Houghton University

==History==
Houghton University began in 1883 as Houghton Seminary, a [[coeducation]]al [[high school]] founded by [[Willard J. Houghton]], a [[Wesleyan]] [[Methodist]] minister. In 1899, the first few college classes were offered. James S. Luckey was appointed president in 1908 and Houghton College received its provisional charter from New York in 1923.<ref name="history" /> A permanent charter was granted in 1927, and accreditation by the [[Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools]] came in 1935. [[Stephen W. Paine|Stephen Paine]] was appointed president in 1937. When the former Buffalo Bible Institute merged with Houghton College in 1969, the West Seneca campus was created.<ref>{{cite news |title=More than Just a Building<!--first article in the issue.--> |url=http://campus.houghton.edu/orgs/star/issues/Oct%207%202005.pdf |newspaper=Houghton Star |date=October 7, 2005 |volume=101 |issue=4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904014808/http://campus.houghton.edu/orgs/star/issues/Oct%207%202005.pdf |archive-date=September 4, 2006}}</ref>{{Failed verification|reason=No mention of merger, year, or campus in this issue.|date=May 2023}} Wilber Dayton was appointed president in 1972 and he was succeeded by [[Daniel R. Chamberlain]] in 1976. The university initiated its first [[master's degree]] program in 2004 and currently offers nine such degrees. [[Shirley Mullen]] was appointed president in 2006, and was succeeded by Wayne Lewis in 2023.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.houghton.edu/hc-president/dr-wayne-d-lewis-jr-to-become-sixth-president-of-houghton-college/ | title=Dr. Wayne D. Lewis, Jr. To Become Sixth President of Houghton University | date=April 28, 2021 }}</ref> From 2012 to 2013, the university set new records of giving to the institution for two years in a row.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.houghton.edu/news-media/recent-news/houghton-college-sets-record-giving-second-year-running/284/|title=Houghton College Sets Record Giving, Second Year Running|publisher=Houghton College|access-date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=August 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803050658/http://www.houghton.edu/news-media/recent-news/houghton-college-sets-record-giving-second-year-running/284/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite this, Houghton University faced financial and enrollment challenges which led to academic budget cuts for the 2014–2015 academic year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.houghtonstar.com/2013/11/09/college-announces-significant-academic-budget-cuts-for-2014-2015/|title=College Announces Significant Academic Budget Cuts for 2014–2015 |first=Sarah|last=Hutchinson |work=Houghton Star |access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/12/09/private-colleges-remain-under-weather|title=Private colleges remain under the weather|date=December 9, 2013 |access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref> This led to a "strategic reallocation of resources"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.houghton.edu/news-media/recent-news/houghton-announces-strategic-realignment-of-academic-programs/335/|title=Houghton Announces Strategic Realignment of Academic Programs|access-date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=August 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803085316/http://www.houghton.edu/news-media/recent-news/houghton-announces-strategic-realignment-of-academic-programs/335/|url-status=dead}}</ref> which led to the development of several new majors including Music Industry,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.houghtonstar.com/2014/12/08/new-music-industry-major/|title=New Music Industry Major |first=Laura |last=Johnson |work=Houghton Star |access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref> Sports Management,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.houghton.edu/news-media/recent-news/houghton-gets-approval-to-offer-bs-in-sport-recreation-and-wellness-management/586/|title=Houghton Gets Approval to Offer B.S. in Sport, Recreation and Wellness Management|access-date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=August 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803085321/http://www.houghton.edu/news-media/recent-news/houghton-gets-approval-to-offer-bs-in-sport-recreation-and-wellness-management/586/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Data Science.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.houghtonstar.com/2015/01/30/houghton-first-in-nation/|title=Houghton First in Nation to Offer Liberal Arts Data Science Class |first=Luke |last=Lauer |work=Houghton Star |access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref> Houghton was approved to become a university in July 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Wesleyan Church's Oldest Established College Becomes Houghton University |url=https://www.houghton.edu/community/the-wesleyan-churchs-oldest-established-college-becomes-houghton-university/#:~:text=The%20Wesleyan%20Church%27s%20Oldest%20Established%20College%20Becomes%20Houghton%20University&text=Following%20the%20approval%20of%20the,College%20has%20become%20Houghton%20University. |website=houghton.edu | date=July 11, 2022 |access-date=January 21, 2023}}</ref>