Simpson College

Founded in 1860, Simpson College is a four year liberal arts institution based in the town of Indianola, Iowa. The university is named for Methodist minister Matthew Simpson, who was a staunch supporter of freedman and delivered a sermon at Abraham Lincoln’s funeral.

Courses at Simpson are divided by 21 departments, and a programme in Women’s and Gender Studies. A science major will often combine set hours of specialist academic study with a Capstone course involving a research project on or off campus.

There are a wide variety of artistic facilities at Simpson. Opened in 1983, the Robertson music centre contains a recital hall which can seat 250, and a Hall of Music with choral rehearsal room and teaching studios. The Blank Performing Arts centre hosts the Des Moines Opera every summer season, and students can enjoy the artwork of their peers through displays at the Farnham gallery.

Simpson also has an active study abroad programme, with semesters in Adelaide, Chile or Tahiti offered in even numbered years, and England, Germany and Thailand offered in odd numbered years.

Athletics teams at Simpson are known as the Storm, and compete in the NCAA Division III. In total there are ten men’s sports programmes and eleven women’s, and collectively Storm has won almost 90 IACC championships. Buxton stadium contains a field used for football and soccer ringed within an eight lane track, and can seat up to 5000.

Simpson was the first college attended by agricultural science pioneer George Washington Carver. Dr. Travis Mickle earned a chemistry major at campus, before becoming a key figure in developing pharmaceuticals to treat ADHD.