William Peace University is a private college in Raleigh, North Carolina. Affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, it offers undergraduate degrees in 30 majors and the School of Professional Studies offers accelerated bachelor degrees that are online or hybrid for working adults. The institution adopted its current name in 2012, concurrent with its decision to begin admitting men to its day program; it was previously known as Peace Institute and Peace College.
History
The institution that eventually became William Peace University was founded in 1857 as Peace Institute by a group of men within the PresbyterianSynod of North Carolina. The leading donation of $10,000 came from William Peace, a prominent local merchant and a founding member of the First Presbyterian Church of Raleigh. Peace is believed to have been in the first class of the University of North Carolina, and was a longtime proponent of education as a benefactor of Raleigh Academy, a school primarily for boys. Additionally, Peace donated for the campus site. Main Building, a red brick, white-columned Greek revival building, was built between 1859 and 1862, but was commandeered by the Confederate States government early in the Civil War to be used as an army hospital. The Main Building was designed and built by the Holt Brothers, Thomas and Jacob, who were notable builders from nearby Warrenton, NC. The Civil War and Reconstruction Era delayed the opening of the school, but Peace Institute opened in January 1872. The first president was John Burwell, assisted by his son Robert. The Burwells, and his successor, James Dinwiddie, served the school until 1910, and were strong Presbyterians and descendants of old Virginia families. The name of the school changed from Peace Institute to "Peace College" in 1943. A member of the Women's College Coalition, Peace College was one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women in the United States. It was the second-oldest in North Carolina, predated only by Salem College.
Name change
The school began admitting men in the fall of 2012. Initial announcements of the change included a controversial promise to "offer select single-gender courses in targeted disciplines, where research shows that women and men learn differently and that each benefit from a single-gender classroom," a plan that critics believe may run afoul of equal opportunity laws such as Title IX, Concurrent with its announcement that it will begin admitting men, Peace College changed its name to "William Peace University" in 2011, but the class years of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 will have the option to receive diplomas from Peace College or William Peace University.
Becoming coeducational
The college has always educated women, with the only exception being the admittance of some boys in primary grades from its opening years through the 1920s when the school served levels from kindergarten through junior college years. Today, the college maintains records of nearly 10,000 living alumnae, including many who were pioneers in public service. In the 1930s, Gertrude Dills McKee, a graduate of the 1890s, became the first woman elected to the North Carolina Senate. Lilly Morehead Mebane was one of the first women elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives. Jane Simpson McKimmon became the youngest graduate of Peace College, when she finished the then two-year college program at age 16; she later became the first woman to graduate from NC State University. McKimmon became a leader in "home economics" and greatly advanced the state agriculture department's home extension service. NC State University's conference and continuing education center is named for her and the chair of Peace's Leadership Studies program is named for McKimmon. Addie Worth Bagley Daniels, the spouse of Raleigh News & Observer publisher Josephus Daniels, served for many years during the first half of the 20th century on the Peace College Board of Trustees, a rare role for women in that era. The administration announced it planned to begin admitting male students at the start of the fall 2012 semester. It was determined that this transition would make the college a more attractive option for potential applicants, stating that only 2% of female applicants are likely to consider applying to a women's college, whereas 98% would only consider attending coeducational institutions.
Academics
As an exclusively undergraduate college, Peace offers only bachelor's degrees. The most popular majors at the college are in the field of communications, where one quarter of all students focus their studies. Peace also offers an honors program for academically-advanced students. All Bachelor of Arts candidates must complete an internship. The college also encourages study abroad, paying 15% of all costs for qualified students who want to study outside of the United States.
Athletics
William Peace competes in the USA South Athletic Conference as a Division III school in the NCAA. Teams are fielded in basketball, cross country, softball, soccer, tennis, volleyball, swimming, track and field, and starting in 2018-19, lacrosse. William Peace fields men's sports in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Peace has been a full member of the NCAA since 2002, after having been granted provisional membership in 1995. Prior to that, Peace had competed in Region X of the NJCAA dating back on 1973. USA South membership was granted in 2003, making it the first women's college in the state to join a co-educational conference.
