William Jewell College history

The first publication of William Jewell College's history was authored by James G. Clark at the request of the college's Board of Trustees in 1893.

The unanticipated merger developed slowly, but by 1920 the women of the ladies' college were admitted to William Jewell on the same terms as men.

In 1926, the John Gano chapel was built, based on a donation from Gano's great-granddaughter Elizabeth Price, who lived in Kansas City.

The Harriman-Jewell Series, a performing arts series, was founded in 1965 by Department of English Professors Dean Dunham and Richard Harriman.

Harriman was especially instrumental in bringing Luciano Pavarotti to campus, where the tenor made his international solo recital debut as part of the Series in 1973.

In 1982, the College invested in study abroad programs and developed partnerships with Oxford and Cambridge Universities in England to create the Oxbridge Honors Program.

Published in 1999 to celebrate Jewell's sesquicentennial, this book covers a complete history of the first 150 years of Jewell, from campus life to buildings and campus leaders.

Named for its key founder, William Jewell College's relationship with the Baptist Convention continued through 2003.

In August 2013, William Jewell College opened Pryor Learning Commons, a 26,000 square-foot intellectual center where students gather, learn, and create 24 hours a day.

Dylan Jones, a 2018 William Jewell graduate, said he spends one to two hours a day on the project despite also having a full-time job and working on an online graduate certificate.

Christopher Wilkins, a professor of history at William Jewell, launched the project in fall 2020 after last summer’s historic protests for racial justice.