Springfield College

Springfield College
TypePrivate university
Established1885; 138 years ago (1885)
Academic affiliations
AICUM
CIC
YMCA
CCGS
Endowment$79.6 million (2020)
PresidentMary-Beth A. Cooper
Undergraduates3,621
Postgraduates1,441
Location,
U.S.
Colors  Maroon and white
NicknamePride
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division IIINEWMAC
Websitewww.springfield.edu
Historic postcard: Springfield College
Historic postcard: Aerial view of Springfield College

Springfield College is a private university in Springfield, Massachusetts. It is known as the birthplace of basketball because the sport was invented there in 1891 by Canadian-American instructor James Naismith. The institution's philosophy of "humanics... calls for the education of the whole person—in spirit, mind, and body—for leadership in service to others."

History

Founded in 1885, as the Young Men's Christian Association department of the School for Christian Workers in Springfield, the school originally specialized in preparing young men to become General Secretaries of YMCA organizations in a two-year program. In 1887, it added a Physical department. In 1890, it separated from the School for Christian Workers and became the YMCA Training School and in 1891, the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School.

In 1905, the school became a degree-granting institution. In 1912, it took the name International YMCA College and in 1954, Springfield College.

Archives

Since 1999, the institutional archives have included archival material from the Society of Health and Physical Educators and some of its affiliates, including the papers of their leaders.

Presidents

Springfield College has had 13 leaders:

Years Name
1885–1891 David Allen Reed
1891–1893 Henry S. Lee
1893–1896 Charles S. Barrows
1896–1936 Laurence L. Doggett
1937–1946 Ernest M. Best
1946–1952 Paul M. Limbert
1953–1957 Donald C. Stone
1958–1965 Glenn A. Olds
1965–1985 Wilbert E. Locklin
1985–1992 Frank S. Falcone
1992–1998 Randolph W. Bromery
1999–2013 Richard B. Flynn
2013– Mary-Beth A. Cooper

Academics

Springfield College offers bachelor's degrees in more than 40 majors, master's degrees in several fields, and doctoral programs in counseling psychology, physical therapy, and physical education. The student-to-faculty member ratio is 11 to 1.

The institution comprises four schools. The School of Arts and Sciences grants degrees in the liberal arts, science, business, and education, including 59 undergraduate majors and concentrations and 8 graduate programs.

The School of Physical Education, Performance, and Sport Leadership offers undergraduate and graduate programs in health and wellness occupations, including applied exercise science, nutritional science, athletic training, physical education and health education, recreation management, and sport management. It is a member of the American Kinesiology Association. It incorporates the Springfield College East Campus outdoor learning center.

Organized in 2005, the School of Health Sciences offers undergraduate and graduate programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, communication sciences and disorders, and health science, in addition to related certification programs. The school is a member of the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professionals.

The School of Social Work and Behavioral Sciences offers undergraduate degrees in psychology, rehabilitation and disability studies, and human services and professional graduate programs in social work, psychology, counseling, and student affairs administration.

Springfield College offers bachelor's degree completion programs and master's degrees in human services, business, education, and counseling that are geared toward working adult students at its four regional campuses, its main campus, and online.

The institution is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

Campuses

Springfield College consists of one main campus in Springfield, Massachusetts, and two regional campuses, one in Boston and one in Houston.

The main campus spans 100 acres (40 ha) and contains ten residence halls, recreational and fitness facilities, science and academic facilities, a performing arts center, and the Richard B. Flynn Campus Union, which includes a food court, activity and lounge space, and bookstore.

Springfield College's East Campus, which encompasses 82 acres (33 ha) of forest ecosystem, is located about one mile from the main campus. This location provides rustic facilities for conferences and meetings, and space for outdoor research and recreation. East Campus is also home to the Springfield College Child Development Center, which provides early education services for children of members of the faculty and staff, students, and families in the community.

Athletics

Springfield College's athletic teams have been known since 1995 as the Pride; the teams were nicknamed the Chiefs from 1968 through 1994, and prior to that were known as the Gymnasts or Maroons. The institution is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III and most teams compete in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). Springfield's football team joined the NEWMAC when it began sponsoring football in 2017. The men's soccer, men's golf, cross country and gymnastics teams are affiliate members of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). The men's volleyball team competes as an independent.

The first basketball court at Springfield college

Springfield College is known as the "Birthplace of Basketball", a game created by alumnus and faculty member James Naismith under the founding head of the Physical Education department Luther Gulick Jr. in 1891. Gulick is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which is named for Naismith.

Alumnus William G. Morgan invented the game of volleyball.

Stagg Field serves as the institution's main athletic field; it was named after former coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg who briefly coached Springfield and went on to play a pivotal role in the development of modern football. The baseball team plays at Berry-Allen Field.

The Springfield softball team appeared in one Women's College World Series in 1977.

The Springfield College women's gymnastics team won the first intercollegiate national championship in 1969 and three of the first four (1971 and 1972).

In 1940 Springfield was one of eight teams to make the 1940 NCAA basketball tournament, losing to eventual champion Indiana 48–24 in the regional semifinals held at Butler Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In 2006 and 2007, the institution hosted the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Final Four.

The men's volleyball team has six non-NCAA national titles in the now-defunct Molten Invitational championship, an event for NCAA Division III schools that ran from 1997 through 2011, and also won the first three NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championships in 2012 through 2014. All nine championships were won under Head Coach Charlie Sullivan.

The Springfield College Women's Basketball team of 2004–2005, made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III basketball tournament.

Women's basketball has won several conference tournament championships, including the season of 2006.

Springfield College graduates Rusty Jones G '86 and Jon Torine '95 participated in Super Bowl XLI as the Head Strength and Conditioning coaches of the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts, respectively.

The Springfield College Women's Field Hockey Team has won the NEWMAC (New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference) title for five consecutive years (2004–2008).

The men's lacrosse team won six straight titles (2008–2013) in the now-defunct Pilgrim Lacrosse League, which has since been absorbed by the NEWMAC.

Springfield's Women's Swimming and Diving Team has won the NEWMAC Conference title for ten consecutive years (2001–2010) in the Division III Conference.

Springfield's Men's soccer team were voted National College Champions by the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association in 1946, 1947 and 1957. This was before the NCAA championship soccer tournament in 1959.

Men's teams Women's teams
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross Country
Cross country Field hockey
Football Gymnastics
Golf Lacrosse
Gymnastics Soccer
Lacrosse Softball
Soccer Swimming & diving
Swimming & Diving Tennis
Tennis Track & field
Track & Field Volleyball
Volleyball
Wrestling

Rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranked Springfield College #26 for Best Regional Universities—North Region for 2021, the sixth consecutive year that it has been in the top 30. U.S. News also ranked Springfield College #18 among Best Value Schools for Regional Universities—North, the school's fifth consecutive year on the list.

Springfield College was the recipient of the 2016 Presidential Award in the education category of the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This honor is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.

Since 2009, Diverse Issues in Higher Education has ranked Springfield College's School of Professional and Continuing Studies, formerly the School of Human Services, among the top three U.S. institutions for the number of bachelor's degrees awarded to African Americans in public administration and social services.

In 2015, the institution successfully for an optional community engagement classification in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) named Springfield a finalist for the President's Award for Community Service in 2014.

Springfield College was named a 2016–17 College of Distinction for providing an innovative, teacher-centered undergraduate education with a strong record of preparing its graduates for real-world success.

U.S. News ranked Springfield College #8 for schools with the highest percentages of alumni enrolling in a graduate school in 2013.

Notable alumni and faculty

42°6′15.6″N 72°33′18.2″W / 42.104333°N 72.555056°W / 42.104333; -72.555056


This page was last updated at 2023-10-04 20:16 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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