"concerned that adoption of the 24-hour theory by trustees for the school would result in the loss of both faculty members and students."1 The student went on to say many feared such a decision "would handicap the college in its campaign to reach several important goals – particularly accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools."2 In spite of those fears, the following Monday evening, every member of the college family received a letter from President Jeremiah indicating that the Cedarville College trustees had adopted the position that the days of creation were solar, or literal days. Many faculty members addressed letters to the trustees concerning the decision, and concerned faculty were invited to meet with the Board in Columbus, Ohio. Several faculty attended the meeting and expressed their disagreement, but the decision stood. As a result, three members of the teaching staff resigned, including one of only three who held doctorates on the faculty. In spite of the unrest caused by the day-age controversy, the college continued to grow. Enrollment climbed to 865 in the fall of 1968, and a record of 927 in 1969. By the fall of 1968, there were ten doctorates on the teaching staff. This represented 18 percent of the total faculty. By 1971 the percentage of doctorates had risen to 33, and the student body reached 970. 3 In the spring of 1969, a modest but important project was undertaken. The Dawson Company of Yellow Springs was contracted to excavate a six-acre lake. This project included "the lake, a dam, initial preparation of athletic fields, tennis courts and track."4 This $32,000 project signaled the beginning of campus development on the 80– acre farm which had been purchased during the 1962-63 school year. A baseball diamond, an all-weather track which surrounded a soccer field, and six tennis courts were built. These provided outstanding facilities for the improving intercollegiate athletic program. Intramural fields enhanced the internal recreation programs provided by student services. In the fall of 1969, Cedarville announced plans for a $2 million building project that was to include a new science center and a new dormitory, which was to be the first building constructed on the farmland to the north. Ground was broken for the Science Center in October 1971, and the building was occupied 132/Chapter XVI in the fall and winter of 1973. The main floor which included "three chemistry, two physics, and a physical science and geology lab," as well as a lab for independent study work was opened first; while the basement, which housed "three labs, a classroom and an individual study lab"s was completed and occupied later. The building and equipping of the new Science Center and the addition of several new science faculty demonstrated that the college was determined to develop this important area. In the early years of the Baptist administration, Cedarville College had made a commitment to the liberal arts at a time when the Christian community was still focusing its educational emphasis on the Bible School and Bible Institute. That visionary emphasis had been vital to the institution's success in the '50s and '60s. At the same time, early involvement in the social sciences laid the foundation for the subsequent movement toward professional programs such as public administration, urban studies, prelaw, and criminal justice. The establishment of a business department in the late '50s provided the framework for such popular majors as accounting, business administration, and most recently, computer information systems. The decision to invest heavily in science, along with these other areas, helped create the unique niche Cedarville College occupies in fundamentalist higher education today. Viewed in the perspective of time, Cedarville's application for regional accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1964 was premature. The school had neither the financial resources nor the physical plant needed. Though theological objectives were clearly delineated, the same was not true of educational objectives. Qualified faculty were needed in every discipline. Nevertheless, it marked a critical juncture in the history of Cedarville College. First, it is significant that the Cedarville trustees and president were willing to seek regional accreditation. Many segments of the fundamentalist community were firmly convinced that regional recognition would require spiritual compromise. Rather than make this assumption, the Cedarville team determined to do all in its power to meet all standards and requirements. They recognized the college could refuse accreditation if spiritual compromise was demanded. Following their rejection in 1964, college