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                                         Welcome to HiramScott.com

Established in the fall of 1965, Hiram Scott College, a Liberal Arts college, was situated on a four hundred and forty-acre sugar beet field on the north edge of the city of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The current site is now occupied by the University of Nebraska Panhandle Station.

The college was the inspiration of several businessmen and community leaders who recognized that a four year college would be a huge economic and cultural advantage for the Nebraska Panhandle. Hiram Scott College was created and modeled after Parsons College (*) in Fairfield Iowa, where president, Dr. Millard G. Roberts proposed that post secondary educational institutions could be run like a business in a profitable environment. The college would also provide a second chance for many students who might be considered "late bloomers".  The community hired Dr. Anthony Marinaccio as the first president and chief organizer and set out to establish a new college in Scottsbluff. Several other colleges in Nebraska followed this model including John F. Kennedy College in Wahoo, Nebraska, and John J. Pershing College in Beatrice, Nebraska. Other instutitions of higher learning included Lea College, Alberta, MN; College of Artesia, N.M.  and   Midwestern College, Denison, Iowa.

Hiram Scott was at its peak of development in its fourth year—1967-68. It had over 1500 students enrolled, several completed buildings, an excellent library, and the government promise of finances for additional facilities for student growth.  The future seemed bright, except for the lack of endowment funds to facilitate the continued development of the physical campus, and an established alumni to sustain contributions.

As the Baby Boomer generation reached college age, the model worked; however, as the "boomers" college years peaked in the late 60’s, the Viet Nam War wound down, endowments further decreased, state subsidized junior colleges became more acceptable to both parents and students, and the concept of a college for profit fell on relatively hard times.

In 1969, the nation as a whole began pressing for higher education to more directly meet the community needs of business, industry, and the welfare of the youth in local communities.  Hiram Scott College, to some degree, helped communities to recognize that need for community oriented colleges with locally controlled  public funds.

It became evident in 1970 that HSC was spending more on recruitment than the resulting tuition could support. Raising tuition didn't seem too viable as educational trends were moving away from the traditional 4 year college, and more toward Junior colleges and trade based educations. HSC began experiencing a financial pinch, and concurrently would meet its demise based on the very concept upon which it was founded.  Hiram Scott College closed in the summer of 1971.

 

Compiled through observations, actual participation by HSC student and graduate, Mark Masterton with excerpts from the book “The Hiram Scott College” by Dr. Anthony Marinaccio, July 2002, available from the HSC website, www.hiramscottcollege.com   More information can be found at a Time Magazine article.    http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,877717,00.html  

An interesting article about Forddy Anderson, basketball coach, can be found in the archives of the national Sports Illustrated Magazine from September 1966:  

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1078086/index.htm

(*) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsons_College

 

 

This site was developed to provide a communication link for all interested parties. Look around, visit often, locate lost but not forgotten friends, share memories, and spread the word. Please tell your Scotty friends about this site.

We've added a "NewsPage". But to make it work,

we need you to supply information.

YES,YOU!

Please go to the News Tab and look over the entries.Then send any news to masterton@vistabeam.com, and I will publish it . We'll just keep adding as you supply the news.

                                       

We fund this website by the sales of Dr. Marinaccio's book on CD, and the sale of sweatshirts and T-shirts. So, If you find this website interesting and see a reason to keep it going, your financial help would be appreciated. Those of you who got a second chance through Hiram Scott, and have gone on in life to have the financial stability to make a donation are encouraged to do so. if you are inclined to help out, the CD is $25 including postage, and

You can send that to:

The Hiram Scott College
2410 4th Avenue
Scottsbluff, NE 69361

THANKS!

The Scottsbluff area is growing by leaps and bounds
and if you thought of moving back - we have jobs!