Marietta College

Latin: Collegium Mariettensis
Former names	Muskingum Academy (predecessor) (1797–1833) Marietta Collegiate Institute and Western Teachers' Seminary (predecessor) (1833–1835)
Motto	LUX ET VERITAS
Motto in English	Light and truth
Type	Private liberal arts college[1]
Established	January 16, 1835; 189 years ago (1835-01-16)
Academic affiliations	CIC, Space-grant
Endowment	$102.6 million (2021)[2]
President	Margaret Drugovich (interim)
Provost	Kathleen Poorman Dougherty
Academic staff	103 full-time 49 part-time
Students	1,265
Location	Marietta, Ohio , U.S.
Campus	Small town
Colors	Navy blue, white
Nickname	Pioneers
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III – OAC
Website	www.marietta.edu

Marietta College (MC) is a private liberal arts college in Marietta, Ohio. It offers more than 50 undergraduate majors across the arts, sciences, and engineering, as well as Physician Assistant, Psychology, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Athletic Training graduate programs. Its campus encompasses approximately three city blocks next to downtown Marietta and enrolls 1,200 full-time students.

History

Marietta College began as the Muskingum Academy in 1797, which was the birth of higher education in Ohio. In April 1797, which was only nine years after Ohio had been settled, a committee of Marietta citizens, led by General Rufus Putnam (the "Father of Ohio"), met to establish a college. The Muskingum Academy, completed late that year, became the first institution of its kind in the Northwest Territory, providing “classical instruction ... in the higher branches of an English education.” Its first instructor was David Putnam, a 1793 Yale graduate.^[3][4]

The academy eventually evolved into a college, initially chartered as the Marietta Collegiate Institute and Western Teachers' Seminary on January 16, 1833. However, this institution lacked the critical authority to grant degrees, so a wholly new charter was approved two years later, bringing the renamed Marietta College into existence on January 16, 1835. The former Muskingum Academy was continued as the Marietta College College Preparatory Department until its elimination in 1913.^[5]

Academics

Marietta College is a Phi Beta Kappa liberal arts institution, requiring students to complete courses in Quantitative Reasoning, Artistic Expression, Civilization & Culture, Social Analysis, and Scientific Inquiry regardless of their major track. Additionally, students are required to have a secondary academic concentration, complete an out-of-classroom education experience, and achieve proficiency in a second language.^[7]

Scholarships

The college offers several merit scholarships and awards based on incoming student's high school GPA, as well as several premier scholarships. High-achieving accepted students are invited to compete in a weekend-long series of tests and group interviews. The John G. McCoy scholarship is awarded to the top student who receives full tuition, room, and board. Trustee scholarships are awarded to other top students who receive full tuition. The Rickey Scholarship is awarded to the top student pursuing a degree in physics, receiving full tuition.^[8] In 2019, the college began a new scholarship program, awarding up to five additional full tuition scholarships for students promoting social justice and inclusion in their community named the Charles Sumner Harrison awards after the first African-American graduate in 1876.^[9]

The Honors Program

There are three honors tracks: curriculum honors, research honors, and college honors. The curriculum honors track provides a course of study for accomplished students, requiring successful completion of five honors courses integrated within the general education requirement. The research honors designation varies across disciplines but typically involves the writing and defense of a thesis. While most major programs require some form of student research, the honors designation can be achieved with deeper academic objectives or an interdisciplinary element. When a student completes the honors curriculum and successfully defends an honors thesis, they achieve college honors status.^[10]

Notable degree programs

Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering

Marietta College is the only liberal arts institution that offers a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering.^[11] In 2019, the college expanded their engineering offerings with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering.

Bachelor of Music in music therapy

In 2017, the college unveiled a renovated McKinney Building with a new, state-of-the-art clinical observation room and recording studio.^[12]

Partnerships

Marietta College maintains a partnership with the University of International Relations, a university with ties to the Ministry of State Security of the People's Republic of China.^[13][14][15]

Rankings

In 2021, Marietta was included in national rankings by U.S. News & World Report as #3 for Best Value Schools and #8 for Regional Colleges in the Midwest.^[16] College Factual ranked Marietta #20 out of 80 Ohio schools.^[17] In 2020, Washington Monthly ranked MC #62 for bachelor's degrees.^[18]

The McDonough Center for Leadership and Business

The McDonough Center for Leadership and Business at Marietta College started in 1986 with a $5.5 million gift from the Bernard P. McDonough family. With an inaugural cohort of 28 students, the center originally only offered a Certificate in Leadership Studies. Through a collaborative process with faculty, students, college trustees, and community partners, the center evolved into its current shape, offering a bachelor's degree in International Leadership Studies, a minor, and a Certificate in Leadership Studies. In Fall 2008, the McDonough Center also launched its Teacher Leadership Certificate (TLC), a new academic program designed for students pursuing careers in education. Each of these degree and certificate offerings exists collaboratively with the other academic programs at Marietta College to strengthen the students’ educational experience.^[19]

McDonough events

• EXCEL (Experience Civic Engagement and Leadership) Workshop: All incoming McDonough Scholars are required to participate in this five-day event before the general new student orientation at the beginning of the fall semester. Upperclass EXCEL Leaders run this workshop and serve as mentors for the new leadership students. Participants are challenged to see themselves as active members of a new learning community.^[20]
• McDonough Leadership Conference: This national event brings together undergraduate and graduate leadership students from many different institutions around the world. The conference is planned and executed by McDonough Leadership Students.^[21]

Athletics

Marietta College is a member of the NCAA Division III and the Ohio Athletic Conference,^[22] a 10-team collegiate conference founded in 1902 and the third-oldest in the nation.^[23] The Pioneers compete in 22 varsity sports, including teams in crew, baseball, basketball, football, women's volleyball, track & field, cross country, tennis, soccer, and softball. They added men's and women's golf to the athletic department for the 2017 season and lacrosse in 2018.

Marietta's baseball team has won six national championships, and an NCAA Division III record: in 1981, 1983, 1986, 2006, 2011, and 2012.^[24] The first three were under coach Don Schaly, who died on March 9, 2005; the three most recent have been under coach Brian Brewer. By repeating as the national champions in 2011 and 2012 the Pioneers became the first team to do that in NCAA Division III play since the Rowan Profs won back-to-back championships in 1978 and 1979.^[25] Five former Pioneer baseball players—Kent Tekulve, Duane Theiss, Jim Tracy, Terry Mulholland and Matt DeSalvo—have reached the Major League level.

Since 2010, the men's basketball program has averaged 21.9 victories a season since 2010.^[26]

The crew program competes at the annual Dad Vail Regatta each spring in both men's and women's events, and earned a gold medal in the Men's Varsity Eight in 2006, and gold medals in the Women's Varsity Eight in 2011, 2012, and 2014.^[27] Alumni include two-time Olympian and CEO of Boathouse Sports, John Strotbeck Jr., and 2003 World Championship silver medalist in the USA Lightweight Eight, Andrew Bolton.^[28]

Broadcasts

Marietta sporting events are often broadcast on WMRT FM, WCMO FM, and WCMO TV the college's two FM radio stations and TV channel. All of the football games are broadcast on WMRT. Home football, volleyball, soccer, basketball, softball, and baseball games are all carried on the Marietta College radio network. The baseball games are also carried on WMOA. WMRT and WCMO broadcasts are all produced and called entirely by students, many of whom are Mass Media students.

Greek Life

Alpha Sigma Phi (Delta Chapter), Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Tau Delta, and Lambda Chi Alpha are national and international fraternities that have local chapters for male students to join. They are governed by an Interfraternity Council, which follows the guidelines of the North American Interfraternity Conference.

Alpha Xi Delta, Chi Omega, and Sigma Kappa are national and international fraternities and sororities that have local chapters for female students to join. They are governed by the Panhellenic Council, which follows the guidelines of the National Panhellenic Conference.

Honor societies

Students attending Marietta College have the opportunity to qualify for any of 23 honor societies.^[29]

Notable alumni

Alumni of Marietta College are collectively known as the Long Blue Line.^[36]