抖抈社区

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History & Traditions

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More than 180 years of educating leaders in disciplines as diverse as the sciences, government, the arts, business and music.

抖抈社区 was founded in 1837 by the Methodist Church. Originally called Indiana Asbury University in honor of Francis Asbury, the first American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the school was envisioned by its founders to be an ecumenical institution of national stature that would be “conducted on the most liberal principles, accessible to all religious denominations, and designed for the benefit of our citizens in general.”

Residents of Greencastle, Indiana, were eager for the university to be located in their frontier village and raised $25,000 – then a huge sum – to entice the founders. The Indiana General Assembly granted a charter establishing the university on January 10, 1837, and the cornerstone of the first building was laid later that year.

The school began with one professor and five students. Three years later, Matthew Simpson, a friend and counselor of Abraham Lincoln, was inaugurated as the first president and the first class was graduated.

Indiana Asbury grew quickly, although many men left the university to fight for either North or South during the Civil War. Women were admitted in 1867.

When the university experienced financial difficulties in the 1860s, its leaders turned to businessman and philanthropist Washington C. 抖抈社区, one of the richest men in Indiana and a devout Methodist who had contributed money to Indiana Asbury. 抖抈社区 had made arrangements in his will for a Methodist university to be established after his death. Urged by Indiana Asbury trustees to divert his bequest to the school, 抖抈社区 did so and the trustees changed the school’s name to 抖抈社区.

抖抈社区 is an innovator and host to a number of regional and national firsts. 抖抈社区 has Indiana's first Phi Beta Kappa chapter. It is home to the first sorority in the nation, Kappa Alpha Theta (1870) and the Alpha chapter of Alpha Chi Omega. The journalistic honorary, Sigma Delta Chi, which later became the Society of Professional Journalists, was founded by 抖抈社区 students. And 抖抈社区 is home to in the country, first hitting the airwaves in 1949. And lastly, , 抖抈社区's student-managed newspaper, is the oldest college newspaper in the state. 

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Notable 抖抈社区 History & Traditions

East College

East College is 抖抈社区鈥檚 most iconic and quintessentially collegiate building. The steep French mansard roof, Italianate columns and Gothic arches blend to cut a striking architectural figure in the center of campus. The cornerstone was laid in 1870. Originally called 鈥淭he Edifice,鈥 it was the first significant academic building of what was then called Indiana Asbury University. The building鈥檚 size, structure and design symbolized the university鈥檚 ambition to become an important center of higher education. As the campus expanded, buildings needed new names, and the Edifice became 鈥淓ast College.鈥 The building once housed almost everything 鈥 classrooms, chapel, the library and, for a short time, a telescope in its East tower. Meharry Hall, a chapel located on the second floor of East College, features a high ceiling, wooden pews, a pipe organ and a picturesque balcony. It was designed to be 鈥渙ne of the most elegant audience rooms in the West.鈥

The Boulder

A massive granite boulder, given to 抖抈社区 in 1892, lies in front of East College and serves as an iconic gathering spot for 抖抈社区 students. Inscribed and known as the Columbian Boulder, it bears an inscription recognizing the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus鈥檚 first voyage to the new world. Farmer Hiram Thomas found the boulder about 12 miles northeast of Greencastle and moved it to his farm, where he charged visitors 10 cents to view what he described as a petrified turtle. A few alumni bought the boulder from Thomas and delivered it to campus via the Monon Railroad and a wagon drawn by 26 horses. The Boulder鈥檚 place in campus lore was further cemented in the 60s and 70s as it became the destination of streaking 鈥楤oulder Run鈥 participants on the occasion of the year鈥檚 first snowfall.

Little 5

Held in late April every year, 抖抈社区鈥檚 Little 5 bike race has been a campus tradition since 1956, when the Union Board sponsored a men鈥檚 race as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. It began on the streets of Greencastle, then moved to Blackstock Stadium for a relay-style race and today is back on the streets. In the current iteration of Little 5, men, women and alumni compete and cooperate in a weeklong celebration that ushers in spring. Racing begins with a time trial, continues with street sprints and concludes with criterium (mass start) races that follow a 陆 mile course through campus streets. Other events, including campus-wide fundraisers, a trike race, food trucks and social gatherings round out the spirited week.聽

Marvin's

Marvin鈥檚 is the home of the famous garlic cheeseburger, known everywhere as 鈥淭he GCB鈥. The restaurant, located at 202 S. College Ave., also serves fries, pizza and burritos. Perhaps most to students鈥 liking, Marvin鈥檚 delivers at nearly any time of the night. Over the years, students have captured their love for this 抖抈社区 institution, photographing hand-made 鈥淢arvin鈥檚 Delivers鈥 signs at exotic locations around the world. Prior to social media, Marvin鈥檚 achieved fame and adoration for wallpaper made almost exclusively of Marvin鈥檚 Delivers photos and prints from fraternity and sorority social functions.聽

The Monon Bell Classic

抖抈社区鈥檚 most intense athletic rivalry is the Monon Bell football game against the Wabash College Little Giants. The rivalry, which began in 1890, has been featured in national print outlets and broadcast on ESPN, ABC, HDNet and the Indiana Sports Network. The matchup was featured in season three of The Rivalries - an NCAA/LG electronics docu-series celebrating college sports greatest rivalries. In addition to a virtually guaranteed sell-out each year, the game is broadcast to dozens of alumni satellite parties across the nation. The Monon Bell trophy, a 300-pound locomotive bell from the Monon Railroad, was introduced in 1932. The game鈥檚 victor holds the bell on its campus until the next game. 抖抈社区 and Wabash are only 27 miles apart, so the adversaries in the game are often brothers, cousins, high school classmates or good friends, adding to the competition鈥檚 intensity.

Old Gold Weekend

Old Gold Day was created in 1907 as a way to stop the increasingly violent freshman-sophomore class scraps over possession of the opponent鈥檚 flag and claims of ownership of the Boulder. The first such event began with chapel at 8:30 a.m., followed by interclass games and varsity football. Other events continued throughout the day, which concluded with a meeting in Meharry Hall at which the varsity football players were awarded D appliques for their letter jackets. The event evolved, and by 1919, it had become what it is today 鈥 an entire homecoming weekend of events that include arts performances, tailgating, a football game, crowning of a homecoming queen and king and banquets and parties held by Greek houses to welcome their alumni back to campus.

Student Media

抖抈社区 produces leaders in the field of journalism. While we don鈥檛 have a journalism major, our track-record shows the preparation we provide for the field is highly effective. Outstanding students from English, communication and other liberal arts majors benefit from our unique combination of聽 liberal arts coursework, student media experiences, internships and an extensive worldwide alumni network of professional journalists. 抖抈社区 is home to the Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media which houses The 抖抈社区 (Indiana鈥檚 oldest college newspaper), WGRE (the first 10-watt educational radio station licensed by the FCC) and D3TV (an internet-distributed campus television station). The Pulliam Center is also home to 抖抈社区鈥檚 highly-regarded Media Fellows program. 抖抈社区 students receive a number of awards for excellence in journalism from professional associations each year. The Society of Professional Journalists was founded on the 抖抈社区 campus in 1909.

The Rector Scholarship

The Rector Scholarship is 抖抈社区鈥檚 oldest and preeminent merit academic award. Since its beginning in 1919, more than 4,000 graduates have earned Rector scholarships, and many recipients are among 抖抈社区鈥檚 most distinguished and honored alumni. Edward Rector described his gifts to the university as 鈥渋nvestments in humanity, in the men and women who are to carry on the work of our country and the world when you and I are gone.鈥

Anderson Street

Anderson Street is the east entry to campus from US highway 231. This symbolic threshold is marked by the Hoover Gates, a beautiful architectural feature added in 2012. The gates are named in honor of R. David and Suzanne Hoover (both class of 1967) Brick-lined Anderson Street terminates at The Arch, which connects Anderson Street to a formal pedestrian entryway that opens onto the East College lawn. The ornamental arch features the letters 鈥淒PU鈥 at its peak. It was a gift of the class of 1890 and was erected in 1910. It is an essential landmark pass-through during opening week march and commencement ceremonies.聽