1. History
    Forsyth  Point Lookout  1950s expansion  1960s to present  Presidents 

2. Athletics

3. Campus

4. Notable alumni

5. References

6. External links

• CIC
• WCC

College of the Ozarks is a Christian liberal-arts college in Point Lookout, Missouri. The college has an enrollment of 1,426, a student-to-faculty ratio of approximately 16:1, over 30 academic majors in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs.^[5] It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).

The college charges no tuition for full-time students due to its student work program and donations. The program requires students to work 15 hours a week at an on-campus work station and two 40-hour work weeks during breaks. A summer work program is available to cover room and board costs.^[6] The college refers to itself as "Hard Work U."^[7] and places emphasis on "character" education.

History

Forsyth

The school was first proposed in 1901 as a high school by James Forsyth, pastor of the Forsyth, Missouri Presbyterian Church. Forsythe was from the St. Louis, Missouri area.

Forsythe was said to have been inspired to make the proposal after encountering a boy on a squirrel hunt who told him that his parents couldn't afford to send him to the closest high school {{convert|40|mi|km|sigfig=1}} away in Springfield, Missouri.^[8]

The School of the Ozarks opened on September 11, 1907, in a {{convert|75|by|50|ft|m|sigfig=2|abbr=off|sp=us|adj=on}} building atop Mount Huggins (named for brothers Louis and William Huggins from St. Joseph, Missouri who were among the founders of Nabisco^[9] and had donated money for the school). In its first term it had enrollment of 180 with 36 boarders.^[10]

From the start, the school adopted its practice of having its students work instead of paying tuition.

On January 12, 1915, the original building burned. School was temporarily held in Forsyth, with five students graduating in 1915.^[8]

Point Lookout

The school then relocated farther up the White River at Point Lookout, Missouri on a {{convert|16|acre|ha|2|adj=on}} campus. The campus has changed quite a bit since this era, but has remained at the Point Lookout location ever since.^[11] The central building of the campus was the Maine Hunting and Fishing Club building, which had been transported to the site by sportsmen from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair where it had been the State of Maine exhibit. It was renamed the Dobyns Building in honor of W. R. Dobyns, president of the trustees at the time. The building burned on February 1, 1930.^[12][13]

In the 1920s what would become the Ralph Foster Museum depicting Ozark heritage had its start in the basement of the boys dormitory: Abernathy Hall.

In 1934 the Fruitcake and Jelly Kitchen opened to offer work for students. It is now one of 90 work stations. More than 100 fruitcakes are now baked daily.^[14]

1950s expansion

In the 1950s under Robert M. Good and M. Graham Clark the school dramatically changed.

The campus expanded to {{convert|1400|acre|ha|0}}, the school's Gothic chapel was built on the location of the original Dobyns Building and a hospital was added.

In 1956, with high schools becoming increasingly available in the area, the school became a junior college.

The Museum of the Ozarks took over the entire Abernathy Building and was renamed the Good Museum for president Good. It was later renamed for country music pioneer Ralph D. Foster, who donated money and exhibits for it. The museum expanded in 1969, 1977 and 1991.^[15] Among the exhibits is an original George Barris 1921 modified Oldsmobile Beverly Hillbillies truck donated by series creator Paul Henning who was inspired to do the show after a Boy Scout camping trip in the Ozarks. The museum also contains a large firearm display, including a rifle belonging to Pancho Villa.^[16]

1960s to present

In 1965 it became an accredited four-year college.^[17]

In 1973 The Wall Street Journal described School of the Ozarks as "Hard Work U."{{Citation needed|reason=cite article, author, date|date=September 2018}} The name has stuck as the school motto and the school has trademarked it.^[18]

In 1990 it was renamed the College of the Ozarks.^[17]

In the 2003–2004 semesters a professor revealed that one of the college's deans, Larry Cockrum, had received his Ph.D. from Crescent City Christian College, a fraudulent college ("diploma mill") run out of a coach's basement.^[19] The professor who brought this information to light was suspended for the 2004 semester, and his contract was not to be renewed for the fall semester.^[20] The college's president, Jerry C. Davis, defended the dean with the fraudulent degree, while terminating the professor.^[21] Cockrum has been appointed to a new position as president of The University of the Cumberlands.^[22]

In 2018, two students were kidnapped and forced to perform sexual acts on one another and their captor. The students were sleeping in a car just a quarter-mile away from the front gates to the college. The students had missed the curfew by less than ten minutes and were locked out of the college. Sue Head, the college's current Vice President for Cultural Affairs and Dean of Character Education, stated to the press that students are able to call campus security past curfew and will be let back into campus.^[23] Alumni have stated that students sleeping in their car or away from campus was routine when they attended the college.^[24] Alumni also stated that they feared being expelled for missing curfew.^[24]

The current president, Jerry C. Davis, has instituted five goals for the college that now stand as their pillars for students to emulate:^[25]

• Academic
• Vocational
• Christian
• Patriotic
• Cultural

Presidents

Since 1906, there have been 14 presidents, 2 acting presidents and one chancellor.^[26]

• 1906 – A. Y. Beatie
• 1907 – George Gordon Robertson
• 1907–10 – W. I. Utterback
• 1910 – F. O. Hellier
• 1911–13 – George K. Knepper
• 1913–15 – William L. Porter
• 1915–16 – John E. Crockett
• 1916–20 – George L. Washburn
• 1920–21 – Thomas M. Barbee
• 1921–52 – R. M. Good
• 1952–75 – M. Graham Clark
• 1975–81 – Howell W. Keeter, Chancellor
• 1981–82 – James I. Spainhower
• 1982–83 – Howell W. Keeter, Interim
• 1983–87 – Stephen G. Jennings
• 1987–88 – William D. Todd, Interim
• 1988––present – Jerry C. Davis

Athletics

The College of the Ozarks teams are known as the Bobcats. The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and competes as an independent. Before July 2015, the college competed in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC). But in July 2015, the MCAC was dissolved. The College is now currently part of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).

Men's Sports:

• Cross-Country
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Track and Field

Women's Sports:

• Cross-Country
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Track and Field

The 2005-06 men's basketball team won the NAIA Division II national championship, while the Lady Cats were the runner up. The men's team was second in the basketball tournament in 2000 and 2009.^[27] From 2000-2017, Keeter Gymnasium was host to the NAIA Division II Basketball Championship games. In 2014, Ozarks made headlines by defeating second ranked College of Idaho in the national tournament.^[28]

In the wake of the 2016–2017 national anthem protests at athletic events in the United States, the college announced that they would refuse to play any team whose players took a knee in the same manner as the protests.^[29] In response, the NAIA chose to move its Division II men's basketball champion game away from College of the Ozarks; the championship game had been held there since 2000.^[30] In September 2018, the president of the college released a statement explaining that the school would no longer use uniforms made by Nike: “If Nike is ashamed of America, we are ashamed of them."^[31]

Campus

• Williams Memorial Chapel - This Neo-Gothic chapel was built in 1956 and holds consistent public Sunday services at 11 a.m.
• The Keeter Center - The 95,000 square foot facility holds a restaurant, lodging, and other rooms/halls for events.
• The Ralph Foster Museum - This Ozarks' history museum is named after the late Ralph D. Foster, who was a prominent radio voice and philanthropist in the area.
• Fruitcake and Jelly Kitchen - The college's kitchen produces many student-made products here, including their well-known apple butter.
• Edwards Mill - This student-run mill receives power from a twelve-foot water wheel and produces meal, flour, and other products.
• Lake Honor - This small lake found in the middle of campus houses the college's swans and their ducklings.
• The Hoge Greenhouse - More than 7,000 plants including orchids, houseplants, and more can be found and purchased inside the greenhouse.
• The Gaetz Tractor Museum - This museum holds many antique farm tools, tractors, and pieces of equipment dating back to the early 1900s.
• Lyons Memorial Library
• McKibben Cemetery
• Memorial Dorm
• Ashcroft Dorm
• McDonald Dorm
• Foster Dorm
• Mabee Dorm
• Youngman Dorm
• Kelce Dorm
• Howell W. Keeter Gymnasium
• Garrison Center
• 91.7 FM KCOZ Radio Station

Notable alumni

• Lennie Aleshire, vaudeville star
• Terrence R. Dake, Marine general
• April Scott, actor
• Tony Tost, writer

References

External links

• {{Official website|http://cofo.edu/}}
• College of the Ozarks Athletics Website

• Evanston public library
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