Hiram College Hiram College ( ) is a private liberal arts college located in Hiram , Ohio . It was founded in 1850 as the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute by Amos Sutton Hayden and other members of the Disciples of Christ Church . The college is nonsectarian and coeducational . It is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools . Hiram ' s most famous alumnus is James A . Garfield , who also served as a college instructor and principal , and was subsequently elected the 20th President of the United States . History . On June 12 , 1849 , representatives of the Disciples of Christ voted to establish an academic institution , which would later become Hiram College . On November 7 that year , they chose the village of Hiram as the site for the school because the founders considered this area of the Western Reserve to be " healthful and free of distractions " . The following month , on December 20 , the founders accepted the suggestion of Isaac Errett and named the school the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute . The Institute ' s original charter was authorized by the state legislature on March 1 , 1850 , and the school opened several months later , on November 27 . Many of the students came from the surrounding farms and villages of the Western Reserve , but Hiram soon gained a national reputation and students began arriving from other states . On February 20 , 1867 , the Institute incorporated as a college and changed its name to Hiram College . During the years before it was renamed Hiram College , 1850 – 1867 , the school had seven principals , the equivalent of today ' s college presidents . The two that did the most in establishing and defining the nature of the institution were Disciple minister Amos Sutton Hayden , who led the school through its first six years , and James A . Garfield , who had been a student at the Institute from 1851 – 1853 and then returned in 1856 as a teacher . As principal , Garfield expanded the Institute ' s cirriculum . He left the Institute in 1861 and in 1880 was elected the 20th President of the United States . In 1870 , one of Garfield ' s best friends and former students , Burke A . Hinsdale , was appointed Hiram ' s president . Although there were two before him , Hinsdale is considered the college ' s first permanent president because the others served only briefly . The next president to have a major impact on the college was Ely V . Zollars , who increased enrollment significantly , established a substantial endowment and created a program for the construction of campus buildings . Later presidents who served for at least 10 years were Miner Lee Bates , Kenneth I . Brown , Paul H . Fall , Elmer Jagow , and G . Benjamin Oliver . In 1931 , shortly before Hiram celebrated the 100th anniversary of Garfield ' s birth , there was a debate in the community about changing the name of the school to Garfield College . There were strong advocates on both sides of the issue . Among the 2 , 000 guests at the centennial celebration were three generations of Garfield ' s family , including two of his sons . The idea of changing the college ' s name was not mentioned at the event and the idea was abandoned . Principals and presidents . The following is a list of the school ' s leaders since its founding in 1850 . Profile . As of the 2011 – 12 academic year , Hiram ' s student body consists of 1 , 334 undergraduates from 35 states and 30 foreign countries Of the 73 full - time faculty , 95 - percent hold a Ph . D . or other terminal degree in their field . Rankings . Hiram is a member of the Annapolis Group , which has been critical of the college rankings process , especially the U . S . News and World Report rankings methodology . Hiram President Thomas V . Chema is among the signatories of the " Presidents Letter " . Hiram was ranked # 167 among National Liberal Arts Colleges by U . S . News and World Report in 2012 . At the same time , Hiram is currently ranked # 67 among Liberal Arts Colleges by Washington Monthly . Also , in 2012 , Forbes ranked Hiram at # 197 among all colleges and universities in the U . S . , and # 39 in the Midwest . Hiram has regularly been included in The Princeton Review Best Colleges guide , and is one of only 30 schools included in Loren Pope ' s book " Colleges That Change Lives " . Academics . Hiram specializes in the education of undergraduate students , though the college does have a small graduate program . Hiram confers the following degrees : BA , BSN ( nursing ) , MA ( interdisciplinary studies ) . Students also have the option of a dual degree program in engineering between Hiram and Case Western Reserve University , through which they can earn a degree from both schools in five years . Majors : Accounting and Financial Management , Biochemistry , Biology , Biomedical Humanities , Chemistry , Communication , Computer Science , Creative Writing , Economics , Education , Educational Studies , English , Environmental Studies , French , History , Management , Mathematics , Music , Neuroscience , Nursing , Philosophy , Physics , Political Science , Psychology , Religious Studies , Sociology , Spanish , Studio Art / Art History , Theatre Arts Additional minors : Entrepreneurship , Ethics , Exercise / Sport Science , Gender Studies , International Studies , Public Leadership , Photography , Writing Pre - professional programs : dentistry , law , medicine , optometry , podiatry , veterinary Its education plan also includes international study and independent study opportunities , and faculty - guided research projects . Currently , almost all majors require some form of extensive independent project or apprenticeship experience . Hiram has seven Centers of Distinction for interdisciplinary studies . They include : Center for Deciphering Life ' s Languages , Center for Engaged Ethics , Center for Integrated Entrepreneurship , Center for Literature and Medicine , Center for the Study of Nature and Society , Garfield Institute for Public Leadership , and Lindsay - Crane Center for Writing and Literature . Athletics . The school ' s sports teams are called the Terriers . They participate in the NCAA ' s Division III and the North Coast Athletic Conference . Men ' s sports include baseball , basketball , cross country , football , golf , lacrosse , soccer , swimming & diving , and track & field . Women ' s sports include basketball , cross country , golf , lacrosse , soccer , softball , swimming & diving , track & field , and volleyball . The Hiram College basketball team won the gold medal in the collegiate division of the 1904 Summer Olympics in St . Louis . It was the first time that basketball was part of an Olympics ; it was included as a demonstration sport and no foreign teams participated . The Cleveland Browns held their training camp at Hiram College from 1952 through 1974 , making it the longest - tenured training site in the team ' s history . Residence life . The college ' s residential complexes include The Quad ( Agler Hall , Dean Hall , New Quad , Peckham Hall , and Gray - Bancroft ) , The Hill ( Bowler Hall , Henry Hall , Miller Hall , and Whitcomb Hall ) , Booth - Centennial , East Hall , and the Townhouses . They are managed by resident directors ( RDs ) , resident managers ( RMs ) , and resident assistants ( RAs ) . Student clubs and organizations . Hiram has nearly 100 registered student clubs and organizations . Club categories include academic , musical , polictical and activism , publications and communications , religious , special interest and service , and sports and recreational . There are also Greek social clubs , as the college does not allow national fraternities and sororities . Campus programming organizations include Student Senate and the Kennedy Center Programming Board ( KCPB ) . Since 1971 , Hiram has maintained a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa , the national honor society for the liberal arts . The school has also had a chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa ( ODK ) , a national leadership honor society , since 1962 . Programming organizations . Student Senate is the elected student governing body of the college . It serves as a liaison between students and the school ' s administration , and oversees all student clubs and organizations , collectively called the Associated Student Organizations ( ASO ) . The Kennedy Center Programming Board ( KCPB ) falls under the auspices of Student Senate , and is responsible for planning educational , social , recreational , and cultural programs . Clubs . The following are a listing of campus clubs , by category , as of Fall 2011 . The list may not be all - inclusive . Academic : American Institute of Biological Sciences ( AIBS ) , Astronomy Club , Chemistry Club , Education Club , English Society , Ethics Bowl Team , Fine Arts Guild , French Club , Hiram College Association for Computing Machinery ( HCACM ) , Hiram Student Nurse Association , Hiram Writers ' Association , History Club , Institute of Management Accountants , Investment Club , Natural History Club , Medicus , Philosophy Forum , Physics Club , Pre - Law Club , Psychology Club , Sociology Club , Spanish Club , Speech and Debate Club , Veticus Greek Social : Delta Chi Lambda , Greek Council , Kappa Sigma Pi , Lambda Lambda Lamda , Phi Beta Gamma , Phi Gamma Epsilon , Phi Kappa Chi Musical : United Voices of Hiram Gospel Choir , Terrier Sound Marching Band Political and Activism : Model United Nations , Political Engagement Club , Students Against Social Injustice Publications and Communications : The Advance ( student newspaper ) , Hiram College Community Radio , Yearbook Religious : Dove and Chalice , Interfaith Council , The Net , Newman Club , Hillel , Hiram Islamic Society , Religious Studies Symposium Special Interest and Service : African American Student Union , American Sign Language Club , Anime Club , B - Side Cafe , Chess Club , Circle K , Club H . I . G . H . ( Hiram ’ s Intelligent Ghost Hunters ) , Fashion Show Committee , Fiat Lux , G - Free ( Gluten Free Awareness ) , Habitat for Humanity , HOLA ( Hispanic Organization for Latino Awareness ) , Holistic Well - Being , Independent Film Appreciation Club , Intercultural Forum , PAMO - Increasing African Awareness in Hiram , Presence and Respect for Youth Sexual Minorities ( PRYSM ) , Relay For Life , Rotaract Club of Hiram College , Strategy Games Club , Stone Soup Vegetarian Coop , Student Environmental Action Committee , Students Organized for Sustainability , Students for Sensible Drug Policy , TASC Force ( Terriers Actions for Smart Choices ) , Theatre Guild , Trading Card Club , TRUE , Video Games Club Sports and Recreation : Bowling Club , Dance Team , Equestrian Team , Fitness Club , High Steppers , Hip Hop Terriers , Men ' s Rugby , Jiu Jitsu , Outdoors Club , Ski and Snowboard Club , Sky Diving Club , Soccer Club , Ultimate Frisbee Club , Women ' s Rugby