Judson College just held what may be its last graduation ceremony. The school's trustees voted to close the small Baptist-affiliated school for women which predates the Civil War. Campus leaders cite a lack of money and declining enrollment in the decision to close Judson, which was founded in 1838 and is the nation’s fifth-oldest college for women.
A $1.5 million fundraising drive back in December was supposed to breathe new life into the school’s finances, but the effort fell short. Enrollment also declined from one hundred and forty five students to about eighty, with only a dozen new students committed for the fall.
Board chairwoman, and Judson graduate, Joan Newman said in a statement that the decision followed months of fundraising, research and prayer.
“Acknowledging the incredible legacy of Judson, acknowledging the thousands of lives that were changed through a Judson experience and grateful for my own personal journey at Judson, it is with broken hearts that the board votes to suspend instruction,” she said .
The board had approved a budget for the upcoming academic year, but funding didn’t materialize to ease the deficit of the school, which is about 80 miles northwest of Montgomery.