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Blackburn College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Carlinville, Illinois, United States which is the county seat of Macoupin County, Illinois (a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area). It was established in 1837 and named for the Rev. Gideon Blackburn. Blackburn is one of only seven federally recognized work colleges in the United States, and it has the only student-managed work program, enabling students to gain leadership experience as they manage other students. All resident students are required to work, but the program is optional for commuter students. Each student that works receives a tuition discount for the hours they work in the work program. It is also the least expensive private college in Illinois. ==History== Blackburn College is named for the Reverend Gideon Blackburn, D.D., a Presbyterian minister and former president of Centre College in Kentucky. Like many founders of American colleges, Dr. Blackburn sought to establish an institution to train young men for the ministry. If his ambitions were spiritual, his methods were practical indeed. He bought public lands for $1.25 an acre and resold them at $2.00 to people who believed in his mission. More than 16,000 acres were involved, and the people of Carlinville bought another 80 acres on the edge of town to provide Blackburn with a campus. In 1837 these lands were deeded to a Board of Trustees. Since that time, Blackburn has been continuously governed by an independent Board of Trustees. In 1857, the trustees obtained a charter in the name of Blackburn Theological Seminary. The first building, University Hall, constructed in 1838, cost $12,000. A year later a primary school opened and Blackburn began to function as a teaching and learning institution. During the Civil War a full collegiate course of study was introduced, including both the classics and the sciences, and in 1869 the name was changed to Blackburn College. Until 1912 the College continued as a small liberal arts institution, largely local in its service and influence. But that year was a turning point. Dr. William M. Hudson was elected president and good things began to happen. During the 33 years of his administration, Blackburn grew phenomenally, in physical size certainly, but, more important, in the scope and effectiveness of its academic program. Dr. Hudson initiated the internationally known Work Program at Blackburn a year after he took office. In 1916, the College began to offer an Associate of Arts degree in addition to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Accurately estimating the resources and the success of the two-year program,the College abandoned its four-year program in 1918 and concentrated on a two-year degree. The four-year curriculum was reinstituted in 1947. Blackburn’s history has been one of strong purpose and imagination. For instance, the first expansion of the physical plant in some years was in 1914, when two Pullman cars were donated by the Pullman Company and used for student housing. It was a daring act of practical wisdom and it attracted a wide and admiring audience. When fire destroyed University Hall in 1927, it destroyed the College offices, chapel, library, classrooms, and the rooms of 80 men. Again, the College took to the rails - this time obtaining two parlor cars from the Pullman Company and two day coaches from the Standard Oil Company to be used as classrooms, library, and offices. Dr. Hudson’s Work Program has had a strong influence on the character of Blackburn, and until 1943 part of its impact was agricultural. Farm work was included in the program for some 30 years with students raising livestock, poultry and produce for use in the College dining hall. The Work Program worked wonders in other ways. Not only did it reduce costs, but it attracted the attention and generosity of a number of foundations, companies and individuals. When Dr. Hudson came to Blackburn, institutional assets were under $100,000. When he retired in 1945, they totaled nearly two million. Nine major campus buildings have been built by student labor under the direction of professionals. Seven others were built by outside contractors. An extended athletic facility was completed in 1984 and a library addition in 1991 - the work again being undertaken by students. In 1999, Hudson Hall was completely renovated so that classrooms and offices are all air conditioned, newly furnished and equipped with the most current instructional technology, including a 21-station computer classroom. Enrollment has risen to approximately 600 students. Curriculum and faculty have been expanded. Major fields have been added to the academic program, and the College enjoys a reputation for high quality education within an unusual and rewarding campus environment. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Blackburn College (Illinois)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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