Huntingdon College facts for kids
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Former names
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Tuskegee Female College (1854–1872) Alabama Conference Female College (1872–1910) Woman's College of Alabama (1910–1935) |
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| Motto | Enter to Grow in Wisdom, Go Forth to Apply Wisdom in Service. |
| Type | Private college |
| Established | February 2, 1854 |
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Religious affiliation
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United Methodist Church |
| President | J. Cameron West |
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Academic staff
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58 |
| Students | 1,107 |
| Location |
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U.S.
32°21′00″N 86°17′06″W / 32.350°N 86.285°W |
| Campus | Suburban Neighborhood |
| Colors | Scarlet & grey |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division III |
| Mascot | Hawks |
| Website | |
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Huntingdon College Campus Historic District
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Flowers Memorial Hall was built in 1909
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| Area | 58 acres (23 ha) |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival, Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000138 |
| Added to NRHP | February 24, 2000 |
Huntingdon College is a private college in Montgomery, Alabama. It is connected to the Methodist Church. The college first opened its doors in 1854 as a school just for women.
Contents
A Look Back at Huntingdon's History
Huntingdon College began on February 2, 1854. It was first called Tuskegee Female College. This name was given by the Alabama State Legislature. The first president, Andrew Adgate Lipscomb, wanted the college to focus on teaching. He did not want it to be a research center.
In 1872, the college's name changed to Alabama Conference Female College. This happened when the Methodist Episcopal Church started to oversee the school. After the Civil War, leaders thought moving the college would help it grow. They chose Montgomery, the state's capital, as the new location.
In 1908, the college bought a large piece of land. It was about 58 acres. This land was on the edge of Montgomery at the time. Today, it is part of the Old Cloverdale neighborhood. A famous landscape designer, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., planned the campus's look. He also designed Central Park in New York City.
The college moved all its things to a building in Montgomery in August 1909. Sadly, that building burned down the same night. This fire destroyed all the college's records from its first 50 years. Students and the president had to move to another college for a year.
Construction then started on the first main building, John Jefferson Flowers Memorial Hall. In 1910, the school was renamed the Woman's College of Alabama. Flowers Hall was finished that year. It was designed to look like old colleges in England, like Oxford and Cambridge. This style became the main look for all buildings on campus.
After World War I, the college started to accept male students. The first male student graduated in 1934. Because the name "Woman's College of Alabama" no longer fit, the college changed its name again in 1935. It became Huntingdon College. This new name honored Selina, Countess of Huntingdon. She was a big supporter of Methodism.
Today, Huntingdon College offers many different study programs. It also has 18 sports teams that play in the NCAA Division III. Between 2002 and 2012, the number of students grew a lot. This made Huntingdon one of the "Fastest Growing Colleges in America."
Exploring the Campus
Huntingdon's campus is a special place. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a historic district. The district has thirteen important buildings. These buildings are built in the Gothic Revival and Tudor Revival styles. These styles make the campus look like old European colleges. The campus was added to the National Register on February 24, 2000. In 2001, the college grew even more, adding the Cloverdale Campus across Fairview Avenue.
Go Hawks! Sports at Huntingdon
Huntingdon College has many sports teams. They are called the Hawks. These teams play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. This means they play against other colleges but do not offer sports scholarships.
The Hawks are part of the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS). This conference was formed in July 2022. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and wrestling. Women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. Huntingdon is the only four-year college in Alabama to offer college wrestling. For some sports like football, women's golf, and lacrosse, Huntingdon still plays in the USA South Athletic Conference.
The Mystery of the Red Lady
Huntingdon College is known for a ghost story. People say the "Red Lady" lives there. She is believed to be the ghost of a female student from the early 1900s. The story says she ended her life in her room in Pratt Hall.
Famous People Who Went to Huntingdon
Many notable people have attended Huntingdon College. Here are a few:
- Leura Canary (1978), a former U.S. Attorney.
- Kristi Dubose (1986), a U.S. District Court Judge.
- Joe Durant (1987), a professional golfer.
- Harper Lee (1944-1945), a famous novelist who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird.
- Jeff Sessions (1969), a politician who served as a U.S. Senator and U.S. Attorney General.
- Kathryn Tucker Windham (1939), a well-known writer.
- Bob Zellner (1957-1961), a Civil Rights activist.
Images for kids
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Woman's College of Alabama in 1918
