Heritage

Shortly after the Civil War, Fayette R. Buell, a Westminster teacher, embarked on his dream of founding a small private college. He purchased a tract of land – a hill overlooking the town – and issued a prospectus in search of support for his dream. Although financing was slow to materialize, he did receive generous support from two of the community leaders: the Reverend J.T. Ward of the Methodist Protestant Church, who would become the College’s first president, and John Smith, president of the thriving Western Maryland Railroad and a resident of nearby Wakefield Valley.

Mr. Smith, who became the first president of the College’s Board of Trustees, suggested that the College be named Western Maryland College after the railroad, which maintained an important terminal in Westminster. On the day in 1866 that the cornerstone was laid for the College’s first building, free rail passage was granted to everyone who attended the ceremonies. Eventually, the Western Maryland Railroad merged with another company. But the College that bore its name continued to grow.

The first building of Western Maryland College was completed in September 1867; 37 men and women were enrolled in eight areas of study. Already, the new college was in many ways ahead of its time. In the original Charter, the founders and the first Board of Trustees clearly reflected their intentions that the College be an innovative and independent institution.

The College was one of the first coeducational colleges in the nation. Since its inception, it has been an independent liberal arts college with an autonomous Board of Trustees. A voluntary fraternal affiliation with the United Methodist Church existed from 1868 to 1974; today there are no ties to any denominational body. Control and ownership are fully vested by the Charter in the trustees, under Maryland state law.

On January 11, 2002, the trustees announced their unanimous decision to change the name of Western Maryland College after discussion and surveys confirmed confusion over where and what the College was. Under a new name, the College would be better recognized as a private college of the liberal arts and sciences within an hour’s drive of Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Alumni, students, parents, faculty, and emeriti faculty, administrators, and trustees participated in the process to select a name which embodied the essence of the College. On July 1, 2002, McDaniel College renewed its educational mission in honor of William R. McDaniel, a man who meant as much to the College as the College meant to him.

In recognition of the College’s 135-year history as Western Maryland College, Alumni Hall was renamed WMC Alumni Hall, and each year, the course “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about McDaniel College/Western Maryland College” is offered during January Term.

McDaniel marked the college’s 150th anniversary with a year-long sesquicentennial celebration honoring its past, present, and future during the 2017-2018 academic year.

Billy Mac, as William R. McDaniel was affectionately known, arrived on campus in 1877 as a 16-year-old sophomore from the Eastern Shore. He was salutatorian among the six men and four women in the Class of 1880. He taught for 36 years and also served as an innovative administrator and trustee. Presidents called him indispensable. Colleagues respected his dedication to teaching and the hand he extended to faculty newcomers. His students spoke of his attention to detail and demanding yet patient way of guiding them through algebra, geometry, and astronomy. McDaniel’s dedication to the college spanned 65 years and ended only with his death in 1942.

In its 150-year history, the college has had only nine presidents: Dr. Ward, Dr. Thomas Hamilton Lewis (1886–1920), Dr. Albert Norman Ward (1920–1935), Bishop Fred G. Holloway (1935–1947), Dr. Lowell S. Ensor (1947–1972), Dr. Ralph C. John (1972–1984), Dr. Robert H. Chambers (1984–2000), Dr. Joan Develin Coley (2000–2010), Dr. Roger N. Casey (2010–2021), and Dr. Julia Jasken (2021-present). Under their guidance, the college has assumed a place in the nation among independent colleges of the liberal arts and sciences, developing programs and material and physical assets that fulfill the vision of its founders.

Referred to as “the Hill,” McDaniel College is located in Westminster, Maryland, Carroll County’s largest town and county seat, and sits at the top of one of Maryland’s historical Main Streets. Westminister truly serves as an extension of McDaniel’s campus with restaurants, cafes, and other local businesses nearby, and the college benefits from partnerships throughout the community. Local residents also enjoy programs offered by the college, many of which are free.

Additionally, McDaniel is ideally situated between the Chesapeake Bay and the Blue Ridge Mountains, within close proximity to both Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Train trips from Baltimore also make day trips to Philadelphia and New York City convenient.

McDaniel College is a diverse, student-centered community committed to excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and professional studies. With careful mentoring and attention to the individual, McDaniel changes lives. We challenge students to develop their unique potentials with reason, imagination, and human concern. Through flexible academic programs, collaborative and experiential learning, and global engagement, McDaniel prepares students for successful lives of leadership, service, and social responsibility.

One of the first coeducational colleges in the nation and recognized nationally among the original “Colleges That Change Lives,” McDaniel offers more than 70 exceptional undergraduate programs of study, including pre-professional specializations and student-designed majors, plus over 20 highly regarded graduate programs.

Academics center on the McDaniel Plan, a customized, interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasizes experiential learning and student-faculty collaboration to develop the unique potential in every student. The signature McDaniel Commitment includes four components that guide students towards personal and professional success. Students also enroll in first-year seminars and senior capstone projects and can take specially designed courses both on- and off-campus during McDaniel’s three-week January term.

Special opportunites abound through McDaniel’s Center for Experience and Opportunity, Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Honors Program, Green Terror Army ROTC Battalion, National Security Fellows, and Global Fellows. The Student Accessibility and Support Services (SASS) is available to assist all students with documented disablities and works with each student on a case-by-case basis.

Represented by the Green Terror, its more than 20 athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division III Centennial Conference. Students are involved in over 70 student organizations, intramural sports, and fraternities and sororities.

Committed to access and affordability, McDaniel is comprised of a diverse, student-centered community of 1,800 undergraduates from over 30 states and Washington, D.C., and 30 countries, and 1,400 graduate students, McDaniel also boasts a spectacular 160-acre hilltop campus in Westminster, Maryland, offering access to both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., plus a European campus in Budapest, Hungary.

Chartered in 1866 as a private, liberal arts college, McDaniel College has over a century of tradition as an institution of higher learning. Dedicated to the liberal arts as a vital part of our culture, McDaniel College views the graduate programs as a logical extension of its educational mission. The development of responsible and creative graduates clearly entails commitment to an environment open to the pursuit of truth and the growth of professional attitudes, ethical values, and critical judgement. Graduate study at McDaniel College seeks to provide depth and breadth of educational experience as individuals prepare themselves for the challenges of the future in the workplace and in their professional lives.