexual harassment cases
in the federal government. Tommy, her husband, works for Financial Engines,
doing whatever people there do. I’ve yet to figure out what that is. Two boys,
one in 7th grade, the other in 4th. For reasons of
modesty I’ll refrain from listing all the brilliant grandchildren
accomplishments. And then there’s the fact that they inherited none of this
from me; my daughters married well genetically. I also had no role in their
upbringing – arguably all to the good. Still, one does take unwarranted credit
from time to time, typically in the annual Christmas letter.
Some of you will remember my wife
Doris who is aging better than I and who keeps busy with various activities,
many of which seem to involve reminding me of my obligations and duties as well
as my various delinquencies. We celebrated our 50th wedding
anniversary in Kauai in December, and then did the Christmas thing with
grandchildren in California.
This is beginning to sound like one of
those dreadful Christmas messages we’ve all got, and for that I’m sorry. I have
the conceit that some of our classmates may actually be interested given that
I’ve been off the Wabash radar for some years. But for those of you who can’t
quite put a face to this name, it’s sufficient to know that I think I’ve aged
gracefully and thrive as much as one can at this point of life. And, as I say,
sorry to have missed the 50th.
Wabash
College is the only private Indiana College to be named to the Fiske
Guide to Colleges "Best Buy" list. Wabash joins 19 other private schools
across the nation on the list.
The Center for College Affordability and Productivity complied the list by looking at composite teaching scores that schools received from RateMyProfessors.com