Women's History at Westminster College

Synodical Female College 

Rev. William W. Robertson, also known as the “Father of Westminster College” felt strongly about the education of women,  so in 1850 he announced the opening of the Fulton Female Academy. This was a 3-year program with a full curriculum taught by Robertson himself. This academy closed during the Civil War and did not reopen.

However, in 1869 the Synod of the Missouri Presbyterian Church announced a resolution asserting the necessity of founding a college for the education of the Presbyterian daughters of Missouri. This school would be of equal quality to Westminster. In 1872 construction began on the first three buildings that would ultimately make up the campus (Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society).

During the school’s early years, Synodical and Westminster shared both faculty and classes. There was a joint campus newsletter called The Collegian, and there was even a joint yearbook called The Searchlight. Eventually, Synodical College grew enough to have its own publications, campus catalogs, and yearbooks, but the Presbyterian connection kept both campuses involved with one another for many years.

Synodical College closed in 1928 citing a lack of funds, and the location of their campus was turned into a hotel. It is now the Seminole Apartments on 10th St. The name of the apartment goes back to its historical roots, as attendees of Synodical were often called "Semmies" and their yearbook was called The Seminole.

Synodical College may be no longer with us, but its history still lives in our Westminster Archives, and the Callaway County Historical Society.

This information was gathered from items in the Westminster Archives, as well as the Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society's Then and Now digital collection.