Centre College is a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
liberal arts college
A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capac ...
in
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a home rule-class city in Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 17,236 at the 2020 Census. Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes ...
. It is an undergraduate college with an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students. Centre was officially chartered by the
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives.
The General Assembly meets annually in the ...
in 1819. The college is a member of the
Associated Colleges of the South The Associated Colleges of the South (ACS) is a consortium of 16 liberal arts colleges in the southern United States. It was formed in 1991. Its mission is to champion and enhance residential liberal arts education through collaborative projects am ...
and the
Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities.
History
The
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives.
The General Assembly meets annually in the ...
established Centre College on January 21, 1819. The college was named for its proximate location in the geographic "centre" of the Commonwealth, using early nineteenth century America's contemporaneous spelling of the word. Auspiciously, the legislature placed many of Kentucky's most prominent citizens in charge of Centre College's Board of Trustees, with
Isaac Shelby, the Commonwealth's first governor, serving as chair.
James G. Birney
James Gillespie Birney (February 4, 1792November 18, 1857) was an American abolitionist, politician, and attorney born in Danville, Kentucky. He changed from being a planter and slave owner to abolitionism, publishing the abolitionist weekly '' ...
, at the time representing Danville in the
Kentucky House of Representatives
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...
, was a member.
Classes began in the fall of 1820 in Old Centre, the first building on campus and the oldest college administration building west of the Allegheny Mountains.
![Centre College Kentucky](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Centre_College_Kentucky.jpg)
In its early years, Centre navigated 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. A Centre alumnus,
John Todd Stuart
John Todd Stuart (November 10, 1807 – November 28, 1885) was a lawyer and a U.S. Representative from Illinois.
Born near Lexington, Kentucky, Stuart graduated from Centre College, Danville, Kentucky, in 1826. He then studied law, was a ...
, played a formative role in American history by encouraging Abraham Lincoln to study for the bar, providing his first set of law books, and serving as Lincoln's professional and political mentor. From 1830 to 1857, President
John C. Young
John Chew Young (; June 16, 1912 – October 27, 1987), Chinese American, was born in San Jose, California. A key figure in the development of Chinatown, San Francisco, he was one of the original board members of the Chinese Historical Socie ...
oversaw a vast enlargement of the faculty and a five-fold increase in the student body. Following the Civil War, Centre affiliated itself with several other educational institutions. From 1894 until 1912,
J. Proctor Knott
James Proctor Knott (August 29, 1830 – June 18, 1911) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and served as the 29th Governor of Kentucky from 1883 to 1887. Born in Kentucky, he moved to Missouri in 1850 and began his political career the ...
, a former Kentucky governor and U.S. congressman, operated a law school at Centre as its dean. The Centre College Board of Trustees controlled the
Kentucky School for the Deaf
The Kentucky School for the Deaf (KSD), located in Danville, Kentucky, United States, is a school that provides education to deaf and hard-of-hearing children from elementary through high school levels. Founded in 1823, it was the first school ...
, also in Danville, during its early years; consolidated the college with the Central University in
Richmond, Kentucky
Richmond is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States. It is named after Richmond, Virginia, and is home to Eastern Kentucky University. In 2019, the population was 36,157. Richmond is the fourth-la ...
in 1901; from the time of the merger with
Central University in 1901 until 1918 Centre College went by the name Central University of Kentucky; and merged with Danville's Kentucky College for Women in 1926, although the women did not move onto Centre's campus until 1962.
In 1921, Centre upset
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
's undefeated
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team
6–0, a feat which ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' later dubbed "Football's Upset of the Century".
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
described Centre's victory as one of the biggest upsets in all sports during the twentieth century.
"
C6H0" remains a point of pride among students and alumni and is the answer to "What is the formula for a winning football team?" To this day, "C6HO" is painted in large white figures on the brick exterior of Centre's old post office.
![Centrecollegedebate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Centrecollegedebate.jpg)
During the 1960s the college's financial resources doubled. Eleven new buildings were added to the campus and enrollment increased from 450 to 800. In 1988, Centre set a national record when it achieved a 75.4% participation rate for alumni giving, a mark that remains unbroken to this day.
From the latter twentieth century to the present, strong levels of alumni giving and participation—often the highest in the nation—fueled the college's growth. Today, enrollment is around 1,300 with nearly 150 faculty members.
Milton C. Moreland
Milton C. Moreland is an American academic administrator and archaeologist serving as the 21st president of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. A graduate from the University of Memphis, Moreland taught for eight years at Huntingdon College an ...
, who took office in 2020, is the current president, Centre's 21st. In
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, Centre became the smallest college ever to host a
national election debate.
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former U ...
and Senator
Joe Lieberman debated on October 5 at Centre's Norton Center for the Arts with CNN's
Bernard Shaw acting as moderator. In 2012, Centre again hosted a vice presidential debate in the Norton Center for the Arts, which featured Vice President
Joe Biden and Rep.
Paul Ryan
Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American former politician who served as the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member o ...
.
The physical campus has changed substantially during the 21st century. 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. Additionally, a new student residence, Pearl Hall, was completed in 2008; a new campus center opened in October 2009; and the construction of a new science wing in Young Hall was completed in the fall of 2010. In August 2011, Centre announced the construction of Brockman Residential Commons, a 125-bed facility offering apartment and townhouse living for upperclassmen. The residence facility was completed at the beginning of the 2012–13 school year. In 2021, the college completed renovations of the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Science and Mathematics in Olin Hall and the Centre Learning Commons in the Grace Doherty Library. Centre celebrated the opening of the new Gary Wright Baseball Field at Fishman Park in spring 2022.
Classes at Centre are held in spite of several federal holidays—including Presidents, Labor, Columbus, and Veterans Days—and rarely cancelled, which are points of pride among students, staff, and alumni. During the Confederate occupation of Old Centre in 1862, classes were held at Old Sayre library. However, the
Battle of Perryville eventually forced the faculty to suspend classes for 13 days, the college's only cancellation during the Civil War. Classes were cancelled one day due to the
Great Blizzard of 1978
The Great Blizzard of 1978 was an historic winter storm that struck the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions of the United States as well as Southern Ontario in Canada from Wednesday, January 25 through Friday, January 27, 1978. It is often cited ...
. In 1994 and 1998, when severe snow and ice storms shut down much of the Commonwealth, classes were delayed by half a day. In 2000, classes were officially cancelled prior to the Vice Presidential Debate and in the spring due to a hazardous chemical spill on the train tracks found at the end of Greek Row; the entire campus was evacuated. On March 7, 2006, classes were cut short to allow students and staff to attend a symposium honoring retiring dean, John Ward. Ironically, following a large snow storm in 1997, Ward told the college community, "Centre didn't cancel classes during parts of the Civil War; we're not cancelling them now." Yet classes were cancelled at Centre on March 3, 2014, due to weather conditions.
2000 vice presidential debate
On Thursday, October 5, 2000, Centre College hosted the vice presidential debate, becoming the smallest college in the smallest town ever to serve as a host site for a general election debate. Dubbed "The Thrill in the Ville," the debate between
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former U ...
and
Joe Lieberman took place in the college's
Norton Center for the Arts. The event was a tremendous success, being heralded by former CBS news anchor
Dan Rather as "the best vice presidential debate ever held." After the 2000 debate concluded, Janet Brown, executive director of the Commission on Presidential Debates, said that "Centre has set the standard by which future debates will be judged."
2012 vice presidential debate
![Centre College VP debate flyer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Centre_College_VP_debate_flyer.jpg)
Twelve years after hosting its first debate, Centre College again hosted a vice presidential debate on October 11, 2012. The debate between vice presidential incumbent
Joe Biden and Congressman
Paul Ryan
Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American former politician who served as the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member o ...
, with moderator Martha Raddatz, was called "one of the most engaging, enlightening, and entertaining debates of recent memory, one marked by dramatic contrasts in priorities, ideology, and personal style." Of Centre College's performance as a host site, Janet Brown, executive director of the Commission on Presidential Debates, said, "They aced it in 2000 and this year was even better."
2018 student protest and sit-in
Over 200 Centre College students took part in a protest and
sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to mo ...
at the campus administration building, Old Centre, on May 2, 2018. The students were protesting racial discrimination on campus. A group of black students drafted and presented a statement of intent and list of demands to the campus and school administration, demanding changes concerning the school's Department of Public Safety,
Title IX
Title IX is the most commonly used name for the federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other educat ...
office, and the creation of a Diversity and Inclusion office, among other things. Over 400 students signed a petition supporting the movement. The protesters were present all day and night in Old Centre from May 2 to 4 while student leaders negotiated with President John Roush, sleeping in the building and in tents outside; they said they refused to leave until their demands were met. The sit-in ended on May 4, with school administration agreeing to many of the student demands.
Campus
Centre's campus includes 67 buildings, 14 of which are included on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
Old Centre
Completed in 1820, Old Centre is the college's first building, the oldest continuously operated academic building west of the Alleghenies, and the template for the
Greek Revival
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...
style of the campus. Today it houses the offices of the president, vice president for academic affairs, and vice president for college relations, in addition to several classrooms and the college's Admissions Welcome Centre. At various times it has served as a library, dormitory, law school, faculty residence, and, during the Civil War, a hospital for both Confederate and Union soldiers. Old Centre is a Kentucky Landmark, listed in the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
, and included in the ''Smithsonian Guide to Historic Places.''
Old Carnegie
Built in 1913 with a $30,000 grant from
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
,
Old Carnegie was the college library until 1966. It currently houses the Center for Career & Professional Development and the Center for Global Citizenship, as well as the special-occasion Evans-Lively dining room. Old Carnegie is listed in the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
Norton Center for the Arts
![Norton Center for the Arts](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Norton_Center_for_the_Arts.jpg)
Norton Center for the Arts has hosted performers such as violinist
Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman ( he, יצחק פרלמן; born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American violinist widely considered one of the greatest violinists in the world. Perlman has performed worldwide and throughout the United States, in venues that hav ...
, dancers
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Latvian-born R ...
and
Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp (; born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1966 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often uses classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music.
Fr ...
, the
Boston Pops, the
New York Philharmonic,
Henry Mancini, jazz vocalists
Pearl Bailey
Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in '' St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role i ...
and
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer.
Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...
, the
Orchestre de Paris with
Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim (; in he, דניאל בארנבוים, born 15 November 1942) is an Argentine-born classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin. He has been since 1992 General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera and "Staatskapellmeist ...
, the
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a New Orleans jazz band founded in New Orleans by tuba player Allan Jaffe in the early 1960s. The band derives its name from Preservation Hall in the French Quarter. In 2005, the Hall's doors were closed for a p ...
,
Beach Boys,
Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News are an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually achieving 19 top ten singles across the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Adult Contempora ...
,
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
,
Travis Tritt
James Travis Tritt (born February 9, 1963) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 20 ...
,
LeAnn Rimes
Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at age 13 with 1996's "Blue". She has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Chris ...
,
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957) Lyle Lovett Pageat Allmusic – Lovett's Genre and Styles. Retrieved February 2, 2007 is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Active since 1980, he has recorded 13 albums and relea ...
,
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
,
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...
, crooner
Tony Bennett,
The Chieftains,
Three Dog Night,
David Copperfield,
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
,
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. Between 1976 and 1981, the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band.
Constant ...
,
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and composer, who is the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., since May 2017. Folds was th ...
,
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a d ...
, and musicals such as ''Rent, Titanic, Annie Get Your Gun, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hairspray, My Fair Lady'' and ''Ain't Misbehavin featuring
Ruben Studdard. In October 2000, the Norton Center hosted the vice presidential debate between
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former U ...
and Senator
Joe Lieberman. In September 2009, Centre garnered national attention by hosting the
Vienna Philharmonic
The Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; german: Wiener Philharmoniker, links=no) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world.
The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. It ...
, marking the only stop on the Philharmonic's American tour other than New York's
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
. In October 2012, the Norton Center hosted the vice presidential debate between
Joe Biden and
Paul Ryan
Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American former politician who served as the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member o ...
.
Centre students can attend most of the Norton Center events at no extra cost.
The Norton Center for the Arts was built in 1973 and originally named the Regional Arts Center (RAC). The complex was designed by architect
William Wesley Peters of the
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
Foundation. It was later renamed for Jane Morton Norton, a former trustee of Centre College. The complex was refurbished in 2009.
The College Centre
![College Centre archway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/College_Centre_archway.jpg)
The College Centre is composed of two buildings, Crounse Hall and Sutcliffe Hall, both of which received multimillion-dollar expansions and renovations completed in the spring of 2005. Crounse Hall houses an enlarged library, theater, and additional classrooms; Sutcliffe Hall houses over of athletic space, including several new gymnasiums and workout facilities.
The Old Bookstore (Stuart Hall)
The Old Bookstore was the first chapter house of any fraternity in Kentucky, housing the brothers of the Epsilon chapter of
Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi (), commonly known as Beta, is a North American social fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. One of North America's oldest fraternities, as of 2022 it consists of 144 active chapters in the Unite ...
. Before Centre obtained the property, the structure functioned as a funeral home and as a shoe store. The college later converted it to the Campus Bookstore. In 2005 the bookstore moved to its current downtown Danville location, leaving the building empty. In 2008, Centre rededicated the building as Stuart Hall, an upperclassmen residential facility, naming it in honor of
John T. Stuart, of the class of 1826. The building now serves as the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Craik House
Built in 1853 and renovated in 1958, Craik House is the president's home. Originally a private residence, Henry Craik bought the home in 1937 with a bequest in honor of his Centre Class of 1890. Robert L. McLeod, the 14th president of Centre, was the first president of the college to occupy the residence. The Craik House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Breckinridge Hall
Breckenridge Hall is a three-story residence hall that was originally built in 1892 as a dormitory for students of the Danville Theological Seminary. When the seminary consolidated with the Louisville Presbyterian Seminary in 1901, Centre took over Breckinridge as a residence hall for students.
Pearl Hall
Pearl Hall is the first
LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a
green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...
GOLD residential hall in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Pearl Hall was built with a gift from Centre trustee
Robert Brockman
Robert Theron Brockman (May 28, 1941 – August 5, 2022) was an American billionaire businessman and once Chief executive officer, CEO of Ohio-based Reynolds & Reynolds software company.
Early life and education
Brockman was born in St. Petersb ...
, '63. The residence hall is named in memory of Brockman's mother and grandmother, both of whom were named Pearl. Construction of the three-floor facility located on Main Street began in May 2007 after commencement and was finished in time for students to move into in August 2008. Dedication of the building took place during homecoming in October 2008. It houses 146 students.
Roush Campus Center
The Campus Center, a
LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a
green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...
Silver Certified multi-purpose facility, houses the Cowan Dining Commons, the Everyday Cafe, the Student Life Office, several meeting rooms, and a gaming area. The two-story, 50,000 square foot (4,650 m
2), $15 million facility replaced the original Cowan Dining Commons in Fall 2009. In 2021, the building was renamed to the Roush Campus Center in honor of President John Roush, who had served the college from 1998 to 2020.
Rankings
In its 2020 edition, ''
U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Centre No. 53 among national liberal arts colleges. U.S. News also ranked Centre College No. 16 for Best Undergraduate Teaching, No. 43 for Most Innovative Schools, No. 132 for Top Performers on Social Mobility, No. 26 for Study Abroad and No. 38 for Best Value Schools among all liberal arts colleges in 2019.
In 2019, ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' magazine ranked Centre 209th in the nation among all colleges and universities and 41st among all colleges and universities in the South.
Consistent with its strong tradition of alumni giving, Centre was named in 2011 by ''U.S. News & World Report'' as the No. 7 most loved school based on a two-year average of annual alumni giving. ''U.S. News & World Report 2020 edition ''ranked Centre 26th in study abroad, For the class of 2013, No. 4 among all colleges and universities for the percentage of students who studied abroad at least once prior to graduation.
In 2014, the Institute for International Education ranked Centre No. 1 for study abroad participation among baccalaureate institutions. In his book
Colleges That Change Lives
''Colleges That Change Lives'' began as a college educational guide first published in 1996 by Loren Pope. Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) was founded in 1998 is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) based on Pope's book.
The book
''Colleges That Change Live ...
,
Loren Pope says, "No university faculty compares with Centre's in the impact it has on the growth of young minds and personalities. Its faculty is earnestly committed to and excels at the art of teaching."
Academics
Centre offers a liberal arts education, requiring the completion of a general education curriculum and a major area of study. The college hosts active chapters of
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...
and
Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa (), also known as The Circle and ODK, is one of the most prestigious honor societies in the United States with chapters at more than 300 college campuses. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington and Lee University in ...
, and has produced over 70% of Kentucky's
Rhodes Scholars
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...
in the last 50 years. Centre produces
Fulbright
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
,
Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for president ...
,
Rotary, and other major fellowship winners on a consistent basis, especially relative to the small size of its student body. From 2001 to 2011 the college produced 24 Fulbright winners, six Goldwater Scholars, 11 Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholars, three
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...
Graduate Research Fellows, an
Udall Scholar, a
Rhodes Scholar
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...
, and a
Mitchell Scholar
The George J. Mitchell Scholarship is a Scholarship, fellowship awarded annually by the U.S.-Ireland Alliance funding graduate school, graduate study in Ireland. The first class of scholars began their studies in 2000. The scholarship is sometime ...
. Centre's consistent four-year graduation rate of more than 80 percent is in the top 50 nationally and the highest of any Kentucky college or university.
Admission to Centre is competitive. For the class of 2018, incoming first-years had a midrange
ACT score of 26–31, with an average ACT score of 29. Fifty-four percent of incoming students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class.
Classes operate on a 4-1-4 schedule. Students take four courses each during the fall and spring semesters and one course during CentreTerm, which is a three-week period of intensive study during January. CentreTerm offers students an opportunity to study abroad, pursue an internship, or take unique, atypical courses. For instance, "The Art of Walking," a course involving the exploration of Immanuel Kant's "Critique of Judgment" while hiking through the Central Kentucky landscape, has garnered national attention as a signature class at Centre.
Degrees offered
In addition to 27 majors and 28 minors, Centre offers double majors, which about 25% of graduates complete, self-designed majors, and dual-degree engineering programs with
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
,
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
,
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
, and
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...
. Centre is one of only a few colleges to offer a glassblowing program through its art department.
The Centre Commitment
The Centre Commitment guarantees students who meet the college's academic and social expectations an internship or collaborative research experience, study abroad experience, and graduation in four years. If a student is unable to secure the components of the Centre Commitment within four consecutive years of enrollment, the college will provide up to an additional year of study tuition-free.
Study abroad
Approximately 85 percent of all students study abroad at least once before graduating, making international study a hallmark of a Centre education.
For the class of 2013, Centre ranked No. 1 in the nation among all colleges and universities for participation in study abroad.
As part of its effort to promote global citizenship, in 2010 Centre began providing passports free of charge for all entering students who do not already possess one.
The college maintains permanent residential programs operated by Centre faculty in England (London), France (
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
, across the
Rhine River
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, sourc ...
from Germany), and Mexico (
Mérida, located on the
Yucatán Peninsula). Additionally, the college maintains well-utilized exchange programs in China (with
Tongji University), Japan (with
Yamaguchi Prefectural University
is a public university in Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Jap ...
), Scotland (
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
), and Northern Ireland (with
Queen's University Belfast
, mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back?
, top_free_label =
, top_free =
, top_free_label1 =
, top_free1 =
, top_free_label2 =
, top_free2 =
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public research university
, parent = ...
). Students also study abroad during the fall term at the
University of Reading in England.
Supplementing the semester and yearlong programs, Centre offers a wide variety of study abroad options during the three-week Centre Term held in January.
These options have included
Bali
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
,
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
,
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
, Costa Rica, Greece, India, Israel, Peru, New Zealand, and Vietnam.
Student life
About 96 percent 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 and more than 2,000 campus events each year. In 2016 the ethnic diversity of the student body was 3.3% Asian or Asian American, 4.6% Black or African American, 2.3% Hispanic or Latino, 3% Two or more races, and 80% White.
Greek life
Centre has an active
Greek life, with the following chapters:
![Centrecollege-greek](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Centrecollege-greek.JPG)
*
Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi (), commonly known as Beta, is a North American social fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. One of North America's oldest fraternities, as of 2022 it consists of 144 active chapters in the Unite ...
(fraternity; chapter founded 1848)
*
Delta Kappa Epsilon (fraternity; chapter founded 1854)
*
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta (), commonly known as Phi Delt, is an international secret and social fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, along with Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad ...
(fraternity; chapter founded 1850)
*
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau (), commonly known as Phi Tau (), is a collegiate fraternity located in the United States. The fraternity was founded in 1906. As of November 2022, the fraternity has 161 chartered chapters, 79 active chapters, 6 Associate chapte ...
(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 Delta (sorority; chapter founded 2016)
*
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Kappa Gamma (), also known simply as Kappa or KKG, is a collegiate sorority founded at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, United States.
It has a membership of more than 260,000 women, with 140 collegiate chapters in the United States a ...
(sorority; chapter founded 1980)
Academic and leadership honorary societies
Centre has a variety of academic and leadership honorary societies including:
*
Beta Beta Beta
Beta Beta Beta ( or TriBeta), is a collegiate honor society and academic fraternity for students of the biological sciences. It was founded in 1922 at Oklahoma City University by Dr. Frank G. Brooks and a group of his students. As of 2012, it has ...
– biology
*
Gamma Sigma Alpha
Gamma Sigma Alpha (, or GSA) is a National Academic Greek Honor society recognizing academic excellence among members of Fraternities and sororities. Gamma Sigma Alpha states that its mission is "to recognize and advance academic excellence as a c ...
– Greek scholarship
*
Omicron Delta Epsilon – economics
*
Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa (), also known as The Circle and ODK, is one of the most prestigious honor societies in the United States with chapters at more than 300 college campuses. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington and Lee University in ...
– leadership
*
Order of Omega – Greek leadership
*
Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta () is an American honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and professors of history.
It has more than 400,000 members, with new members numbering about 9,000 a year through its 970 chapters.
Founding
Phi Alpha The ...
– history
*
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...
– overall scholarship
*
Phi Sigma Iota
Phi Sigma Iota () is an honor society whose members are elected from among outstanding advanced (juniors and seniors) and graduate students of foreign languages and literatures including Classics, comparative literature, philology, bilingual edu ...
– languages
*
Pi Mu Epsilon – mathematics
*
Pi Sigma Alpha
Pi Sigma Alpha ( or PSA), the National Political Science Honor Society, is the only honor society for college and university students of political and social sciences in the United States. Its purpose is to recognize and promote high academic ...
– government
*
Psi Chi – psychology
*Rho Lambda - Panhellenic leadership and scholarship
*
Sigma Delta Pi – Spanish
*
Sigma Pi Sigma
Sigma Pi Sigma (), founded at Davidson College on December 11, 1921, is the oldest and only American honor society for physics and astronomy. It is an organization within the Society of Physics Students and the American Institute of Physics and ...
– physics
Student government
The Student Government Association of Centre College (SGA) represents Centre students as their voice on academic, extracurricular, and social issues. SGA consists of an Executive Council of officers and committee chairs, a Student Senate that handles academic issues, and a House of Representatives that oversees all clubs and organizations on campus. Each class elects representatives, who serve on committees that deal with specific aspects of campus and who approve all club funding, establishment of new student organizations, and other pieces of legislation that impact campus life. Centre also has a Student Judiciary that hears cases that are referred to it by the Dean's Office or brought voluntarily by students themselves. Students who have been accused of a violation of academic or social policy have a right to have their case heard by a jury of their peers.
Traditions
Running the Flame
In 1969, Centre celebrated the college's sesquicentennial year by dedicating and installing, at the center of campus, the Flame—a large sculpture which symbolically represents the torch of knowledge that appears on Centre's official seal. A plaque at the base of the statue quotes Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe: "Where the light is brightest, the shadows are deepest." The statue quickly became an ode to the liberation of the body as well as the mind. By the early 1970s, students began spontaneously running naked to and from dorms and Greek houses while passing the Flame. "Running the Flame" is now enshrined as a tradition that some Centre students complete prior to graduation.
Kissing on the Seal
College tradition holds that two students will marry at some point following graduation if, at the stroke of midnight, they kiss over the brass college seal embedded in the walkway in front of Old Centre.
Dead Fred
A portrait of
Fred M. Vinson
Frederick "Fred" Moore Vinson (January 22, 1890 – September 8, 1953) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 13th chief justice of the United States from 1946 until his death in 1953. Vinson was one of the few Americans to ...
(1909, 1911 Law), former
Chief Justice of the United States, hangs in the hallway of the chapter house of the Kentucky Alpha-Delta chapter of
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta (), commonly known as Phi Delt, is an international secret and social fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, along with Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad ...
. Vinson was a member of the chapter and a three-sport athlete in baseball, basketball, and football while studying at Centre. Members of the chapter take the portrait, affectionately known as Dead Fred, to the sidelines of Centre football and basketball games and to other significant college events. The portrait has not missed a football home game since Vinson's death in 1953.
When Centre hosted the 2000 and 2012 vice presidential debates, Dead Fred was granted a special seat overlooking the proceedings on both occasions.
Body spelling
When on trips away from campus, including studying abroad, groups of Centre students seek out photo opportunities in which they use their bodies to spell "CENTRE" in unique locations. In 2019, the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
, one of Centre's overseas study partners, highlighted this tradition in the newsletter of its U.S. study program.
Athletics
The Centre athletic teams are called the Colonels. The college is a member of the
Division III
In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below.
Association football
*Belgian Thir ...
level of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
(NCAA), primarily competing in the
Southern Athletic Association
The Southern Athletic Association (SAA) is a college athletic conference in NCAA Division III that began play in the 2012–13 school year. It was formed in 2011 by seven former members of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and indepe ...
(SAA) since the 2012–13 academic year. The Colonels previously competed in the D-III
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), founded in 1962, is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Colorado, Louisiana, and Texas. Difficulties related to travel distanc ...
(SCAC) from 1962–63 to 2011–12; in the
Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC; now currently known as the River States Conference (RSC) since the 2016–17 school year) of the
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...
(NAIA) from 1916–17 to 1961–62; and in the
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) football programs were members of this conferen ...
(SIAA) from 1910–11 to 1940–41.
Centre competes in 25 intercollegiate varsity sports: men's teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis and track & field. Intercollegiate women's teams include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading and Esports. 40 percent of the student body participates in intercollegiate athletics. Centre offers fifteen intramural sports, in which 80 percent of the student body participates.
Football
![centrecollegec6h0](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Centrecollegec6h0.jpg)
Competing since 1880, the Centre Colonels football team, also historically known as the "Praying Colonels", ranked as the 12th winningest program in NCAA Division III history with a 509–374–37 all-time record as of 2008. On January 1, 1921, the Colonels defeated
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples ...
63–7 in the
Fort Worth Classic, a postseason college football bowl game in
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
played only once. On January 2, 1922, Centre College made the postseason trip to Texas again, this time taking on
Texas A&M in the
Dixie Classic, the forerunner of the
Cotton Bowl. Even though the Colonels were outscored 22–14, they played their part in the birth of one of college football's greatest traditions, the
12th Man.
At the beginning of the
Roaring '20s
The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the U ...
,
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, the nation's dominant
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
power, was riding a two-year undefeated streak whose last loss was to Brown in 1918. Then the Crimson invited Centre (enrollment at that time: 264) to
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
for what they thought would be a "warm-up" game, a light workout before facing
Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...
the following week.
In the
1921 Centre vs. Harvard football game
The 1921 Centre vs. Harvard football game was a regular-season college football game played on October 29, 1921, at Harvard Stadium in Allston, Massachusetts. The contest featured the undefeated Centre Praying Colonels, representing Centre Colleg ...
, the Colonels (under coach
Charley Moran) shocked
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
and became the first school from outside the East to ever beat one of the Ivy League's "Big Three" of Harvard,
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
, and Princeton. Star player
Bo McMillin
Alvin Nugent "Bo" McMillin (January 12, 1895 – March 31, 1952) was an American football player and coach at the collegiate and professional level. He played college football at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, where he was a three-tim ...
rushed for the lone touchdown of the game early in the third quarter, and the Praying Colonels' defense held off the Crimson's powerful offense from there for a 6–0 victory. The Centre College official website claims the 1921 national championship, apparently on this basis. 29 years later, in 1950, the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
chose the Centre win as the greatest sports upset of the first half of the 20th century.
On four consecutive Saturdays in
1924
Events
January
* January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after.
* January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...
, the Colonels defeated Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia.
The Colonels have played home games at
Farris Stadium
Joe McDaniel Field at Farris Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Danville, Kentucky. It is the home of the Centre Colonels football, field hockey, lacrosse, and track teams, in addition to various intramural teams.
The stadium was built in 19 ...
since 1923.
Basketball
The Centre Colonels basketball team used to have a heated
rivalry with
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
, and beat the Wildcats 87–17 in 1910.
Alumni
Centre alumni include two
U.S. Vice Presidents, one
Chief Justice of the United States, an
Associate Justice of the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
, 13
U.S. Senators
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and power ...
, 43
U.S. Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
, 10 moderators of the General Assemblies of the
Presbyterian Church
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
, and 11
governors
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...
.
Referring to Centre, President
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
gave an annual speech to Princeton alumni in which he stated: "There is a little college down in Kentucky which in sixty years has graduated more men who have acquired prominence and fame than has Princeton in her 150 years."
References
External links
*
Official athletics website
{{authority control
Educational institutions established in 1819
Liberal arts colleges in Kentucky
National Register of Historic Places in Danville, Kentucky
Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Education in Boyle County, Kentucky
1819 establishments in Kentucky
Universities and colleges affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA)
Tourist attractions in Boyle County, Kentucky
Private universities and colleges in Kentucky
Glassmaking schools
University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky