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McKendree College
Established	1828
Type	Private, Methodist
President	James M. Dennis
Faculty	60
Staff	150
Undergraduates	2,000
Location	Lebanon, IL, USA
Campus	Rural
Mascot	Bearcat (Bogey)
Website	[1]
Logo © McKendree College

McKendree College is the oldest college in Illinois, founded in 1828. It is located in Lebanon, Illinois and has an enrollment of approximately 2,000 undergraduates and nearly 1000 graduate students. It is a private liberal arts college with the longest standing affiliation with the United Methodist Church.

Beginning with the 2007-08 academic year, McKendree College will change its name to McKendree University. The school will unveil a new logo in July 2007.^[1]

Contents 1 Curriculum 2 History of the college 3 Annual All-Campus Events 4 Facilities 5 Athletics 6 External links and references 7 References 8 Notes

McKendree College offers 6 bachelor degree programs in 37 major areas of study and several master degree programs. More than 50 % of the classes have fewer than 15 students. McKendree's student-to-faculty ratio is 15 to 1.

McKendree College also offers masters degrees in four areas: business administration, education, nursing, and professional counseling.

Established by pioneer Methodists, McKendree is the oldest college in the state and continues to have ties to the United Methodist Church

First called Lebanon Seminary, the school opened in two rented sheds for 72 students in 1828 under Edward Raymond Ames. In 1830, Bishop William McKendree, the first American-born bishop of the Methodist church, permitted the Board of Trustees to change the institution's name to McKendree College. Later Bishop McKendree deeded 480 acres (1.9 km²) of rich land in Shiloh Valley, Illinois, to help support the college.

Reverend Peter Akers, in 1833, was the first president of the newly named college. He was three times president of McKendree College and received its first degree, an honorary Doctorate of Divinity.

In 1835, the College received one of the first charters granted to independent church colleges by the Illinois legislature. The institution still operates under the provisions of a second, more liberal charter obtained in 1839.

McKendree has struggled throughout its history to be financially viable and only in the recent past has it achieved a measure of economic stability. Since 1994 and the installation of its current President, Dr. James M. Dennis, the College has made enormous strides in building enrollment. In recent years, the College has built a progressive and dynamic enrollment management strategy which has yielded larger numbers of high quality students, built graduate substantial enrollments and strongly diversified the student body. McKendree's recruitment of students of color is now recognized as a national model for enrollment professionals.

In 2001, the College embarked on a highly successful capital campaign which raised more than $20 million for the campus including the creation of a Performing Arts Center.

• April: Spring Fling
• September: Tailgate party - picnic, fest, and game kicks off the football season
• October: Homecoming - parade, fest, and football game
• December: Christmas tree lighting - eggnog, Christmas carols, and Christmas tree illumination

Tailgate Party, 2005

Homecoming Queen & mascot "Bogey," 2005

Christmas Tree, Piper Academic Center, 2005

McKendree College's main campus is located on 100 acres (0.4 km²) in Lebanon, Illinois, about 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Several of its 28 buildings have been cited by the National Register for Historical Buildings.

McKendree College also has campuses in Louisville and Radcliff, Kentucky, classes at Scott Air Force Base, and a nursing program at several locations in Southern Illinois.

Barnett Hall Main Campus	Benson Wood Main Campus	Bothwell Chapel Main Campus	Clark Hall Main Campus
Holman Library Main Campus	Old Main Main Campus	Piper Academic Center Main Campus	Voigt Science Hall Main Campus
Wildy Hall Main Campus

McKendree College is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Its teams are called the Bearcats. In football, which returned to the campus in 1996, the Bearcats play in the Midwest League of the Mid-States Football Association, an NAIA affiliate. In other sports, the Bearcats are members of the American Midwest Conference. The Bearcats participate at the intercollegiate level in 11 men's sports and 9 women's sports:

Men's sports Baseball Basketball Bowling Cross Country Football Golf Hockey Soccer Tennis Track and Field Wrestling	Women's sports Basketball Bowling Cross Country Golf Soccer Softball Tennis Track and Field Volleyball

McKendree's men's basketball coach, Harry Statham, currently holds the all-time record for wins at a four year institution, with 915 victories at the beginning of the 2005-6 season^[2]

• Official website
• Official athletics website

• Who Was Who in America: Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1967.

Four Year Colleges and Universities in Metropolitan St. Louis
Aquinas • Concordia • Covenant Theological • Fontbonne • Harris-Stowe • Lindenwood • Maryville • McKendree • UM-St. Louis • Missouri Baptist • Principia • Ranken • St. Louis College of Pharmacy • Saint Louis University • SIU Edwardsville • Washington University in St. Louis • Webster

Colleges and Universities in Metropolitan Louisville This box: view • talk • edit

Bellarmine University • Indiana University Southeast • Indiana Wesleyan University • ITT Technical Institute • Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana • Jefferson Community and Technical College • Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary • Louisville Technical Institute • McKendree College • Simmons College • Southern Baptist Theological Seminary • Spalding University • Spencerian College • Sullivan University • University of Louisville • University of Phoenix • Webster University