Hillsdale College History

In December 1844, Hillsdale College was established as Michigan Central College in Spring Arbor, Michigan, following a resolution by members of the local community of Freewill Baptists to organize their denomination's first collegiate institution. Although religiously affiliated, the college remained officially nonsectarian, and Hillsdale no longer has any denominational affiliation. However, Hillsdale still expects students to follow the moral tenets of Christianity as commonly understood in the Christian tradition.

Hillsdale's charter prohibits any discrimination based on race, religion, or sex, and the college has been credited as the first American college to prohibit this type of discrimination in a charter. A unique feature of the campus is the Statues of Liberty Walk, a walkway lined with depictions of well-known leaders and icons of Western culture, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Margaret Thatcher. A statue of Ronald Reagan was dedicated on October 7, 2011, in the centennial year of his birth, and Reagan spoke at the college in 1977, stating, "Hillsdale deserves the appreciation of all who labor for freedom."

The establishment of Hillsdale College was the result of a resolution by members of the local community of Freewill Baptists to organize their denomination's first collegiate institution. In August 1844, these members gathered donations and established the college in Spring Arbor, Michigan, on December 4, 1844, as Michigan Central College. Although the college was religiously affiliated, it remained officially nonsectarian, and Hillsdale no longer has any denominational affiliation. However, Hillsdale still expects its students to follow the moral tenets of Christianity as commonly understood in the Christian tradition.

One of the most distinctive features of Hillsdale's campus is the Statues of Liberty Walk, a walkway lined with depictions of well-known leaders and icons of Western culture. This includes statues of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Margaret Thatcher. Additionally, a statue of Ronald Reagan was dedicated on October 7, 2011, in the centennial year of his birth, and Reagan himself spoke at the college in 1977, expressing his belief that "Hillsdale deserves the appreciation of all who labor for freedom."

Hillsdale's charter is also noteworthy, as it prohibits any discrimination based on race, religion, or sex, making the college the first American institution of higher education to include such a provision in its charter. This commitment to non-discrimination has been a defining characteristic of Hillsdale throughout its history.

product information: