Graduate School

Though Wheaton College had occasionally offered Master's degrees since the 1870s, it wasn't until a generous donation (as a residuary trust) from John Dickey, Jr., of Philadelphia, in October, 1937, that it expanded into a formal department, providing courses in theological and ministerial training. Two graduate curricula were offered. The first was a one-year curriculum, leading to the M.A. degree in Christian Education. The second was a three-year curriculum, leading to the standard degree of Bachelor of Divinity. The first chairman of the Graduate School was Dr. H.C. Thiessen, followed by Dr. Merrill Tenney.