Vennard College

Vennard College was a non-denominational Christian college located in University Park, Iowa, located just outside of Oskaloosa, Iowa. It was announced on Nov. 12, 2008 that the college would close at the end of the 2008 fall semester due to a decline in enrollment and financial difficulty. The college held its final commencement on Nov. 22, 2008 and it is now closed. History In 1910, Dr. Iva Durham Vennard founded Chicago Evangelistic Institute (CEI) in Chicago, Illinois, for the purpose of providing "effective training for Christian service." Her stated goals were to send Spirit-filled people into the ministry and to promote Scriptural Holiness. In 1951, the school moved to University Park, Iowa, where it was renamed Vennard College in 1959. The move to the beautiful, rural setting brought Vennard into a familial relationship with the graduates of the three other Christian colleges which formerly occupied the campus: Central Holiness University, John Fletcher College, and Kletzing College. Dr. Vennard's presidency was followed by the leadership of Dr. Harry E. Jessop. Presidents of Vennard College have included Dr. H. M. Couchenour, Dr. J. Sutherland Logan, Dr. Merne A. Harris, Dr. Warthen T. Israel, Dr. Burnis Bushong (interim president) and Dr. Blake J. Neff.