History



Located in Bethlehem, Pennslyvannia, Moravian College was founded as a girls school in May 1742 by sixteen-year-old Countess Benigna von Zinzendorf. This happened while on a trip to New World Moravian Settlements with her father Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf. Her ideas about education came from Jon Amos Comenius (1592-1670) who said in 1632, "not the children of the rich or of the powerful only, but of all alike, boys and girls, both noble and ignoble, rich and poor, in all cities and towns, villages and hamlets, should be sent to school."

Jon Amos Comenius was a bishop in the "the Unity of the Brethren" (later dubbed Moravian in the New World) church who was known as "the father of modern education" for his revolutionary educational principles. Comenius believed education to be secondary only to religion. Education was important because according to the Moravian Church, all souls were able to be redeemed; but in order for the soul to be redeemed, it must first be educated and trained so that it may recognize the eternal truth when it found it.

During the time of Moravian College's founding, Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf was leader and benefactor of the Moravian Church. This came about when the then persecuted and almost extinct Brethren were given asylum on the Saxony estate of Zinzendorf. Eventually in 1732, The Moravians coming from Moravia and Germany came to the New World. It was on Christmas Eve, 1741 when Bethlehem was founded and both the Count and his daughter were there for the occasion. Moravian College Sprang up the next year.

Moravian was America's first girls boarding schooland sixth oldest college. The college had such a repuatation that George Washington, during his second term as president of the United States, personally petitioned the headmaster for the admission of two of his great-nieces.

"The Bethlehem Female Seminary as it was known was charted to grant baccalaureate degrees in 1863, and in 1913 became Moravian Seminary and College for Women. In 1807 a men's college and theological seminary was established as an extension of Nazareth Hall. That institution, Moravian College and Theological Seminary, moved to Bethlehem in 1858 and was chartered to grant baccalaureate degrees in 1863 as well. It was in 1954 when the two colleges merged and became the coeducational Moravian College that is known today. Moravian College became the Lehigh Valley's first coeducational institution of higher education."

Present

Moravian College is currently presided over by its president, Dr. Ervin Rokke, who holds both master's and doctoral degrees from Harvard University and serves on the Council of Foreign Relations. He is retiring as of Spring 2006 and there is no new candidate for president as of yet.

Moravian College is a small college and currently has about 2000 students. It is known for its Christmas Vespers service which happens the first two weekends of December. Moravian College also has a renound choir (The Moravian College Choir) and has an excellent music program.

Moravian offers 4 year baccalaureate degrees as well as graduate studies.

It offers the following programs of undergraduate study.

  • Accounting
  • Art Education
  • Art History & Criticism
  • Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Business Management
  • Chemistry
  • Classics
  • Clinical Counseling
  • Computer Science
  • Criminal Justice
  • Drama & Theatre
  • Economics
  • Elementary Education
  • English Lang. & Literature
  • Environmental Studies
  • Experimental Psychology
  • French
  • German
  • Graphic Design
  • History
  • Indust./Org. Psychology
  • Intl. Management
  • Mathematics
  • Music
  • Music Composition
  • Music Education
  • Music Performance
  • Nursing
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Political Science
  • Pre-Dentistry
  • Pre-Law
  • Pre-Medicine
  • Pre-Ministry
  • Pre-Veterinary Medicine
  • Psychology
  • Religion
  • Sacred Music
  • Science Education
  • Secondary Education
  • Social-Develop. Psych.
  • Social Science Education
  • Sociology
  • Spanish
  • Studio Art
  • Writing


  • Freshman Statistics from the website (www.moravian.edu)



    Class Rank of Entering Freshmen,
    2005-2006

    Top 10th 31%
    2nd 10th 23%
    3rd 10th 15%
    4th 10th 12%
    5th 10th 13%
    6th 10th 3%
    7th 10th 3%
    8th 10th 1%
    5th 5th 0%
    Not ranked 28%
    Top 25% 63%


    Standardized testing for entering Freshman for the Fall 2004

    The middle 50% of entering freshman scored between 520 and 620 on the Verbal SAT, and between 520 and 630 on the Math SAT. The average SAT score on the Verbal side was 570 and on the Math side was 576, totaling 1149.

    Moravian also accepts the ACT. The typical admitted student has a composite score in the 22-27 range.


    I currently go here as a biochemistry major.


    http://www.moravian.edu
    http://www.moravian.edu/about/history.htm
    http://www.moravian.edu/academics/index.htm

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