Hesston College (formerly Hesston College and Bible School) (Mennonite Church) developed from an appeal to the Kansas-Nebraska Conference in 1907 for a Mennonite Church school west of the Mississippi "in which Bible would be made a specialty." Many parents and church leaders of the early 1900s were ready to comply with the current trend toward general high-school attendance; they saw the need of fitting young people for positive living in church service and chosen vocations but they demanded the assurance that such training be received under Christian influences.
During its history the institution has held sacred this wish of its founders. The Bible department of 1909 began as a two-year course on a high-school level and continuously readjusted itself to fit the developing curriculum. In 1956 the college gave a  B.R.E. course on a four-year college level. By an agreement between the two colleges, effective 1942-1954, three years of the five-year Th.B. course offered at Goshen College Biblical Seminary could be given at Hesston for later transfer to Goshen.

The institution opened 22 September 1909 on a site adjoining Hesston, Kansas, an 80-acre donation by A. L. Hess. There were 21 students and four faculty members—D. H. Bender principal, J. D. Charles, J. B. Kanagy, Estella Cooprider—and one building, later a dormitory for high-school girls.

In 1914-1917 the Administration Building was added; in 1946-47 Hess Memorial Hall, an Auditorium-Gymnasium; in 1948-1952 the J. D. Charles Hall of Science and Arts; in 1954-1956 a chapel-church—Bible department building. An accommodating cluster of practical arts shops, dormitories, offices, health unit, home economics workrooms, and faculty homes grew up around these major buildings.

In 1909 the institution was an academy; during 1912-1913 it was state accredited; in 1915-1916 college work was first given. In 1918-1927 four years of college were given (a total of 29 B.A. graduates); in 1925 a junior college organization was substituted and is now accredited by the Kansas Board of Education and the University of Kansas. The curriculum of the 1950s offered the terminal courses in vocational education and the liberal arts program. In 1951-1952 the high-school department was admitted into the North Central Association.

The first faculty had four members, one with an M.A. degree. In 1953-1954 there were 27 members with 18 Master's degrees and three who have almost completed the work for Ph.D.'s.

The institution had three presidents by 1956: D. H. Bender, 1909-1929; Milo Kauffman, 1932-1951; Roy D. Roth, president-elect 1951-1953, president 1953- . There were seven deans in that time: J. D. Charles, 1919-1923; Noah Oyer, 1923-1924; Edward Yoder, 1924-1926, 1929-32; Paul Erb, acting dean 1926-1929, dean 1933-1941; Ivan Lind, 1941-1949; Walter Oswald, 1949-1953; Justus Holsinger, 1953-   .

In pace with the steady growth of the institution the area of its influence has widened. In 1909 the school opened with 21 students and the first graduating class in 1911 had five members. In 1951-52, 520 students of all grades were enrolled and 102 were graduated. Although most of the students come from the states west of the Mississippi, an increasing number of high-school students came from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Puerto Rico. Each year, too, there was a scattering of Canadians, African-Americans, and foreign exchange students from Europe or Asia.

A 1952 check on alumni vocations gave evidence that the institution kept faith with its founders. In church institutions and activities, Hesston College alumni were in front-line service. Ten were on the Goshen College instructional staff, 15 on the Hesston College faculty, three at Eastern Mennonite College, seven on the official staff at the La Junta Mennonite School of Nursing, and seven on the Mennonite Publishing House editorial staff.  In the foreign and home mission outposts—in India, Africa, Japan, South America , Puerto Rico—in Mennonite Central Committee services, and in pastorates and teaching positions in home congregations Hesston College alumni filled responsible positions.

The 1953-54 faculty signed this pledge to send to its constituency:

We, recognizing a divine call to serve on the Hesston College and Bible School faculty, dedicate all our energies to Christ and His Church to teach in harmony with, and nothing contrary to the doctrines of the Word and the historic principles of the Mennonite Church, to be active in leading students to deeper experiences with Christ so that they may respond to His call to fellowship and service, and to do our best to maintain a fervent spiritual and evangelistic atmosphere on the campus. 

Bibliography

Additional Information

Hesston College website

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