Sheldon Jackson College: A Legacy of Education, Transformation, and Reconciliation in Sitka, Alaska
Sheldon Jackson College (SJC), nestled on Baranof Island in Sitka, Alaska, holds a complex and significant place in the history of Alaskan education. Founded in 1878, it stood as the oldest institution of higher learning in Alaska until its closure in 2007. Its story is one of mission, assimilation, adaptation, and ultimately, transition. The campus, a federally-designated National Historic Landmark, continues to evolve as a center for arts, culture, and education.
Origins as a Mission School
In 1877, Rev. Sheldon Jackson, a Presbyterian missionary and Princeton Theological Seminary graduate, arrived in Sitka. By 1878, he had founded the Sitka Mission, aimed at assimilating Alaska Native boys, primarily Lingít and Haida. The school, initially known as the Sitka Industrial and Training School, was the first American boarding school for Alaska Natives. Like the Carlisle Indian School, Sheldon Jackson College was initially formed as a "training" school for Alaska Native boys. The school was founded in 1878 by Fannie Kellogg and future Governor of Alaska John G. Brady for the Tlingit people.
The school's early mission was deeply rooted in the assimilationist policies prevalent at the time. Students were separated from their families, punished for speaking their native languages, and denied access to their cultures. Rev. Sheldon Jackson believed that the language and culture of their students needed to be corrected and was known to have used harsh correctional teaching against students if they spoke in their language or practiced their culture. The goal of the school, and of Sheldon Jackson himself, was the complete erasure of the native cultures of the students.
Sheldon Jackson's influence extended beyond the school. As General Agent of Education in Alaska from 1885 to 1907, Jackson helped implement a plan to divide Alaska among various Christian religious denominations, assigning each an area to proselytize. He also collected nearly 5,000 items belonging to Alaska Natives across the peninsula, with the majority housed at the Sheldon Jackson Museum in Sitka.
Despite its controversial beginnings, many staff and graduates of the high school and the college have strong affection for this place.
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Early challenges and growth
The early years were not without their challenges. The Sitka Industrial and Training School nearly closed in 1882 after its original facility, located over a military barracks, burned down. Sheldon Jackson raised funds through a national campaign, leading to the construction of a new building on the site of the present campus.
In 1881 missionary-turned-businessman John Green Brady claimed 160 acres of the present campus, in spite of there being no land laws in effect to make this possible, and donated it for the mission.
The 1880s were a period of growth for the school but also political discord in Sitka. With the Organic Act, Alaska had a court system for the first time; many of the early lawsuits were brought against the mission. Some are over the mission’s land claim, and others are over the practice of compelling parents to indenture their children to the school for five years in order to attend. They are brought by the federal employees on behalf of Tlingit parents, and by Russian-American residents.
In 1885 anti-Sheldon Jackson government officials - the “Court House Gang” as Bob DeArmond called them - together with a faction of the white population, Russians, and Tlingit, pushed back against the growing power of the Presbyterians. They brought suit to take the mission site for a court house, and to nullify the student contracts parents were forced to sign. In order to attend the school, parents had to sign over their children for a period of five years. It culminated in the arrest of Sheldon Jackson, then in relatives taking their children out of the school, so that only half remained. President Grover Cleveland, son of a Presbyterian minister, came into office in March, and in late 1885 the officials were replaced and the mission allowed to continue.
The school was largely self-sufficient as far as food and power. From the very beginning students were the main workforce of the school, doing everything from cooking to cutting wood; but they were led by missionaries who are no shirkers. Missionaries wanted to help Native people, but they saw no value in Native language or culture. Education, hygiene, and Christianity were meant to replace Native culture - which they saw as debased, outdated and inadequate - with Presbyterian culture.
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Even from the early days, many students and their parents actively chose to go to the school. At the time, the only path to citizenship was to adopt the dominant culture. Speaking and writing English, and learning the protocol of Protestant American culture, was the only route (however limited) to economic opportunity. Native property was taken in a land grab by canneries and other industries. Without citizenship and civil rights, Native people were not allowed to compete on an equal footing.
In 1910- 1911, the current campus is built, and the original large campus buildings are dismantled. The campus, with its formal layout of five central buildings around a grassy quadrangle, was designed by the nationally-prominent New York City architectural firm of Ludlow and Peabody and built between the years 1910-1911.
Transition to a College
In 1917, Sheldon Jackson became a high school, adding college programs in the 1940s. In 1942, the first students stayed on for junior college work, with the Junior College officially beginning in 1944. In 1967 the high school closed, and Sheldon Jackson became a private college until it shut down in June of 2007.
The curriculum evolved over time, incorporating vocational training and, later, liberal arts programs. The school added a boarding high school in 1917, and a college program in 1944.
In January of 1952 the college’s first president, Les Yaw, was dismissed. At that time, the Sheldon Jackson School and all of the Alaska churches and missions were controlled by the Board of National Missions in New York City, and their Board of Christian Education, in Philadelphia; the Alaska missionaries had little say. Dismissal of Yaw may have been because the Board of Education wanted a more academic focus. It could also have been a case of personality conflict. The person who made the decision, the head of the Presbyterian Board of Christian Education, Katherine Gladfelter, held that position from 1949 to 1960. The dismissal was divisive for the campus community. Alumni and leaders, including Governor Gruening, wrote letters to the board of Home Missions urging his retention.
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In January of 1952 Roland B. Wurster became president; in 1955 the Yaw Building (library and classrooms) was completed. In July of 1956 R. Rolland “Army” Armstrong became Sheldon Jackson's 3rd president.
In 1958 Condit Hall was built as women's college dorm (Condit was later torn down to make way for the Sweetland Hall.)
In 1959 Sheldon Jackson Junior College was 2/3 Native, 1/3 white; the High School was ¾ Native, ¼ white. In 1961 the school had 37 full time college students.
The next major transition occured in 1966, when Sheldon Jackson Junior College was accredited. In July, Dr. Orin Stratton became president. His model for Sheldon Jackson was Whitworth College, a Presbyterian school in Washington.
In 1966 the Rasmuson Building was built, as the Student Union and cafeteria, also known as the A-frame. In 1965 Kellogg Hall opened as a dorm for women. Later it became Volunteers In Mission apartments. In 1967 the last high school class graduated.
In the late 1960s Sheldon Jackson added housing for staff with families; in earlier days, most staff were unmarried missionaries. When it became a college, instructors needed advanced degrees, and so there was almost complete turnover of the teaching staff. Families who came in the late 1960s and early 1970s include the Roths, the Bovees, the Bonners, the Wilsons, the Schultzes, and the Goffs. The Brauns came to work at the high school, so when it closed Rus Braun went to work at Mt. Edgecumbe High School, but they remained members of the Presbyterian church community. At one point there were 34 children on campus.
In the late 1960s enormous cultural changes roiled the United States, including the Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian church was actually ahead of the national movement, starting in 1959, when the national church turned to the left, but with different attitudes and disagreements between more traditional church workers and more liberal ones.
Alaska Methodist University opened in 1960. In the late 1950s and 1960s church and government leaders had a lot of discussion about how to best meet the needs of Alaskans for higher education. The University of Alaska expanded a network of community colleges, including Sitka Community College in 1962. A continuing challenge is the quality and even existence of village schools, with many high school graduates unprepared for college. The students who are prepared for college are heavily recruited by Lower 48 colleges.
Beginning in the late 1950s, by the late 1960s, the Washington Synod took control of Sheldon Jackson and other Alaska missions, from Presbyterian Board of National Missions (BNM), as the church eventually divested themselves of ownership and control of Alaska's missions and churches. (The Presbyterian church is democratically organized, with churches in an area organized as a Presbytery; three or more Presbyteries are organized as a Synod.) In 1968 the Synod committee decided to close Sheldon Jackson; testimony from staff persuaded them to keep it open.
Independence and Program Development
In 1972, the Presbyterian Church divested itself of ownership of the school. Sheldon Jackson was now independent, though still affiliated with the church. Major financial support only continued for a time, but the college still benefited from national fund raising efforts. The board of advisors became the board of trustees.
From the 1971-72 school year, Sheldon Jackson enjoyed state tuition grants for students, which made tuition costs competitive with the UA system, and saw expanded enrollment. In 1975 300 students, with 205 of those full time, enrolled. Then in 1979 tuition grants were found unconstitutional, which was a severe blow to the school. Enrollment dropped again by the late 1970s. (Also hurt by the loss of tuition grants, Alaska Methodist University closed in 1976, and reopened in 1978 as Alaska Pacific University.)
During the 1970s, Sheldon Jackson College expanded its programs, adding an aquaculture program, a Native studies program, and an AA teachers education program for villages. The aquaculture program was notable; In 1972, Sheldon Jackson College formed a two year program to train people in aquaculture, fisheries science and fisheries management. The school received the first state-issued salmon hatchery permit in Alaska and the students built a hatchery.
There was also a pilot training program, and school-owned planes, but that ended with a plane crash and fatality in 1975. Elder Hostels used the campus in the summers. In 1973 Dr. Orin Stratton resigned, due to health; Robert Uddenberg becomes the 5th president into 1974. Then in December 1974 Dr. Merton D. Munn became the interim 6th president until 1977. In 1974 Stratton Library and the Armstrong administration building were built. In July of 1977 Dr. Hugh Holloway became the 7th president, to 1982. In 1977 and 1986 the college built apartments for married students, at the top of Metlakatla Street. In 1979 Yaw Chapel was built, designed by Taylor Potter, the son-in-law of Les and Caroline Yaw.
The Sitka Summer Music Festival, the Sitka Fine Arts Camp and Sitka Little Theater Guild were born on campus and with staff as founders.
Financial Struggles and Closure
In 1980, due to the loss of state tuition grants, the school nearly closed. It only stayed open with a fundraising effort, and a major gift from Jane Newhall.
VIMS or Volunteers In Mission were vital to the operation of the school. Summer work groups took on maintenance and remodeling projects, often contributing materials and supplies. VIMS also filled many staff positions year round. They were also important in mentoring and tutoring students.
In 1982 Dr. Michael Kaelke became the 8th president. He stayed until 1993, the longest-serving president in the history of the college. The school added to its four-year programs and added faculty with advanced degrees.
In 1987 the Hames PE Center was built, named after trustee and donor Lloyd Hames. President Kaelke tried to put Sheldon Jackson on the map with competitive basketball teams, recruiting players from the Lower 48, but it didn't work.
In 1987 an all-class high school reunion was held, and the Basketball Hall of Fame was inaugurated.
The college's 9th president, Lawrence Rocheleau, inaugurated in July 1993, died in January 1994, after only six months as president. Rocheleau was an Alaska education star, promoting the Total Quality Management system at Mt. Edgecumbe High School, the former BIA school reopened by the State of Alaska.
In 1994 Dr. Kenneth Cameron became the 10th president, but maintained his dental practice; he shared administrative duties with Provost and Co-president Mary Lou Madden; he is president to 1997.
In 1995 a campaign to save Allen Auditorium was launched, led by the Allen Memorial Preservation Project. They won a major federal grant through Senator Ted Stevens, and won a further economic development grant; they turned the project over to the college. When the college closed, the exterior had been completed but the interior, electrical and mechanical systems were not.
In 1997 Reverend David Meekhof became the 11th president. He serveds to 2000.
At the board of trustees' annual meeting in January 2000, the president of the board of trustees, Michael Sweetland, proposed closing the college in an orderly way. He was outvoted by a majority of the trustees, and left the board. This lead to a crisis, with closure contemplated. A task force was created with business and other community leaders, to define a vision for the school.
In 2000 to 2002 Sheldon Jackson College had to fight for accreditation, due to financial and administrative issues.
In 2000 C. Carlyle Haaland was hired as consultant, and became interim president, then president to 2004.
In the 2000s much effort was expended to attract more students; marine studies program, and outdoor leadership program were developed; the Alaska Native Studies Program was revived, but had a rough start, until Dennis Demmert was hired in 2002. Also in the 2000s federal and private grants rebuilt the Rasmuson building, built a child care facility, and rebuilt the campus water, sewage and electric systems.
In 2001 the City of Sitka proposed excavating the front lawn in order to create 40 parking spaces for harbor parking. The school was behind on payments to the city and to many businesses. In 2001 the college told the Sentinel that the enrollment of 132 was “nearly double year before.” Also in 2001, the campus is designated the Sheldon Jackson School National Historic Landmark. In 2004 Arthur Cleveland became the new president to 2006. Once again, the school nearly closed; it was saved by a loan from a trustee. An ambitious cruise ship dock was proposed for Sage building area, and was dropped after much opposition.
Despite efforts to revitalize the college, financial difficulties persisted. In 2006, the school took out a $4.7 million consolidation loan from Alaska Growth Capital (AGC), after taking out five short term loans totaling $2.5 million; they subdivided waterfront land for collateral and sold Tillie Paul Manor to pay back the emergency loan from the trustee. In 2006 board of trustees president Dr. David Dobler was named acting president of the college, replacing Arthur Cleveland.
The City and Borough Assembly had approved a $1 million line of credit to Sheldon Jackson, but, on Tuesday, June 26, 2007, they voted not to disburse SJ's request for $730,000 ofn it. The school sought the loan to tide the school over until an expected large class enrolled in the fall. At 3:30 pm on Friday, June 29 Dr. Dobler announced the closing of school to staff that their employment would end in 30 days, and that staff would have to start paying market rates for their housing. By the end of 2007, Sheldon Jackson lost accreditation, and was sued by its lender, AGC, over errors in its collateral description; Sitka lost a $6 million payroll, and over 100 jobs. On June 29, 2007, all academic operations were suspended and all faculty and staff were dismissed due to cash flow shortages. The Board of Trustees gathered all staff and informed them that June 29 would be the final day of employment. On July 17, 2007, the Alaska Commission on Post-secondary Education announced the cancellation of Sheldon Jackson College's authorization to operate a college in Alaska.
In 2008 Sheldon Jackson College trustees subdivided land, the Assembly voted to assess property tax, and Pacific Towers Properties was hired by the bank to manage the campus. In March, the school received money from AGC to pay employee severance, federal taxes, and debt to the city.
In 2009 Dubuque University, also a Presbyterian Church-affiliated private college, began talks with City and trustees about a relationship with the campus. In the summer of 2010 Dubuque pulled out, with a critical letter; Dr. Dobler resigned and John Holst, former superintendent of Sitka's public schools, was hired as manager. Property was sold to pay off the debt, which totaled about $10 million. In February of 2011 the core campus was handed over to Alaska Arts Southeast, the parent of Sitka Fine Arts Camp. The camp had been held at Mt. Edgecumbe High School facilities for several years; in June of 2011, they came home.
A New Chapter: Arts, Culture, and Education
In 2011, ownership of its campus was transferred to the organization behind the Sitka Fine Arts Camp. The Sitka Fine Arts Camp took over the campus in 2011, these buildings were close to the point at which repair would be impossible: roofs leaked, siding was failing, windows were rotting.
Even before the Fine Arts Camp got the keys, Sitka’s preservation community was invested in the stewardship of this important place.
Since then, the campus has become a hub for various organizations, including:
- Sitka Fine Arts Camp: Offers a variety of arts programs for youth and adults.
- Sheldon Jackson Museum: A Native American museum housing artifacts collected by Rev. Sheldon Jackson. Many of the artifacts were originally collected by Rev. Sheldon Jackson in his travels through rural Alaska. Over 5,000 artifacts are housed in the museum. 1,800 are on permanent display in the gallery.
- Sitka Sound Science Center: Provides science education and research opportunities. The Sitka Sound Science Center immediately occupied the Sage and the Mill Buildings. In 2010, the Science Center purchased the buildings and took over the hatchery and the aquarium.
- Sitka Summer Music Festival: Hosts classical music performances.
- Sitka International Hostel: Offers affordable lodging for travelers.
- Outer Coast College: A two-year, liberal arts undergraduate program.
Many of the buildings on the Sheldon Jackson Campus were and continue to be restored and brought back to functionality by the volunteer efforts of community members. It is thought to be the largest volunteer effort in the history of the state of Alaska. Volunteers strip floors, paint walls, rebuild roofs and foundations and repair heating and plumbing systems while continuing to maintain one of the highest quality residential arts programs in the country.
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