9. Houghton Campus at the End of Paine's Presidency (1972)

1980 campus

1. We finally reach the end of Stephen Paine's 35-year presidency in 1972 and perhaps the end of the second phase of Houghton's existence. The first phase was the founding, with J.S. Luckey as president. During that phase, it achieved accreditation but in many respects still had the flavor of an inwardly-focused, holiness school in the narrow sense. At the same time, its liberal arts curriculum touched the universe.

That phase effectively ended with World War II. The second phase, under the rest of Stephen Paine's presidency, turned it toward broader evangelical Christianity in a more outwardly-facing way. It became more than a denominationally-oriented institution as "worldly-wise" GIs returned from war. [1] With over 1200 students and nearly 100 faculty, it became a major Christian institution. It participated in and contributed to the broader (neo) evangelical developments of America at the highest levels. 

2. One of the most interesting developments in the last years of Paine's presidency was the connection with the Buffalo Bible Institute in 1968. This partnership would begin a Houghton presence in Buffalo that continues to this day. The Buffalo Bible Institute was located in the Buffalo suburb of West Seneca. The site at one time had been an amusement park.

Houghton had capped its campus capacity at 1200, so the Buffalo connection seemed both an opportunity to continue growing, to extend into other areas of study, and to connect with the possibilities of a large city. BBI was in financial trouble, which is always worrisome, but its board was willing to assume the debt if Houghton would take it over, which happened in September of 1969.

The Houghton trustees and administration had "grand ideas" for the new site, including a dream of over 1000 students. [2] It would never materialize, although Houghton retained the campus until 2009 when the Great Recession hit. Nevertheless, hundreds of Houghton students would graduate from the Buffalo campus over its forty-year existence. For many in Buffalo, it was the only Houghton they ever knew.

3. There are a couple buildings from the last decade of Paine's presidency that we haven't mentioned yet. One is the first men's dorm. While it is hard to believe, Houghton went almost the first eighty years of its existence without a dedicated men's dorm. Men lived in various homes and places around the village.

Shenawana Hall

That changed in 1961 with the completion of Shenawana Hall. It is hard to believe that it is now almost an sixty-year-old dorm, with of course significant upgrade over the years. The men of Shen are known to dress up in curious garb for soccer games, to stand next to the field, and to make curious noises. Before I came to Houghton, I also heard tell of some version of highlander games during the year, although I missed it this past year if it happened. The name, like Gaoyodea, is Seneca.

4. The mascot, "Highlanders," was assigned in 1967, the year Houghton took the leap into intercollegiate sports. The terrain of Houghton, the stone, the weather no doubt made a Scottish theme seem just right. A Scottish friend joked that this was appropriation of his culture, but I'm sure some of us have a wee bit of Scottish in our blood.

Intramurals had always been part of the Houghton campus, from races on the main road through Houghton to a track on what is now the Quad, to tennis courts behind Old Admin to the baseball diamond where Luckey is to the swimming pool in Bedford gym. Sports are often a sensitive question on Christian campuses because there is a rumor that they can lower the spirituality of a campus, with individuals signing up for sports rather than a college's Christian identity.

I don't at all think anything like this has to be the case. It isn't the case at Houghton, and it wasn't the case at IWU. In fact, there are parallels between physical and spiritual disciplines. About a third of the students at Houghton are athletes.

It started with men's soccer, cross-country and basketball. The next year Houghton joined the NAIA and added tennis, golf, track, and baseball. In 1969, women's basketball came on board. Women's volleyball followed in 1970.

Paine Science Center

5. Two more buildings were started at the end of Paine's presidency. The Paine Science Center was finished in 1970. Then the second was the Reinhold Campus Center, which was finished right after Wilbur Dayton became president in 1972. In 1971, Paine was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, the very next day he indicated to the Board his intention to retire.

cyclotron

For a liberal arts college, Houghton has a long history of excellence in the sciences. When I arrived last year, Mark Yuly was showing me around the science building, and I joked that we should build a nuclear particle accelerator around the campus. "Well," he said with complete seriousness, "we already have one." Apparently, Houghton's cyclotron is only one of two accelerators in the world of this size.

[1] There's a story about one returning GI who smoked his last smoke in Filmore before returning to finish his education after the war.

[2] Wing, 188.

Previous posts in this series on the story of Houghton:

• Williard J. Houghton and the Founding 
• Seminary adds four-year college
• Luckey achieves accreditation
• A growing campus and faculty
• Stephen Paine becomes president
• Houghton and World War II
• Houghton and Post-WW2 Expansion
• Houghton and the Tumultuous 1960s