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Mars Hill University

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Coordinates:35°49′34″N82°33′03″W/ 35.82603°N 82.55070°W/35.82603; -82.55070
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Mars Hill University
Former names
French Broad Baptist Institute (1856–1859)
Mars Hill College (1859–2013)
MottoPro Christo Adolescentibusque
"For Christ and For Youth"
TypePrivate university
Established1856
Religious affiliation
Christian[1]
Endowment$75 million[2]
PresidentTony Floyd
Academic staff
74[3]
Students1,032 (fall 2022)[3]
Undergraduates994
Postgraduates38
Location
Mars Hill, North Carolina
,
U.S.
ColorsBlue and gold[4]
NicknameMountain Lions
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division II,South Atlantic Conference,National Collegiate Cycling Association
Websitewww.mhu.edu
Mars Hill College Historic District
Montague Hall (Rural Heritage Museum)
Mars Hill University is located in North Carolina
Mars Hill University
Mars Hill University is located in the United States
Mars Hill University
LocationBet. Bailey and Cascade Sts. N and S
Area27.2 acres (11.0 ha)
Built1892
Architectural styleColonial Revival, Classical Revival, etc.
NRHP referenceNo.06000865[5]
Added to NRHPSeptember 12, 2006

Mars Hill Universityis aprivateChristian[1]university inMars Hill, North Carolina.The university offers 35 undergraduate majors and includes a school of nursing and graduate schools in education, criminal justice, and management.[6]From 1859 to 2013 the school was calledMars Hill College;in August 2013 it officially changed its name to Mars Hill University.[7]

History[edit]

Day Hall on College Street, on the university campus

Mars Hill University was founded in 1856, and it is the oldest college or university inwestern North Carolina.[8]It started as the French Broad Baptist Institute, sharing a name with the nearbyFrench Broad River.In 1859, the university changed its name to Mars Hill, in honor of the hill in ancientAthenson which theApostle PauldebatedChristianitywith the city's leading philosophers. During theAmerican Civil Warthe university was closed for two years, but it reopened after the war. From 1897 to 1938 the university, under the leadership of Robert Moore, enjoyed substantial financial and physical growth. In 1921 Mars Hill became an accreditedjunior college.Hoyt Blackwell served as president from 1938 to 1966, and under his leadership Mars Hill became an accredited four-year college in 1962.[9]From 1966 to 1996 Fred Bentley served as the college's president. Bentley was, at the time of his appointment in 1966, one of the youngest college presidents in the United States.[9]In 1996,Max Lennonwas appointed president and served until 2002. Dan Lunsford, a 1969 graduate of MHU, served as university president from 2002 to 2018. Under Lunsford, Mars Hill University constructed three new dormitories,[10]a new health sciences building to house its nursing program,[11]a new classroom building to house the business department (the most popular major on campus),[11]completely renovated and greatly expanded the math and sciences classroom building,[12]upgraded its athletic facilities, tripled its endowment, increased its student enrollment, and started a graduate school in education.[13]In June 2018, John Anthony "Tony" Floyd became the university's sixth president in 121 years.[14]

In 2008, Mars Hill gained autonomy from theBaptist State Convention of North Carolinawhen the state convention voted to eliminate the requirement that it have final approval over who could serve as trustees for the school; this ruling allows the university to choose non-Baptists as trustees.[15]The state convention also agreed to start transferring funds traditionally given directly to the university into a new scholarship fund for Baptist students. The move was made in conjunction with the four other remaining N.C. Baptist Colleges –Gardner–Webb University,Campbell University,Wingate University,andChowan University.The university, while maintaining a cooperative relationship with the North Carolina Baptist Convention and acknowledging its Baptist roots, is no longer directly associated with any Baptist church or organization, but proclaims in its mission statement that it "is an academic community rooted in the Christian faith", and that the university is "committed to an emphasis on service and Christian ethics."[16]The college yearbook is called theLaurel,the college literary magazine is theCadenza,and the college newspaper isThe Hilltop.[17]

Mars Hill is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schoolsto award bachelor's and master's degrees, and is an affiliate of theNational Association of Independent Colleges and Universities,Council of Independent Colleges,the Appalachian College Association, and other similar organizations.[18]

Academics[edit]

Chambers Gymnasium

The university offers six undergraduate degrees (Bachelor of Arts,Bachelor of Science,Bachelor of Science in Nursing(BSN),Bachelor of Music,Bachelor of Fine Arts,andBachelor of Social Work), three graduate degrees (Master of Arts,Master of Education,andMaster of Management), and 35majors.In May 2013 the university awarded its firstM.Eddegrees.[19]The university recently added aM.A.in criminal justice program, and aMaster of Managementprogram.[20][21]In August 2016 the university opened a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.[22]The most popular majors are in the fields of business administration and management, education, social work, physical education teaching and coaching, and general psychology.[23]In 1932Lamar Stringfield,a Mars Hill alumnus, formed theNorth Carolina Symphony,the first state-supportedorchestrain the nation.[24]The "Bailey Mountain Cloggers", the university's dance team, have won 23 national championships inclogging,[25]and they have performed all over the United States and internationally in Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, Ireland, Austria, France, Greece, Poland, and the Czech Republic.[25]In 2002 the university opened the Ramsey Center for Regional Studies. Named after an alumnus who served a record four terms as theSpeaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives,the center is dedicated to preserving the heritage and culture of the people of the SouthernAppalachian Mountains.

Rankings[edit]

Academic rankings
Baccalaureate
Washington Monthly[26]74 of 242
Regional
U.S. News & World Report[27]20 (tie) of 90

In 2023-2024 rankings of "America's Best Colleges",U.S. News & World Reportranked Mars Hill tied for 20 of 90 in Regional Colleges South.[28]U.S. Newsalso ranked Mars Hill 12 of 13 in "Best Colleges for Veterans", based on its participation in "federal initiatives helping veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees."[29]

Campus[edit]

The university has a scenic 194-acre (79 ha) campus; most of the dormitories are located atop two hills, named "men's hill" and "women's hill". The main campus is located in a small valley between the two hills. The university is surrounded by theAppalachian Mountains;from various points on campus it is possible to seeMount Mitchell,the highest peak east of theMississippi River.Bailey Mountain (nicknamed "Old Bailey" ) is located about a mile (1.5 km) northwest from campus and is a local landmark.Interstate 26is located one mile east of the university, and provides access to the nearby cities ofAsheville, North Carolina,to the south, andJohnson City, Tennesseeto the north.

Athletics[edit]

Main article:Mars Hill Lions

The university is a Division II member of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA), and it is also a member of theSouth Atlantic Conference.Mars Hill's sports mascot is themountain lion;the university's colors areroyal blueandgold.[30]

Notable alumni[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abMars Hill University (2003)."Religious Identity Statement".RetrievedNovember 24,2022.
  2. ^(https://www.mhu.edu/news/trustees-extend-mars-hill-university-presidents-contract/)
  3. ^ab"College Navigator - Mars Hill University".
  4. ^"Mars Hill University Identity Guidelines".Mhu.edu.Archived fromthe originalon October 7, 2017.RetrievedAugust 5,2018.
  5. ^"National Register Information System – (#06000865)".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.July 9, 2010.
  6. ^"Graduate".September 2017.
  7. ^"Mars Hill becomes a university | CharlotteObserver.com".Archived fromthe originalon October 17, 2013.RetrievedOctober 17,2013.
  8. ^"About".July 19, 2017.
  9. ^ab"History of the University".Mars Hill University.August 17, 2017.RetrievedJuly 31,2020.
  10. ^"Mars Hill president to retire in 2018".Citizen-times.com.RetrievedAugust 5,2018.
  11. ^ab"Mars Hill University to Dedicate New Buildings".Madison County Chamber of Commerce.August 17, 2016.RetrievedJuly 31,2020.
  12. ^"Mars Hill College – Ferguson Math & Science Center".Engineering Services Group.RetrievedJuly 31,2020.
  13. ^https://www.mhu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/academic-catalog-mhu-2013-14.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  14. ^"President's Office - Mars Hill University".Mhu.edu.August 17, 2017.RetrievedAugust 5,2018.
  15. ^Kwon, Lillian (March 23, 2007)."5 N.C. Colleges Seek Independence from Baptist Body".www.christianpost.com.RetrievedApril 12,2019.
  16. ^"Mars Hill University | About MHU".Archived fromthe originalon July 13, 2016.RetrievedJuly 4,2016.
  17. ^"Campus Life - Student Media".Archived fromthe originalon March 24, 2016.RetrievedJuly 2,2016.
  18. ^"Accreditations - Mars Hill University".Mhu.edu.August 17, 2017.RetrievedAugust 5,2018.
  19. ^"Mars Hill College, in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, NC | Mars Hill Graduates 152, Including First Master's Grads".Archived fromthe originalon July 2, 2013.RetrievedAugust 18,2013.
  20. ^"Mars Hill University news on academics and faculty: Two New Degrees and a Certificate Program".May 31, 2017.RetrievedJune 26,2019.and theM.M."Mars Hill University entices recent grads with new graduate program".August 22, 2017.RetrievedJune 26,2019.
  21. ^"Mars Hill University entices recent grads with new graduate program".August 22, 2017.
  22. ^"News & Events - News Articles - Pre-Licensure BSN Program Approved".Archived fromthe originalon July 13, 2016.RetrievedOctober 2,2016.
  23. ^"Mars Hill University | Mars Hill College | Best College | US News".Archived fromthe originalon July 20, 2016.RetrievedJuly 4,2016.
  24. ^"Lamar Stringfield - Encyclopedia of Appalachia".Encyclopediaofappalachia.com.Archived fromthe originalon March 29, 2014.RetrievedAugust 5,2018.
  25. ^ab"Bailey Mountain Cloggers".Baileymountaincloggers.yolasite.com.RetrievedAugust 5,2018.
  26. ^"2023 Bachelor's College Rankings".Washington Monthly.RetrievedSeptember 25,2023.
  27. ^"Best Colleges 2023: Regional Universities Rankings".U.S. News & World Report.RetrievedSeptember 25,2023.
  28. ^(https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/mars-hill-college-2944)
  29. ^(https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-colleges-south/veterans)
  30. ^"Quick Facts".Marshillions.com.RetrievedAugust 5,2018.
  31. ^"Houston wins national coach of the year award".Citizen-times.com.RetrievedAugust 5,2018.
  32. ^"News & Events - News Articles - First American Woman to Complete (And Win!) the World Marathon Challenge".Archived fromthe originalon April 19, 2016.RetrievedApril 18,2016.

External links[edit]

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