Muhlenberg College

History

Muhlenberg College was founded in 1848 as the Allentown Seminary by Reverend Samuel K. Brobst, a Reformed Lutheran minister. Reverend Christian Rudolph Kessler was the school's first teacher and administrator. Between 1848 and 1867, the school operated as the Allentown Seminary, the Allentown Collegiate and Military Institute and the Allentown Collegiate Institute. Then in 1867, the college moved into Trout Hall and was renamed after Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America. Henry Muhlenberg's great-grandson, Reverend Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, served as president of the college from 1867 to 1876. In 1905, the college purchased and relocated to its current location in Allentown's West End.

Location

Allentown is a city of about 100,000 people, located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Allentown is situated on the Lehigh River, with the cities of Bethlehem and Easton nearby (also in the Lehigh Valley). It is also roughly 60 miles north of Philadelphia and 90 miles west of New York City.

There are all sorts of urban amenities and attractions in Allentown. Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom are popular amusement parks located just outside Allentown. There are also a number of cinemas and theatres nearby.

Campus

Muhlenberg's 81-acre campus is located in a residential neighborhood in Allentown's West End. Many campus building have distinctive red doors and are in the traditional European/Protestant style.

The Library Building, now called the Haas College Center, was built between 1926 and 1929. Miller Tower rises from the Haas College Center. It was inspired by Oxford University's Christopher Wren-designed Tom Tower, and it is named for David A. Miller (Class of 1894), founder of Allentown's The Morning Call newspaper.

In 2007, a new science building and an additional residence hall have been completed.

As well as the main campus, Muhlenberg maintains the Lee and Virginia Graver Arboretum and a separate wildlife sanctuary.

The arboretum is more than 40 years old. It was established by Dr. Lee and Virginia Graver, who cultivated wildflowers, ferns, rhododendrons, and a variety of trees, including more than 150 conifer species. The Gravers donated their property to Muhlenberg College in 1994.

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Dorms

Freshman live in Walz Hall, Prosser Hall, and Brown Hall in the West Quad. The West Quad also has upperclassmen housing at Brown Hall and Kathryn P. Taylor Hall. The East Quad has upperclassmen housing too, at the East Halls and Martin Luther Hall. In the South Quad are Robertson and South Halls, Banfer Hall, The Village, and 2201 Chew Street.

There are also the Muhlenberg Independent Living Experiences (M.I.L.E.s), and limited space in the Tremont Apartments.

President

Muhlenberg’s president is Peyton Randolph Helm, who took office on July 1, 2003. He is also a professor of history at the college.

Before coming to Muhlenberg, President Helm served as vice president for college relations and professor of classical studies at Colby College in Maine.

He started his administrative career, though, at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was named coordinator of College House Programs in 1981. He acted as associate director of development and then served as director of development for Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences. He was also an adjunct assistant professor of ancient history and urban studies at Penn from 1981 to 1988, after which time he moved to Colby.

President Helm has been awarded the Steuben Apple, given to advancement professionals who have been rated as a top speaker at ten or more national conferences. His writing has been published in various scholarly publications in the field of ancient history.

Helm earned his bachelor’s degree in archaeology at Yale University, with magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa distinction. He earned his doctoral degree in ancient history, specializing in ancient Greek and Near Eastern history and literature, from the University of Pennsylvania.

Famous Alumni

Richard Ben-Veniste - Lead prosecutor in the Watergate case and Democratic counsel in the Whitewater scandal hearings.

George O. Bierkoe - President and co-founder of Endicott College.

Justis Bolding – Actress on ABC daytime soap opera "One Life to Live," playing role of Sarah Roberts.

David Fricke - Writer, senior editor of Rolling Stone magazine.

O. Frederick Nolde – Dean of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and first director of the World Council of Churches' Commission of the Churches on International Affairs.

Jack McCallum - Writer, senior editor of Sports Illustrated.

Kam-Kam Cheng - Female lead in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon; also performed on Broadway in "The King and I."

Students

The College

Getting In

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Traditions

Facts

Approximately 65% of students receive some form of financial aid.

There are more than 100 clubs and student organizations on campus.

There are four national fraternities and four national sororities at Muhlenberg.

Muhlenberg’s school colors are cardinal red and gray.

Though Muhlenberg is a Lutheran school, it is religiously diverse. The three biggest religious groups on campus are Catholic (about 33% of students), Jewish (about 28%), and Protestant (about 25%).

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