Due West Female College facts for kids
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Due West Female College was a special school just for girls and young women. It was a private college, meaning it wasn't run by the government. It was also connected to the Presbyterian Church. This college was located in a town called Due West, in the state of South Carolina, USA. It opened in 1859 and closed in 1927 when it joined with another college called Erskine College.
Starting the College
Due West Female College was started by a group of local leaders and church members from the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. The first president of the college was Dr. John Irwin Bonner. He was also the person who started the first ARP Church in Due West.
Even though some of the people who started the college were part of the church, the college itself wasn't officially owned by the church until 1904. That's when the ARP Church bought the college.
What Was the College For?
At first, Due West Female College had a clear goal. It wanted to train women to become teachers. These teachers would then work in the area around Abbeville County.
Over time, the college became more popular. Girls and young women from all over the Southern United States came to study there. Some even traveled from as far away as Texas!
In 1906, a famous newspaper, The New York Times, wrote about Due West. It said that the college and the town were known as a very "strait-laced" place. This meant that everyone, especially the students, was expected to be very well-behaved and proper. The newspaper even said the students were as proper as the teachers!
Joining with Erskine College
Due West Female College had always been connected to another college in town, Erskine College. Erskine College was a bigger and more well-known school.
In 1899, Erskine College started letting both boys and girls attend classes together. This is called being "coeducational." When Erskine became coeducational, fewer girls chose to go to Due West Female College. This caused Due West to have fewer students.
In 1925, Due West Female College decided to join with Erskine College. This joining helped Erskine College get its first official "accreditation." Accreditation means a school meets high standards for its education. The two colleges officially merged in 1927. Due West Female College then closed its doors in 1928.
