Hardin College and Conservatory of Music, often simply Hardin College, was a women's college and conservatory located in Mexico, Missouri. The state's first junior college, it was associated with the Missionary Baptist Church of Missouri and operated from 1858 to 1931.
A successor of the Audrain County Female Seminary, the institution was renamed in 1873 for Charles Henry Hardin, later Governor of Missouri. John W. Million was president in 1900 and previous presidents were A. W. Terrill, Mrs. H. T. Baird, and A. K. Yancy. Oscar B. Smith was president from 1930 until Hardin closed in 1931.
Along with seven other women's colleges in Missouri – Stephens, Christian, Lindenwood, Cottey, Howard Payne, William Woods, and Central Female College – Hardin was one of the original members of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges and program. It was designated as Alpha Chapter in 1918, though the chapter was later moved to Stephens when Hardin developed Bachelor's degree programs.
One of its buildings, Presser Hall, has been restored and is used by a community group in Mexico, Missouri. Another building, Richardson Hall, is used by Mexico Public Schools.
Famous quotes containing the words college and/or music:
“Love begins like a triolet and ends like a college yell.”
—H.L. (Henry Lewis)
“And in the next instant, immediately behind them, Victor saw his former wife.
At once he lowered his gaze, automatically tapping his cigarette to dislodge the ash that had not yet had time to form. From somewhere low down his heart rose like a fist to deliver an uppercut, drew back, struck again, then went into a fast disorderly throb, contradicting the music and drowning it.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)