Alderson Broaddus University

Alderson Broaddus University was a private, coeducational institution historically affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the West Virginia Baptist Convention. Situated on a campus overlooking the Tygart River Valley in Philippi, West Virginia, the university's educational mission was deeply rooted in the liberal arts but was notably specialized as a health-related and professional education institution. It aimed to prepare students for success in their chosen disciplines while fostering qualities of civic engagement, ethical responsibility, and communication, operating as a primarily residential campus until its closure.

The roots of this university date back to 1871 with the founding of Broaddus University in Virginia, named for a prominent Baptist minister. Separately, Alderson Academy and Junior College was established in West Virginia in 1901. Faced with financial hardship during the Great Depression, these two Baptist institutions, both sharing a liberal arts focus, were united in 1932 to form Alderson-Broaddus College. The institution later adopted its final name, Alderson Broaddus University, in 2013. A significant point in its history was the pioneering of the nation’s first four-year Physician Assistant (PA) program in 1968, marking its distinct commitment to health sciences education that became a central part of its identity.

This university leaves a complex legacy, marked by its long-standing commitment to a faith-based liberal arts education and its pioneering role in health professions, such as establishing the first baccalaureate PA program in the United States. However, facing significant financial distress and leadership challenges for several years, the university was stripped of its degree-granting authority by the state's Higher Education Policy Commission and officially suspended its operations on August 31, 2023. This abrupt closure resulted in the university filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, marking a difficult end to an institution that had served its students and the community of Philippi for over 150 years.