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Education for the
TOTAL MAN
by
Raymond F. MeNair
Ambassador College is unique among today's institutions of higher learning. Its goals and
objectives are differentfrom those ofother colleges. How-and
why-this
difference?
E
ACH
year, many thóusands
of visitors from all over the
world tour the Ambassador
College campus in Pasadena, Cal–
iforn ia. Many of them have
remarked t hat the Ambassador
campus is the happiest, most
bea utiful campus on earth.
Recently Ambassador College
received an award-its third such
award- for being the best kept
and most beautiful campus in
America!
Certainly, those of us privi–
leged to work and live on this
unique campus agree!
Why are Ambassadors the hap–
pi est of st udents? And what
inspired the creation of this gem
of a college, set in the "Crown
City" of Pasadena?
Not Just Anothe r College
The founder and chancellor of
Ambassador College, Herbert W.
Armstrong, has often explained
why Ambassador had to be
unique- utterly
different from
other institutions of higher learn–
ing.
Surveying the educational in–
stitutions in the United States in
1947, Mr. Armstrong clearly saw
the need for a college to be totally
different in its goals. What flaws
did Mr. Armstrong see in institu–
tions of higher learning that made
it imperative to found a college
with totally different objectives?
His answer was aptly expressed
i1.
his own words in the
Bulletin
4
Ambassador College:
"Some–
hing is criminally wrong witb
ducat ion today."
¿2
"Educational institutions," said
M r.
Armstrong, "generally, have
grown so large that regimented
assembly-line processes have re–
placed individualized instruction.
The student has lost his identi ty.
Development of
personality
and
initiative
is largely sacrificed.
"Moral bars have top–
pled .
.. stuffing minds with crass
materialism, while moral, spiri–
tual and emotional development
is neglected, produces lopsided,
unbalanced education and is
crimina/ly dangerous" (Bulletin
of Ambassador College.
1966-
67).
Herbert W. Armstrong was
determined that the college
would have God and his written
Word the center of everything.
This central idea is now inscribed
on the west wall of the beautiful
Ambassador Hall: "The Word of
God is the foundation of knowl–
edge."
Mr.
Armstrong described the
founding of Ambassador College
by saying:
"1
was never called to engage
in the college bus iness. But in
1947 the need had become imper–
ative to establish an educational
arm of the Church on the college
leve!.
"It
definitely was not because
this world needed another col–
lege. There were too ·many of this
world's institutions of higher edu–
cation already! [There are 3,000
institutions of higher learning in
America today!)
"But the living God had caused
me to realize the serious need for
a college to train
an educated
ministry
for his Church and
other personnel
to fill the increas–
ing need for administrative
offices.
"For this purpose it had to be
God's kind of college- utterly
unique in the world. No college
or theological seminary extant
filled this purpose" (
The Good
News,
July, 1978).
It
was not to be a Bible college
or theological seminary. Students
were to receive a broad, liberal
arts education-not a narrow,
restricted Bible education only.
Ambassador Opens lts Doors
Ambassador College opened its
doors in October, 194
7,
a small
college campus then comprising
2
1
14
acres. From that very small
beginning, Ambassador expanded
until today it encompasses ap–
proximately
45
acres in one of
America's more prestigious com–
munities. Under Chancellor
li:
Armstrong's firm guidance, Am-
1
bassador College today remains
~
small (with 500 students) so that
~
a
family- like atmosphere
will
~