Spring Arbor University - History

History

Spring Arbor University was founded in 1873 by leaders of the Free Methodist Church, particularly Edward Payson Hart, who was the driving force behind the establishment of Spring Arbor Seminary — an academy for elementary and secondary grades. Located near the site of a former Pottawatomie Indian village, the academy was built on property that once belonged to Hillsdale College. There was a battle for the ground in 1805. Many perished but eventually the land was won for the territory of Michigan who turned it over to the college.

In 1923, the board of trustees voted to add a junior college to the academy. In 1929, the school came to be called Spring Arbor Seminary and Junior College. Primary and intermediate classes were discontinued in 1930. In 1960, the school gained accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and the trustees changed the name of the institution to Spring Arbor College. The high school program was dropped, and Spring Arbor launched its four-year program in 1963.

In 1981, Spring Arbor began offering the first of its degree completion programs for adult learners in nearby Jackson. The college later developed degrees in health-related fields and opened sites in Lansing, Michigan and Flint, Michigan. Graduate education began at Spring Arbor in 1994. In 2001, the school changed its name to Spring Arbor University.

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