College History

History


Old Main Building

Founded by Lutheran pioneers in education in 1847, Carthage has had four names and four locations in its 165 years. The College was chartered by the Illinois General Assembly on Jan. 22, 1847. Back then, the College was located in Hillsboro, Ill., and was known as The Literary and Theological Institute of the Lutheran Church in the Far West. The name was soon shortened to Hillsboro College.

With a two-person faculty and 79 students, Hillsboro promised "a course of study designed to be thorough and practical, and to embrace all the branches of learning, usually pursued in the best academies and colleges." Hillsboro prospered in its first two years, thanks to support from Lutheran congregations. In 1852, the College relocated to the larger town of Springfield, Ill., and assumed the new name of Illinois State University.

In 1870, the College moved again, this time to the rural, west-central city of Carthage, Ill., where the College acquired its current name. By 1916, the College gained accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and received the association's highest rating of "A" — one of only four colleges in Illinois to gain this honor. By 1927, enrollment in the College had reached nearly 300 students.

The Great Depression and World War II lowered enrollment to 131 students in 1943. Ten years later, the Board of Trustees agreed to consider relocating Carthage once again. By 1962, Carthage had established its lakeshore campus in Kenosha, Wis., and the College launched an era of exciting growth.

The next decade brought a period of continuous expansion. Enrollment increased fivefold, endowment tripled, and physical assets increased 600 percent. In Fall 1995, Carthage enrolled 1,527 full-time students, setting a new record. Full-time enrollment now stands at a record level of 2,500 students. Total enrollment is 3,400 students. Intensive national searches have built a teaching-oriented faculty holding Ph.D.s from major graduate programs across the country. In the past decade alone, the College has invested more than $130 million in new construction, major renovations and technological acquisition.

A challenging academic program, personal care and attention, and an abiding respect for human and religious values ... these remain the foundations of Carthage College.

Carthage Alma Mater