Notable Covenant College Alums
- Mark Gornik ’84
Director of City Seminary of New York and author of several books.
- Karissa Taylor ’96
Attorney who leads the largest gang-crime unit in the Pacific Northwest.
- David Caines ’02
President of Kenco, a leading provider of transportation, distribution, and supply-chain intelligence solutions. He is responsible for the strategic direction of the company.
- Joanna Taft ’85
Helped to found the Harrison Center for the Arts and Herron High School (a public charter school with an emphasis on the arts) in Indianapolis. She is the executive director of the Harrison Center for the Arts.
- Michael Cromartie ’76
Vice president of the Ethics & Public Policy Center, a think tank in Washington, D.C. He is a senior advisor to the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, and a senior fellow with The Trinity Forum.
It’s a privilege to participate in the work God is doing through Covenant College on Lookout Mountain. Those of us who are here today stand on the shoulders of those who sacrificed their time, resources, and life work to bring the College to this place. As I look back on the past 50 years, I’m grateful for how the Lord has blessed their early work.
From humble beginnings, Covenant’s campus has grown to include multiple academic buildings, residence halls, a library, a chapel, and athletic facilities. The campus — now 400 acres — is filled with more than a thousand students from 48 states and 23 countries, studying in 28 different majors spanning the liberal arts, sciences, and pre-professional disciplines. The Covenant College of 2014 is deeply indebted to the men and women who brought the College to Lookout Mountain in 1964.
From its beginning, Covenant College has sought to explore the preeminence of Christ in all things. In the midst of a rapidly changing world, we are thankful for the firm grounding we have as the college of the Presbyterian Church in America. And as we look forward, we’re confident that the God who brought Covenant to Lookout Mountain 50 years ago will continue to guide our steps as we prepare thoughtful men and women to serve the church and the world.
Covenant College Timeline
1955 – Covenant College founded in Pasadena, California
1955 – Dr. Robert Rayburn serves as president
1956 – Covenant College moves to St. Louis, Missouri
1964 – The College moves into the Lookout Mountain Hotel in Lookout Mountain, Georgia; Covenant offers eight majors to students
1965 – Dr. Marion Barnes becomes president
1971 – Covenant is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
1972 – Kresge Memorial Library opens
1978 – Dr. Martin Essenburg becomes president
1982 – The PCA merges with the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod (RPCES), bringing Covenant College into the PCA
1984 – Sanderson Hall, a new academic building, is completed
1987 – Dr. Frank Brock becomes president
1996 – The C.G. & Nancy Mills Science Building opens
2002 – Dr. Niel Nielson becomes president
2008 – Brock Hall, a new academic building, is completed
2012 – Dr. Derek Halvorson ’93 becomes president
2014 – Covenant offers 28 majors to students; Covenant celebrates 50 years atop Lookout Mountain