Salem Academy and College Timeline

8/8/2019 Salem Academy and College Timeline

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April 1772Te Girls School opens with three students

and one teacher, Elisabeth Oesterlein, inthe Congregation House.

1785Salem enrolls

its rst Arican-

American

student.

October 1766Four Single Sisters and 12 Older Girls, ages 13 to 17, orsake

the warmth and comort o their homes in Bethlehem,

Pennsylvania. On oot, they travel more than 500 miles to

the wild rontier o North Carolina. For 29 nights, they sleep

under a cold, open sky. In villages along the way, onlookers

gather to watch this curious group pass by. One o the

travelers is young Elisabeth Oesterlein.

Tey join the settlement o Bethabara or the next ew years

while they wait or a new town, Salem, to be carved out o

the wilderness. Seeking Gods will in all that they do, the

Moravians establish a school or girls in 1772.

From these humble beginnings emerges Salem Academy and

College. A powerul legacy, an incredible journey, has begun.

Following are just a ew o themany events that have occurred inhistory since Salem Academy andCollege was ounded in 1772. Formore details, read Frances Grinsbook, Less Time for Meddling: SalemAcademy and College 1772-1866.


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April 5, 1786Accompanied by a trombone salute, 33 Single Sisters

and Older Girls move into their new residence, the

Single Sisters House.

1805South Hall opens to house boarding students.

South Hall Door

1819Te Single

Sisters House

addition is

dedicated.


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1826Salem admits its rst Native

American student, SallyRidge, the daughter o

a Cherokee chie. She

graduates rom the school,

but in 1838, the daughter

o another Cherokee chie,

Jane Ross, leaves Salem to

join her amily on the rail

o ears.

1856Main Hall is completed on the Square in

place o the old Congregation House.

1861-1865Te Civil War rages,

but unlike other

schools, Salem never

closes its doors.


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Student alcoves, 1886

Picnic at Bethabara, c. 1890s

Hay Mow on Academy andCollege grounds, c. 1900s


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1909-1949Under the leadership o President

Howard Rondthaler, the campus

grows rom 3 1/2 to 56 acres.

Te daisy chain, a highlight o graduation rom1901 to 1935

Cooking class, 1912

1912Salem Academy and

College separate

academically.

Varsity basketballteam, 1925

May DayQueen, 1929


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1930Salem Academys Mary Patterson Hall

is completed with Emma Bahnson

and Carrie Schafner wings.

Memorabilia: Panoramic view o campus

1933Salem College School

o Music receives

accreditation.

1951Te Rondthaler Science

Building is constructed

on the College campus.

1957Te Mary

Weaver

wing at theAcademy is

completed.

Te College class o 1940

Salemite editorial staf, 1956


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1965Te Salem

Academy and

College Fine

Arts Center is

constructed. 1971Te Academy completes

the Mary McCoy

Hodges dormitory wing

and Lucy Reynolds Critz

classroom wing.

College Swim eam

1971Te January erm

program begins or both

the Academy and College

students.

1991Te College grants its

rst graduate degrees.

1991During Salem Academy

and Colleges rst 219

years, each o its 17

inspectors or presidents

was a man. In the early

years, all o them had been

Moravian ministers.

In 1991, the trustees

selected its rstemale president,

Dr. Julianne Still Trit.


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2003Te Academy

renovates the daystudent lounge

and expands it to

include a sunroom,

cyber ca and

tness area.

1992Renovation o

the existing gym

into Bryant Hall

and completion

o a new gym,

swimming pooland commons

area improve

acilities or

sports.

1997Salem marks its

225th anniversary.

1996On October 10,

1996, the Salem

College Center

or Women

Writers holds

its opening

celebration.

Students outside the Academy

2004Salem purchases 7.5

acres o Central Park,

expanding the

Academy and College

campus to 65 acres.


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2009Te College nishes the

three-year process o joining

the NCAA Division III.

2005Salem launches

capital building

projects to renovate

and restore somecampus buildings,

including the

Academys Mary

Patterson Hall, the

Colleges Bitting

Residence Hall, the

Salem Fine Arts

Center and the

Single Sisters House.

2007Te communitygathers to

rededicate the

Single Sisters

House, using

the same music

and liturgy rom

the Moravian

loveeast service

or the rst

dedication on

April 5, 1786.

2007Salem Academy and College

celebrates the inauguration o

Dr. Susan E. Pauly as Salems

nineteenth president.

Students on back porch o Main Hall

Adult student

Salem Academy and College Timeline

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