Central Female College

Women's college in Lexington, Missouri, US (1869–1924)

Central Female College

Central Female College, 1904

Other name

| Central College for Women

Former name

| Marvin Female Institute
Type| Private
Active| 1869–1925

Religious affiliation

| Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Location|

Lexington

Missouri

United States

Central Female College (also known as Marvin Female Institute and Central College for Women) was a women's college located in Lexington, Missouri. The institution was associated with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. It operated from 1869 to 1924.

## History

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The Marvin Female Institute was founded in Lexington, Missouri in 1869.[1][2] It operated by three conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and was named in honor of Bishop Enoch Mather Marvin.[3][4] Its original location was in a building on South 6th Street.[5] Its president for the first year was William F. Camp, pastor of the Methodist church in Lexington.[5][2] He was replaced by J. O. Church of Columbia, Tennessee for the 1870 to 1871 year.[5]

In December 1870, the Grand Lodge of the Missouri Masons gave the institute the former Masonic College building and five acres worth $20,000 ($481,895 in today's money).[6] The institution moved to the former Masonic College in 1871.[5][1] The Masons made the donation with the understanding that some $50,000 would be invested in buildings and improvements to the campus.[5] The building was renovated and the student's rooms were carpeted and furnished.[7]

At the October 1871 Methodist Episcopal Church conference, the institute's name was changed to Central Female College.[8] Later, it was called the Central College for Women.[1][9]

In 1904, the college had 135 students and eighteen teachers and officers.[4] In March 1925, the three Methodist conferences announced plans to relocate Central College for Women to provide a larger campus with a Class A rating.[10] If college was not relocated, its assets were to be liquidated and used for women's education in Missouri.[10] In mid-March 1925, Kansas City announced its interest in becoming the new home for the college.[11] In April, a million dollar fund was planned for the move to Kansas City, along with arrangements for the donation of 100 acres.[12] At the end of the spring 1925 semester, the Central College for Women closed.[1]

After closing, its property in Lexington was acquired by Central College, now Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri. It included three main buildings: an administration building, a dormitory, and a classroom/auditorium building.[11]

## Academics

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Its first year, the college offered classes in algebra, arithmetic, grammar, Latin, mechanical philosophy, moral philosophy, music instruments, physiology and hygiene, rhetoric, trigonometry, and vocal music.[2]

## Student life

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The college had several Greek letter organizations, including Beta Sigma Omicron, Phi Theta Kappa, Eta Upsilon Gamma and Sigma Iota Chi.[1] It was one of seven women's colleges in Missouri that were the original members of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges and programs.[13]

## Notable people

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### Alumnae

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* Icie Hoobler, biochemist
* Esther McCoy, author and architectural historian

### Presidents

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* William F. Camp, 1869 to 1870[5][2]
* J. O. Church, 1870 to January 1872[5][7]
* Abram Davenport, January to April 1872 interim[14]
* W. T. J. Sullivan, May 1872 to 1876[5][15]
* M. G. McIlhaney, 1876 to 1878[5]
* Wesley G. Miller, 1878 to 1879[5]
* William F. Kerdolff Jr., 1879 to 1888[5]
* A. A. Jones, 1888[5]
* Zachariah M. Williams[5]

## See also

[edit]

* List of colleges and universities in Missouri
* List of current and historical women's universities and colleges in the United States

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e Lurding, Carroll and Becque, Fran. (August 5, 2023) "Closed Institutions". Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities. Urbana: University of Illinois. Accessed December 21, 2023.
2. ^ a b c d "Marvin Female Institute". The Weekly Caucasian. Lexington, Missouri. 1870-07-02. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-01-13 - via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ Leete, Frederick DeLand (1948). Methodist Bishops. Nashville: The Parthenon Press. p. 120.
4. ^ a b Williams, Walter. The State of Missouri An Autobiography. Columbia, MO: Press of W.E. Stephens, 1904, p. 423. via Google Books.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Conard, Howard Louis (1901). Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri: A Compendium of History and Biography for Ready Reference. Southern History Company. pp. 552–553 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "The Marvin Female Institute". Jefferson City Tribune. Jefferson City, Missouri. 1870-12-14. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-01-13 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ a b "A New Institution. Rev. J. O. Church, of this City, President". The Lexington Intelligencer. Lexington, Missouri. 1872-01-10. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-01-13 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "M. E. Church, South Conference". Kansas City Journal. Kansas City, Missouri. 1871-10-05. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-01-13 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "In Lexington, An Old School Town of Missouri". The Kansas City Star. 1925-02-01. p. 99. Retrieved 2024-01-13 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ a b "Two Methodist Colleges Will Be Abandoned Soon". The Daily News and Intelligencer. Mexico, Missouri. 1925-03-13. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-01-13 - via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ a b "Seek Church School Here; Kansas Citians Bid for Lexington Girls' Institution". The Kansas City Times. 1925-03-13. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-01-13 - via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "Central College to be Move to Kansas City". The Neosho Daily News. Neosho, Missouri. 1925-04-01. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-01-13 - via Newspapers.com.
13. ^ Phi Theta Kappa History Archived July 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
14. ^ "Central Female College". The Lexington Intelligencer. Lexington, Missouri. 1872-01-10. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-01-13 - via Newspapers.com.
15. ^ "Central Female College". Jefferson City Tribune. Jefferson City, Missouri. 1872-04-24. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-01-13 - via Newspapers.com.

## External links

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* Brown, Ray C.List of Missouri Colleges that Closed, Merged, or Changed Names

39°10′57″N 93°53′18″W﻿ / ﻿39.18237°N 93.88837°W﻿ / 39.18237; -93.88837

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* Central Female College
* St. Paul's College

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