Missouri Christian College
Camden Point, Missouri
1848-1928
E-Travel
The State Historical Society of Missouri provided scans of the 1904-05 and 1923-24 Missouri Christian College catalogues. The Weston Chronicle, the Platte City Argus, and Landmark newspapers covered school events. The last decade has seen more local interest in Missouri Christian College, resulting in social media posts from organizations such as Platte County Historical Society and Camden Point Landmarks Society. All images are from the 1904-05 catalogue
History
Missouri Christian College traced its history to Camden Point Female Academy, founded in 1848 to provide educational opportunity for girls in the Platte Purchase. In 1869 that school was purchased by the Disciples of Christ Church and rechartered as Female Orphan School of the Christian Church of Missouri. The school continued to accept paying students.
1904 graduates of Missouri Christian College
“With a view of enlargement of influence,” in 1904 the trustees rechartered the school as Missouri Christian College. The catalogue shows that graduates received a Bachelor of Arts degree. Enrollment was 81 taught by a faculty of ten. In addition to instructors of languages, mathematics, history, science, pedagogy and religion, the faculty included two music teachers, two art teachers, an elocution teacher, and a domestic science teacher. In 1912 business courses were added.
Student activities included regular recitals involving both piano and vocal groups as well as elocution selections. What became the Hesperian and Philomathian literary societies met biweekly. Newspapers suggest that students were especially fond of drama, since each school year would feature a series of plays culminating with the Senior Play during commencement week. The school also had a chapter of the Y.W.C.A.
In 1917 M.C.C. officially became a junior college accredited by the University of Missouri. The accompanying upper two years of high school were regionally accredited. The 1923-24 catalog shows 79 students total.
On April 26,1928 the Weston Chronicle carried a notice that the trustees had determined to close Missouri Christian College due to a lack of funds. Later that year came a notice that the school would continue in cooperation with the Eugene Bible University. The school would become coeducational, and its primary mission would become the training of ministers. However, by fall semester of 1929 only five students were enrolled, and only one continued in the spring—taught by a faculty of five.
Bricks and Mortar
The 1904-05 catalogue describes Camden Point (1900 pop. 170) as a town of “wealthy, refined, cultured” people who supported the work of the college. Located between St. Joseph and Kansas City and having a “pure and wholesome” moral atmosphere, Camden Point was an ideal site for a school for young ladies. Following destructive fires in 1854 and 1889, the building most associated with Missouri Christian College was built in 1890. Its eleven-acre campus with shade trees topped an elevation on the east side of the town and was the site of the annual dinner during commencement week.
Originally a two-story brick structure, it had a third wing and a third floor added in 1911.
The 1923-24 catalogue notes that the main floor featured an assembly room, classrooms, a library, the office and a reception room. The entire upper floor contained dormitory rooms. The gymnasium occupied the basement along with the dining room and the kitchen.
In 1944 the old building was razed and sold for scrap.
The school building in 1904.
Sports
School Colors: Purple and Gold, according to the Weston Chronicle
The image (right) shows that basketball was played at M.C.C. as early as 1904. The St. Joseph News-Press noted that the school’s 1910 gymnasium was so small that the walls constituted the side- and endlines and two iron posts in the middle of the floor held up the ceiling.
The first newspaper notice of a game occurred in 1916 when M.C.C lost to Dearborn High School 27-1. By 1920 newspapers show games against nearby high schools, colleges, and independent teams. In addition to area high schools, M.C.C. played against college teams from Kansas City JC, St. Joseph JC, Howard Payne, Central, Missouri Wesleyan, Park, and Palmer. Opponents also included St. Joseph independent teams Jolly Girls and Tastells Ice Cream. In general, M.C.C. teams were not successful against teams above high school level.
The 1904-05 catalogue identifies this group only as "a basketball team."
Note: Images are used in accordance with their “terms of use,” as I understand those terms. Recopying or reproducing may be restricted or forbidden.