Hope College is a Private college Christian liberal arts college in Holland, Michigan, United States. It was originally opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants four years after the community was first settled. The first freshman college class matriculated in 1862, and Hope received its state charter in 1866. Hope College is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America and retains a Christian atmosphere. Its campus is adjacent to the downtown commercial district and has been shared with Western Theological Seminary since 1884. The Hope College campus is located near the eastern shores of Lake Michigan and is 2.5 hours away from two major cities, Chicago and Detroit.
History
Hope's motto is taken from
Psalm 42:6: "Spera in Deo" ("Hope in God"). The college's emblem is an
anchor. This is drawn from a speech by Albertus van Raalte, the leader of the community, on the occasion of the founding of the Pioneer School in 1851: "This is my anchor of hope for this people in the future," (an allusion to Hebrews 6:19). The primary-level Pioneer School was later expanded to secondary and college-level education as Hope College. Van Vleck Hall, which originally housed the Pioneer School, is the oldest building on campus (1858) and serves as a dormitory. It is the city's second-oldest building. The first college class matriculated in 1862, and Hope received its state charter in 1866. The college admitted its first female students in 1878.
2015 marked Hope College's 150th year of education. The celebration began with the 150th commencement on May 3, 2015. The year held two grand openings, the Kruizenga Art Museum and the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, and the groundbreaking ceremony of the Jim and Martie Bultman Student Center. The college also sponsored the Presidential Colloquium lecture series, which featured an address by David Brooks on Christian education in the 21st century.
A marker designating the college as a Michigan Historic Site was erected in 2019 by the Michigan Historical Commission.
In 1851, four years after settlers from the Netherlands founded Holland, the Pioneer School was established to meet some of the educational needs of the young colony. This school, the predecessor of Hope College, received direction and financial support from the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America. The school evolved into the Holland Academy, which in 1862 enrolled its first college class. On May 14, 1866, the institution was chartered as Hope College, and on July 17, 1866, the first class of eight students was graduated. The college’s name, seal, and motto are derived from a statement of the founder of Holland, Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte, who said of the Pioneer School, “This is my Anchor of Hope for this people in the future.” In the decades that followed, a strong college of arts and sciences was developed which continues to serve the church and the community.
Presidents
The following people have presided over the college:
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Philip Phelps Jr. (1866–1878)
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Charles Scott (1878–1893)
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Gerrit J. Kollen (1893–1911, Hope College Class of 1868)
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Ame Vennema (1911–1918, Hope College Class of 1879)
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Edward D. Dimnent (1918–1931, Hope College Class of 1896)
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Wynand Wichers (1931–1945)
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Irwin J. Lubbers (1945–1963, Hope College Class of 1917)
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Calvin A. VanderWerf (1963–1970, Hope College Class of 1937)
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Gordon VanWylen (1972–1987)
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John H. Jacobson (1987–1999)
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James Bultman (1999–2013, Hope College Class of 1963)
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John C. Knapp (2013–2017)
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Dennis N. Voskuil (2017–2019, interim)
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Matthew A. Scogin (2019–present, Hope College Class of 2002)
Hope Forward
Hope College is a program that allows students to receive a tuition-free education. Instead of paying upfront, students are invited to support future students through donations after they graduate.
[ Hope Forward]
Hope Forward has gained national attention, including an episode of in June 2023 of Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History podcast, titled "A Good Circle", which highlights the potential for this innovative model to transform higher education.[ "A Good Circle"]
Academics
The college offers 90+ majors, all of which lead to a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Engineering, or Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. It has a student population of about 3,200, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1.
The college offers off-campus study programs in several cities, including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, and overseas programs for the summer, semester, or an academic year. Among its international programs, a longstanding summer semester in Vienna is popular among students.
Hope College is a member of the Great Lakes College Association.
In the 2024 U.S. News & World Report ranking of schools by undergraduate research and creative projects, Hope College is ranked #27.
Courses offered at Hope are divided into five disciplines:
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General Education: In General Education courses
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Arts and Humanities: The Fine and Performing Arts
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Natural and Applied Sciences: The Natural and Applied Sciences
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Social Sciences: A Social Science
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Pre-health programs: There are a wide variety of pre-health programs
Hope's most popular majors, in terms of 2022 graduates, were:
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Business
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Psychology
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Engineering
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Nursing
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Exercise Science
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Communication
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Biology
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Education
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Social Work
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Political Science
Accreditation
Hope College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Campus life
Housing
On-campus housing
is provided in 11 residence halls, 24 apartment buildings, and 70+ houses (called "cottages") that the college owns near the campus. A small percentage of students—primarily juniors, seniors, and Holland, Michigan residents—live off-campus. All full-time students without commuter status are required to live in on-campus housing for three years.
Demographics
Most Hope students come from the greater Great Lakes region. In 2023 approximately 90% of the student body came from Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Approximately 79% of the student body is white; students from minority backgrounds account for about 16% of the student body. Approximately 3% of the student body is international.
Student organizations
The college offers 80 student-led clubs and organization such as Dance Marathon and Relay for Life, an FM radio station (
WTHS), newspaper (
The Anchor), literary magazine (
Opus), and yearbook (
Milestone), plus a variety of academic, musical, spiritual, literary, social and athletic clubs. About 10–12% of students belong to social fraternities and sororities, which are local to Hope rather than chapters of larger organizations, with the exception of one fraternity, Phi Sigma Kappa. Hope also houses the 6th oldest fraternity that is still in existence, Omicron Kappa Epsilon. The college holds Sunday evening worship services ("The Gathering") and Monday/Wednesday/Friday Chapel services on campus. Attendance at these events has been voluntary since 1970, yet students routinely fill Dimnent Memorial Chapel to its capacity of greater than 1,000 students at each service.
The Pull
"The Pull" is an annual tug-of-war between the freshman and sophomore classes at Hope College. It takes place across the Black River in Holland on the last Saturday of September every year (until 1993 it was held on a Friday). The Pull dates to 1898. Each team has 19 students on the rope as "pullers," and another 19 acting as guides and morale boosters, or "moralers", as well as one pull "anchor" on each team. The freshmen are coached by juniors, and the sophomores by seniors. This arrangement has led to the rivalry between even and odd year classes. Even years' colors are red and white, while Odd years' colors are maroon and gold. The competition is limited to three hours; it previously had no time limit. The winner is the team that takes the most rope.
IMAGES: A Reflection of Cultures
IMAGES: A Reflection of Cultures is an annual international showcase featuring an array of skits, dance, song and other clips of culture and language performed by students from around the world.
The Nykerk Cup Competition
The Nykerk Cup Competition is a multifaceted tradition between freshmen and sophomore women involving song, play, and oration. As in the Pull, freshmen are coached by juniors and sophomores by seniors, also contributing to the "Odd Year" and "Even Year" competitions. Junior and senior coaches arrange the music, write the plays, and guide the orators as they craft seven-minute monologues. Upperclassmen also apply and are selected for a leadership board that plays an essential role in making this event a reality. Men participate in the competition as "moralers" by supporting the participants while building sets and coordinating scene changes. The competition takes place during Family Weekend in late fall each year. A panel of judges scores the performances of each class and the winning team claims the highly coveted Nykerk Cup. The tradition was started in 1936 by Dr. John Nykerk, Hope professor and founder of the college’s music department.
Winter Fantasia
One formal dance is offered by the college in February. Students may attend in large groups or with dates, and the college offers transportation to Grand Rapids, where it takes place.
Dance Marathon
The students of Hope College hold the annual Dance Marathon to raise money for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, particularly Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids. This event takes place in the spring semester. Students volunteer to be dancers or moralers for the event. The “Dream Team” leadership board is composed of four student directors and various student leaders chairing committees such as hospital relations, decorations, publicity, finance, and catering. Dancers stand on their feet and dance for 24 hours while moralers take shifts supporting the dancers. Children of the hospital and their families often visit to show their thanks and share their stories of resilience and hope. To date, Hope College Dance Marathon has raised over $4 million for Helen Devos Children’s Hospital in the last 24 years.
Hope was also recognized by Dance Marathon in both 2020 and 2022 as the #10 program with the highest monetary growth.
Christmas Vespers
Each December, Hope College hosts a musical Christmas service in Dimnent Chapel. The service has been held annually since 1941 and features over 200 students, staff and faculty. It includes music performed by the Chapel Choir, College Chorus, Orchestra, and small ensembles.
There are usually two to three performances each year, all of which draw a crowd that fills the chapel. The event is regularly recorded and televised on
PBS stations during the Christmas season.
Campus events
The Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series sponsors authors for free public readings. The series is named for poet and Hope College professor emeritus Jack Ridl, who founded the series in 1982.
Employment
For 18 consecutive years, Hope College has been listed among the "101 best and brightest companies to work for in West Michigan" survey of the Michigan Business and Professional Association.
Additionally, Hope College has been honored with the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. This award recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Campus renovation
The college marked the completion of the "Greater Hope"
campaign in October 2015 with the dedication of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts. In September 2015, the college dedicated the opening of Kruizenga Art Museum, designed by C Concept Design, and broke ground on construction of the Jim and Martie Bultman Student Center.
As of October 2015, the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts and the Kruizenga Art Museum are open and in use by students and faculty. The Jim and Martie Bultman Student Center opened for the 2017–2018 school year.
The Jim and Eileen Heeringa Dance Wing addition and Dow Center renovations, opened in fall of 2024, provide a dedicated performance space, expand wellness facilities, maintain arts accreditation and foster professional partnerships for Hope’s dance and theatre departments.
Athletics
Hope College competes in the MIAA conference, and is a Division III member of the NCAA. It fields 20 men's and women's varsity teams.
The college has constructed several new outdoor athletic venues in recent years—Jim Heeringa Athletic Center (2021) DeVos Fieldhouse (2005, home to basketball and volleyball teams[ DeVos Fieldhouse]), Boeve Baseball Stadium (2008), Wolters Softball Stadium (2008), Van Andel Soccer Stadium (2009) and Heeringa-Vande Poel Tennis Stadium (2012).
Hope acquired Holland Municipal Stadium from the City of Holland and renamed it the Ray and Sue Smith in honor of a longtime coach and his wife. In 2006, the women's basketball team won the National Championship in its division, the second in school history, which has won three NCAA titles.
Hope has won the MIAA All-Sports/Commissioner's Cup Championship more than any other member school. The college has won the honor a league-leading 34 times.
The school's athletic teams are called the Flying Dutchmen
National Championships
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| NCAA Division III |
| NCAA Division III |
| NCAA Division III |
| NCAA Division III |
Club Team National Championships
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2018: Men's Ice Hockey (ACHA Division III)
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2021: Men's Ice Hockey (ACHA Division III)
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2022: Men's Ice Hockey (ACHA Division III)
The men's and women's basketball teams also take part in a notable rivalry, the Calvin–Hope rivalry.
Notable alumni
Notable alumni of Hope College include:
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Betsy Aardsma, unsolved murder victim
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Tom Andrews, poet and critic
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Jeff Bates, co-founder of Slashdot
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Kathy Beauregard, former director of athletics for Western Michigan University
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James Bosman, New Hampshire politician
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Rychard Bouwens, associate professor at Leiden University
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Dave Brat, former Representative Virginia's 7th congressional district (2014–2019); economics professor at Randolph–Macon College
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Derek Brown, saxophonist
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Dick Bulterman, senior researcher at the Centrum Wiskunde and Informatica
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Daniel Allen Butler, author and playwright
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Sylvia T. Ceyer, professor and chair of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Robert Danhof, jurist
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Martin De Haan, editor of Our Daily Bread devotional
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Max DePree, writer; industrialist; former CEO of Herman Miller furniture
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John R. Dethmers, Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court
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Walter DeVries, political consultant
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Harvey A. DeWeerd, American historian on military affairs
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Kevin DeYoung, author, pastor
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Gerrit J. Diekema, politician and Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives
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Jim Dressel, Air Force pilot, Michigan politician in the 1970s and early 1980s
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Amy Gaipa, actress
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Patricia G. Gensel, botanist and paleobotanist at UNC Chapel Hill
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Renae Geerlings, actress
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Daniel Georges-Abeyie, criminologist and professor at Texas Southern University
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Robert W. Haack, banker who served as president of the New York Stock Exchange and chairman of the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
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John Hendrickson, businessman; chairman, president and CEO of Perrigo
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Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author
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James G. Herman, oncologist at the University of Pittsburgh
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Gary M. Hieftje, analytical chemist at Indiana University
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Mary C. Hill, hydrologist at the University of Kansas
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Pete Hoekstra, former U.S. Representative and Ambassador to the Netherlands (2018–2021)
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Jim Kaat, 25-year Major League Baseball pitcher, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Class of 2022
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Norman J. Kansfield, minister, senior scholar in residence at Drew University
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Seth Kaper-Dale, Protestant pastor and activist
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Eugene Marion Klaaren, historian and professor of religion at Wesleyan University
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Donald Kroodsma, author and ornithologist at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst
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Tim Laman, ornithologist, wildlife photojournalist and filmmaker
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Terri Lynn Land, former Michigan Secretary of State
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Doc Lavan, 12-year Major League Baseball player
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Arend Lubbers, president of Grand Valley State University 1969–2001
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Peter J. Maassen, current Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court
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Rob Malda, co-founder of Slashdot
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Rev. Dr. Gregg A. Mast (B.A. 1974), clergyman, president of New Brunswick Theological Seminary (2006–2017)
[New Brunswick Theological Seminary. Faculty Directory: Gregg Alan Mast, President (curriculum vitae). Retrieved 13 August 2013.]
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Albert H. McGeehan, mayor of Holland, Michigan 1993–2009
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Joe Miklosi, Colorado Representative 2009–2013
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Wendell Alverson Miles, federal judge
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John Moolenaar, Representative, Michigan's 4th congressional district
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Craig Morford, former United States Deputy Attorney General
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James Muilenburg, pioneer in the field of rhetorical criticism of the Old Testament
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A. J. Muste, pacifism, labor movement, and Civil Rights Movement activist
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Joey Muthengi, media personality and actress
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Milton J. Nieuwsma, author, Emmy-winning filmwriter and producer
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David A. Noebel, Christian writer
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Saša Petricic, Canadian journalist
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Thomas J. Plewes, retired lieutenant general in the United States Army
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Clark V. Poling, military chaplain
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Andy Ponstein, professional stock car racing driver
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Willis J. Potts, pediatric surgeon who devised early heart surgeries for children
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Rachel Reenstra, host of Ms. Adventure on Animal Planet
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D. J. Reyburn, Major League Baseball umpire
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James Ronda, retired Western American historian
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Ron Schipper, football coach and college athletics administrator
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Michael Schofield, former US college lacrosse player and current coach
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Robert A. Schuller, televangelist, former preacher on The Hour of Power
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Matthew A. Scogin, 14th president of Hope College
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Marilyn Scudder, medical missionary in Tanzania for 35 years
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Larry Siedentop, historian at Oxford
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Bradley Slagh, Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives
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Richard Smalley, Nobel Prize-winning chemist
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Watson Spoelstra, sportswriter
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Morris Steggerda, early 20th-century physical anthropologist
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Sufjan Stevens, Academy Award-nominated musician, graduated Phi Beta Kappa
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Lynne Stewart, defense attorney
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Eugene Sutton, Episcopal Bishop of Maryland
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William Te Winkle, Wisconsin State Senator
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Nancy Torresen, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maine
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Harold Van Heuvelen, composer and musician
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Eugene van Tamelen, biochemist at Stanford
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Carol van Voorst, former US ambassador to Iceland (2006–2009)
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Robert E. Van Voorst, theologian and educator at Western Theological Seminary
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Glenn Van Wieren, former college basketball coach
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Guy Vander Jagt, former U.S. Representative (1966–1993)
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Al Vanderbush, football coach and college athletics administrator
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George F. Veenker, basketball coach at University of Michigan, football coach at U of M and Iowa State
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Maurice Visscher, cardiovascular physiologist at the University of Minnesota
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John E. Visser, President of Emporia State University 1967–1984
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Glenn M. Wagner, pastor and author
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Marianne Walck, chief research officer at the Idaho National Laboratory
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David E. White, retired rear admiral in the United States Navy
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Edward Wichers, US chemist and associate director of the National Bureau of Standards 1958–1962
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Brad Williams, designer and performer of hand puppets on Nickelodeon’s flagship show Pinwheel
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G. I. Williamson, American Reformed theologian, pastor, and author
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Gerrit Wolf, industrial and organizational psychologist
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Theodore O. Yntema, professor of business at the University of Chicago, chairman of Ford Motor Credit Company
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Annette Ziegler, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice
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Kim Zimmer, four-time winner, Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
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Samuel Marinus Zwemer, scholar, missionary in Arabia
External links
