# Ricker College

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{{Short description|College in Houlton, Maine, US (1848–1978)}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2025}}
'''Ricker College''' was a small [college](/source/college) located in [Houlton, Maine](/source/Houlton%2C_Maine), United States. It opened in {{start date and age|1848|p=y}} and closed in {{end date and age|1978|p=y}}.

It began as '''Houlton Academy''' in 1848, before being subsequently renamed '''Ricker Classical Institute''' in 1887. It became '''Ricker Junior College''' in 1934 and operated as a four-year liberal arts college between that point and its closing in 1978. It did continue to operate as a secondary school through 1967.

The name "Ricker" was taken from Doctor [Joseph Ricker](/source/Joseph_Ricker), who was at the time the State Secretary of the [Maine Baptist Convention](/source/Maine_Baptist_Convention).

As with many other small, [private](/source/Private_school) colleges in the US, Ricker College faced financial difficulties in the 1970s and was forced to close its Houlton campus in May 1978. Other off-campus programs in continuing education remained operational after the main campus's closing, but not at the collegiate level.

A branch of the [University of Maine](/source/University_of_Maine) system, the [University of Maine at Presque Isle](/source/University_of_Maine_at_Presque_Isle) Outreach at Houlton, holds classes in a newly renovated building on Military Street.

==Notable alumni==
* [Bob Davoli](/source/Bob_Davoli), venture capitalist
* [Paul Duffie](/source/Paul_Duffie), Canadian politician
* [Ira G. Hersey](/source/Ira_G._Hersey), politician
* [Henry L. Joy](/source/Henry_L._Joy), politician
* [David Parks](/source/David_Parks_(photographer)), photographer
* [Steve Shea](/source/Steve_Shea), professional baseball player; pitcher with the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and Montreal Expos
* [Roger Sherman](/source/Roger_Sherman_(Maine_politician)), politician
* [Daniel Wathen](/source/Daniel_Wathen), Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court
* [Charles P. Pray](/source/Charles_P._Pray), politician

==Greek life==
===Fraternities===
* [Pi Lambda Phi](/source/Pi_Lambda_Phi), ME Kappa Beta<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chapter Locator|url=https://www.pilambdaphi.org/about/chapter-locator/|access-date=2021-11-10|website=Pi Lambda Phi|language=en-US}}</ref>
* [Tau Epsilon Phi](/source/Tau_Epsilon_Phi), Phi Delta Upsilon<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chapter Roll|url=https://tep.org/chapters/chapter-roll/|access-date=2021-11-10|website=Tau Epsilon Phi|language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.ricker.net/ Ricker.net] - (Defunct site) historical information website

{{Universities and colleges in Maine |state=expanded}}
{{authority control}}

{{coord|46.123527| -67.835414|format=dms |region:US-ME_type:edu |display=title}}

Category:Defunct private universities and colleges in Maine
Category:Universities and colleges established in 1848
Category:Houlton, Maine
Category:Universities and colleges in Aroostook County, Maine
Category:University of Maine at Presque Isle
Category:Educational institutions disestablished in 1978
Category:1848 establishments in Maine
Category:1978 disestablishments in Maine

{{Maine-university-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ricker College](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricker_College) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricker_College?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.