Belhaven College is a contemporary institution built on the timeless
principles of service and excellence in higher education. Since its founding, Belhaven
College has sought to fulfill the mission expressed in its motto: "non ministrari,
sed ministrare" (to serve, not to be served).
Today's Belhaven is the culmination of three separate institutions of higher learning which merged over the years. Belhaven College was chartered in 1894 in Jackson, Mississippi as a privately-owned institution. In 1911 Belhaven was merged with McComb Female Institute, and in 1939 merged with the Mississippi Synodical College. The founding date of the latter institution, 1883, was adopted by the Board of Trustees as the official founding date of Belhaven College.
In 1894, Dr. Lewis Fitzhugh established Belhaven College for Young Ladies on Boyd Street at the former residence of Colonel Jones S. Hamilton. The College took the name of the house, Belhaven in honor of Hamilton's ancestral home in Scotland. A fire destroyed the main building in February, 1895, but with the help of Jackson citizens the College reopened in the fall of 1896 at the same site.
Fitzhugh served as president until his death in 1904, upon which his heirs sold the College to Dr. J. R. Preston. He operated Belhaven until it was again destroyed by a fire in 1910, then he donated the title of the College to the Presbyterian Church. In September, 1911 the school was reopened by the Central Mississippi Presbytery as Belhaven Collegiate and Industrial Institute, at a new site on Peachtree Street. Dr. R. V. Lancaster of McComb Female Institute became the third president as the two institutions merged. In 1915 the Board of Trustees changed the school's name to Belhaven College. During these years improved curricula guidelines and student services were established. Dr. W. H. Frazier succeeded Lancaster as president from 1918-21, and during his tenure enrollment grew to 230 students.
In 1921 the Reverend Guy T. Gillespie of Lexington, Mississippi, began a presidency that would last 33 years. In Gillespie's tenure Belhaven was first accredited, an endowment fund begun, and scholarship aid made available. Through depression, war, and unstable economic times Belhaven maintained its mission.
Dr. McFerran Crowe succeeded Gillespie in 1954 and over six years he expanded and upgraded the faculty, while modernizing business operations. It was also in 1954 that the Board of Trustees voted to make Belhaven fully co educational, thus ensuring continued growth. In 1960-61, Dr. Robert F. Cooper served as acting president until the Board selected Dr. Howard J. Cleland. An ambitious expansion program resulted in six major new buildings, while enrollment and the College budget tripled during Cleland's 17-year tenure. Another significant change came in 1972, when the Synod of Mississippi transferred ownership of the College to the Board of Trustees.
In March, 1978, Dr. Verne R. Kennedy became the first Belhaven alumnus
to serve as chief executive of his alma mater. In eight years as president he reaffirmed
the commitment to Christian service and the covenant relationship with the Presbyterian
Church, and installed a more efficient administrative structure. Another alumnus of
Belhaven, Dr. Newton Wilson, became president in June, 1986. His nine years saw the
greatest growth in College history, from just over 600 students to more than 1,100. By
1995, over 80 percent of Belhaven's faculty held doctoral or equivalent degrees. The
College also extended its outreach in non-traditional venues, with expanded course
offerings for adult and evening students. Dr. Daniel C. Fredericks served as acting
president in 1995 until the Board selected Dr. Roger Parrott. A new era of leadership at
Belhaven began in January, 1996, as Dr. Roger Parrott became the
tenth President of the College. He inherited an institution with an all-time record
enrollment of 1,320 students, and the best-qualified faculty in the history of the
College.
Over its 113 years Belhaven has established a reputation for faithful service to city and state, to country and God. As the College and its new president look ahead to a new century, the opportunities and demands will grow, but the founding mission remains unchanged..."to serve, not to be served."
