Book by Wayne Joosse
In 1876 the Christian Reformed Church adopted a six-year curriculum for ministerial training. This was the beginning of Calvin Theological Seminary. A few years later students who did not intend to enter the ministry were permitted to enroll in the This decision laid the foundation for the gradual development literary courses taught in preparation for the study of theology. of Calvin College which became, in 1920, a four-year, degree-granting institution.

Today, Calvin College and Seminary are incorporated under one name and are governed by one Board of Trustees. These schools are owned and operated by the Christian Reformed Church in North America. They are, however, distinct institutions, each having its own faculty and academic life.

For approximately 50 years the two schools occupied a 10-acre campus on Franklin Street. By 1956, with increasing enrollment and projections for additional growth, the trustees decided to pur-chase a new, larger site rather than to expand the Franklin Cam-pus. They selected the 168-acre Knollcrest Farms estate on Burton Street. The Seminary made the four-mile move to its new quarters in 1960. The College transition took 12 years, from 1962 to 1974

The new campus was subsequently expanded by the pur-chase of an additional 204 acres, for student apartments, athletic areas, and a nature preserve. The result is a striking, 372-acre campus of trees, lawns, and architecturally unified buildings.