This file includes institutions that have closed, merged, or
changed their names.If you note a
need for changing or updating information, please notify
ray.brown@westminster-mo.edu.An index
with links to separate pages for other states and countries is available at http://www2.westminster-mo.edu/wc_users/homepages/staff/brownr/ClosedCollegeIndex.htm.There is also a blog
at http://collegehistorygarden.blogspot.com/ with links to other resources.Thanks for your interest!
The University of Iowa is the official repository for the academic records
of defunct Iowa colleges.The url at http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/archives/faq/faqcolleges.htm offers details and contact information.
College
Name
City
State
Start Date
End Date
Affiliation
Other Information
Source
Albia
Junior College
Albia
Iowa
1926
1943
Quinn, Graham Francis.The Albia Junior
College: A Case Study.Ph.D. dissertation. University of Iowa.
2001.
http://www.crl.edu/content.asp?l1=5&l2=22&l3=39&top=10
Alexander
College
Dubuque
Iowa
1853
1857
Presbyterian
Burke, Colin B. American Collegiate Populations.
1982.
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
Algona
College
Kossuth County
Iowa
1868
1875
abandoned after county
experienced grasshopper plagues over several years
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
Amity
College
College Springs
Iowa
1854
Presbyterian
initially an academy, college
level department may not have started until after 1871 with presidency of
A.T. McDill; Amitonian Academy at Greenwood, MO served as a second
preparatory department for a time; Ross Turner Campbell, president from
1904-1910, became president of Cooper College (now Sterling College) in
1910
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/1918ks/bioc/campbert.html
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/archives/faq/faqcolleges.htm
Ashland
College
Ashland
Iowa
1860
Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ)
Cummins, D. Duane.The Disciples
Colleges: A History.1987.
Bayless
Business College
Dubuque
Iowa
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
Boone
Junior College
Boone
Iowa
public
absorbed into Des Moines Area
Community College in 1969
Brenner, Morgan G. The
Encyclopedia of College & University Name Histories, 2003.
Burlington
College
Burlington
Iowa
1853
1901
Baptist
Burke lists as Burlington
University and also states that in 1864 it was Burlington Collegiate
Institute
http://www.crl.edu/content.asp?l1=5&l2=22&l3=39&top=10
Burke, Colin B. American Collegiate Populations. 1982.
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
Burlington
Junior College
Burlington
Iowa
1929
public
merged with Keokuk Junior
College in 1966 and moved to West Burlington, IA to form Southeastern
Community College
College
of Physicians and Surgeons of the Upper Mississippi
Davenport
Iowa
from 1850 to 1857 was under
control of board of trustees of University of Iowa
Blackmar, Frank W. "The
History of Federal and State Aid to Higher Education in the United
States," in Herbert B. Adams, ed.Contributions to American Educational History. 1890.
Cresco
Normal College
Cresco
Iowa
Patterson includes name and
indicates the institution was closed
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
Davenport
Female University
Davenport
Iowa
1855
1856
may never have opened
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
Decorah
College for Women
Decorah
Iowa
1936
merged with Luther College in
1936
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of
College & University Name Histories.2003.
Denison
Normal and Business College
Denison
Iowa
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
Des
Moines College
Des Moines
Iowa
1840's
Burke states that institution
did not claim collegiate work until mid-1850's; he also notes a confused
history with sponsorship by Presbyterians, then Lutherans and for a time
may've been located at West Point; he also notes that the Lutherans started a
college at Des Moines in 1855 which failed in 1862, to be revived by Baptists
Burke, Colin B. American Collegiate Populations.
1982.
changed name to university in
1920 after merger of Des Moines College, Central College, and Highland Park
College; after closure records acquired by Sioux Falls University
http://www.thecoo.edu/admin/hr/policies/history.html;
Burke, Colin B. American Collegiate Populations. 1982.
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
in 1888 reported 11 instructors,
300 students preparing for teaching and 45 in the commercial department
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
Dominican
College of Saint Rose of Lima
Dubuque
Iowa
1950
Dominican Fathers
succesor to College of Saint
Thomas Aquinas (Forest River, IL); moved to Dubuque in 1951; reorganized as
Aquinas Institute of Philosophy and Theology in 1961
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
initially founded as St. Raphael
Seminary; name change to Mt. St. Bernard in 1850; to St. Joseph College in
1873; to Dubuque College in 1914; to Columbia College in 1920; and to Loras
College in 1939
http://depts.loras.edu/marketing/college/history.html
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of College & University Name Histories.2003.
Dubuque
German College & Seminary
Dubuque
Iowa
1852
founded as German Theological
School of the Northwest; name changed to German Presbyterian Theological
Sschool of the Northwest in 1891; to Dubuque German College & Seminary in
1911 and to the University of Dubuque in 1920
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of
College & University Name Histories.2003.
Elk
Horn Lutheran High School and College
Elk Horn
Iowa
1878
1897
Danish Lutheran
with creation of United Danish
Church a decision was made to combine efforts with Trinity Seminary of Blair,
NE that ultimately resulted in formation of Dana College
http://www.crl.edu/content.asp?l1=5&l2=22&l3=39&top=10
Solberg.Lutheran
Higher Education in North America.1985.
established as German
Theological School of the Northwest, became German Presbyterian Theological
School of the Northwest in 1891, Dubuque German College and Seminary in 1911,
and University of Dubuque in 1920
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Graceland
College
Lamoni
Iowa
1895
name change to Graceland
University in 2000
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of College &
University Name Histories, 2003.
Griswold
College
Davenport
Iowa
1859
1897
Episcopal
purchased property of Iowa
College; a preparatory department was initially opened with collegiate work
starting by 1885
Hunt and Carper, eds. Religious Higher
Education in the United States. 1996.
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
initially private, Presbyterian
after 1911; purchased by Baptists in 1918
1,262 students in 1892-93;
consolidated with Des Moines College and Central College to become Des Moines
University
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
Holmes
Optical College
Des Moines
Iowa
1895
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
Humbolt
College
Humbolt
Iowa
1872
founded by Unitarians, but was
non-denominational; S.H. Taft served as president; opened with three faculty
and 111 students; Parker lists closure in 1880; Patterson includes in 1905
directory
name change to Iowa State
College of Agricultural and Mechanical Arts in 1896, to Iowa State University
of Science & Technology in 1959, and to Iowa State University in 1975
http://www.iastate.edu/
Iowa
Business College
Des Moines
Iowa
1865
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
Iowa
Christian College
Oskaloosa
Iowa
1903
founded by Charles J. Burton;
also included departments that operated under name of Oskaloosa Normal &
Business College;
Cummins, D. Duane.The Disciples
Colleges: A History.1987.
www.beforetime.net/iowagenealogy/mahaska/pastandpresentbook/ppburtoncharlesj.html
Iowa
City College
Iowa City
Iowa
1840's
Methodist
Burke, Colin B. American Collegiate Populations.
1982.
Iowa
City Commercial College
Iowa City
Iowa
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
Iowa
College
Davenport
Iowa
1846
Congregational
moved to Grinnell, IA in 1859
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Burke, Colin B. American Collegiate Populations.
1982.
Iowa
Normal and Business College
Mason City
Iowa
Iowa
State Teachers College
Cedar Falls
Iowa
1876
state supported
founded as Iowa State Normal
School, became Iowa State Teachers College in 1909, name change to State
College of Iowa in 1961; to University of Northern Iowa in 1967
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of
College & University Name Histories. 2003.
Iowa
Union College
Oskaloosa
Iowa
1863
Iowa State Friends Association
Penn College in 1873, name
changed to William Penn College in 1933, and to William Penn University in
2000
www.iowahistory.org/archives/research_collections/special_collections/manuscript_listing_ephemera.html
www.collphyphil.org/FIND_AID/hist/histlmh1.htm
Patterson's College and School Directory, 1905.
Patterson includes name and
indicates the institution was closed
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
Leander
Clark College
Toledo
Iowa
1857
1918
United Brethren
merges with Coe College after
devastating fire
http://www.coe.edu/Events/150Years/timeline.htm
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of College & University Name Histories.2003.
Lenox
College
Hopkinton
Iowa
1859
1944
Presbyterian
initially Bowen Collegiate
Institute; in 1884 became Lenox College; from 1922 to 1944 operated as a
junior college
http://users.mwci.net/~delhi/text/lenox.htm
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
Lyons
Female College
Clinton
Iowa
1858
http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=1534
Marshalltown
Junior College
Marshalltown
Iowa
1927
public
founded as part of the
Marshalltown Community School District; now known as Marshalltown Community
College; in 1966,moved under the
jurisdiction of Iowa Valley Community College District
www.iavalley.edu/mcc
Marycrest
International University
Davenport
Iowa
1939
2002
Congregation of the Humility of
Mary
founded as women's division of
neighboring St. Ambrose University; buildings sold to Teikyo University in
1990
12/19/01 Chronicle of Higher
Education;
Schier and Russett.Catholic Women's Colleges in America.2002.
http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/archives/faq/faqcolleges.htm
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Midwestern
College
Denison
Iowa
1965
1970
founded as satellite college of
Parsons College, IA
Koerner, James D. The Parsons College Bubble.
1970.
http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/archives/faq/faqcolleges.htm
Mount
Ida Female College
Davenport
Iowa
1855
founded as Ladies College; the
campus was located on the bluff on Third Street between College and Bridge
avenues;
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
Mount
Pleasant German College
Mt. Pleasant
Iowa
1873
1909
http://library.truman.edu/manuscripts/centralwesleyan.htm
Patterson's College and School Directory, 1905
Mount
Pleasant Literary Institute
Mt. Pleasant
Iowa
1842
Methodist
name changed to Mount Pleasant
Collegiate Institute in 1843, to Iowa Wesleyan University in 1855, and to
Iowa Wesleyan College in 1912
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
Bremmer, Morgan G. The Encyclopedia of College & University Name
Histories, 2003.
Mount
Saint Clare College
Clinton
Iowa
1893
Sisters of Saint Francis
became The Fransiscan University
in December 2002; in 2004, the name was changed to The Franciscan University
of the Prairies; in March 2005, the University was purchased by Bridgepoint
Education, Inc.; the name was changed to Ashford University and the affiliation
with the Catholic Church was ended, becoming a for-profit institution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashford_University
Mount
Saint Josephs College
Dubuque
Iowa
1843
Sisters of Charity, BVM
established as Saint Marys
Academy, became Saint Joseph Academy 1846, Mount Saint Joseph College in
1901, and Clarke College in 1928
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Muscatine
Business College
Muscatine
Iowa
1882
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
National
Memorial University
Mason City
Iowa
1900
1910
building later served as
Roosevelt Elementary School and then as initial site of Mason City Junior
College, now North Iowa Area Commuity College; building torn down in 1979
The boards of Indian Hills
Community College and Ottumwa Heights
Collegemerged operations on July 1,
1979. Ottumwa Heights was
a private college operated by the Sisters of Humility of Mary. Its
roots can be traced back to the 1860s, when the Visitation Academy
was established in Ottumwa. The St. Joseph Academy was founded in 1925, and its name was changed to
Ottumwa Heights College
five years later.The Ottumwa
Heights College campus was situated
on 126 acres and was purchased by the IHCC Board of trustees in 1981.
The original building is used for administrative offices, the library, an
art
gallery, an auditorium, dormitory space, and arts and sciences and
some technical education classes. The library and art gallery were
completed in the former chapel in 1984. The Hellyer Student Life Center
and Efner Academic Hall opened in October of 1985, the first of the
new buildings added to the former Ottumwa Heights facilities.
http://closedcollege.bizland.com
Schier and Russett.Catholic Women's Colleges in America.2002.
http://www.ihcc.cc.ia.us/ihcc/catalog/overview/history.htm
http://closedcollege.bizland.com:
NCA web site;
members.dftnet.com/stevew/parsons.htm;
www.stba.net; www.fairfieldpublicaccess.org
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
name changed from Spencer School
of Business to Spencer College in 1993; programs purchased by Buena Vista
University in 1996 and BVU operates a center in Spencer
became Des Moines Still College
of Osteopathy in 1911 and College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery in
1958; in 1981 the college became part of the University of Osteopathic
Medicine and the Health Sciences; in 1999, the name was changed to Des Moines
University, College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
http://history.aoa-net.org/Education/collegehist.htm
Tabor
College
Freemont County
Iowa
1853
1927
Congregational
initially founded as Tabor
Litererary Institute; an academy opened by 1855 and college level courses by
1866; four-year programs were offered in classical, scientific, and literary
departments; there was a brief unsuccessful effort in the 1930's to reopen;
during WWII property was used to house German POW's
http://community.heartland.net/tabor-library/college.htm
Burke, Colin B. American Collegiate Populations. 1982.
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
Tobin
College
Fort Dodge
Iowa
http://www.crl.edu/content.asp?l1=5&l2=22&l3=39&top=10
Patterson's College and School Directory, 1905
Toland's
Business College
Spencer
Iowa
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
Toland's
Business University
Mason City
Iowa
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
Trinity
College
Sioux City
Iowa
1913
1947
Franciscans
Society of Mary staffed the
school from 1930 until 1949; for a brief time Benedictine Sisters used
facilities as a Motherhouse; from 1958-1967 Salvatorians operated Minor
Seminary High School; leased by Western Iowa Tech until 1973 as
administrative offices;
later became Morningside College
in 1894; absorbed Charles City College in 1914
www.uiowa.edu/~osa/regions/wcent/woodbury.htm
Songe, Alice H.American
Universities and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
Walford
Lutheran College
Forest City
Iowa
Lutheran
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
Wartburg
Normal School
Waverly
Iowa
1852
American Lutheran Church
name change to Wartburg Normal
College in 1920 and to Wartburg College in 1935
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
founded in 1856 in Shueyville,
Iowa, later moved to Toledo; closed for a time, reopened in 1906 as Leander
Clark College; later merged with Coe College
www.tamatoledonews.com/ToledoArchive/October2000/101900TC/
101900TC.html
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
Patterson's College and School Directory, 1905
Western
Iowa Business College
Council Bluffs
Iowa
Patterson's College and School
Directory, 1905
Western
Normal College
Shenandoah
Iowa
purchased by William M. Croan in
1884 when 65 students were enrolled; reported 3,000 attending during 1889-90
http://www.crl.edu/content.asp?l1=5&l2=22&l3=39&top=10
Parker, Leonard F. Higher Education in Iowa. 1893.
Patterson's College and School Directory, 1905
Western
Union College
Lemars
Iowa
1887
1997
founded as Northwestern Normal
School & Business College; in 1900 opened as Western Union College
supported by United Evangelical Church; name changed in 1948 to Westmar
College sponsored by Evangelical United Brethren; merged with York College of
Nebraska in 1954; became United Methodist after 1968 merger with EUB's; 1990
Teikyo Westmar University; name change back to Westmar University in 1995;
first accredited by NCA in 1953;
operated as Teikyo Westmar University 1990-95; Westmar University 1995-1997
http://closedcollege.bizland.com;
NCA web site; also, May 18, 1994, June 15, 1994, March 3, 1995, June 9,
1995, October 27, 1995, April 19, 1996, July 26, 1996, October 24, 1997, and
January 30, 1998 Chronicle of Higher Education
http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/archives/faq/faqcolleges.htm
Whittier
College
Salem
Iowa
1867
Religious Society of Friends
destroyed by fire in 1885,
revived in 1887
Parker, Leonard F. Higher
Education in Iowa. 1893.
Patterson's College and School Directory, 1905.
Wilton
German English College
Wilton Junction
Iowa
German Congregational
a seminary founded in Crete, NE
moved to Wilton in 1894; the college later merged with Redfield College in SD
in 1904
http://www.ucc.org/aboutus/histories/chap5.htm
Yellow
Springs College
Mediapolis
Iowa
1850's
hosted speakers such as William
Jennings Bryan and Billy Sunday; currently Chautauqua Park, managed by Des
Moines County Conservation; one source gives Kossuth, Iowa for college
location
