History of Gordon

A. J. Gordon could not have anticipated the emergence of the liberal arts college that now bears his name. But I like to think he would feel at home if he were to walk onto campus today.
—R. Judson Carlberg, president of Gordon College, 1992–2011

Beginnings
Gordon College was founded in 1889 under the name Boston Missionary Training School. It is named for its founder, the Rev. Dr. Adoniram Judson (A. J.) Gordon, pastor of Boston's Clarendon Street Church and a prominent clergyman of the late 1800s. A. J. Gordon felt a call to provide education for people to work in the mission field. Gordon felt that all people, including women and people of color, should be able to receive a thorough education in matters of the Bible, theology, and church history if the potential student felt they had a true calling to serve God and the church.

So, in response to the great number of individuals in his community who did not have the opportunity for advanced learning and were not able to attend college or seminary, Gordon founded the Boston Missionary Training School in 1889. On October 2, 1889, the school opened its doors to 19 students enrolled in full-time and partial courses, including six women. After Gordon's death, the school voted to change its name from the Boston Missionary Training School to the Gordon Missionary Training School. 

The Big Move
Within 30 years, Gordon grew well beyond the facilities it had used in various locations in Boston and in Newton, Massachusetts, as its student body expanded. The College then moved to the Fenway section of Boston, into a facility that was financed through a very generous gift given by Martha Frost.

Growth soon surpassed even the Fenway facilities. In the late 1940s, James Higginbotham, a student pastor at Gordon Divinity School, approached Frederick Prince about selling his well endowed Wenham estate to Gordon. Impressed by Higginbotham, Prince sold the 1,000-acre estate to Gordon for a very small sum and donated a large sum to construct what would become the Prince Memorial Chapel. In 1955, Gordon moved to Wenham, Massachusetts, selling its old facilities to Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT).

One Man's Vision—Two Realities
The College and associated divinity school flourished on Boston's North Shore. In 1970, the divinity school separated from the college and merged with the Conwell School of Theology (formerly in Philadelphia). The merged schools settled about two miles from the Gordon College campus, forming the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Though they share a common heritage, the college and seminary are no longer formally linked.

Common Goals
In 1985, Gordon merged with Barrington College (formerly in Barrington, Rhode Island); the combined school retained the name of Gordon College. At the merger, Barrington's distinguished history of Christian service and faithfulness became a part of Gordon's history. Both schools shared a common vision for Christian higher education, ministry, and service that made a merger of the institutions sensible for both schools. Gordon has worked to integrate Barrington's tradition and history into its own.