History

The roots of the College lie deep in the history of the region. Eighteenth-century Presbyterians, eager for an educated clergy and educated people to teach their children, began laying the groundwork for the establishment of a college in what was then the Kentucky County of Virginia. At the same time, the Revolutionary War was being fought and the region west of the Allegheny Mountains was being settled out of wilderness. In 1780, the Virginia Assembly set aside 8,000 acres of land for this “seminary of learning.” Three years later, a board of trustees met at John Crow’s Station to organize the school. Instruction began at the Transylvania Seminary near Danville in 1785. But the seminary fell on hard financial times. Unable to raise proper funding in the small community of Danville, the trustees moved the school to the larger settlement of Lexington in 1789. By 1794, the founding group of Presbyterians, alarmed by what it viewed as secular philosophies invading public institutions, moved to establish a more Christian school near Pisgah, Kentucky. The Kentucky Academy opened in 1795, funded by donations from the faithful. George Washington and John Adams gave $100 each to the new school, and Aaron Burr donated $50. By 1819, the Presbyterians began to realize that they had again lost control of their institution and its board of trustees. Once more they petitioned the Kentucky Legislature for a charter, and Centre College was established.

The legislature placed some of Kentucky’s most important citizens in charge of Centre as its first board of trustees. Isaac Shelby, the state’s first governor, was chair of Centre’s board. Dr. Ephraim McDowell, a Danville resident who 10 years earlier had made medical history by performing the first successful abdominal operation, was also on the board. (These two leaders shared family connections in addition to civic responsibilities, as Dr. McDowell was married to Governor Shelby’s oldest daughter, Sarah.) The struggle between the Presbyterians and others who were eager for a more public institution of higher education continued beyond Centre’s opening one year later. While the Kentucky Legislature gave complete control of the College’s board to the Presbyterians in 1824, it added an amendment stating that “the College shall at all times be conducted on liberal, free, and enlightened principles, and no student shall be excluded in consequence of his religious opinions, or those of his parents, guardians, or relatives.” Today the College maintains its affiliation with the Presbyterian Church but welcomes students, faculty, and staff of all faiths.

While the first 10 years of Centre’s history was a period of preparation and planning, its second phase, from 1830 to 1857, was an era of consolidation and growth. Dr. John C. Young, Centre’s president during the later period, found “the College without reputation, without endowment, without students…. But, he was young, hopeful, and earnest,” according to Dr. Ormond Beatty, who served as Centre president from 1870 to 1888. Dr. Young’s qualities and the support of loyal alumni and friends of the College helped Centre advance under his presidency. “Before his death, Dr. Young saw a permanent fund of $100,000 provided for the support of the school,” Beatty noted. This occurred along with additions to the curriculum, enlargement of the faculty, and a fivefold increase in the student body. Under Dr. Young’s tenure, Centre advanced to a position among the highest-ranking colleges in America.

Founded primarily as an institution devoted to training young men for the ministry, Centre has changed throughout its history to keep pace with the educational demands of a growing region and nation. The Kentucky School for the Deaf, also in Danville, was founded in 1824 as the first state-supported institution for the deaf, and in its early years was controlled by Centre’s board. From the 1890s until 1912, a law school was operated at Centre with J. Procter Knott, a former Kentucky governor, as its dean. In 1901, the Central University at Richmond was consolidated with Centre. Danville’s Kentucky College for Women merged with Centre in 1926, becoming the “woman’s department” of the College. The department maintained a separate campus until the early 1960s the women moved to the main campus.

During the early and mid-20th century, many of the educational resources of Kentucky and the nation were committed to the establishment and expansion of state-supported land-grant universities. These institutions were often vocationally oriented. But Centre remained steadfast in its mission of providing superior education in the liberal arts tradition. Centre’s image as a tiny school capable of startlingly large achievements was enhanced in this period by its 1921 football victory over Harvard, then ranked No. 1. In a 1971 article marking the game’s 50th anniversary, the New York Times called it “Football’s Upset of the Century.” At Centre, the game is recalled simply by its score: C6-H0. During the 1960s, a period of explosive growth in American higher education, the College’s financial resources doubled. Eleven new buildings were added to the campus, the enrollment increased from 450 to around 800, and the faculty was enlarged. Integration came to Centre in 1962, with the arrival of Timothy Kusi ’65, a slightly older student from Ghana. In 1964 Centre enrolled its first integrated freshman class: 214 white students and three African Americans—Sharon Gill Gaskins ’68, Joyce Cross Marks ’68, and Jim Davis ’68—who all graduated four years later. The latter part of the 20th century brought continued recognition of Centre’s academic excellence. In 1971, the National Council of Phi Beta Kappa established a chapter at Centre, and Centre continues to be the only private institution in Kentucky to have a chapter of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society. In the 1990s, U.S. News and World Report listed Centre among the 25 national liberal arts colleges that are “tops in teaching” and added Centre to its list of “top-tier” national colleges. Centre established its first residential study abroad program in London, England, in the fall of 1990. Other programs soon followed in Strasbourg, France, and Merida, Mexico.

Throughout its long history, Centre has been supported and enhanced by its alumni, who have taken positions of prominence and usefulness in a variety of fields. Centre alumni include two U.S. vice presidents, one Chief Justice of the United States, an associate justice of the Supreme Court, and at least 13 U.S. senators, 43 U.S. representatives, and 11 state governors. Other Centre alumni have been and are leaders in a variety of fields, including teaching, business, medicine, law, and journalism. Centre alumni are widely known as the most loyal in the nation, for years leading all of America’s colleges and universities in the percentage who give financial support each year. In 1997, Centre completed a capital campaign that raised more than $76 million.

Building on its 200-year tradition of academic excellence, Centre College entered its third century with a continued commitment to its foundational mission: to prepare students for lives of learning, leadership, and service. Consistently recognized among the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, Centre draws on its legacy of achievement and a forward-thinking vision to inspire an even brighter future.

Centre raised its national profile through a series of milestones that increased its reputation as a leader in higher education. In 2000, the College made history as the smallest institution ever to host a General Election debate when vice presidential candidates Sen. Joe Lieberman and Dick Cheney debated in the Norton Center for the Arts. CBS news anchor Dan Rather described it as “the best vice-presidential debate ever held.” Building on this success, Centre hosted another vice-presidential debate in 2012 between Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan. Janet Brown, executive director of the Commission on Presidential Debates, remarked, “They aced it in 2000, and this year was even better.”

As part of Centre’s 2019 bicentennial celebration, the College initiated its "Third Century" campaign and surpassed an ambitious $200 million fundraising goal, strengthening its dedication to student success and fueling the completion of major campus updates and initiatives. In 2020, the College ushered in a new era of leadership as Milton C. Moreland was inaugurated as the College’s 20th president, upholding a commitment to lead Centre forward with a vision focused on innovation, inclusivity, and academic excellence.

As the College moves into its third century, Centre’s trajectory of achievement continues, with an increased focus on student access and opportunity. By 2024, the College enrolled approximately 1,400 students, with 25% identifying as students of color and an increasing number of students arriving from across the globe. Financial aid and scholarship efforts have grown — with 90% of students receiving some form of assistance — including new initiatives centered on first-generation student opportunity, and the innovative "Centre Promise" that guarantees financial need is met for all incoming students. 

Reaffirming its focus on global engagement, Centre’s renowned international studies program delivers on the College’s global guarantee, with more than 85% of students participating in study abroad and away experiences. Additionally, Centre remains a top producer of Fulbright scholars, reflecting its dedication to global education. Recent additions to the curriculum, such as business and engineering majors, also demonstrate the College’s commitment to expanding academic opportunities.

As Centre looks to the future, its focus on thoughtful growth, modernization, and sustainability remains strong. The campus, now covering more than 200 acres, seamlessly blends historic architecture with forward-thinking facilities, reflecting a vision of excellence in academics, athletics, and student well-being. Key developments include the expansion of the College’s athletic fields and the 2024 dedication of Champions Hall, a groundbreaking athletic and wellness hub that features an Olympic-sized swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness facilities, and innovative sustainability technologies to support the College’s environmental goals. Other campus enhancements include LEED-certified residence halls, like Brockman Residential Commons, Pearl Hall, and Northside Hall, all designed with a focus on sustainability and student well-being. Additionally, Centre has made significant upgrades to academic and student spaces on campus, such as the Roush Campus Center, Crounse Hall, Olin Hall, and Young Hall, reinforcing its ongoing efforts to elevate the academic experience and foster a dynamic, forward-looking community.