View source for Grove City College

{{Short description|Christian college in Grove City, Pennsylvania, US}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Grove City College
 | image                  = Seal_of_Grove_City_College.png
 | image_upright          = 0.6
 | motto                  = Lux Mea ([[Latin]])
 | former_names           = Pine Grove Normal Academy (1876–1884)
 | mottoeng               = My Light<ref name=home>{{cite web|title=Grove City College – The Home of the "Wolverines" |url=http://www2.gcc.edu/sports/thewolverine.htm |publisher=Grove City College |access-date=February 5, 2018}}</ref>
 | established            = {{start date and age|1876}}
 | type                   = [[Private college|Private]] [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Liberal arts colleges in the United States|liberal arts college]]
 | religious_affiliation  = Nondenominational; formerly informally affiliated with [[Presbyterian Church (USA)]]
 | endowment              = $270,000,000 <ref>{{cite web | url=https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/grove-city-college-receives-70-million-estate-gift#:~:text=The%20bequest%20from%20Rathburn%27s%20estate,the%20college%20and%20its%20mission.%E2%80%9D&text=%22Transformative%20$70%20million%20gift%20is,release%2003/04/2025 | title=Grove City College receives $70 million estate gift }}</ref>
 | president              = Bradley J. Lingo J.D.
 | undergrad              = 2,400<ref name="GCCFS">{{cite web|title=Grove City College Fact Sheet|url=http://www.gcc.edu/Utility/Offices/Office-of-Marketing-Communications/Media-Kit/Fact-Sheet|publisher=Grove City College|access-date=September 17, 2019}}</ref>
 | faculty                = 150<ref name="GCCFS"/>
 | city                   = [[Grove City, Pennsylvania]]
 | country                = U.S.
 | coordinates            = {{Coord|41|9|22|N|80|4|48|W|region:US-PA_type:edu|display=inline,title}}
 | campus                 = Rural  {{convert|180|acres|sqmi}} <ref name="area">{{cite web |url=http://www.gcc.edu/Portals/0/2019-20-Catalog.pdf?ver=2019-08-13-131634-633#page=9 |format=PDF |title=Grove City College Bulletin (2019–2020) |publisher=Grove City College |date=July 2019 |page=9 |access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref>
 | colors                 = {{colorsample|#cc0000}} {{colorsample|white}} (Red and white)
 | athletics_affiliations = {{hlist|[[NCAA Division III]] – [[Presidents' Athletic Conference|PAC]]|[[Collegiate Water Polo Association|CWPA]]}}
 | mascot                 = Willie the Wolverine
 | sports_nickname        = [[Wolverine]]s
 | website                = {{URL|https://www.gcc.edu/| gcc.edu}}
 | logo                   = Grove city college penn logo.png
| logo_size     = 200
}}

'''Grove City College''' ('''GCC''') is a [[Private college|private]], [[Conservative Christianity|conservative Christian]] [[Liberal arts colleges in the United States|liberal arts college]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grove City College - Profile |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/grove-city-college-3269 |access-date=June 7, 2024 |website=usnews.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gcc.edu/Home/Our-Story/Our-Distinctives/Why-Grove-City-College |title=Why Grove City College? |publisher=[[Grove City College]] |date=2025 |accessdate=July 18, 2025}}</ref> in [[Grove City, Pennsylvania]], United States.<ref>{{cite news |last1=R. Trueman |first1=Carl|title=Mere Christianity on Campus |url=https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/02/mere-christianity-on-campus |access-date=February 14, 2023 |publisher=First Things}}</ref> Founded in 1876 as a [[normal school]], the college emphasizes a [[humanities]] [[core curriculum]] and offers 60 majors and six pre-professional programs with undergraduate degrees in the liberal arts, sciences, business, education, engineering, and music.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barringer |first1=Felicity |title=Claiming Independence, College Challenges Federal Regulation |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1983/08/21/claiming-independence-college-challenges-federal-regulation/bc4efbf5-17d6-485a-8ea7-ae6d7786bdb9/ |access-date=December 27, 2018 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=August 21, 1983}}</ref><ref name="GCCFS"/> The college has always been formally non-denominational, but in its first few decades its students and faculty were dominated by members of the [[Presbyterian Church (USA)|Presbyterian Church]], to the extent that it was sometimes described as having a ''de facto'' Presbyterian affiliation; in more recent decades, it and the Presbyterian Church have moved apart.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cotherman |first=Charlie |date=August 5, 2020 |title=The Project on Rural Ministry: The Roots are Deep in Grove City College's History - P. C. Kemeny |url=https://ruralministry.org/the-project-on-rural-ministry-the-roots-are-deep-in-grove-city-colleges-history |access-date=September 16, 2023 |website=The Project on Rural Ministry |language=en-US}}</ref>

==History==

===Founding===
Founded in 1876 by [[Isaac C. Ketler]],<ref name="timeline">{{cite web |url=http://www.gcc.edu/Home/Our-Story/History/Timeline |title=Grove City College Timeline |publisher=Grove City College |access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref> the school was originally chartered as "Pine Grove Normal Academy". It had twenty-six students in its first year. In 1884, the trustees of Pine Grove Normal Academy in Grove City amended the academy charter to change the name to "Grove City College".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.discovermercercountypa.org/tc.asp |title=Discover Mercer County |publisher=Discovermervercountypa.org |access-date=July 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150719145805/http://www.discovermercercountypa.org/tc.asp |archive-date=July 19, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> By charter, the doors of the College were open to qualified students "without regard to religious test or belief." Isaac Ketler served as president until 1913.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.academia.org/campus_reports/2001/february_2001_2.html |title=The Less Traveled Path of Grove City College |access-date=February 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011012050/http://www.academia.org/campus_reports/2001/february_2001_2.html |archive-date=October 11, 2007 }}</ref>

Grove City was also supported by [[Joseph Newton Pew]], founder of the [[Sun Oil Company]]. Pew and Ketler's sons, Weir C. Ketler and John Howard Pew, later went on to become Grove City president and president of the board of trustees, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |title=Weir C. Ketler, College President, 98 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/20/obituaries/weir-c-ketler-college-president-98.html |website=The New York Times |date=December 20, 1987}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=J. Howard Pew of Sun Oil Dies; Served as Presidentior for 35 Years |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/11/28/archives/j-howard-pew-of-sun-oil-dies-served-as-president-for-35-years-he.html |website=The New York Times |date=November 28, 1971}}</ref> During the summer of 1925, [[J. Gresham Machen]] gave the lectures that formed the basis of his book, ''What Is Faith?''<ref>J. Gresham Machen (1925), ''What Is Faith?'', New York:  Macmillan, "Preface", p. 7.</ref>

===World War II===
As World War II began, Grove City College was one of six schools selected by the [[United States Navy]] to participate in the highly unusual [[Electronics Training Program]] (ETP). Starting in March 1942, each month a new group of 100 Navy and Marine students arrived for three months of 14-hour days in concentrated electrical engineering study. ETP admission required passing the [[Eddy Test]], one of the most selective qualifying exams given during the war years.<ref>Test and Research Staff, Bureau of Naval Personnel; "Psychological test construction and research in the Bureau of Naval Personnel. Part V. Navy radio technician training program;" ''American Psychologist'', vol 1(3), Mar. 1946, pp 80–90</ref> Professor Russell P. Smith was the program's Director of Instruction. By the fall of 1943, there were only 81 civilian men in the student body; thus, the presence of 300 or so servicemen contributed greatly to sustaining the College. This training at Grove City continued until April 1945; library records show that 49 classes were graduating 3,759 persons.<ref>Dayton, David M.; "The Naval Training School," ''Mid the Pines: A History of Grove City College'', Grove City Alumni Association, 1971</ref><ref>Watson, Raymond C., Jr.; ''Solving the Naval Radar Crisis'', Trafford Publishing, 2007, pp. 207–208, {{ISBN|978-1-4251-6173-6}}</ref>

===Supreme Court case===
{{Main|Grove City College v. Bell}}

Under President Charles S. MacKenzie, the college was the plaintiff-appellee in the landmark [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] case in 1984, ''Grove City College v. Bell''. The ruling came seven years after the school refused to sign a [[Title IX]] compliance form, which would have subjected the entire school to federal regulations, even ones not yet issued. The court ruled 6–3 that acceptance by students of federal educational grants fell under the regulatory requirements of Title IX, but it limited the application to the school's financial aid department.

In 1988, new legislation subjected every department of any educational institution that received federal funding to Title IX requirements. In response, Grove City College withdrew from the [[Pell Grant]] program entirely beginning with the 1988–1989 academic year, replacing such grants to students with its own program, the Student Freedom Fund.<ref>{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Walter|title=Standing up to the Washington Leviathan|url=http://articles.philly.com/1996-11-13/news/25650722_1_grove-city-college-student-loan-programs-pell-grant-program|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215033109/http://articles.philly.com/1996-11-13/news/25650722_1_grove-city-college-student-loan-programs-pell-grant-program|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 15, 2013|work=Daily News|publisher=Philly.com of the Philadelphia Inquirer|access-date=May 28, 2013}}</ref> In October 1996, the college withdrew from the [[Stafford Loan]] program, providing entering students with replacements through a program with [[PNC Bank]].<ref name="Observer-Reporter, Washington, PA">{{cite web |title=Tired of intrusions, school cuts ties with government |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19961024&id=XLRdAAAAIBAJ&pg=1379,3426486 |access-date=May 28, 2013 |work=Daily edition, 10/24/1996, p. A9, AP-Pittsburgh |publisher=Observer-Reporter, Washington, Pennsylvania}}</ref>

Grove City is one of a handful of colleges (along with [[Hillsdale College]], which did likewise after the aforementioned 1984 case<ref name="Observer-Reporter, Washington, PA"/>) that does not participate in federal financial aid, including grants, loans, and scholarships.<ref>{{cite web|title=[GCC Financial Aid] FAQ|url=http://www.gcc.edu/Home/Admissions-Financial-Aid/Financial-Aid-Scholarships/Financial-Aid-Information/FAQ|access-date=August 19, 2019}}</ref>

===Recent history===
From 1963 until 2016, the [[American Association of University Professors]] placed Grove City under censure for violations of [[tenure]] and [[academic freedom]] because of the dismissal of Professor of History and Political Science Larry Gara, at the direct behest of the then Chairman of the Board, J. Howard Pews.<ref name="Gara2017">{{Cite journal |last=Gara |first=Larry |date=September 6, 2017 |title=Surviving Attacks on Academic Freedom |url=https://www.aaup.org/article/surviving-attacks-academic-freedom |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217035338/https://www.aaup.org/article/surviving-attacks-academic-freedom |archive-date=December 17, 2023 |access-date=August 13, 2024 |website=AAUP |pages=443 |language=en |doi=10.2307/40218683|jstor=40218683 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="Taaffe2017">{{Cite book |last=Taaffe |first=Stephen |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781351490993 |title=Shaping The American Faculty: Perspectives on The History of Higher Education |date=July 5, 2017 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-315-12930-3 |editor-last=Geiger |editor-first=Roger L. |edition=1 |location=New York |language=en |chapter=Chapter 5: Firing Larry Gara: Grove City College, Due Process, and Institutional Autonomy |doi=10.4324/9781315129303 |chapter-url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315129303-5/firing-larry-gara-grove-city-college-due-process-institutional-autonomy-stephen-taaffe |url-access=subscription}}</ref> By the end of this period, Grove City's administration was on the AAUP's list of censured administrations longer than any other college on the list. In its report, the AAUP Investigative Committee at Grove City concluded that "the absence of due process [in the dismissal of professors at Grove City] raises... doubts regarding the academic security of any persons who may hold an appointment at Grove City College under existing administrative practice. These doubts are of an order of magnitude which obliges us to report them to the academic profession at large." In 2013 Grove City started working to remove itself from the censure list. Two years later, the school admitted that they would have handled Gara's case rather differently under their current procedures. This led the AAUP to lift its sanction on the school at its annual meeting in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |title=Academic Freedom and Tenure: Grove City College |url=http://www.aaup.org/NR/rdonlyres/9BCCF01E-DD4A-4A1A-87D7-89B490EE788A/0/GroveCity.pdf |access-date=July 3, 2015 |publisher=Aaup.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/about/censuredadmins/|title=Censure List|work=aaup.org|date=July 18, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gcc.edu/Home/News-Archive/News-Article/gcc-action-prompts-removal-of-half-century-censure-by-american-association-of-university-professors |title=GCC action prompts removal of half-century censure by American Association of University Professors |date=June 20, 2016 |publisher=Grove City College |access-date=January 21, 2019}}</ref> Gara received an apology from the school in October 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.staradvertiser.com/2015/10/28/breaking-news/53-years-after-his-firing-college-professor-gets-apology-2/|title=53 years after his firing, college professor gets apology|last=Stacy|first=Mitch|date=October 8, 2015|work=Honolulu Star Adviser|access-date=April 30, 2017}}</ref>

In 2005, Grove City founded the conservative think-tank the Center for Vision and Values<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visandvals.org/|title=The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College – a conservative think tank promoting truth and liberty through a vision of faith and freedom.|work=Visandvals.org|access-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> In April 2019, it was renamed the Institute for Faith & Freedom, saying that it "more clearly aligns it with the historic values of the College."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gcc.edu/Home/News-Archive/News-Article/colleges-faith-and-freedom-think-tank-rechristened|title = College's faith and freedom think tank rechristened}}</ref>

In recent years, the college has engaged in many new construction projects, including an expansion to its music and arts center in 2002, a new academic building in 2003, a new student union/bookstore in 2004, and new apartment-style housing in 2006. Grove City's Student Union building was honored with the International Masonry Institute's Golden Trowel Grand Prize for excellence in masonry design and construction in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imiweb.org/_whatsnew/pr_111505.htm%7ctitle=Search%7cwork=imiweb.org|title=Search|access-date=June 12, 2015}} {{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imiweb.org/bac_members/gta/gta_2005.htm%7ctitle=Search%7cwork=imiweb.org|title=Search|access-date=June 12, 2015}} {{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> On February 9, 2011, Grove City College announced that it would break ground for construction of a science, engineering, and mathematics building – key components of Grove City Matters: A Campaign to Advance Grove City College, which at $90 million is the largest capital campaign in the college's history. The $37.2 million science, engineering, and mathematics building is designed to support new modes of teaching, particularly flexible laboratories and small-group interactions. "It will help ensure that Grove City College continues to prepare students for future careers in an increasingly competitive workforce", officials said.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://business-journal.com/big-building-projects-at-grove-city-college-p18528-1.htm |title=Big Building Projects at Grove City College |access-date=February 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708104939/http://business-journal.com/big-building-projects-at-grove-city-college-p18528-1.htm |archive-date=July 8, 2011 }}</ref> STEM Hall was opened in August 2013 and provides laboratory space for students studying biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gcc.edu/Home/Experience-the-Grove/Facilities/STEM-Hall|title=STEM Hall}}</ref> In the summer of 2021, Grove City announced that the campus' Henry Buhl Library would be majorly renovated, with the addition of classroom space, updated study areas, and a cafe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gcc.edu/Home/News-Archive/News-Article/henry-buhl-library-getting-a-9-million-makeover|title = Henry Buhl Library getting a $9 million makeover}}</ref>

The college acquired an [[observatory]] from [[Edinboro University of Pennsylvania]] in February 2008 that will be used for [[astronomy]] classes as well as faculty and student research. The observatory's telescope will be operated remotely, from the college's main campus – more than {{convert|60|mi|km}} away. The purchase of the property, three buildings, and equipment inside will pave the way for the addition of an astronomy minor on campus. Through this observatory, the college's [[physics]] department plans to work with area public schools as well as other colleges and universities on educational and research projects and draw prospective students who are looking for strong physics programs and astronomy coursework.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gcc.edu/College_acquires_observatory_for_research.php |title=GCC: College acquires observatory for research |access-date=February 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080301142818/http://gcc.edu/College_acquires_observatory_for_research.php |archive-date=March 1, 2008 }}</ref>

==Academics==
Grove City offers 55 majors in the [[liberal arts]], sciences, and engineering.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web|url=http://www.gcc.edu/Quick_Facts___Figures.php |title=GCC: Quick Facts & Figures |access-date=February 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014023556/http://www.gcc.edu/Quick_Facts___Figures.php |archive-date=October 14, 2007 }}</ref> The college is [[Regional accreditation|accredited]] by the [[Middle States Commission on Higher Education]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msche.org/institutions_view.asp?idinstitution=252|title=Middle States Commission on Higher Education|work=Msche.org|access-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> The college's [[Electrical engineering|electrical]] and [[Computer science|computer]] and mechanical engineering programs are [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accredited]] by the [[Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology]], Inc. (ABET).<ref>{{cite web |title=Grove City College – College Closeup |url=http://www.petersons.com/ugchannel/code/IDD.asp?orderLineNum%3D911981-5%26inunId%3D6530%26typeVC%3DInstVC%26sponsor%3D1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303093239/http://www.petersons.com/ugchannel/code/IDD.asp?orderLineNum=911981-5&inunId=6530&typeVC=InstVC&sponsor=1 |archive-date=March 3, 2008 |access-date=February 9, 2016}}</ref> Most recently, the Bachelor of Science in Social Work program was approved as a candidate for accreditation through the specialized accreditation offered through the [[Council on Social Work Education]]. In 2019, Grove City announced a new partnership with Butler County Community College to provide a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.<ref>{{Cite web|title=GCC partners with BC3 to offer new nursing degree|url=https://www.gcc.edu/Home/News-Archive/News-Article/gcc-partners-with-bc3-to-offer-new-nursing-degree|access-date=March 7, 2022|website=Grove City College|language=en-US}}</ref>

Many students choose Grove City explicitly for its Christian environment and traditional [[Humanities]] curriculum. {{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} A three-year required [[Humanities]] sequence focuses on the origin, development, and implications of civilization's seminal ideas and [[worldviews]]. The courses cover content that includes religion, philosophy, history and [[philosophy of science]], literature, art and music.<ref name="autogenerated2" /> Because of its strong adherence to freedom and minimal government interference, Grove City College is considered to be one of America's foremost colleges that teach the ideas of the [[Austrian School of Economics]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Major Interview with Mark Skousen on His Life and Works in Economics, Finance, and the Freedom Movement|date=July 15, 2011|url=http://mskousen.com/2011/07/major-interview-with-mark-skousen-on-his-life-and-works-in-economics-finance-and-the-freedom-movement/|access-date=January 9, 2016}}</ref> The post-1938 personal papers of [[Ludwig Von Mises]], are housed in the archive of Grove City College.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hoppe|first=Hans-Hermann|author-link=Hans-Hermann Hoppe|title=The Meaning of the Mises Papers|date=April 1, 1997|url=https://mises.org/library/meaning-mises-papers|access-date=January 9, 2016}}</ref> Grove City College also hosts the Austrian Student Scholars Conference. Annually done in February, a collection of students from around the United States present research papers on the history of economic thought or on current developments within the Austrian School of Thought.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Austrian Student Scholars Conference|url=http://www.gcc.edu/Home/Academics/Majors-Departments/Arts-Letters/Economics-Sociology/Austrian-Student-Scholars-Conference|access-date=June 8, 2020|website=www.gcc.edu}}</ref> In addition to traditional business programs, Grove City also offers a degree in Entrepreneurship and a degree in Business Economics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gccentrepreneurship.com/|title=Entrepreneurship Program at Grove City College – GCC Entrepreneurship|work=GCC Entrepreneurship|access-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref>

===Reputation and rankings===
Grove City College was ranked 225 of 498 in 2023 Forbes list of Top Colleges, and 4 of 41 in their Region in 2024 U.S. News & World Report Rankings.
{{Infobox US university ranking
| USNWR_REG = 4 of 41
| Forbes = 225 of 500
}}

===Think tanks===
Although it is a small liberal arts college, Grove City's faculty and administrators significantly influence and impact the ideas of various [[think tanks]] around the USA, especially on issues involving the environment, education, [[minimum wage]], and other issues economic and conservative.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unbossed.com/index.php?itemid=229%7ctitle=Unbossed%7cwork=unbossed.com|title=Unbossed|access-date=June 12, 2015}}</ref> Grove City College has international ties, founded in 1955, and on the International Society for Individual Liberty (ISIL) Freedom Network.

The National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cneonline.org/pages/History|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080301145204/http://www.cneonline.org/pages/History|url-status=usurped|archive-date=March 1, 2008|title=History|work=Center for Neighborhood Enterprise|access-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> an organization that seeks to provide effective community and faith-based organizations with training and technical assistance, links them to sources of support, and evaluates their experience for public policy to address the problems of youth violence, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, homelessness, joblessness, poor education, and deteriorating neighborhoods, publicizes events held at Grove City College.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

The Lone Mountain Coalition, part of the Property and Environment Research Center,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.perc.org/about.php?id=700|title=About PERC – PERC – The Property and Environment Research Center|work=Perc.org|access-date=July 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421071814/http://www.perc.org/about.php?id=700|archive-date=April 21, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> which claims to be "America's oldest and largest institute dedicated to original research that brings market principles to resolving environmental problems", has ties to Grove City through Michael Coulter, Vice-President of the Shenango Institute for Public Policy, and associate professor of political science at Grove City College.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

Several members of the [[Ludwig von Mises Institute]], a [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] academic organization, are also faculty at Grove City.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

Grove City also has ties to [[Michigan]] through Lawrence W. (Larry) Reed, president of Michigan's [[Mackinac Center for Public Policy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mackinac.org/features/join/article.aspx?ID%3D4986 |title=Investment Opportunities &#91;Mackinac Center for Public Policy&#93; |access-date=February 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218143836/http://www.mackinac.org/features/join/article.aspx?ID=4986 |archive-date=February 18, 2009 }}</ref> Reed received his B.A. in Economics from Grove City in 1975. Reed is also past president of the [[State Policy Network]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spn.org/about/ |title=About » State Policy Network |publisher=Spn.org |access-date=July 2, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626172710/http://www.spn.org/about/ |archive-date=June 26, 2015 }}</ref>

The Academic Advisory Committee of the [[John Locke Foundation]], a free market think tank in North Carolina, which supports the [[James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal|John William Pope Center]] for Higher Education Policy, a nonprofit institute dedicated to improving higher education in North Carolina and the nation, includes [[Walter E. Williams]], the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics, [[George Mason University]], holder of a Doctor of Humane Letters from Grove City College and John Moore, Former President of Grove City College, who led the college through its withdrawal from federal student loan programs, which completed the college's break from federal ties.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

===Policies and environment===
When it opened, Grove City College was one of the first institutions of higher learning in the United States to admit both male and female students. The school maintains a one-to-one ratio of men to women, ensuring that the student body is approximately 50% men and 50% women.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/grove-city-college-3269/student-life|title=Grove City College – Student Life – Best College – US News|work=rankingsandreviews.com|access-date=August 1, 2014|archive-date=August 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805170329/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/grove-city-college-3269/student-life|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Grove City College adopts a strong policy regarding [[alcoholic beverage|alcohol]] use on campus, with first-time offenders receiving a one-week suspension from all activities. Legal-age students are permitted to consume alcohol off campus, provided that they do not appear inebriated upon their return. Student organizations must agree to a strong policy regarding alcohol use both on and off campus, and their violation resulting in the loss of their charter.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Crimson Student Handbook: 2013-4 |url=http://www.gcc.edu/studentlife/New-Student-Info/Documents/Crimson_2013-14.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924021112/http://www.gcc.edu/studentlife/New-Student-Info/Documents/Crimson_2013-14.pdf |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |access-date=July 3, 2015 |publisher=Gcc.edu}}</ref>

In 2012, The Princeton Review listed Grove City College as the 2nd most LGBT-unfriendly school in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=677 |title= Ranking Categories: Demographics |work= Princeton Review College Ranking |publisher= The Princeton Review |access-date= April 9, 2012}}</ref> In 2013 Grove City was at #1 in the Princeton Review’s rankings of most LGBT-unfriendly schools in America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/princeton-review-labels-three-texas-universities-as-lgbt-unfriendly/|title = Princeton Review Labels Three Texas Universities as LGBT-Unfriendly| work=Texas Monthly |date = January 21, 2013 | last1=Washeck | first1=Angela }}</ref> As of 2016, they were ranked 9th.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.princetonreview.com/schools/1022985/college/grove-city-college|title=Grove City College|access-date=December 20, 2016}}</ref>

By refusing to accept federal funds and Title IV financial aid (from the [[Higher Education Act of 1965]]), Grove City is not required to adhere to various federal guidelines that (i) prevent sex-based and many other forms of discrimination (e.g., [[Title IX]] of the [[Education Amendments of 1972]]), (ii) regulate investigations into accusations of sexual abuse, (iii) require the collecting and sharing of information about crimes on campus ([[Clery Act]]), and (iv) set standards for disciplinary proceedings (Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Marcus|first=Ibby Caputo, Jon|date=July 7, 2016|title=How Some Religious Colleges Avoid Rules Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/the-controversial-reason-some-religious-colleges-forgo-federal-funding/490253/|access-date=March 7, 2022|website=The Atlantic|language=en}}</ref>

===Religious facilities===
Grove City College has always been officially non-denominational, but in its first decades had a ''de facto'' affiliation with the Presbyterian Church; today, it is no longer tied to a particular Christian denomination. The Department of Biblical & Religious Studies is composed of confessionally [[Calvinism|Reformed]] professors from various denominational backgrounds. Students are required to attend a certain number of chapel services per semester. That was also the case during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 14, 2020|title=College Chapel and COVID-19|url=https://www.patheos.com/blogs/anxiousbench/2020/10/college-chapel-covid-19/|access-date=October 17, 2020|website=Anxious Bench|language=en}}</ref>

Harbison Chapel has been a longstanding campus facility for Christian services. In 2012, Rathburn Hall was built to function as an office space for chapel staff, meeting space for religious groups, and a lounge area for visiting speakers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Petro |first=Felicia A. |date=September 14, 2012 |title=Rathburn Hall ready for Christian groups |url=https://www.alliednews.com/news/local_news/rathburn-hall-ready-for-christian-groups/article_07ff89bd-374b-51af-8a2d-b2b970c36bba.html |access-date=October 17, 2020 |website=Allied News |language=en}}</ref>

<gallery mode=packed caption="Grove City campus and buildings" heights= 120>
File:Grove City College Campus.jpg|View of the campus
File:Gcc quad.jpg|Central quad in the spring
File:gcc rainbow bridge.jpg|Rainbow Bridge stretches 
file:Grove City aerial shot 2024-06-15 1.jpg|Aerial photograph of the campus in 2024 
</gallery>

==Groups and organizations==
GCC hosts approximately 150 Student Organizations and Activities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gcc.edu/Campus_Organizations.php |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120731064304/http://www.gcc.edu/Campus_Organizations.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 31, 2012 |title=CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS |publisher=Grove City College |access-date=May 8, 2009 }}</ref>

===Publications and media===
''The Grove City College Journal of Law & Public Policy'' was founded in 2009 and features writing about political theory, jurisprudence, and Austrian economics.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=GCC Law Journal |url=http://www2.gcc.edu/orgs/GCLawJournal/ |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=www2.gcc.edu}}</ref> Grove City College is one of five undergraduate institutions to publish a law journal.

Other periodicals are ''The Bridge'' (the college yearbook), ''The Collegian'' (the campus newspaper), ''Cogitare'' (associated with [[Intercollegiate Studies Institute|ISI]]), and ''The Quad'' (a literary magazine).{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

===WSAJ radio===
{{Main|WSAJ}}

The 1,600-watt FM signal covers a 30&nbsp;mi radius in Western Pennsylvania. The station broadcasts fine arts programming, college football and basketball games. It also airs community events and high school sports. Students host shows during the evening hours when school is in session.

===Fraternities, sororities, and housing groups===
Members of [[fraternities and sororities]] live on campus in pre-selected upperclassman halls. Grove City's fraternities and sororities are local and are not affiliated with any of the national [[List of Greek umbrella organizations|Greek umbrella organizations]].<ref name="gcc.edu">{{cite web|url=http://www.gcc.edu/studentlife/campus-organizations/Pages/Social-Groups.aspx|title=Social Groups|work=gcc.edu|access-date=September 7, 2015}}</ref>

==Athletics==
[[File:Grove city athletics monogram.png|thumb|left|100px|Grove City athletics logo]]
Grove City has been fielding athletics teams for over a century. In 1906, they were one of the 39 charter members of the IAAUS, the forerunner of the NCAA.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Economics of Intercollegiate Sports: Second Edition
|author=Randy R Grant, John C Leadley, Zenon X Zygmont |isbn=978-9814583398 |year=2015|publisher=World Scientific Publishing Company }}</ref>

[[File:Pitt v groove city soccer 1965 01.jpg|thumb|230px|Grove City (dark shirts) v Pittsburgh, soccer match in 1965]]
Grove City College, known athletically as the Wolverines, competes in the [[Presidents' Athletic Conference]] (PAC) of [[NCAA Division III]]. On the varsity level, Grove City College has [[basketball]], [[cross country running|cross country]], [[golf]], soccer, [[cheerleading]], swimming, [[tennis]], and [[Track and field|track]] teams for both men and women. [[Lacrosse]], [[baseball]], [[rugby union]] and [[American football|football]] are varsity sports available to men only, while [[softball]] and [[water polo]] are varsity sports offered to women only.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

Grove City also offers several club sports to men and women including but not limited to ultimate, [[volleyball]] for men and [[field hockey]], [[lacrosse]], and [[rugby football|rugby]] for women. These teams have been very successful, most notably the men's club volleyball team, which has finished in the top 10 in the country each of the last two years, the men's lacrosse team, which finished in the top 10 in the country in 2015, and both the men's and women's rugby teams which have been ranked in the top 10 in the country by the National Small College Rugby Organization. Men's volleyball will be elevated to full varsity status in 2024–25.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://athletics.gcc.edu/news/2022/12/14/general-grove-city-adding-mens-volleyball-as-24th-varsity-sport.aspx |title=Grove City adding men's volleyball as 24th varsity sport |publisher=Grove City Wolverines |date=December 14, 2022 |access-date=November 22, 2023}}</ref>

Intramural sports for men are as follows: basketball, [[Ten-pin bowling|bowling]], dodgeball, football, soccer, softball, [[table tennis]], tennis, [[ultimate (sport)|ultimate]], and volleyball. Women have [[badminton]], basketball, bowling, [[flag football]], [[indoor soccer]], [[kickball]], [[racquetball]], ultimate, and volleyball.

In 2018, the school's assistant sports information director was charged with nearly 100 counts for crimes ranging from privacy violations to possession of child pornography after it was discovered he had been secretly recording students who were showering in the college's locker room.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/shocking-allegations-surround-former-grove-city-college-official/1236987639|title=Shocking allegations surround former Grove City College official|last=Ricciutti|first=Gerry|date=June 13, 2018|work=WKBN|access-date=July 21, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.wfmj.com/story/38320404/former-grove-city-college-employee-allegedly-records-students|title=Former Grove City College employee allegedly records students|last=Koziol|first=Brandon|access-date=July 21, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://butlerradio.com/wv-man-accused-of-recording-grove-city-college-students-in-locker-room/|title=WV Man Accused Of Recording Grove City College Students in Locker Room – ButlerRadio.com – Butler, PA|date=June 1, 2018|work=ButlerRadio.com – Butler, PA|access-date=July 21, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

==People==

===Notable alumni===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}} 
* [[David M. Bailey]] – guitarist, singer-songwriter<ref>{{cite web| title= Entertainment Briefs from Sept. 11, 2008| url= http://www.sharon-herald.com/community/local_story_254194924.html| publisher= The Herald (Sharon, PA)| date= September 10, 2008| access-date= April 4, 2009| url-status= dead| archive-url= https://archive.today/20120915065917/http://www.sharon-herald.com/community/local_story_254194924.html| archive-date= September 15, 2012}}</ref>
* [[Jc Beall]] – philosopher<ref>[https://entailments.net/cv/jcb-cv.pdf]</ref>
* [[Peter Boettke]] – professor of economics<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.org/aboutus/person_detail.asp?id=1207|title=Peter J. Boettke|work=The Independent Institute|access-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Edward D. Breen]] – corporate CEO
* [[Alejandro Chafuen]] – author, president and former CEO of [[Atlas Network]]
* [[Larry Critchfield]] – former NFL player
* [[Arthur J. Schwab|Arthur Schwab]] – U.S. federal district court judge and GCC adjunct professor
* [[Jim Van Eerden]] – entrepreneur, brand strategist, media producer, and co-founder of Helixx Partners, LLC
* [[George Clark Southworth]] – engineer and physicist
* [[R.J. Bowers]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.gcc.edu/sports/Football/rjbowers.htm |title=R.J. Bowers Web Page |publisher=Gcc.edu |access-date=July 2, 2015}}</ref> – football player<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/3513/rj-bowers|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722075657/http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/3513/rj-bowers|url-status=live|title=R.J. Bowers Stats – ESPN|date=July 22, 2012|archive-date=July 22, 2012|website=archive.is}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/rj-bowers/ | work=The New York Times | access-date=May 4, 2010 | title=R.J. Bowers| date=September 30, 2007 }}</ref>
* [[Scott Bullock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ij.org/staff/bullock.html|title=Scott G. Bullock – The Institute for Justice|author=Andrew Soell|work=The Institute for Justice|date=November 2010 }}</ref> – attorney and founding member of [[Institute For Justice]]
* [[Bill Deasy]] – singer-songwriter, novelist
* [[Bob Glenn|Burdette "Bob" Glenn]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=General Catalog, 1924–1925 &#124; Oregon Digital |url=https://oregondigital.org/catalog/oregondigital:fx719v09c#page/1/mode/1up |access-date=March 7, 2022 |website=oregondigital.org}}</ref> – baseball player and engineer
* [[Scott Hahn]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Hahn|first=Scott & Kimberly|title=Rome Sweet Home – Our Journey to Catholicism|year=1993|publisher=Ignatius Press|location=San Francisco|isbn=978-0-89870-478-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/romesweethomeour00hahn/page/12 12]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/romesweethomeour00hahn/page/12}}</ref> – theologian
* [[Matt Kibbe]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freedomworks.org/know/president.php |title=Letter from President Matt Kibbe -- FreedomWorks.org |access-date=February 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114062222/http://www.freedomworks.org/know/president.php |archive-date=November 14, 2007 }}</ref> – former president and CEO of [[FreedomWorks]]
* [[Mose Lantz]] – football player
* [[Brian Leftow]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prosblogion.ektopos.com/archives/2006/03/interview_with.html |title=The Prosblogion: Interview with Brian Leftow |access-date=February 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609032041/http://prosblogion.ektopos.com/archives/2006/03/interview_with.html |archive-date=June 9, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521807463&ss=fro|title=The Cambridge Companion to Anselm|date=January 17, 2005|work=Cambridge University Press}}</ref> – philosopher
* [[Paul McNulty]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gcc.edu/about/newscenter/Pages/News%20Center.aspx?storyId=306|title=News Center|work=gcc.edu|access-date=August 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924021100/http://www.gcc.edu/about/newscenter/Pages/News%20Center.aspx?storyId=306|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> – former U.S. Deputy [[Attorney General]] and former president of Grove City College
* [[Gary Peters (baseball)|Gary Peters]] – baseball player
* [[Joseph Howard Pew]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gcc.edu/Home/Our-Story/History/Pew-Legacy |title=Pew Legacy |publisher=Grove City College |access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9059538/J-Howard-Pew-and-Joseph-N-Pew-Jr|title=J. Howard Pew|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> – founder and former president of [[Sun Oil Company]]
* [[David J. Porter (judge)|David J. Porter]] – judge on the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit]]
*[[Nicholas Ranjan]], District Judge, [[United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania]]
* [[Lawrence Reed]], president of the [[Foundation for Economic Education]] (FEE)
* [[Sean Rowe]] – 28th presiding bishop of the U.S.-based Episcopal Church
* [[Miss Pennsylvania|Tiffany Seitz]] – Miss Pennsylvania 2020
* [[Spike Shannon]]{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}} – baseball player 
* [[Frank Smith (1900s pitcher)|Frank Smith]] – baseball player
* [[Frank Soday]] – chemist 
* [[Greg Urbas]] – wrestling coach<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/2018/07/tom_tupa_greg_urbas_ellis_burk.html|title=Tom Tupa, Greg Urbas, Ellis Burks among Greater Cleveland Sports HOF 2018 inductees|first=Elton|last=Alexander|date=July 17, 2018|website=cleveland.com}}</ref>
* [[Harold Willis Dodds]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://etcweb.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Companion/dodds_harold_willis.html|title=Dodds, Harold Willis|work=Princeton.edu|access-date=July 3, 2015|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045916/http://etcweb.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Companion/dodds_harold_willis.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> – president of [[Princeton University]]
* [[Howard Winklevoss|Howard Edward Winklevoss, Jr.]] – academic and entrepreneur
{{div col end}}

===Notable professors===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}} 
* [[G.K. Beale]] – theologian
* [[Thomas David Gordon|T. David Gordon]] – theologian
* [[Guillermo Gonzalez (astronomer)|Guillermo Gonzalez]] – astrophysicist<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080420/NEWS/80420009 | title=Intelligent design professor to leave ISU | publisher=[[Des Moines Register]] |date= April 20, 2008 | access-date =May 17, 2007}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
* [[Richard G. Jewell]] – former president of Grove City College and former [[Pittsburgh]] director of Navigant Consulting Inc.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navigantconsulting.com/A559B1/navigantnew.nsf/fCNTDspRead?OpenForm%26Cat1%3DLA1 |title=Welcome to Navigant Consulting, Inc |access-date=February 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210122123/http://www.navigantconsulting.com/A559B1/navigantnew.nsf/fCNTDspRead?OpenForm&Cat1=LA1 |archive-date=February 10, 2008 }}</ref>
* [[Paul Kengor]] – author, executive director of Grove City College's [[Center for Vision and Values]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionandvalues.org/author/paul-g-kengor/|title=The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College Paul G. Kengor|work=Visionandvalues.org|access-date=July 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701143321/http://www.visionandvalues.org/author/paul-g-kengor/|archive-date=July 1, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Paul McNulty]] – former president of Grove City College and former Deputy Attorney General of the United States
* [[Hans Sennholz]] – economist<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sennholz.com/resume.php|title=Resume of Hans Sennholz|work=Sennholz.com|access-date=March 7, 2016}}</ref>
* [[Warren Throckmorton]] – professor of psychology<ref>{{cite web |title=E. Warren Throckmorton |url=http://www.gcc.edu/Home/News-Archive/News-Article/e-warren-throckmorton |publisher=Grove City College |access-date=December 27, 2018}}</ref>
* [[Carl Trueman]] – theologian and historian
* [[Walter E. Williams]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.creators.com/opinion/walter-williams-about.html|title=About Walter Williams, opinion columnist from Creators Syndicate.|work=Creators.com|access-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> – professor of economics
*[[Angelo Codevilla]] – political scientist
*[[James C. Conwell]] – mechanical engineer, president of [[Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology]]
{{div col end}}

===Past presidents===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}} 
* [[Isaac Conrad Ketler]] (1876–1913)
* Alexander T. Ormond (1913–1915)<ref>{{cite news | title=DR. ALEX. T. ORMOND DIES.; President of Grove City College Was Formerly of Princeton Faculty.| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A05E7DA153BE233A2575AC1A9649D946496D6CF| work=The New York Times| date=December 19, 1915| access-date=April 2, 2009}}</ref>
* Weir Carlyle Ketler (1916–1956)
* John Stanley Harker (1956–1971)
* Charles Sherrard Mackenzie (1971–1991)
* Jerry H. Combee (1991–1995)
* John H. Moore (1996–2003)
* [[Richard G. Jewell]] J.D. (2004–2014)
* [[Paul McNulty]] (2014–2025)
*Bradley J. Lingo J.D. (2025-present)
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |title= Freedom's College: The History of Grove City College |last= Edwards|first= Lee|author-link= Lee Edwards|year= 2000|publisher= Regnery Publishing, Inc|isbn= 0-89526-277-0}}

==External links==
{{ccat}}
* {{Official website}}
* [https://athletics.gcc.edu/ Athletics website]
* [http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt5q2nf31k/ The Lee Edwards papers] are at the [http://www.hoover.org/library-and-archives Hoover Institution Archives] and contain his research on Grove City College.

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[[Category:Grove City College| ]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1876]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Mercer County, Pennsylvania]]
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