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Drury University

Coordinates: 37°13′11″N 93°17′09″W / 37.2196°N 93.2857°W / 37.2196; -93.2857
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Drury University
Former name
Springfield College (1873–1874)
Drury College (1874–2000)
TypePrivate university
Established1873; 151 years ago (1873)
Religious affiliation
United Church of Christ
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Endowment$93.3 million (2020)[1]
PresidentJeff Frederick[2]
Students1,590[3]
Location
Springfield, Missouri
,
U.S.

37°13′11″N 93°17′09″W / 37.2196°N 93.2857°W / 37.2196; -93.2857
CampusUrban, 88 acres (35.6 ha)
Colors    Scarlet & grey
NicknamePanthers
Websitewww.drury.edu

Drury University, formerly Drury College and originally Springfield College, is a private university in Springfield, Missouri. The university's mission statement describes itself as "church-related".[4] It enrolls about 1,590 undergraduate and graduate students in six master's programs and 716 students in the College of Continuing Professional Studies.[3][5][6] In 2013, the Drury Panthers men's basketball team won the NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship. The Drury men's and women's Panthers have accumulated 22 NCAA Division II National Championships between them, in addition to numerous NAIA titles before moving to the NCAA.[citation needed]

History

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Drury was founded as Springfield College in 1873 by Congregationalist church missionaries in the mold of other Congregationalist universities such as Dartmouth College and Yale University. Nathan Morrison, Samuel Drury, and James and Charles Harwood provided the school's initial endowment and organization; Samuel Drury's gift was the largest of the group and the school was soon renamed as Drury College in honor of Drury's recently deceased son on December 10, 1874.

The early curriculum emphasized educational, religious, and musical strengths. Students came to the new college from a wide area including the Indian Territories of Oklahoma. The first graduating class included four women.

When classes began in 1873, they were held in a single building on a campus occupying less than 1+1⁄2 acres (0.61 ha). Twenty-five years later the 40-acre (16.2 ha) campus included Stone Chapel, the President's House and three academic buildings. Today, the university occupies a 115-acre (46.5 ha) campus, including the original historic buildings. On April 28, 1960, Drury College was the setting for an episode of NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. Tennessee Ernie Ford sang his trademark "Sixteen Tons" and the hymn "Take My Hand, Precious Lord".[7]

Drury College became Drury University on January 1, 2000.[8]

Religious affiliations

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Drury was founded by Congregationalist missionaries and remains affiliated with the United Church of Christ. It has also been affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) since the founding of the Drury School of Religion in 1909.[9]

Presidents

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  • 2024–present: Jeff Frederick[3]
  • 2023–2024: John Beuerlein[10]
  • 2016–2023: J. Timothy Cloyd[11]
  • 2013–2016: David Manuel[12]
  • 2007–2013: Todd Parnell
  • 2005–2007: John Sellars
  • 1983–2004: John E. Moore Jr.
  • 1981–1983: Norman C. Crawford Jr.
  • 1977–1980: John M. Bartholomy
  • 1971–1976: William Edward Everheart
  • 1968–1970: Alfred O. Canon
  • 1964–1967: Earnest Brandenburg
  • 1940–1963: James F. Findlay
  • 1917–1939: Thomas Nadal
  • 1913–1916: J.J. McMurtry
  • 1907–1913: Joseph Henry George
  • 1905–1907: J. Edward Kirbye
  • 1893–1905: Homer T. Fuller
  • 1888–1892: Francis T. Ingalls
  • 1873–1885: Nathan J. Morrison

Academics

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Drury is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.[13] The university offers 54 undergraduate majors[14] and several professional degrees through the Hammons School of Architecture, Breech School of Business Administration, and School of Education & Child Development.

Drury is a residential university. Full-time students live on campus until they reach the age of 21, unless they meet specific criteria to be exempt from the housing policy.

Study abroad

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Almost half of the student body studies overseas at some point in short-term, semester, or year-long programs.[5] Foreign learning is a requirement for most students with majors in the schools of Business and Architecture.

Drury maintained a satellite campus in Aegina, Greece. The center closed in May 2021.[15][16]

Athletics

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Main article: Drury Panthers

Drury's NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic teams compete in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's Track and Field,[17] men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's baseball, men's wrestling, women's softball, women's volleyball, men's bowling, and women's bowling, women's triathlon and soon to be men's triathlon.

The school was a founding member of the Heartland Conference. In the fall of 2005, the Drury Panthers joined the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Notable alumni

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Main article: List of Drury University alumni

References

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  1. ^ As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  2. ^ "Drury University announces 19th president". 13 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Enrollment Report for Missouri Public and Comprehensive Independent Institutions". Missouri Department of Higher Education. December 1, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  4. ^ https://www.drury.edu/about/ About Drury University and Mission Statement
  5. ^ a b "Drury University: Drury at a Glance: Fast Facts". Drury at a Glance: Fast Facts. Archived from the original on 2018-10-30. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  6. ^ "Trends in Headcount Enrollment, 2013-2019". Missouri Department of Higher Education. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  7. ^ "The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford". ernieford.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
  8. ^ Drury University: Drury History Archived February 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Drury's Church Affiliation". Drury University. Archived from the original on 2006-09-10. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  10. ^ "Drury University names John Beuerlein as interim president". Drury University. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  11. ^ "Drury University's History". Drury University. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  12. ^ Riley, Claudette. "Drury University president to step down". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  13. ^ "Drury University: Drury's Accreditation". Archived from the original on 2011-11-17. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  14. ^ "Drury University: Discover Academics: Areas of Study". Archived from the original on 2013-10-18. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  15. ^ "Drury University: The Drury Center in Greece". The Drury Center in Greece.
  16. ^ "Drury Center in Aegina, Greece set to close by 2021: Concern over impact on the Architecture program". The Drury Center in Greece. 15 November 2019.
  17. ^ "Home". drurypanthers.com.
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