Lindsey Wilson College - History

History

Lindsey Wilson College was founded in January 1903 in affiliation with the southern division of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Named after the late stepson of Catherine Wilson, the college was originally called Lindsey Wilson Training School, educating grades one through twelve in a grade school on campus. Instruction focused on preparing young people of the area for coursework at Vanderbilt University and training students to become educators.

In 1923, the college expanded its curriculum to offer a two-year liberal arts program, and was given its present name of Lindsey Wilson College. In 1951, Lindsey Wilson received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The training school remained on campus until 1979.

In 1986, Lindsey Wilson became a four-year liberal arts college. The bachelor's degree was the highest degree attainable at the college until the mid-1990s when Master's programs in Counseling and Human Development and Education Curriculum and Instruction were added to the curriculum.

Among the first buildings on campus were the current L.R. McDonald Administration Building (funded in part by Catherine Wilson) and Phillip's Hall (funded by Mrs. James Phillips and Mrs. Kizzie Russell). Many photographs can be found at in the Katie Murrell Library on campus that depict the early years of the institution. The newest building in campus Fugitte Science building, a state-of-the-art building that houses both the Science Department and Mathematics Department. The Fugitte building was completed in the fall of 2007 and is equipped with the latest education technology.

Among the former administrators at LWC is the retired Methodist clergyman and former State Senator Doug Moseley. A former trustee was Robert L. Miller, the mayor of Campbellsville from 1966 to 1998. The historian Betty Jane Gorin-Smith, before her retirement from education, taught occasional courses at Lindsey Wilson College.