Early years

Percy B. Crawford founded The King's College in 1938 in Belmar, New Jersey.^[3] The school re-located in 1941 to the Lexington mansion on the 65-acre former estate of Major Philip Reybold near Delaware City, Delaware,^[4] and again in 1955 to the former Briarcliff Lodge site in Briarcliff Manor, New York.^[5] At Briarcliff, The King's College sponsored the King's Tournament, a sports tournament in which East Coast Christian college athletes competed each year.^[3]

The Briarcliff Lodge, the main facility of the school's former Briarcliff Manor campus, c. 1980s

After Crawford's death,^[6] Robert A. Cook became the college's second president in 1962.^[7] The college prospered under his leadership, with enrollment growing to a high of 870 students in 1980.^[8] After 23 years as president, Cook retired and became the college's chancellor in 1985, a position which he held until his death in 1991.^[7] Friedhelm Radandt succeeded Cook to become the college's third president.^[9] Nine years later, in December 1994, the New York Commissioner of Education ordered the college to shut down after the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools revoked the school's accreditation.^[10][11] By 1994, the college had experienced years of declining enrollment, financial troubles, and the deterioration of the Briarcliff campus.^[8] The college had purchased property for a new campus at Sterling Forest, but was prevented from selling the Briarcliff campus in a timely fashion. The college declared bankruptcy, owing more than $25 million to its creditors, mostly from the mortgage on the new campus.^[12]

Reestablishment in New York City

The college charter first granted by the New York Board of Regents in 1955 remained in force.^[13] In 1997, the college's charter was amended to make Campus Crusade for Christ the sole member of the corporation.^[13] Together with Campus Crusade founder Bill Bright, J. Stanley "Stan" Oakes, then the director of Faculty Commons,^[14] a Campus Crusade ministry, began work to pay off the institution's debts and re-establish it in New York City. Instrumental in this process was the acquisition of Northeastern Bible College, which had experienced a decline and closure similar to that of King's.^[15] In 1999, King's leased 45,000 square feet (4,200 m²) of space on three floors of the Empire State Building in New York City for classrooms, a student recreation center, and administrative offices,^[5] and the College re-opened.^[16] Radandt remained president, with Oakes as chairman.^[13] In January 2003, Oakes became the fourth president. Five years later, Oakes became chancellor and board member Andy Mills served as interim president.

Beginning in 2009, the college was accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Accreditation was reaffirmed in 2015.^[17]

Following treatment for brain cancer, Oakes reassumed the presidency on January 1, 2009. In December 2009, the college announced that Oakes would take a year-long sabbatical while Andy Mills again served in an interim role.

On August 23, 2010, the college announced the appointment of the conservative writer Dinesh D'Souza as its new president. This proved to be a turbulent time for the college, as much of the faculty did not agree with D'Souza's far-right media associations. On October 18, 2012, D'Souza resigned his post at the school shortly after it became known that he booked a room at a hotel with a woman who was not his wife. D'Souza claimed to be engaged to be married,^[18] despite the fact that he was still married to his estranged wife.^[19] While a search committee was formed to select a permanent president, Andy Mills filled in for a third time.^[20]

In 2012, the college relocated from the Empire State Building to a new location one block south of Wall Street on Broadway (Manhattan). The college also became independent of Campus Crusade in 2012.^[1][21]

On July 11, 2013, the college announced the appointment of Gregory Alan Thornbury, former dean of the School of Theology and Missions at Union University, as the sixth president of the institution.^{[22][23][24][25][26][27]}

On November 21, 2017, the college announced that Thornbury would become its Chancellor and retired Air Force Brigadier General Tim Gibson would serve as Interim President.^[28] In June 2018, the college purchased a former hotel in the Financial District to become a student residence. Gibson was formally appointed the seventh president of King's on August 21, 2018.^[29] Gibson resigned in August 2022.^[30][31] Stockwell Day, former Canadian finance minister, was appointed as the interim president.^[32][33] On May 8, 2023, Steven French was appointed interim president.^[34]

2023 financial struggles and loss of accreditation

In February 2023, the college's accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) sought additional information regarding its "teach-out plan".^[17] In March 2023, MSCHE placed the college on "show cause" status after rejecting its plan.^[35][17][36] This action required the college to demonstrate its compliance with MSCHE standards by April 18, 2023 or face the loss of its accreditation.^[36]

In March 2023, King's began notifying students that it might soon close due to financial difficulties exacerbated by the global COVID-19 pandemic. An emergency loan reportedly extended the school's survival through the end of the spring 2023 semester.^[37] Later in March, students living in apartments arranged by the college received eviction notices due to back rent the college owed the landlords, as the $2 million loan was not enough to cover the rent.^[38][39] King's pursued negotiations with seven other colleges to create preferred transfer agreements.^[40]

On May 26, 2023, MSCHE withdrew its accreditation of The King's College; the withdrawal of accreditation was made effective as of August 31, 2023.^[17][41] The college appealed this decision on June 12, 2023.^[17] One week later, the college announced that it would not hold classes in the fall of 2023 and reduced the number of positions on its faculty and staff. The college also noted that it did not intend for the closure to be permanent.^{[42][43][17][44]} On July 27, 2023, MSCHE noted that it considered King's to be closed; MSCHE also noted that the closure of the college terminated the college's June 12 appeal.^[17]

Still, as of January 2024, The King's College claims they intend to "challenge the Middle States Commission on Higher Education’s action to withdraw accreditation" and continues to fundraise.^[45] The New York State Education Department lists King's as a "potential closure" and that since July 2023, the college has not had any students.^[46]

The college's financial saga has been documented in the 2023 Demise of the Crown podcast. The podcast is produced by the Empire State Tribune, the King's student-led news outlet.^[47][48]