History

In 1907 the General Association Meeting of Mississippi Baptists approved an institution of higher learning for East Mississippi.  Named for the Reverend N. L. Clarke, the Clarke Memorial College opened at Newton in the fall of 1908 as a traditional four-year institution with 114 students. 

The 1914 Seer, the first school yearbook, shows a college enrollment of 86.  Included was a commercial department of 13 students.  The music department provided two piano recitals.  Since Clarke was a Baptist school, many students were members of the Baptist Young People’s Union.  There was also a Young Women’s Auxiliary.    Male students had two literary societies—Aurelian and Platonian.  Female students also had two—Euterpean and Phi Delta Kappa.  Among school clubs was a tennis club.  That year twelve students were enrolled in a preparatory program to prepare them for regular college work.  Included among the eleven faculty members were teachers of Greek and Latin, history and philosophy, mathematics, English, expression, music, art, and business.

By 1923 Clarke Memorial had become a junior college of 48 students; the preparatory division had become full four-year high school.  After World War II, Clarke Memorial strengthened its academic offerings.  Returning veterans pushed up enrollment.  Buildings were added and the preparatory programs were dropped.  In 1952 it received regional accreditation from S.A.C.S.    But financial problems began to arise during this period.

The first Traces yearbook of 1972 shows a much larger student body, exceeding 300 students in the junior college.  Almost all of the 111 sophomores were from the South, with 67 being native Mississippians.  In addition there were 145 freshmen and 49 special students.  The number of organizations associated with the religious mission of the school was greater. These included Christian Youth Association, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Ministerial Association, Religious Education Association, Baptist Student Union and Baptist Young Women.  The literary societies had disappeared, but the music department was much stronger with a Music Club, the Clarke College Singers, the Clarke College C’s, and the Community Chorale. 

In 1976 the school underwent a name change to Clarke College.  As enrollment began to fall, the school then entered into a relationship with Mississippi College by which it lost much of its autonomy.  Finally in the 1991-92 school year, continued financial problems and falling enrollment led to closure.