completed, though it had been used for school purposes for some time while still incomplete. On 12 February 1898, the school was officially christened McPherson College.
In 1926, J Willard Hershey synthesized one of the world's earliest synthetic (man-made) diamonds on the McPherson College campus. One of the diamonds is on display at the McPherson Museum in McPherson, Kansas. There is some debate about the success of Hershey's experiments, and whether or not true diamonds were involved.
In 1962, McPherson College became a charter member of Brethren Colleges Abroad (BCA).
In 1976, local entrepreneur Gaines H. "Smokey" Billue, provided funds for the construction of Templeton Hall along with additional operating capital through the donation of a portion of his classic and antique car collection. This donation provided the spark to launch the Automotive Restoration Technology program at McPherson College. The Tonight Show host Jay Leno has been a financial supporter of the Automotive Restoration Technology program …
