I like Grove City College. There’s an odd reason for that, though. Some appreciate the school for its bold, independent streak — that determination to remain free and independent of governmental control, leading to their famed case before the Supreme Court. Other non-alums are fond of the university for its conservative model of internal organization and bold refutation of academic deconstructionism.

As for me, I like them because of R.J. Bowers.

You’ve never heard of R.J.? That’s all right. Unless you’re hooked on football, ESPN and Sportscenter, you probably have no clue who he is.

In November of this year, R.J. Bowers,the All-American Fullback of the Grove City College Wolverines, became the all-time NCAA all-divisions leader both in rushing (7,353 career yards) and in scoring (562 career points). Bowers, a 26-year-old former player in the Houston Astros farm system, is majoring in business management. He’s a humble kid, hailing from West Middlesex, Penn. He owns eight Division III records.

Bowers, to me, represents what Grove City College is about. No, not football or sports highlight reels — Grove City is far too small an institution to be a pigskin powerhouse. When the sportscasters heard about R.J. Bowers of Grove City College, the first words out of their mouths were: "what school is that?"

Grove City, quite simply, is about breaking the mold. Surprising the establishment. Bucking the trend. And doing all this with Christ at the center.

Freedom’s College, the latest book from renowned author and historian Lee Edwards, traces the path Grove City has followed over the past 125 years, and makes it clear that the university’s upstart attitude has strong roots. Edwards’ portrait of Grove City is loving and detailed, ripe with anecdotes of the school’s strong Christian grounding and Evangelical tradition. It’s a college whose leaders and students love God and America — and are willing to stand and fight for their beliefs.

While you might expect a one-note tale of small Christian college vs. the Supreme Court — Grove City’s celebrity is derived from the fact that it retains its independence from federal regulation by refusing to allow its students to accept any sort of federal aid, including student loans. Edwards fleshes out the book with a history of the American university and a primer on recent educational trends. He explains the coming of the German university model, John Dewey, the G.I. Bill and federally-funded academic research — and the effects on the educational system. He also sheds light on Grove City’s relationship with its most important donor, Texas oilman/philanthropist J. Howard Pew.

It was Pew who defined the school’s vision in the 1930s and ‘40s as an efficient, conservative, well-run university that wasn’t afraid to take principled stands. Pew wanted to make sure that "[Grove City] would be operated frugally so that the average candidate for college could afford it." The result: Grove City’s tuition remains far below those of other private schools of comparable quality.

Edwards also provides a good explanation of Grove City College v. Bell, the 1984 U.S. Supreme Court case that marked the climactic end of an eight-year battle between the school and the Department of Education.

Yes, it’s true. Grove City’s got some serious moxie.

The college eventually lost the case; the Court ruled that the school must abide by federal sex-discrimination laws if any of its students received federal financial aid. Now, with the support of alumni and outside groups, Grove City stands as one of two institutions (Hillsdale College is the other) that have withdrawn from all federal aid programs, avoiding any sort of governmental red tape or bureaucratic oversight. According to Edwards, the decision was "a very real victory in the school's century-long struggle to defend faith and freedom, regardless of the cost."

Whether you accept Edwards arguments on the issue of government funding — that the Education Department inevitably uses purse strings to force politically correct policies down a school’s throat — depends on your point of view. But Edwards lays out his swathe of empirical evidence without qualm, and his statements merit further discussion, regardless of your opinion on the subject.

Edwards’ previous books, including his dry, witty, excellent biographies of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan, are well worth reading. My one complaint with Freedom’s College is this: it might have been a better read in a reduced, cleaner, more focused form. Edwards’ prose is wordy, insouciantly at times, and it would’ve been wise to cut a handful of tangential stories that unintentionally cloud the reader’s perception of the school.

All in all, this ode to Grove City stands as more than a recitation of the Alma Mater. It’s a salute to a college that has stood as a beacon of unabashed conviction and a stubbornness that flaunts convention. Grove City has truly followed William F. Buckley’s challenge of duty and honor for all conservatives: to "stand athwart history, yelling — Stop!"