Marshall University

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Marshall University is a public university based in Huntington, West Virginia. It was founded in 1837 as the private Marshall Academy, a secondary school or high school, under the control of the Southern Methodist Church. It was renamed Marshall College in 1857; however, the majority of its offerings remained below the college level. The church lost control of the college and it became a state institution in 1867. It was renamed Marshall University in 1961, although it had been acredited as a university-level institution since 1938.

Marshall's enrollment was 16,500 in 2004. In addition to the main campus in Huntington, the school maintains a graduate-level branch campus in South Charleston, West Virginia, and undergraduate centers in Gilbert, West Virginia, Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Hurricane, West Virginia.

Marshall University is composed of eight colleges and schools: the College of Liberal Arts (COLA), the College of Fine Arts (COFA), the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS), the College of Information Technology and Engineering (CITE), the Lewis College of Business (LCOB), the College of Science (COS), the College of Health Professions (COHP), and the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications (SOJMC). The University is also home to the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, which is a regional center for cancer research and which has a national reputation for its programs in rural health care delivery. The prominent forensic science graduate program is one of only three masters-level academic programs in the U.S. accredited by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

In 2006, Dr. Sarah Denman serves as the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the eight college deans are Dr. Christina Murphy (COLA), Mr. Don Van Horn (COFA), Dr. Rosalyn Anstine Templeton (COEHS), Ms. Betsy Dulin (CITE), Dr. Paul Uselding (LCOB), Dr. Wayne Elmore (COS), Dr. Shortie McKinney (COHP), and Dr. Corley Dennison (SOJMC). Dr. Terry Fenger serves as Director of the Forensic Science Center. Dr. Charles McKown is the Dean of the School of Medicine.

Marshall University also operates the Robert C. Byrd Institute, with operations on both the Huntington and South Charleston campuses, as well as in Fairmont, West Virginia, and Rocket Center, West Virginia. The goal of the Institue is the transfer technology from the academic departments to private industry with the goal of job development in regional area.

1 History
2 Future
3 Academics and Research
4 Athletics
5 Notables
6 See also
7 External links

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History

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Old Main, which now serves as the primary administrative building for the university, was built on land known as Maple Grove in what was then the state of Virginia. John Laidley, a local attorney, hosted the meeting which lead to the founding of Marshall Academy. He named the school after his friend, the eminent John Marshall, who served as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States from January 1801 until July 1835.

In 1838, the Virginia General Assembly officially chartered the academy, and the school that year began its first full term. The academy was closed for several years during the American Civil War.

In 1863 the western counties of Virginia officially formed the State of West Virginia, and in the legislature of West Virginia created the State Normal School of Marshall College. The colleges today known as Concord University, Shepherd University, Fairmont State University, Glenville State College, and West Liberty State College were all founded as branches of the State Normal School and eventually spun off from Marshall. Southern West Virginia Community College also was once a Marshall branch.

Forty-years later, in 1907, enrollment surpassed 1,000 students.

In 1937, the college suffered through a devastating flooding by the Ohio River. The city of Huntington later built a floodwall to protect both the college and downtown city businesses from future flooding.

In 1938, the college officially began granting Master's degrees in chemistry, education, history, political science, psychology, and sociology. In that year the school was accredited as a "university level institution"; however, the renaming of the school would remain a contentious political issue for decades to come.

In 1960, John F. Kennedy spoke at the college during his cross-country campaign for the presidency.

In 1961, the state legislature finally created Marshall University. Governor William Wallace Barron signed the legislation at the university the day after it passed the legislature, on March 2, 1961. Interestingly, the student newspaper, The Parthenon, prepared two frontpages for the day, depending on the outcome of the legislature's vote. The renaming of the college had been bitterly opposed by supporters of West Virginia University, who had blocked the measure for many years.

Also in 1961, WMUL-FM began operations as the first public radio station in West Virginia. The station, which began in the Science Building at 10 watts of power now broadcasts from the Communications Building with 1,150 watts.

In 1969, the university's athletic program, facing a number of scandals, fired both its football and basketball coaches and was suspended from the Mid-American Conference and from the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The university respectably rebuilt its athletic program over the next several years, and in 1977, the university joined the Southern Conference.

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In 1970, an airplane crash claimed the lives of 75 people (including the entire coaching staff and 37 members of the Marshall football team). They were returning, on November 14, after playing East Carolina University. In 1972, the university built and named a new student union, the Memorial Student Center, in honor of the team. The plaza of the center has a fountain which does not flow from November 14 until the first day of spring football practice the following year. Also, all flags throughout West Virginia fly at half-staff on the anniversary of the crash. In early 2006, production began on the "We Are...Marshall" movie, a Warner Bros and Thunder Road Pictures film, about the crash.

In 1977 the university founded its School of Medicine, the first professional school and the first doctoral program. Over the next 20 years the school would add doctoral programs in many fields.

In 1997, the West Virginia Graduate College became the graduate college of Marshall University. Its campus is located in South Charleston, West Virginia.

In 1998, the John Deaver Drinko Library opened on campus. The center includes a 24-hour study center and a coffee shop, and has both wired and wireless networking throughout the building. John Deaver Drinko graduated from the university in 1942.

In 2002, Marshall became the first university to eliminate landline telephones from its dormitory rooms. Most Marshall students who live in residence halls now receive their own mobile phones.

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Future

Image:Wiki-mu-byrd.jpg In 2006, the University is expected to open a state-of-the-art biotechnological sciences center.

The University is also attempting to collect donations to create a chair position for what will be the Simon D. Perry Academic Program on Constitutional Democracy. It is designed to study the impact of major American constitution builders and the role of constitutional democracy in the evolution of America’s political and civic life. The program includes four new core courses developed by Perry, as well as 18 other courses offered in a variety of academic disciplines including history, English, philosophy, sociology and political science. The Gilley Scholar, named for former Marshall president J. Wade Gilley, will be a full-time professor assigned to the program.

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Academics and Research

From its humble beginnings as a small teachers college, Marshall is now gaining prominence as a full-fledged research university, especially in the fields of biotechnology and forensic science.

The scholarship and achievements of Marshall's faculty are also bringing more attention to the University. Drs. Jackie Agesa and Richard Agesa are among the top 20 black economists in the nation. Dr. Jean Edward Smith, known for his works Grant and John Marshall: Definer of a Nation, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in biography. The Higher Education for Learning Problems (H.E.L.P.) program founded by Dr. Barbara Guyer assists students with learning disabilities and related disorders complete their college education. This program is known around the world.

The Center for Academic Excellence offers an enhanced educational experience for superior students. Marshall offers two prestigious and academically rigorous scholarship programs: the Society of Yeager Scholars and the John Marshall Scholars program.

The University maintains major involvement in the arts for the cultural benefit of the surrounding Appalachian region. The Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts center is a state-of-the-art, 530-seat facility for studies in the fields of music, art, and theatre. The Jomie Jazz Center is a $2.6 million facility that houses the University's study program in jazz.

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Athletics

Image:Wiki-mu-sports.gif Marshall's sports teams are known as the Thundering Herd; the school's mascot is an American Bison (buffalo). The school colors are Kelly green and white. Marshall participates in NCAA Division I (I-A for football) as a member of the Conference USA.

Between 1964 and 1983 Marshall's football program suffered a dismal streak of losing seasons, exacerbated by the 1970 plane tragedy and recruiting violations that cost the school membership in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). But beginning in 1984 Marshall football experienced a remarkable turnaround, posting 21 straight winning records. During the 1990's Marshall held the highest winning percentage of any major college football program.

As a member of the NCAA Division I-AA Southern Conference, the Thundering Herd won national championships in 1992 and 1996.

In 1997 Marshall rejoined Division I-A and the MAC under the leadership of coach Bobby Pruett. The Herd won the conference's football championship that season behind quarterback Chad Pennington (now with the New York Jets) and receiver Randy Moss (a superstar with the Oakland Raiders). In 1998 the Herd completed an undefeated season resulting in an Associated Press Top 10 ranking. By 2000, with quarterback Byron Leftwich (currently with the Jacksonville Jaguars) Marshall extended its string of MAC titles to four. The Herd lost in the MAC championship game in 2001, but reclaimed the conference title in 2002.

In 2003, Marshall renamed its football stadium Joan C. Edwards Stadium, honoring a major donor to the university and its athletic program. The facility became the first football stadium in Division I-A to be named after a woman.

In 2005 Marshall athletics joined Conference USA. The Thundering Herd women's volleyball team won the 2005 Conference USA regular season and tournament championships.

Despite past conference titles and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament, men's basketball at the University has been in a state of relative mediocrity since about 1988. Marshall maintains a fierce intra-state rivalry with West Virginia University. WVU leads that series 28-17, but the Herd won the 2005 and 2006 contests. Both men's and women's basketball are played at the 9,600-seat Cam Henderson Center, named for the innovative coach who guided the school's athletic department from 1935 to 1955.

Other sports at the school include women's cross country, softball, swimming & diving, and tennis; men's baseball; and teams for both genders in track and field, golf and soccer. Marshall also fields club teams in rugby for both women and men.

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