Malone College

Dr. Elwood Arthur Self served as President of Malone College from 1989-1994. Prior to his appointment, he had a varied career, having been an active leader at Friends University in Wichita (Vice President for University Relations), Spring Arbor College (multiple positions), Lansing Community College (instructor of management and supervision), and Northwest Nazarene College (assistant professor and member of President's Cabinet and Mid-America Nazarene College Foundation Board of Directors), as well as the owner and President of Sentinel Funds. He resigned in 1994 after being selected as the new President for Seattle Pacific University. During his tenure, Malone saw great change and great growth. Two residence halls, a student center, and a football program were added on his watch, as well as two new masters programs, many new undergraduate programs, major revisions to the general education curriculum, and one successful accreditation. The student body saw a 32% growth and a section of nearby Rt. 62 was named Malone Pkwy, NW.

Dr. Gary W. Streit served as president from 2007 to 2010. During his term, Malone College became known instead as Malone University, a change made in 2008. Prior to his time at Malone, he served in several positions at Olivet Nazarene University, and for over 25 years worked as a consultant for the Higher Learning Commission. After leaving, he was appointed as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Nazarene Bible College.

Dr. Wilbert Friesen served as interim president of Malone University from 2010 to 2011. He first joined the Malone family in 2008, when he left Fresno Pacific University in California to become the Malone University Provost. His appointment as interim president came following the sudden retirement of the former president, Dr. Gary Streit. According to a November 22, 2011 article in the Aviso newsletter, "Late in the day on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010, Friesen was notified by the Board of Trustees that Streit had formally resigned and Friesen was approved as president starting with an introduction to the faculty at 10 a.m. the next morning." During his unexpected term, he assisted with accreditation preparations, addressed issues of faculty diversity, and upgraded admissions structures. After his position ended on December 31, 2011, he was appointed Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Judson University in Elgin, IL.

Ronald Johnson served as President of Malone College from 1995 to 2007. Before his inauguration, he had already been an established member of the Malone community, beginning as a student in 1960 and beginning his Malone career in 1970 as an assistant professor of physics. His standing would improve over the next decade, and by 1979 he was a full professor. In 1981, he became the Chief Academic Officer, a position retitled Provost in 1991. During his years as a leader prior to being appointed President, he oversaw new program development and physical transformations across campus. During his presidency, Malone was awarded multiple distinctions, including recognition by the Templeton Foundation and the U.S. news and World Report's list of America's Best Colleges. He also oversaw three successful reaccreditations and an endowment increase of 500%.

Dr. Gordon R. Werkema was inaugurated as Malone's President on December 1, 1981. With a bachelor's degree in elementary education and higher degrees in education and administration, he was both a teacher and administrator at the elementary school level before moving to higher education. Prior to his time at Malone, he was president of Trinity Christian College of Palos Heights, IL, executive vice president of both Seattle Pacific University and Gordon College, and president of the Christian College Consortium. While at Malone, Werkema oversaw increased financial stability, with a budget that was balanced for five years out of his seven, a student increase of over 56%, new educational programs in management, social work, and nursing, the establishment of a faculty senate, increased staff and faculty salaries, and new faculty development programs. Since leaving Malone, Werkema has turned his energy toward business as opposed to education.

Dr. Lon D. Randall served as President of Malone College from 1972-1981. With a B.A. in Religious Education from Fort Wayne Bible College and both a master's degree (Guidance and Counseling) and doctorate of education (Guidance) from Indiana University, he came to Malone with not only a strong educational background, but also two years of experience with the United States Operations Mission to Thailand (1962-64), two years at the Indiana Institute of Technology as Dean of Students and Assistant to the President (1964-66), two years at Spring Arbor College as Vice President for Development (1966-68), and four years at Seattle Pacific College as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer to the President (1968-1972) before being appointed President of Malone College in 1972 and inaugurated in 1973. During his tenure, he oversaw a balanced budget for eight years, increased faculty salaries by 67%, overhauled the curriculum to better suit current demands, added over 15 acres of land to the school's holdings, renovated the county home barn into a campus center building, and vastly increased endowments and unrestricted gifts. He left Malone on an early release from his contract after being offered the position of Associate Director of the Peace Corps in 1981.

The Randall Campus Center, commonly referred to as "The Barn," was dedicated as a student center on the campus of Malone College (now Malone University) in 1977. The building itself was constructed circa 1923 as part of the Stark County Infirmary complex, housing animals belonging to the poor farm. In 1948, sections of the grounds were put up for auction, including the land which housed the barn, but all offers were rejected and the property remained under county ownership for several more decades. In the 1960s and 1970s, part of the barn was used as the Canton Crate and Canvas summer theater program. After attempts to rezone the land were denied, the county sold the land to Malone College, which had purchased the adjacent land in 1956. The school had been in need of a campus center to provide dining services and social activity space for resident students, but construction of adequate facilities was priced outside an acceptable range. For less than half the expected cost of building a new structure, the college instead began renovations of the barn from a storage facility and sometimes student theater into a large, comfortable building containing offices, snack bars, gathering and performance spaces, and necessary facilities such as student mailboxes. An intense fundraising campaign was launched, canvasing residential, commercial, and industrial areas in Stark County as well as targeting groups such as alumni and local clubs and organizations. The goal of $750,000 was raised with some left over, and groundbreaking took place in 1976. After a year of renovation, during which care was taken to preserve many aspects of the original building, such as window shapes, hay forks, and pulleys suspended from the ceiling, the Campus Center was dedicated and opened for use by the school and community.