2009–2010 - Grove City College

ACADEMIC SCHOOLS
Courses of Instruction
The academic programs at Grove City College are divided into two schools – the Alva
J. Calderwood School of Arts and Letters and the Albert A. Hopeman, Jr., School of
Science, Engineering, and Mathematics. These two schools encompass all departments of
instruction, with the exception of Physical Education and Athletics, which provide students
with a choice of numerous majors, minors, certifications, and pre-professional programs.
Alva J. Calderwood School of Arts and Letters
Dr. John A. Sparks, Dean; Dr. David J. Ayers, Assistant Dean.
Alva J. Calderwood grew up on a farm outside of New Bedford,
Pennsylvania, and was tending the crops one day when a journeyman
teacher by the name of Dr. Isaac Ketler visited his home in search of students
to enroll in the newly-formed Grove City College. Dr. Calderwood
subsequently enrolled and graduated from the College in 1896, continued
his education at Harvard, and earned both master of arts and doctorate
of philosophy degrees. He eventually returned to his alma mater and
served as a professor for 53 years and as Dean of the College for 35
years. He was honored for his many years of outstanding service when
Calderwood Hall, erected in 1956, was named for him. Calderwood Hall was torn down in
February 2003 and replaced by the new Hall of Arts and Letters, and in November, 2002,
the Alva J. Calderwood School of Arts and Letters was named in his honor.
The Alva J. Calderwood School of Arts and Letters is comprised of the Departments
of Accounting, Business, Communication, Economics, Education, English,
Entrepreneurship, History, Modern Languages, Music and Fine Arts, Philosophy, Political
Science, Psychology, Religion, and Sociology.
Albert A. Hopeman, Jr. School of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics
Dr. Stacy Birmingham, Dean; Dr. Timothy A. Mohr, Assistant Dean.
Albert A. Hopeman, Jr. became the fifth president of the Grove City
College Board of Trustees in 1972, joining the Board in 1953 and serving
till his death in 1998. He was a firm advocate of excellent education
in a Christian environment at a low cost. He led the College during
the years of the well-known 1984 U.S. Supreme Court case Grove
City College vs. T. H. Bell, Secretary of the U.S. Department of
Education, which resulted in Grove City College’s withdrawal from the
federal Pell Grant program. Grove City College also withdrew from
federal student loan programs in 1996 and developed a competitive pri-
Courses of Instruction / 71
Alva J. Calderwood
1873-1949
Albert A. Hopeman, Jr.
1911-1998
vate student loan program under his leadership. The School of Science, Engineering, and
Mathematics was named in his honor in May of 1997.