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Midway College, formerly the Kentucky Female Orphan School, was the dream of Dr. Lewis Letig Pinkerton, a young physician and minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Together with James Ware Parrish, the Midway Christian Church elder who raised the funds necessary to open the school, they joined with other progressive thinkers to launch a revolutionary educational experiment. In antebellum Kentucky, the few girls who received formal education were taught to read only because it was considered necessary for their role as mothers. When they reached adulthood, they would read the Bible to their children. Female orphans were rarely offered even this meager amount of schooling. Without education or parental support and concern, the most many could hope for was a lifetime of drudgery as a maid or laborer. The liberal arts curriculum and career preparation proposed by Dr. L. L. Pinkerton was a comprehensive solution to this tragic situation, and the benefits reached far beyond the individual girls who attended the school. Dr. L. L. Pinkerton’s dream became a reality as Midway-educated teachers went forth to share their learning with youngsters throughout the state and region. In the years since its inception, the institution has evolved to meet the educational needs of women while preserving the goals and standards of its founders. Today, Midway College has achieved its goal of excellence in education, providing advanced instruction in a broad range of subjects based upon a strong liberal arts curriculum. The campus and programs have grown with the school’s enrollment, yet many of the traditional ideals Midway was founded on have remained constant. The college's affiliation with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) remains strong and many members of the student body are active members of Christian Church congregations.

This academic balance remains true to Dr. L. L. Pinkerton's vision, and is as carefully structured to enrich today's student as was the original curriculum in pre-Civil War times.

ap view all images from this collection Thirty-one African American girls who passed swim tests with swimming school staff. Front Row, Emily Coleman, Mary L. Taylor, Julia Mukes, Ella F. Moss, Nannie Covington, Virginia Williams, Costella Peck, Dolersa Hobbs, Lena Walker, Alva Patton, Annie Lacefield, Geraldine Moore, Dora Madison, Nena Curry. Second Row, Annette Brown, Rominti Wade, Anna Thacker, Geraldine Penman, Ann Roach, Nannette Johnson, Shirley Wright, Mary Williams, Louise Henderson, Vada Lawson, Geraldine Garner, Mattie B. Ray, Mary J. Butler, Margaret Floyd, Dorsey Williams, Pauline Fender, Anna B. Bailey. Back row, Osborne Price, lifeguard; Margaret Covington, leader; A.D. Burroughs, pool manager; Mrs. H.H. Rowe, director of city recreation and Douglas park; George Elliott, Herald-Leader instructor; Russell Hill, assistant instructor; Juanita Rankin, leader; and Kenneth Dunson, lifeguard. (This image was published in: Herald-Leader )