Anderson College News

Anderson College News followed Alumni News as Anderson College’s alumni periodical in 1963. It was edited by Alumni Director Joseph W. Espey until September 1965, when former art editor Vivian McFarling took over the position. In June of 1968, W. Shirell Fox became the editor and remained for the rest of Anderson College News’s publication.

Anderson College News begins with volume 45, reflecting the College’s 45th year. It was originally published six times a year as a short magazine. In 1966, the magazine format switched to a cost-saving bulletin style. The bulletin morphed into larger newssheet a few years later. Publication rates varied from four to eleven times a year until the last issue in August 1986. Signatures began the following spring as the most recent version of Anderson University's alumni periodical.

Like its predecessor Alumni News, Anderson College News contained announcements about new jobs, births, marriages, and deaths in the Anderson College community. There were also reports on graduation and commencement ceremonies, fundraising campaigns, sports, and new faculty, as well as a page for the president and a section for the Annual Report. However, the new periodical was not only an alumni magazine, and sought to reach prospective and current students as well to some extent. In 1964, the editors reported 14,000 subscriptions. That number increased to 15,000 nine years later.

During its publication, Anderson College experienced a number of large-scale changes, including the projects during President Reardon’s “Decade of Development” from 1958-1968. The school reached its fiftieth anniversary. Old Main was demolished and fire damaged AC Music Hall, but several new buildings were constructed, including Olt Student Center, Hartung Hall, multiple dorms, Decker Hall, Krannert Fine Arts Center, and Reardon Auditorium, among others.  In 1965, The School of Theology received full accreditation.

The February 1966 issue was dedicated to Dr. John A. Morrison, the school’s first president, and subsequent issues tracked the transition from President Reardon to President Nicholson. In 1971, Anderson College News noted that the school had reached a total enrollment of 2,000 for the first time. A nursing program was added, and TRI-S grew. Meanwhile, protests and the draft brought the Vietnam War to Anderson’s campus.