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Central College officially opened on October 8, 1854 with a class of 37. The "campus" consisted of one two-story building containing three rudimentary classrooms. This fledgling institution grew both in size and mission during its first 60 years, eventually moving to a parcel of land donated by Pella's founding father, Dominie Pieter Scholte. The College survived fires, three wars, and economic depression during a period of history that saw the United States double in size. It remained solvent because of the faith and dedication of its early faculty members, some of whom accepted produce from local farms as payment. In 1916, Central was transferred from Baptist control to the Reformed Church in America. The relationship with the RCA strengthened the College as families within the denomination sent their sons and daughters to be educated for teaching and the ministry. As its academic reputation grew, Central attracted many more students from outside the denomination. International study programs were introduced in 1965, spawning an institutional emphasis on cross-cultural study. The first overseas study center was established in Vienna, Austria and a second was added in Paris, France. Later, programs were opened in Granada, Spain; Carmarthen, Wales; London, England; Merida, Yucatan, Mexico; and Leiden, the Netherlands. An eighth international program, in Colchester, England, was established in 1997.

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