Olivet College

In 1844, “Father” John J. Shipherd, a Congregational minister, walked into what is now the Olivet College Square and began an institution that operates much like the one we have today. From its inception, the college’s leaders believed an education should be available to anyone regardless of gender, race or financial means. The basis of Olivet’s guiding principle was established by the founders when they wrote, “We wish simply to do good to our students, by placing in their hands the means of intellectual, moral and spiritual improvement, and to teach them the divine art and science of doing good to others.”

At Olivet College, we value the individual student. We make strides to ensure each student builds long-lasting relationships with professors and peers, experiences rewarding opportunities, and gains the knowledge needed to be successful in any future career.

Olivet College’s mission is to provide an education that enriches lives intellectually, morally and spiritually to a diverse campus community. Having attained these qualities through their educational experiences at Olivet, our hope is that our graduates will embody the “divine art and science of doing good to others,” as stated by the college’s founding fathers in 1844.