Standing Strong - by Gary Scott Smith (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

For 150 years, Grove City College has powerfully promoted faith, freedom, and the pursuit of excellence.

Grove City College is perhaps best known for its 1984 Supreme Court battle with the federal government over financial aid--a case that led the college to reject all federal funding. But the history of Grove City College goes much deeper and has cut against the grain in many other ways. From its Reformed theological foundation, focus on Western civilization and the humanities, teaching of Austrian economics, low tuition cost, refusal to provide tuition discounts, and commitment to biblical orthodoxy and traditional moral values, Grove City College is one of the few schools in history to start down the road toward secularization and reverse course and reclaim its historic Christian mission. This heritage makes Grove City College unique in the annals of American higher education.

For 150 years, Grove City has stayed true to its mission: providing a Christ-centered education that shapes men and women of sterling character and strong conviction who strive to serve God and people. Along the way, the college has confronted and overcome many significant challenges--two world wars, a major economic depression, the pressures of anti-Christian philosophies, a clash with the federal government, the declining number of college-aged students in the Northeast, and a global pandemic--emerging each time stronger, more vibrant, and more committed to its founding principles.

Review Quotes

"Grove City College continues to be a beacon in an increasingly fragile world. Students and alumni have shown me the positive impact of a Christ-centered and well-rounded education and a call to lead in their professions, communities, and families. How refreshing to know that students at Grove City learn and appreciate the founding principles of our beloved republic, seeking liberty and justice for all. Congratulations on 150 years!"--Governor Scott Walker, President, Young America's Foundation

"A stirring story of how Grove City College refused to succumb to the spirit of the age and stood firm aided in large measure under God by men of convinced Christian conviction like Charles McKenzie and Paul McNulty."--Alistair Begg, Truth for Life Radio Ministry

"Gary Scott Smith unveils the remarkable 150-year journey of a college that dared to defy secular tides. With vivid storytelling, Smith chronicles how Grove City's Christ-centered mission, bold 1984 Supreme Court stand, and commitment to affordable education have shaped principled leaders. From triumphs over global crises to its unwavering embrace of biblical values and American ideals, this book celebrates a unique institution helping to forge a just, compassionate world."--United States Senator Jim DeMint

"Grove City College stands as a beacon of truth and integrity in the troubled world of higher education. Throughout its 150-year history, the college has offered students a Christ-centered, academically excellent, conservative, and remarkably affordable education that has prepared generations of young people to live with godly purpose and wisdom. An exemplary professor, and meticulous historian, Gary Scott Smith has produced a comprehensive and compelling story of an extraordinary institution. Read Standing Strong and you will be encouraged about what a college can achieve when it embraces faith, freedom and excellence, all for the glory of God."--Vice President Mike Pence

"Within these pages lies the story of Grove City College, a remarkable institution that I have visited often and has championed the ideals of faith and freedom for 150 years. Founded in 1876 in my home state, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Grove City College has built its educational mission on two foundational principles: faith in the divine origin of individual natural rights and freedom as envisioned by our nation's founders in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. For a century and a half, Grove City College has prepared its students not merely to earn degrees, but to emerge as truly educated citizens."--United States Senator David McCormick

About the Author

Gary Scott Smith is Emeritus Professor of History at Grove City College, where he taught from 1978 to 2017 and chaired the History Department and coordinated the Humanities Core. He earned his MDiv at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and his MA and PhD in History at Johns Hopkins University. In 2001, Smith was named Pennsylvania Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Smith, who specializes in American religious history, is the author or editor of twenty books, including Strength for the Fight: The Life and Faith of Jackie Robinson (2022); Duty and Destiny: The Life and Faith of Winston Churchill (2021); Religion in the Oval Office (2015); Heaven in the American Imagination (2011); and Faith and the Presidency (2006). His op-eds have appeared in the Washington Post, Newsweek, USA Today, and other major newspapers and magazines.