Milton College
Private college in Milton, Wisconsin (1844–1982) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Milton College was a private college located in Milton, Wisconsin. Founded in 1844 as the Milton Academy, it closed in 1982. Its campus is now part of the Milton Historic District.
The college was founded as the Milton Academy (high school) by a group of early Milton settlers, including Milton House owner Joseph Goodrich. It eventually grew to encompass sixteen buildings spread over 24 acres (97,000 m2). Its music department was renowned, and a high percentage of foreign students for the era kept the student body diverse. Although initially many of the students came from Milton, in later years alumni of the college would stay in Milton or return.[2]
Closing
On May 15, 1982, Milton College abruptly closed its doors. At the time, it was Wisconsin's oldest continually operating college.[2] The college's board of trustees had voted 18-2 to close the campus following a notification from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools that the college's accreditation would be dropped in the fall term; it had previously been on probationary status. The decision from North Central stemmed from the college's continually shaky financial situation, which culminated in a $4 million debt. Milton College had been struggling financially since the Great Depression, 50 years earlier. Without accreditation, the college would not have seen any federal loans or grants, adding to an already difficult situation of decreasing student enrollment. Furthermore, it would have no longer been able to compete with schools in the Wisconsin State University System.
Some 135 students had been planning to come back to campus when the school closed, many with only a few credits left until completion of their studies. Officials negotiated with other campuses to accept Milton students.[3]
Milton College transcripts are stored at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, located 13 miles from Milton.
Athletics
The college was a member of the NAIA and participated in the sports of baseball, basketball, and football. The Milwaukee Bucks chose Milton College's gymnasium as its pre-season training camp in 1968-69. Among the players was Lew Alcindor, who changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971.[4]
Milton Wildcats football
Milton fielded its first football team in 1899 and its last in 1981. No teams were fielded from 1904 to 1915 and from 1943 to 1945. During this time the college produced seven All-Americans and nine conference titles, in 1935, 1956, 1961, 1964, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, and 1981. The Wildcats played in 419 games during this time with a record of 194–207–18.[5] The school was a member of the Illini-Badger Football Conference from 1976 to 1982.
Greek life
Fraternities
- Philomathean Society, 19th century literary society formed
- Alpha Sigma Phi (formerly Alpha Kappa Pi)
- Sigma Pi (formerly Delta Kappa and Chi Delta Rho)
- Tau Kappa Epsilon
No fraternities or sororities were on campus after 1977 due to falling attendance.[6]
Media
When the school closed, the buildings were turned over to the banks that kept it alive over the years. Most of the buildings have been converted to commercial or residential use.
- Main Hall is maintained by the Main Hall Preservation Society and serves as a memorial to the college. Portraits in the building commemorate faculty and alumni over the years.
- The library is now the Shaw Community Center, owned by the City of Milton. It houses both city hall and the Milton Public Library.[2]
- The dorms have been converted into apartment buildings.
- The gymnasium is the home of a local church called The Chapel.
| Name | Notability | References |
|---|---|---|
| William Clarke Whitford | educator, legislator, and pastor of the Seventh Day Baptist Church from Wisconsin | [25] |
| Lorenzo D. Harvey | Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin[26] | [26] |
| Edward Searing | Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin | [27] |
| Ellsworth Snyder | Abstract painter, professional pianist, conductor, and scholar | [28] |
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