(BEAVER FALLS, Pa.) – Geneva celebrated 170 years of God’s faithfulness to the college on April 20, the anniversary of the founding in 1848. In commemoration, the community celebrated in Alexander Dining Hall with prayer, song, historic artifacts and a giant birthday card signed by students, faculty and staff.
Emphasizing the importance of remembering God’s goodness in bringing Geneva College into existence, President of the College, Dr. Calvin L. Troup said, “We are thankful for God’s faithfulness. We are thankful for the faithfulness of the people who have gone before us, and we are thankful for the heritage we have in the Lord Jesus Christ because of the work He has been doing in people’s lives at Geneva for many years.”
The Genevans, led by Dr. David Kenneth Smith, thanked the Lord in song, performing To God Be the Glory by Fanny Crosby and William Howard Doane, the Alma Mater and Happy Birthday. Troup recounted Geneva’s early history and displayed the key President John Black Johnston used to lock and unlock the original building, in which classes were first held on April 20, 1848 in Northwood, Ohio.
Geneva moved to Beaver Falls in 1880, officially opening in its new home on September 15. The first classes in Beaver Falls were held in the Reformed Presbyterian Congregation at Seventh Avenue and Ninth Street. That church still stands today, as does Geneva College’s commitment to Christian values.
In 1967, a committee of trustees and corporators adopted the “Foundational Concepts of Christian Education,” the philosophical basis on which Geneva College rests. To this day, these concepts are at the core of what Geneva College is and what it strives to become.
Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 80 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, Adult Degree Programs with fully online and classroom options, and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva’s programs are recognized for their high quality. U.S. News & World Report ranks Geneva as a Top Three Best Value Regional University with one of the Top 100 engineering programs in the nation. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God’s Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today’s world.
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