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Stephens College

Former names	Columbia Female Academy (1833–1856) Columbia Female Baptist Academy (1856–1870)
Type	Private women's college
Established	1833; 191 years ago (1833)
President	Dianne Lynch
Students	593 (fall 2021)
Undergraduates	407
Postgraduates	183
Location	Columbia, Missouri, U.S. 38°57′00″N 92°19′21″W / 38.9500°N 92.3225°W / 38.9500; -92.3225
Campus	Urban, 86-acre (35 ha)
Colors	Maroon and gold
Nickname	Stars
Sporting affiliations	NAIA – American Midwest
Website	www.stephens.edu

Stephens College is a private women's college in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is the second-oldest women's educational establishment that is still a women's college in the United States. It was founded on August 24, 1833, as the Columbia Female Academy.

In 1856, David H. Hickman helped secure the college's charter under the name The Columbia Female Baptist Academy. In the late 19th century it was renamed Stephens College after James L. Stephens endowed the college with $20,000. From 1937 to 1943, its Drama Department became renowned under its chairman and teacher, the actress Maude Adams, James M. Barrie's first American Peter Pan. The Warehouse Theater is a student-run performance venue on campus, while the major performance venue for the college is The Playhouse. The campus includes a National Historic District: Stephens College South Campus Historic District.

The college enrolled 593 students in fall 2021.

Academics

The college follows a liberal arts curriculum and prior to 2024 had three schools: School of Health Sciences, Conservatory for the Performing Arts, and School of Integrative Studies. The school is now transitioning to two schools: The Women’s College (which comprises the School of Health Sciences and the School of Integrative Studies) and the all-gender Conservatory for the Performing Arts.

In addition to undergraduate programs, Stephens offers the following graduate degrees: Master of Education in Counseling (emphasis in school counseling or clinical mental health counseling), Master of Fine Arts in Television and Screenwriting, and Master in Physician Assistant Studies.

Student outcomes

According to College Scorecard, the graduation rate for Stephen’s college is 56%. For transfer students the graduation rate is 59%.

The median income in 2020 and 2021 for graduates who matriculated in 2010 and 2011 was $43,071, with 65% of graduates making more than high school graduates. According to Payscale, graduates make $55,700 in early career and $100,900 in mid-career. The Center on Education and the Workforce estimated that the return on investment with a bachelors at Stephens is $26,000 10 years after graduation, this accelerates to $661,000 40 years after graduation.

Campus life

There are a few academic honor societies on campus: Mortar Board (inactive), Psi Chi, Alpha Lambda Delta (inactive), Sigma Tau Delta, Tri-Beta, Kappa Delta Pi, Phi Alpha Delta (inactive), and Sigma Eta Rho. Although Stephens College is no longer a two-year institution, it is the location of the Alpha chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society of the Two-Year College.

The student magazine, Stephens Life, is online with a magazine printed once a semester. The college's literary magazine, Harbinger, is released each spring.

Stephens opened pet-friendly residence halls in 2004. The college also allows students to foster shelter animals in exchange for scholarships.

The Warehouse Theatre Company is a student-run playhouse on campus which stages an average of four different productions per academic season.

Citizen Jane Film Festival

The Citizen Jane Film Festival was an annual film festival established at Stephens College. The festival was first held October 17–19, 2008. Films were chosen that showcased women behind and in front of the camera. Though the festival has been discontinued, Citizen Jane continues in the form of a lecture series hosted by the Stephens College digital filmmaking program.

Athletics

The Stephens athletic teams are called the Stars. The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) since the 2008–09 academic year. The Stars previously competed as an NAIA Independent from 2004–05 to 2007–08. Prior joining the NAIA, Stephens was also a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA): in the Division III ranks from 1994–95 (when the school re-instated back its athletics program) to 2003–04; and in the Division II ranks from about 1982–83 to 1986–87, before transitioning to club status for two seasons until discontinuing the athletics program after the 1988–89 school year.

Stephens competes in four intercollegiate varsity sports: basketball, soccer, softball and volleyball. Former sports included cross country. Club sports include competitive dance and esports, which is the first varsity esports team at an all-women's college.

People

The Stephens College Alumnae Association has more than 20,000 members internationally. Alumnae are found in every state.

Notable alumnae

• Patricia Barry, stage, film, and television actress (1921–2016)
• Stephanie Beatriz, actress
• Paddy Bowden, psychotherapist (d. 2020), wife of Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson
• Nancy Elizabeth Brown, Vice Admiral, United States Navy
• Shirley Clarke, filmmaker (1919–1997)
• Nancy Cozean, former journalist and politician
• Joan Crawford, actress (did not complete first year)
• Frances Crowe, peace activist
• Leslie Easterbrook, actress; best known for her role as Debbie Callahan in the Police Academy series
• Shirley Adele Field, Oregon legislator and judge
• Susan Flannery, soap actress on CBS The Bold & the Beautiful, retired December 2012 after 25 years
• Karith Foster, stand-up comedian and radio personality
• Wally Funk, aviator and astronaut
• Tammy Grimes, actress and singer
• Anne Gwynne, actress
• Corky Hale, jazz musician
• Joan Robinson Hill, equestrienne and socialite
• Eva Johnston, classical scholar; first American woman to receive a doctoral degree from the University of Königsberg; second female professor and first Dean of Women at the University of Missouri
• Jeane Kirkpatrick, first female U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.
• Ashley Litton, former Miss Missouri USA
• Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, businesswoman and former U.S. Ambassador to Finland
• Ginny McSwain, casting director and voice director
• Marjie Millar, actress
• Leslie Adrienne Miller, poet
• Elizabeth Mitchell, actress
• Martha Beall Mitchell, wife of former U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell
• Jean Muir, actress, first performer added to the Hollywood Blacklist
• Alanna Nash, journalist
• Carrie Nye, actress
• Lyndsey Olson, Saint Paul City Attorney
• Annie Potts, television and film actress
• Emily J. Reynolds, Secretary of the U.S. Senate
• Virginia Shehee, first woman to serve in the Louisiana State Senate
• Sarah Stalker, politician
• Julie Suk, poet
• Jennifer Tilly, actress
• Virginia Welles, actress
• Dawn Wells, actress
• Glad Robinson Youse, composer; namesake of college's Glad Robinson Youse Scholarship
• Paula Zahn, journalist
• Paula Zima, artist

Presidents of the college

Historic buildings

Firestone Baars Chapel

The Firestone Baars Chapel was designed by world-famous Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, who also designed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. The chapel symbolizes commitment to individual spiritual development and worship. The chapel is used for meditation, religious services, vespers, weddings, memorials and campus programs.

Historic Senior Hall

Historic Senior Hall dates back to 1841, when Oliver Parker bought the 8-acre (3.2 ha) tract of land on which the college was first located. In 1857, the Columbia Baptist Female College, which later became Stephens College, acquired the building. Until 1918, Historic Senior Hall was the only dormitory at the college. It was the tradition for the President of the Civic Association (now the Student Government Association) to occupy the first floor room just north of the Waugh Street entrance. Many generations of students feel this building is their tie to the past. A complete restoration of Historic Senior Hall began in the spring of 1987, and the building was rededicated in the spring of 1990. Senior Hall was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

• Senior Hall
• Senior Hall front
• The President's home
• James Madison Woods Hall
• Senior Tower
• Columbia Hall

References

1. ^ "Fall 2021 enrollment report". Missouri Department of Higher Education. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
2. "About Stephens". Archived from the original on 2023-03-27.
3. "College Scorecard". collegescorecard.ed.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
4. "Stephens College Salary | PayScale". www.payscale.com. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
5. "A First Try at ROI: Ranking 4,500 Colleges". CEW Georgetown. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
6. "College Navigator - Stephens College". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
7. "Activities and Organizations". Archived from the original on February 7, 2006.
8. "pet program » Stephens College". Stephens.edu. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
9. "At pet-happy Stephens College, some dogs and cats come with a scholarship". kansascity. Archived from the original on 28 February 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
10. "Citizen Jane Institute Home - Citizen Jane Institute". Citizen Jane Institute. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
11. "About Stephens Athletics - Stephens College". Archived from the original on 2022-10-26. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
12. "Stephens College". StephensStars.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
13. Bryant, Tim (January 14, 1981). "Jean Muir Finds Second Career". The Republic. Indiana, Columbus. United Press International. p. B-1. Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.

Further reading

• Crighton, John Clarke (1970). Stephens: A Story of Educational Innovation. Columbia, Missouri: American Press.
• Crighton, John "The Columbia Female Academy: A Pioneer in Education for Women." Missouri Historical Review 64 (January 1970): 177–196. online

External links

• Official website
• Official athletics website

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• Stephens College
• 1833 establishments in Missouri
• Universities and colleges established in 1833
• Universities and colleges in Columbia, Missouri
• Private universities and colleges in Missouri
• Liberal arts colleges in Missouri
• Women's universities and colleges in the United States
• Performing arts in Columbia, Missouri