The Indiana Intercollegiate Conference ( IIC ) was an American college athletic conference formed in 1922 to govern intercollegiate competition in male sports in the state of Indiana .
91-695: The IIC was the third state-based collegiate athletic conference attempted in Indiana, after the Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association (IIAA) and the Indiana College Athletic League (ICAL), but had many more members than its predecessors. The size and diversity of the IIC made it a loosely-constructed organization and doomed it to fail in the long run. Most of its members ended up joining
182-422: A "recognized body" that would maintain standards for the smaller Indiana colleges, thus making them acceptable as non-conference opponents for Indiana and Purdue, as well as for Notre Dame. The smaller colleges, many of which were eager to keep their prestigious and/or lucrative games with the "big three" and other Big Ten schools, became motivated partners in this process. The conference was created largely through
273-447: A 1933 amendment to the IIC constitution made the freshman exception automatic for any member with fewer than 350 male students. Meanwhile, the probationary period for transfers increased from one year to two before being reduced again to one; an exception to the policy was made for graduates of junior colleges, who were eligible to transfer and not sit out at all. The traditional limit of five years to use four years of eligibility (including
364-501: A coeducational program for both men and women and attracted international students from Sierra Leone, Japan, and elsewhere. In its earliest decades, the college developed a curriculum in the liberal arts tradition, with courses leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Philosophy degrees. Programs in the fields of oratory, music, education, and business were included as well. The college's approach to education
455-464: A constitution and eligibility standards. At the official founding meeting that December, Kellogg was confirmed as president of the league, Blanchard was elected vice-president, and Birch Bayh of Indiana State was elected secretary-treasurer. While at the meeting, the coaches of member institutions finalized their schedules for the 1922–23 season in basketball and the 1923 seasons in baseball, track, and football. The IIC continued to hold annual meetings at
546-462: A heightened appreciation for its intellectual rigor included R. William Hasker (1935–; Ph.D. Edinburgh), author of God, Time, and Knowledge (Cornell, 1989) and The Emergent Self (Cornell, 1999) and Paul Michelson (1945–; Ph.D. Indiana), a prolific author and leading expert in the field of southeastern European history. Michelson served as past president of the Society for Romanian Studies and won
637-513: A kind of state-level version of what the NCAA soon would become, in the early 1950s. IIC standings all but disappeared from Indiana sports pages after 1946–47, but sportswriters continued to refer to in-state matchups involving IIC members as "conference" games, even if one of the teams now belonged to the HCC. Compounding the confusion, HCC schools sent teams to the IIC cross country and track meets and to
728-474: A liaison between students and faculty/staff/administration, and addresses issues that pertain to the student body." Huntington University's Student Activities Board, more commonly known as SAB , is a student-led organization responsible for planning and facilitating student events. The board plans and hosts more than a dozen annual events at Huntington University, including hoedowns, mud volleyball, laser tag, movies and concerts. SAB also facilitates Olympiad ,
819-519: A moot point. Without the Fighting Irish, the 1925 season featured four undefeated teams and no clear champion, while also foreshadowing the IIC's fundamental incoherence as a conference: Central Normal joined Evansville in going unbeaten in IIC play, each without playing another winning team, while Butler and Wabash were also undefeated (tying each other) with their only non-conference losses coming against Big Ten squads. Butler ultimately dominated
910-504: A professional pitcher in their conference contest, sparking another crisis. Protested games became common enough to pose a serious burden on the conference, at a time when there was no such thing as a commissioner or conference office. A committee of the membership had to be assembled to adjudicate every protest, and to cover the cost, the IIAA began charging a fee to the losing party in a disputed contest. The conference that eventually became
1001-440: A round-robin schedule in baseball and football had broken down, the victim of too many disputed contests and (especially among the smallest schools) teams not being fielded in some sports in some years, or not completing their schedules. While basketball was recognized as a conference sport, nothing like a coherent schedule was ever attempted. Ultimately, the IIAA was able to declare definitive champions only in track and tennis, where
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#17327806773471092-477: A rule barring freshmen from varsity competition. This decision dealt a severe blow to the IIAA. In the constitution it adopted in 1900, the association committed its members to follow the eligibility rules of the Western Conference, but it had not enforced the freshman rule, and prior to 1907, the Western Conference had not pressed the issue. Now it did, and Wabash led the way in refusing to comply. At
1183-440: A scheduled home game against Wabash, "standing on their principles on the color line," and offered to pay the requisite IIAA forfeit fee. Wabash filled the gap in their schedule with a game at Culver Academy on the same day, but did not take Gordon because he was injured. Rose Polytechnic then refused to pay the forfeit money, arguing that they did not owe Wabash anything because Gordon would not have been fit to play against them on
1274-402: A thirty day prison sentence in addition to 150 days of electronic monitoring in 2018 after being accused of child seduction, kidnapping and identity deception. He pleaded guilty to identity deception and the prosecution dropped the other charges. Johnson was subsequently fired as head coach and replaced by his wife Lauren Johnson . In 2022, Lauren was placed on administrative leave and later left
1365-562: A time of transition for intercollegiate athletics. When it was created, college sports were only loosely controlled by the institutions they represented; most schools followed the Yale model, in which programs were run by a combination of students, alumni, and boosters. By the time of its dissolution, most larger schools (and an increasing number of smaller ones) had adopted the Chicago model, featuring an athletic director and multi-sport coach who
1456-414: A tri-meet of Indiana, Purdue, and Notre Dame was held instead of the 1950 "Big State" NOTE: the conference champions and co-champions indicated in the standings below reflect the consensus of sportswriters in the year in question, and/or titles claimed by the institutions in their own athletics records. Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1547-848: Is a private Christian university in Huntington, Indiana . It is affiliated with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Huntington University opened as Central College in 1897 after the General Board of Education of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ proposed a new institution of higher learning in Huntington, Indiana. This came soon after
1638-935: Is a 77-acre (310,000 m ) nature preserve that provides outdoor educational opportunities through the Reiff Nature Center, ropes course, and various community events. The Merillat Centre for the Arts is a fine arts center that includes the Robert E. Wilson Gallery, as well as the Huntington University departments of art, music, and theatre. There are seven residence halls on Huntington's campus. They are Wright, Hardy, Roush, Baker, Miller, Meadows and Livingston Halls. Students can also live in Forester Village, an upperclassmen apartment complex. The Huntington Union Building (Known informally as
1729-712: The Big Ten was founded in February 1896 and overshadowed the IIAA for the remainder of its existence. Organized as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives, but popularly known as the Western Conference, it counted Purdue among its charter members and added Indiana in December 1899. To enable the state's two flagship universities to maintain a concurrent membership in the IIAA, in March 1900
1820-843: The Hoosier College Conference (established 1947) or the Indiana Collegiate Conference (established 1950). The official founding of the Indiana Intercollegiate Conference occurred at a meeting held on December 9, 1922, at the Claypool Hotel in Indianapolis. The 17 charter members were Indiana , Purdue , Notre Dame , Ball State , Butler , DePauw , Earlham , Evansville , Franklin , Hanover , Indiana Dental College , Indiana State , Manchester ,
1911-552: The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996. The careers of Quayle and Platt put Huntington in the national spotlight, and in the 1970s the college received its first gift from Ruth and Orville Merillat , a $ 1 million donation to help build a new physical education, athletics, and recreation facility. Over the next twenty years, the college benefitted greatly from the philanthropic efforts of the Merillat family as
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#17327806773472002-669: The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) from 1932 to 1934, Butler was a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) from 1946 to 1950, both times without leaving the IIC. Such dual memberships caused their share of headaches. For example, because the MAC and the IIC had different rules regarding transfer students and freshman eligibility, during the postwar years Butler maintained different (though overlapping) rosters for its MAC and IIC games. Reflecting on
2093-546: The "big three," but after the 1920s the smaller IIC schools rarely did. As early as 1929, eight of the smallest IIC schools convened to consider forming a conference of their own. In 1930 DePauw and Wabash joined the Buckeye Athletic Association , feeling (not for the last time) that they had more in common with the selective private colleges of Ohio. They did so without formally quitting the IIC, to which they returned in 1932. After briefly belonging to
2184-521: The 1896–97 academic year through 1903–4, the University of Indianapolis , a short-lived conglomeration of Indianapolis academic institutions (not to be confused with the present-day school of the same name), appeared in place of Butler in the IIAA membership rolls, after Butler became the new university's undergraduate college. Until it regained its independence early in the new century, Butler competed, officially, as Indianapolis, and "Butler" appeared in
2275-517: The 1920s it was unusual for the three major universities not to take the top three places at the meet. The IIC eventually applied the same model to cross country, tennis, and golf, crowning separate "big" and "little" champions in those sports as well. At the insistence of the "big three," the eligibility standards of the IIC mirrored those of the Big Ten, including the same ban on freshman participation in varsity sports that had divided its predecessor,
2366-1259: The Balcescu Prize for History by the Romanian Academy (2000). The college also recruited James O'Donnell (MBA Columbia) to serve as executive-in-residence, and he brought a career's worth of experience in finance at Fidelity and Dreyfus to his courses and mentorship. O'Donnell authored several books on investments, and his essays have been featured in Barron’s , The Wall Street Journal , Fortune , and America . The institution adopted its current name in 2005, and expanded graduate offerings in occupational therapy (OTD) in 2014 and business (MBA) in 2017 to add to existing master's level programs in counseling, ministry, organizational leadership, and education. This program of expansion also included locating campuses in Fort Wayne for its doctoral program in occupational therapy, and in Peoria, Arizona for its undergraduate film, broadcast media, and animation programs. On September 30, 2022 two former student-athletes filed suit against
2457-843: The HUB) was recently renovated to create new space for students. The institution also supports academic programs at the Parkview Hospital Randallia campus in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and at the Huntington University Arizona Center in Peoria, Arizona. Huntington University has a "strong historic and ongoing relationship with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ ," an evangelical denomination headquartered in Huntington, Indiana . Huntington University offers graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 80 academic disciplines. Huntington University
2548-526: The Hoosiers, in violation of an IIAA rule requiring transfer students to sit out a year. Wade did not even inform Indiana State that he would be transferring, and the press noted that his former teammates suffered from "such demoralization that the football schedule has been canceled." The same season, the Wabash football roster included Samuel Gordon, an African American player. Rose Polytechnic refused to play
2639-527: The IIAA for scheduling a game that competed with the conference contest, even though it had violated no rule in doing so. When Butler survived the March 1895 expulsion vote, DePauw quit the IIAA in protest (only temporarily, as it turned out). At the time, the IIAA remained at nine members by admitting Indiana State and promptly integrating the newcomers into the spring 1895 baseball schedule. The dust had barely settled when Purdue, in May 1895, accused Wabash of using
2730-521: The IIAA lifted the ban on playing against professional teams, but at the same time agreed to "clothe the professors of the colleges with power to decide who shall belong to the college clubs." This had the practical effect of preventing the conference's teams from hiring non-student "ringers" to supplement their rosters. More generally, it was an important step in extending faculty control over intercollegiate athletics in Indiana. At least one source later claimed an 1889 track meet at Butler--the year prior to
2821-518: The IIAA was founded. It was invented by James Naismith at the YMCA Training School (today Springfield College ) in the winter of 1891–92, but by 1899-90 it had joined football, baseball, and track as a sport sponsored by the IIAA. Other than tennis (which had an annual tournament every May, by 1903) it was the only sport added by the IIAA after its founding. By the turn of the century, the initial concept of crowning champions based on
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2912-413: The IIAA, years earlier. Technically a "one year rule" (requiring a student to be in residence for a year in order to qualify for varsity competition), it also required all transfer students to sit out a year before playing for their new institution. It became clear right away that the rule posed a serious burden to the conference's smaller members and an obstacle to other small colleges joining the league. At
3003-466: The IIC as "a ghost ... which went through all the customary motions of dying" after the creation of the HCC. But because the HCC members, like Butler in the MVC and MAC, did not explicitly quit the IIC, initially the sports pages referred to the new conference as "formed within the Indiana Intercollegiate Conference." The IIC was also increasingly referred to as "strictly an eligibility-determining organization,"
3094-521: The IIC banner or form a third successor conference. While it is reasonably accurate to say that the Indiana Intercollegiate Conference ceased to exist in 1950 (upon the creation of the ICC, in the wake of the formation of the HCC), it faded away gradually and had no exact date of death. Annual "Indiana Intercollegiate" competitions continued in golf and tennis, while in track, the "Big State" meet resumed in 1951 and
3185-458: The IIC golf and tennis tournaments, even though their own conference now sponsored championships in those sports. As early as the fall of 1947, one sportswriter called for the creation of another conference for the "middle class" of Indiana collegiate athletics, the schools "unable to compete with the Big Three and left out of the new Hoosier conference." It finally happened in February 1950, when
3276-441: The IIC had none. In each of the team sports, each member was free to put together its own schedule, for conference as well as non-conference games. The sports pages often referred to the IIC football and basketball titles listed below as "mythical championships," because they were decided by winning percentage among teams that, in some cases, had played dramatically different numbers of league contests. Especially in basketball, some of
3367-810: The IIC, press reports called the November 1923 football game between the Fighting Irish (whose lone in-state win was against Purdue) and Butler (4–0 in the IIC) "a battle for the championship of the Indiana Intercollegiate Conference." Notre Dame won it, and finished the season with a 9–1 record. The following year, Rockne's team, led by the Four Horsemen , shut out their only IIC opponent (Wabash) en route to an undefeated national championship season, and were once again hailed as "the Indiana conference champion." Notre Dame never scheduled an IIC football opponent again, making its further eligibility for conference championships
3458-486: The Independent Colleges of Indiana). The 1970s was a formative era in the modern history of the college. Future Vice President Dan Quayle of Huntington taught as an adjunct instructor and served on the board of trustees. On campus, Steve Platt led the nation in collegiate scoring for two seasons and eventually set the record for collegiate scoring in the state of Indiana (3,700 points). He was inducted in
3549-971: The Mid-Central College Conference (MCCC) until after the 2011–12 school year) since the 1959–60 academic year. They are also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Midwest Region of the Division I level. Huntington competes in 18 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading. Huntington University students have
3640-634: The NAIB title, nine IIC teams had made a total of 17 appearances in the tournament over 13 seasons. The Sycamores led the way with six appearances, guided by future UCLA head coach John Wooden (until 1948), then John Longfellow . Their stars included Duane Klueh , who went on to play in the NBA after its founding in 1949. No IIC team ever competed in the NCAA tournament or the NIT . (The NCAA College Division tournament
3731-566: The Normal College of the American Gymnastics Union (NCAGU), Oakland City , Rose Polytechnic , and Wabash . The three largest member institutions—Indiana, Purdue, and Notre Dame—were key to its creation, even though they did not participate in IIC team sports once conference standings were kept. At the time, during the formative years of college athletics, the NCAA left questions of student-athlete eligibility to
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3822-617: The annual meeting of the IIAA in Indianapolis, representatives of the smaller colleges of Indiana held their own meeting to form the Indiana College Athletic League . In the ensuing realignment of conference affiliations, Earlham and Indiana State left the IIAA to join Hanover and Franklin in the ICAL. Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame, and DePauw (readmitted since its 1900 expulsion) remained in the IIAA. Wabash and Rose Polytechnic maintained active membership in both organizations, Butler in neither. After
3913-466: The association adopted a new constitution committing its members to follow the same eligibility rules as the Western Conference. By spring 1896 DePauw had returned to active membership, raising the number of IIAA schools to ten, but Franklin, Hanover, Earlham, and Indiana State did not field baseball teams. Everyone usually participated in the annual May track meet, but in 1897 Franklin and Hanover (the two least active IIAA members) missed it, too. From
4004-404: The association was welcome to send a team to the meet, as long as the roster conformed to Western Conference rules, including the ban on freshmen. The same was true of the IIAA tennis tournament. Any of the smaller current or former members of the IIAA could also continue to schedule the "big three" in football, baseball, or basketball, as long as they honored the freshman rule in those contests. But
4095-403: The better teams often could not agree on when, where, or whether to play. To deal with the challenge of determining a champion, in 1927 the IIC considered adding a postseason conference basketball tournament, but nothing came of it. Thus, the only definitive champions were crowned in track and in the other sports with a season-ending conference meet or tournament—tennis, golf, and cross country. +
4186-653: The campus expanded and new buildings appeared to serve a growing student body. Key facilities at Huntington bearing the Merillat family name include the Merillat Complex, the Merillat Centre for the Arts, and the RichLyn Library (named in honor of Lynette and Richard Merillat ). In the 1980s and 1990s the college enjoyed increasing recognition for its academic programs and its Christian liberal arts education. Faculty who earned Huntington College
4277-466: The closure of Hartsville College, the denomination's college in Hartsville, Indiana . United Brethren Bishop Milton Wright, father of Orville and Wilbur Wright , served as professor of theology at Hartsville in 1868–1869 and later presided over the dedication ceremony of Central College on September 21, 1897. Hartsville supplied the initial faculty and students for Central College, which offered
4368-495: The college he represents" who had never been paid for playing his sport. "Graduate instructors" were barred from competition. Five years later, amendments were added barring the practice of athletes playing under an "assumed name" and preventing members from playing against "any professional team representing so-called athletic associations." The latter rule came in response to the growing phenomenon of play-for-pay baseball and football among urban athletic clubs and YMCA teams. In 1896
4459-592: The college secured state accreditation for its teacher training program. These positive trends were checked by the onset of the Great Depression when enrollment dwindled and funding became scarce. Although the denomination's Board of Education voted to suspend operations in 1932, they ultimately reversed their decision and opened as usual. World War II further challenged student recruitment efforts, with fall enrollment in 1942 bottoming out at 83 students (only 28 men). The G.I. Bill brought increased enrollment in
4550-451: The college's new master's degree in 1903 with a thesis titled "Confucianism and Christianity." In addition to its classical program of study, the college staffed courses in the applied sciences, and courses aimed at professional training for teachers and ministers. Botanist Fred A. Loew (1874–1950; A.M. Michigan State; Sc.D. Huntington College) built a herbarium (1903), agricultural research station (1914), and botanical garden (1937) at
4641-532: The college, signaling the institution's commitment to theoretical science as well as the practical application of scientific research. The college and its students also benefitted from the early involvement of Jacob L. Brenn (1896–1967), a Jewish chemist from Poland who started Huntington Laboratories (now Ecolab ) in 1919 and served as founding President of the Huntington College Foundation (1938), which provided financial support for
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#17327806773474732-434: The conference for long. Vincennes was a member from 1924 until temporarily dropping athletics in 1932. Gary Junior College (today Indiana University Northwest ) joined upon its creation in 1932 but left two years later. Kokomo Junior College (today Indiana University Kokomo ), also founded in 1932, joined in 1938 but dropped out in 1940. Tri-State (today Trine University ) likewise joined in 1938 and dropped out in 1940, but
4823-508: The conferences and to individual schools. Compounding the confusion, with few exceptions only the largest public universities and the most elite private schools even belonged to the NCAA. Indiana and Purdue operated under the eligibility rules of the Big Ten , then known as the Western Conference, and independent Notre Dame, for the sake of scheduling games with Big Ten teams, followed their rules too. But all three rounded out their schedules with games against smaller Indiana colleges, none of which
4914-484: The day of the canceled game. Later in the season, Gordon's presence on the Wabash eleven caused problems for some opponents (Hanover and DePauw) but not for others (Earlham and Notre Dame). Such disputes only served to increase animosities among members of the IIAA and further weaken the cohesion of the conference. In April 1907, the Western Conference voted to bar its members from playing any opponents that did not conform to "the conference rules of eligibility," including
5005-504: The decision was based on a single season-ending meet or tournament. In December 1900, the IIAA expelled DePauw "for failure to conform to the rules of eligibility for players." Franklin resigned the same month, reducing the conference to nine members. Hanover disappeared from the membership rolls by the end of 1902, leaving eight schools to attend the IIAA meeting that December: Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame, Butler, Wabash, Rose Polytechnic, Earlham, and Indiana State. In December 1902, during
5096-423: The end of the year. Thereafter, the IIC usually had at least 20 active members except during the years of World War II . Valparaiso joined in 1927 and Taylor in 1933. Anderson , Concordia , and St. Joseph's all joined in 1935. Indiana Dental College (in 1925) and NCAGU (in 1941) left the league when they were absorbed by Indiana University. The IIC also admitted three junior colleges, none of which remained in
5187-625: The event. For its part, Notre Dame declared its intention to maintain good relations not just with Indiana colleges, but with all members of the Western Conference: "Athletics at Notre Dame shall be conducted in harmony with the regulations of both the Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives." Basketball, ultimately the most popular team sport in Indiana, did not yet exist when
5278-506: The failed meeting declared the IIAA "dissolved." A year later, the term used was "practically defunct." Among the smaller colleges, only DePauw tried to abide by the freshman rule, and only until 1909, when it quit the IIAA, then joined the ICAL the following year. Nevertheless, the IIAA continued to exist, though mostly to preserve the annual track meet as a showcase for the state's emerging "big three" of athletics, Notre Dame plus Indiana and Purdue. Any other school not previously expelled from
5369-546: The fall of 1892. By the spring of 1893, Earlham had joined the IIAA as its ninth member. The IIAA faced its first crisis on Thanksgiving Day, 1894, when Butler played a home game against the eleven of the Indiana Light Artillery, cutting into the gate of the Purdue-DePauw game, slotted months earlier to be the season finale in Indianapolis. DePauw subsequently demanded that Butler be expelled from
5460-616: The final. The last great IIC team of the pre-tournament era, Tony Hinkle's 1928-29 Butler squad, went 17-2 and was awarded the John J. McDevitt Trophy, emblematic of the national championship. After the creation of the National Association for Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB), an organization that eventually evolved into the NAIA , IIC members appeared regularly in the annual NAIB national tournaments. By 1950, when Indiana State won
5551-413: The first IIAA track meet, held that May. By the fall of 1891, five members (all but Hanover, Franklin, and Rose Polytechnic) were playing a four-game round robin in football, with the last game on Thanksgiving Day in Indianapolis. The IIAA drafted a six-game schedule for baseball for the spring of 1892 (with Franklin not participating) and a five-game schedule for football (without Franklin or Hanover) for
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#17327806773475642-525: The founding of the IIAA--as the association's first competition, leading to long-lasting confusion over the date of its founding. The first official competition was a six-game round robin in baseball, scheduled for the spring of 1890, the results of which are lost to history. Rose Polytechnic (today Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) became the eighth conference member later in the spring of 1890, too late for baseball but in time to participate in, and win,
5733-446: The freshman year) was eliminated in 1933, to avoid penalizing students who had to drop out of school to work. In the years before World War II, the original rationale for the IIC's existence gradually became irrelevant. The conference had been created to provide eligibility standards for smaller colleges appearing on the schedules of the "big three" and other Big Ten schools, especially in football, but after IIC teams met Big Ten teams on
5824-489: The gridiron 49 times in the years 1923-29 (including 12 games in 1925 alone), such opportunities all but disappeared by the 1930s. Notre Dame last scheduled an IIC school in football in 1924 (Wabash). Indiana and Purdue went from playing three or four IIC football opponents per year in the 1920s to one or two per year in the 1930s. Purdue last scheduled one in 1940 (Butler), and Indiana in 1943 (Wabash). Meanwhile, in basketball, Butler, DePauw, and Wabash continued to get games with
5915-521: The growing dissatisfaction within the IIC, in 1933 the Indianapolis News noted that "no one will miss this conference, of course, but some conference will have to be formed to take its place." With the Great Depression followed by World War II, no one had the time or energy to devote to such a project. Finally, in the spring of 1947, eight of the smaller members formed the Hoosier College Conference (HCC). That fall, one sportswriter referred to
6006-504: The institution. On November 20, 2023, a federal judge dismissed the Title IX lawsuit against Huntington University. Twenty-two state law claims were also dismissed in federal court. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ , Huntington University is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The campus comprises 160 acres with grassy areas, trees and Lake Sno-Tip. Thornhill Nature Preserve
6097-447: The institution. The Brenn family donated a large sum to help build the college's first major science building, Brenn Hall of Science (1963). Having changed its name to Huntington College in 1917, the institution further clarified its mission as a traditional, four-year liberal arts college in the 1920s. The pre-collegiate Academy was closed and its two-year academic tracks were developed into four-year baccalaureate programs. Furthermore,
6188-646: The late 1940s and 1950s, and the administration began to pursue accreditation for the institution as a whole. This was achieved when the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (now the Higher Learning Commission ) conferred accreditation in 1961. Further validation of the quality of Huntington's academic programs arrived in 1971 when the college was admitted to the Associated Colleges of Indiana (now
6279-548: The league in football, especially in the years before World War II, winning seven straight titles from 1934 through 1940. Tony Hinkle , better known as a basketball coach, doubled as the Bulldogs' football coach during those years. Nine Butler players from the IIC era went on to play at least one season in the NFL . In basketball, IIC teams made an immediate splash on the national scene. In 1922–23, Franklin's Wonder Five , coached by
6370-484: The legendary Ernest "Griz" Wagner, lost only to Indiana and were recognized as national champions. The following year they lost only to Butler, also considered a national power. At a time when there were no postseason collegiate tournaments, some college teams competed in the national AAU tournament , which the Bulldogs won at the end of the 1923–24 season, defeating the Kansas City Athletic Club in
6461-482: The next annual meeting of the IIAA in December 1907, attempts to find a solution proved fruitless, as Notre Dame, for the sake of getting games with Western Conference teams, aligned with Indiana and Purdue on the freshman rule. A disappointed sportswriter summed it up: "Consequently, there will be no meetings between [Western] conference and non-conference schools in Indiana for a long time, and state titles in all branches of college athletics are ended." Press reports of
6552-421: The opportunity to participate in a number of activities and service opportunities throughout the year. The Friesen Center for Volunteer Service provides students with a range of service projects and programs, including local blood drives and short-term mission experiences. Students may also run for office on Student Government Association and represent their classmates. Student Government Association "serves as
6643-511: The post-1950 Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC) and the defunct Indiana Intercollegiate Conference (IIC) also caused a degree of confusion that was reflected in many Indiana newspapers, whose sportswriters who took years to adjust to the change. member (all sports) member (not in team sports) During the timeframe in which the IIC existed, few conferences (even at the highest level) had completely coherent approaches to scheduling. Most, however, did have guidelines, whereas
6734-426: The presidents of Ball State, Butler, Evansville, Indiana State, St. Joseph's, and Valparaiso authorized the creation of what became the Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC), a league soon joined by DePauw. Aside from the "big three," the IIC had 22 postwar members, of which 16 became members of either the HCC or ICC in the years 1947–53. Those left out of both conferences lacked the numbers and cohesion to continue under
6825-424: The rule effectively established a barrier between major and minor programs, since the latter simply did not have enough athletic students on campus to field competitive varsity teams without freshmen, plus separate freshman teams, as the larger schools did. The annual IIAA track meet received a boost in 1915 when it was declared an "open" meet. This designation, apparently acceptable to the Western Conference, enabled
6916-552: The same location in Indianapolis every December, at which officers would be chosen and schedules finalized (with schedules eventually done a year in advance). In later years, the IIC added an annual spring meeting, typically held at the end of basketball season in March. In 1923, the conference expanded from 17 members to 20 by adding Huntington in the spring, then Indiana Central (today the University of Indianapolis) and Central Normal (eventually renamed Canterbury College) at
7007-423: The school and its former track coach, claiming the university violated the athletes’ Title IX rights and failed to protect them from their predatory coach Nick Johnson. The former athletes' allegations included rape, inappropriate massage, and forced injections of undisclosed substances at the hands of their coach. By March 2023, a grand jury had indicted him on charges of sexual battery. Johnson had previously served
7098-506: The second annual meeting of the IIC, in December 1923, a proposal to allow members with small enrollments to petition to use freshmen in varsity contests passed by a vote of 16–1. Ten such waivers were granted for 1923–24. The submission and approval of waiver requests became a major item of business at subsequent annual meetings. Finally, after the Great Depression caused a severe drop in enrollment at most Indiana private colleges,
7189-489: The smaller colleges of the state to compete in the meet against Indiana, Purdue, and Notre Dame using ICAL eligibility rules (allowing freshmen to participate) while the "big three" adhered to Western Conference eligibility rules (still barring freshmen). The IIAA held its last track meet and tennis tournament in May 1922. Later that year, the organization was superseded by the new Indiana Intercollegiate Conference . Huntington Foresters Huntington University
7280-424: The smaller colleges, and open to all members except the "big three"). They were held annually on consecutive weekends in May, starting in 1923 and continuing until 1950, when "Big State" was cancelled in favor of a three-way meet between Indiana, Purdue, and Notre Dame. While Butler and DePauw dominated "Little State," Notre Dame and Indiana dominated "Big State." One of the "big three" always won "Big State," and after
7371-502: The split, the IIAA went through the motions of expelling members that had already left. The agenda for the December 1903 meeting included officially dropping Hanover, Franklin, Earlham, and "the University of Indianapolis" (Butler) on the grounds that they "have taken little interest in the association and have not paid their dues." Eligibility issues clouded the IIAA's last years. In the fall of 1903 Charles Wade, former football captain at Indiana State, enrolled at Indiana and suited up for
7462-466: The sports pages only as colloquial shorthand for the rebranded institution. Notre Dame's "debut in Indiana athletics" came in the IIAA track meet of May 1898, shortly after it became the 11th member of the conference. It was an auspicious debut, as the Irish won the meet, albeit with Purdue protesting the results at the time, and other participants subsequently accusing them of using professionals to win
7553-401: The work of Purdue athletic director Nelson A. Kellogg , who led several organizing meetings during the first half of 1922. He hosted and presided over a session in May 1922 at which Notre Dame's Knute Rockne served as secretary. At another meeting the following month, again at Purdue, Kellogg and Rockne joined William M. Blanchard of DePauw and representatives from Butler and Wabash in drafting
7644-486: Was a full-time employee of the institution, on the model of Amos Alonzo Stagg , whom the University of Chicago had hired for such a role in 1892. Nevertheless, as late as 1903–4, the IIAA was still a student-run organization. That year, C. L. Peck, "an Indianapolis student at Purdue," was elected IIAA president at the association's annual December meeting. The constitution drafted by the founders stipulated that every participant in an IIAA contest must be "an active member of
7735-856: Was an American college athletic conference established in 1890 by institutions in the state of Indiana. At a time when the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) did not yet exist, such organizations attempted to bring order out of the chaos of the formative years of American intercollegiate sports. The IIAA was founded on March 1, 1890, in a meeting held at the Indianapolis YMCA. The seven charter member institutions were Indiana , Purdue , Butler , Wabash , DePauw , Hanover , and Franklin . Initial officers included W. H. Bliss of Indiana (president), R. D. Meeker of Butler (vice president), and A. H. Bradshaw of Franklin (secretary). The IIAA existed at
7826-828: Was both classical and progressive, as reflected in early endeavors such as a campus performance of Shakespeare's "As You Like It" in 1906, directed by professor of oratory Nellie Binning. Among the first student publications and organizations were the Central Literary Data (later The Huntingtonian), the Philomathean Literary Society , the Zetalethean Literary Society , and the Debating Club, as well as student singing clubs and athletic teams for both sexes. Japanese student Matajeiro Umeeda completed requirements for
7917-407: Was held every year through 1975, with Indiana, Purdue, and Notre Dame taking turns hosting, and winning, an event that remained open to participants from the state's smaller colleges. The "Little State" meet continues to exist to the present, crowning Indiana state champions from among a hodgepodge of NCAA Division II , Division III , and NAIA participants. The similarity of names and acronyms between
8008-426: Was not held until 1957). While they did not compete for IIC championships in team sports, Indiana, Purdue, and Notre Dame contested (and often hosted) the annual IIC tournaments in tennis and golf, as well as the IIC meets in cross country and (eventually) swimming. The conference always held two track meets, "Big State" (hosted by one of the "big three," but open to all IIC members) and "Little State" (hosted at one of
8099-624: Was readmitted in 1946. Indiana Tech was the only other postwar addition, in 1947. In its first year of operation (1922–23) the IIC crowned champions in basketball, baseball, and track. Football, cross country, and tennis were added in 1923–24, and the first conference golf championship was held at the end of the 1924–25 school year. The IIC eventually added swimming as an 8th sport, but conference swim meets were not always held on an annual basis (for example, in 1940 at Indiana and in 1942 at Purdue, but no meet in 1941). Because Notre Dame (unlike Indiana and Purdue) had no conference affiliation other than
8190-507: Was subject to the same eligibility standards, in particular the Western Conference's ban on freshmen participating in varsity contests. This issue had flared up before, in 1907, precipitating the demise of the IIAA, and came to a head again at the 1921 annual meeting of the Big Ten in Chicago, when "it was observed that schools not belonging to any recognized body were not welcome on Big Ten schedules." The problem could be solved only by creating
8281-701: Was tied for 22 of 127 in the Regional Universities Midwest category of the 2022–23 Best Colleges ranking by U.S. News & World Report. The university was also ranked 13 of 69 in Best Value Schools. The Huntington athletic teams are called the Foresters. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Crossroads League (formerly known as
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