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College renamed
The college changed its name in 1917 to reflect the generosity of two donors, Mary Culver and Robert Stockton. Stockton and Culver, both of St. Louis, played a vital role in the college's history with generous donations for residence halls, a new gymnasium, and grants for faculty salaries.

Born Mary Elizabeth Comegys in Champaign County, Ohio, on March 19, 1841, Culver was one of three daughters and two sons born to Cornelius M. Comegys and his second wife, Anibel Dunlap McCune. As a child, she moved to Indiana. On December 1, 1860, she was married to Lucius Llewellyn (L.L.) Culver. The couple moved from Illinois to St. Louis in 1876. Her husand, an inventive man who was skillful in improving kitchen ranges, became a business partner with Robert Stockton. Their Company, Majestic Manufacturing Co., produced iron kitchen ranges. The Culvers had no children but invested their energy and funds into philanthropic activities.

Robert Stockton was born in Mt. Sterling, Ky., on July 5, 1842. Orphaned at the age of 12, he stayed with his grandmother and worked in a shoe store until he was 15 and moved to Missouri with an uncle. He joined the Confederate army near the end of the Civil War and was stationed in Richmond, N.C. After the war, he moved back to Missouri and worked for Simmons Co. He met L.L. Culver, and they began the Majestic Manufacturing Co. Christian University's President Carl Johann met Stockton on a fund-raising campaign. Stockton became a generous donor to the college, giving money to help repair the college after a fire, funds for cottages to house married students, funds for teachers' salaries, money to eliminate Christian University's debt and many other projects.