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| Established | January 21, 1819 |
|---|---|
| School type | Private undergraduate liberal arts |
| President | John A. Roush |
| Motto | Doctrina lux mentis Education is the light of the mind |
| Location | Danville, KY, USA |
| Enrollment | 1,100 |
| Faculty | 77 |
| Endowment | US $158 Million |
| Campus | National Register of Historic Places 115 acres 60 buildings |
| Mascot | Colonel |
| Colors | Old Gold, White |
| Athletics | NCAA Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference |
Website | www.centre.edu |
Centre College is an accredited, private, four-year liberal arts college located in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of about 15,000 located in Boyle County, approximately 35 miles (56.3 km) south of Lexington, KY. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders in 1819 and ranks 41st nationally among top liberal arts schools in the 2006 US News & World Report list, and is the highest-ranking Kentucky institution. The 115-acre campus has 60 buildings, 13 of which are included on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
Centre College received its charter from the Kentucky Legislature on January 21, 1819 and classes began in the fall of 1820 in Old Centre, the first building on campus which today is a Kentucky Landmark, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and the oldest college administration building west of the Allegheny Mountains. The Greek Revival structure was built at the cost of $8,000 and has housed a grammar school, a law school, classrooms, a student dormitory, a hospital, a chapel, a dining hall, a library, and administrative offices.
Centre College faced early financial hardships, disputes within and outside the Presbyterian Church, and six wars (including the occupation of Old Centre by both Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War), but in its years of growth that followed, Centre became affiliated with various institutions including the Kentucky School for the Deaf, also in Danville, which was originally controlled by the Centre board of trustees. In 1901, Central University in Richmond, Kentucky was consolidated with Centre, and the Kentucky College for Women merged with Centre in 1926.
In 1921, Centre upset Harvard University's undefeated football team 6-0 which The New York Times later called "Football's Upset of the Century" *. ESPN has called it one of the biggest upsets in sport during the twentieth century. Today, "C6H0" remains a point of pride among students and alums and is the answer to "What is the formula for a winning football team?"
During the 1960s the college's financial resources doubled. 11 new buildings were added to the campus and enrollment increased from 450 to 800. Today, enrollment hovers around 1,070, with just over 100 faculty members.
Dr. John A. Roush, who took office in 1998, is the college's 20th president. In 2000, Centre became the smallest college ever to host a national election debate *. Dick Cheney and Senator Joe Lieberman debated on October 5 at Centre's Norton Center for the Arts. The event was moderated by CNN's Bernard Shaw.
In 2005, the College completed The College Centre *, a $22-million project to expand and renovate Suttcliffe Hall, the Crounse Academic Center and Grace Doherty Library, which was the largest construction project on campus since the Norton Center was built in 1973.
Presidents of the College
Commencement Speakers
- 2006: Gordon Gee
- 2005: Barbara Kingsolver
- 2004: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
- 2003: Senator Mitch McConnell and Secretary Elaine Chao
- 2000: Michael F. Adams
- 1988: Pierce Lively
- 1987: Jimmy Carter
- 1983: E. C. Reckard, Jr.
- 1980: Mark H. Curtis
- 1979: James H. Evans
- 1978: Wendell Berry
- 1977: Alpheus Thomas Mason
- 1976: Maxine Kumin
- 1975: Judge Wade Hampton McCree
- 1973: Douglas M. Knight
Campus
Old Centre
Built in 1820, Old Centre is a Greek Revival structure and was the College's first building. It has been used as a library, dormitory, and during the Civil War, a hospital. Today it houses the offices of the president, vice president for academic affairs, and vice president for college relations. Old Centre is a Kentucky Landmark, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and included in the Smithsonian Guide to Historic Places.Old Carnegie
Built in 1913, Old Carnegie was the College library until 1966 and currently houses the Career Development Center and the Office of International Programs.Norton Center for the Arts
Centre's Norton Center for the Arts has hosted performers such as violinist Itzhak Perlman, dancers Mikhail Baryshnikov and Twyla Tharp, the Boston Pops, Chieftains, Three Dog Night, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ben Folds, They Might Be Giants, and musicals such as Rent, Titanic, Annie Get Your Gun, and My Fair Lady. In October 2000, the Norton Center hosted the Vice-Presidential Debate with Dick Cheney and Senator Joe Lieberman.The Norton Center for the Arts was built in 1973 and named for Jane Morton Norton, a former trustee to Centre College. The 85,000 square foot (8,000 m²) complex was designed by architect William Wesley Peters of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
The College Centre
Opened in the spring of 2005, the College Centre took center stage on campus, so to speak. The College Centre is composed of two buildings, Crounse Hall and Sutcliffe Hall, which both received multi-million dollar rennovations. Crounse Hall now houses an expanded library, theater, and additional classrooms, while Sutcliffe Hall now has over 62,000 square feet in athletic space including several new gymnasiums and workout facilities.The Old Bookstore
This building was the first chapter house of any fraternity in Kentucky, holding the brothers of Beta Theta Pi. It was later converted to the Campus Bookstore, and in 2005 the bookstore moved to a new location, leaving the building empty. It is currently home to The Oasis, a foreign-language lounge and resource center and is in the process of becoming student housing.Craik House
Built in the 1850s and renovated in 1958, this is the president's home. Originally a private residence, it was first occupied by Robert L. McLeod, the 14th president of Centre. The Craik House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.Academics
97% of Centre professors have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree, and the student/faculty ratio is 11 to 1. The campus has active chapters of Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa, and has produced two-thirds of Kentucky's Rhodes Scholars and 23 Fulbright Scholar winners in the last 10 years. It is among the smallest coeducational colleges to have a Phi Beta Kappa Chapter and the only private institution in Kentucky to do so. Due to its rigorous academic standards, Centre College is readily called the “Harvard of the South.”
Degrees Offered
In addition to the programs listed, Centre offers self-designed majors, as well as double-majors and dual-degree engineering programs with Columbia University, University of Kentucky, Vanderbilt University, and Washington University (St. Louis).Study Abroad
The "Centre Commitment" guarantees students the option to study abroad during their time at Centre. The college maintains permanent, residential sites in England, France, Japan, and Latin America, and it has short-term study program locations in India, Vietnam, New Zealand, Greece, Indonesia, Australia, Cameroon, Russia, and San Salvador Island.Student life
About 96% of Centre's students live on campus and participate in athletics, academic organizations, student government, and volunteer work. There are about 100 clubs, societies, teams and other formal and informal groups with over 2,000 campus events each year. Centre has an active Greek life under Director of Greek Life Josh Schutts.
Clubs and Organizations
Greek Life
There are currently chapters of:- Beta Theta Pi (fraternity; chapter founded 1848; inactive 1862-1871)
- Phi Delta Theta (fraternity; chapter founded 1850)
- Phi Kappa Tau (fraternity; chapter founded 1914; inactive 1933-1948)
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon (fraternity; chapter founded 1882)
- Sigma Chi (fraternity; chapter founded 1876)
- Alpha Delta Pi (sorority; chapter founded 2000)
- Delta Delta Delta (sorority; chapter founded 1980)
- Kappa Alpha Theta (sorority; chapter founded 1980)
- Kappa Kappa Gamma (sorority; chapter founded 1980)
Centre was also home to now-defunct chapters of other national fraternities and sororities including Chi Omega (1988-1992), Phi Gamma Delta (1855-1856), Delta Kappa Epsilon (1854-2002, inactive 1860-1865) and Kappa Alpha (1883-1933).
Traditions
"Dead Fred"
Centre alumnus Fred Vinson died in 1953—but still makes it to every home football game.Vinson ('09, '11 law) was a brilliant student and three-sport athlete at Centre who went on to become Chief Justice of the United States. Even as one of the world's most powerful men, he maintained close contact with Centre and always attended football games with his Phi Delta Theta fraternity brothers when he returned to campus.
Soon after his death, some of the brothers decided there was no reason Vinson shouldn't continue to attend the games he had enjoyed so much and they took his portrait to a game. His portrait (which has come to be known as "Dead Fred") hasn't missed a home game since. Sometimes Dead Fred even travels to away games when Centre faces a particularly tough opponent. There have been reports that a tear can be seen in Fred's eye after a tough loss.
Dead Fred has been featured extensively in national media, including USA Today, the New York Times, the Washington Post and CNN. When Centre hosted the Vice-Presidential Debate in 2000, Dead Fred had his own special security credential and was the first person seated. (No one knew at the time how appropriate this was, given the crucial role the Supreme Court played in the 2000 election.) The Dead Fred story ran in media around the world, from the New York Times to the Arab Daily News.
"The Flame Run"
Nearly 40 years ago a striking sculpture called The Flame was installed at the center of campus. In the 1980s, students began a tradition of running from their dorm to The Flame and back—naked!"The Flame Run" has become such a part of campus lore that is now lends its name to an alumni e-newsletter. Public nudity is against student conduct regulations, so prospective Flame Runners must choose their time well and run really fast -- or be prepared to pay the fine.
"Larry Matheny"
Possibly the finest professor since Robert E. Lee roamed the grounds of old Washington University in Lexington, VA (now Washington & Lee), Dr. Larry Robert Matheny is known as an outlaw in the halls of academia. But make no mistake, he is a fine educator. Centre students with the good fortune to sit in on one of his legendary lectures have learned such fine "Centre college words" as "vexillology" (the study of flags, that is). He is known for his numerous scholarly works, including "Harold D. Lasswell and the Crisis of Liberalism." Centre students often gather and fondly recall their times in Western Political Theory and American Political Thought. To quote Dr. Matheny "Just drive out to the suburbs. People mowing the grass, paying the mortgage, saving enough money so their ungrateful kids can go to a private liberal arts college. I mean, who has time to be a revolutionary?" Dr. Matheny also occasionally referred to Centre as "the Harvard of Boyle County." He was widely known for quoting "All The King's Men" by saying, "Gimme, gimme, my name's Jimmy". However, Dr. Matheny would not reveal where this quote came from until his students were seniors and read it for themselves as a part of the government senior seminar.Athletics
Football
At the beginning of the Roaring '20s, Harvard University, the nation's dominant football power, was riding a five-year undefeated streak. Then the Crimson invited Centre College up to Cambridge for what they thought would be a "warm-up" game, a light workout before facing Princeton the following week.On Oct. 29, 1921, before 45,000 stunned fans, the Colonels shocked mighty Harvard, in what many still consider one of the 20th century's greatest sports upsets. Back in Danville, overjoyed students painted the "impossible formula" C6-H0 (Centre 6, Harvard 0) on everything in sight, including some cows. Fans left one such marking on the main campus building. While the college did not want the C6-H0 on main building, the college did perserve the marking moving the brick with the marking to Walnut House, currently the Centre post office.
The Centre victory was no fluke; the team was undefeated in regular season play, going on to beat other national powerhouses. However, controversy did surround the team. It was alleged that the college hired professional player and enrolled them in classes. The allegation was more than mere rumor, for the accreditation of the college was challenged as a result. Following the controversy, the college became a Division III athletic school.
On the 75th anniversary of C6-H0, Centre challenged Harvard to a rematch. Harvard declined.
Alumni
Centre ranks first in the country for the percentage of former students making gifts, reaching 75.1% participation among the alumni contributing to the College's annual fund. Centre is thus known as the college with "America's Most Loyal Alumni." Centre alumni have figured prominently in U.S. history. They include two U.S. vice presidents, one Chief Justice of the United States, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, 13 U.S. Senators, 43 U.S. Representatives, 10 moderators of the General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church, and 11 governors. Others have become leaders in teaching, business, medicine, law and journalism. Among the most notable:
- Joshua Fry Bell: One of the first alumnus to serve in Congress.
- John Cabell Breckinridge, 1838: Vice President of the United States under James Buchanan; candidate for President in 1860; Confederate general.
- John Marshall Harlan, 1850: Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States for 34 years. Harlan cast the lone dissenting vote in Plessy v. Ferguson 1896; the text of his dissent became the basis for Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.
- Adlai E. Stevenson, 1859: Vice President of the United States under Grover Cleveland.
- Frederick M. Vinson, 1909, Law 1911: Chief Justice of the United States.
Trivia
- Classes at Centre are rarely cancelled. Prior to the Vice Presidential Debate in 2000, the last time classes were officially cancelled was due to the Civil War, although in 1994 and 1998, when severe snow and ice storms shut down much of the state, classes were delayed by half a day. On March 7, 2006, classes were cut short due to a symposium honoring retiring Dean John Ward. Ironically, Dean John Ward had made the statement in 1997, following a large snow storm, "Centre didn't cancel classes during parts of the Civil War, we're not cancelling them now."
- Community service is an integral part of Centre's tradition. Strother Gaines '06 spent three months as an ambassador for American basketball. During his sojourn through Europe, Mr. Gaines taught basketball basics to impoverished children, spreading the game and good old-fashioned American values to Europeans.
References
External links
Universities and colleges in Kentucky | Liberal arts colleges | Educational institutions established in 1819 | Kentucky | Posse schools
"Centre College"