Eureka College

Photo of Eureka College, 1904

Eureka College is a liberal arts college in Eureka, Illinois related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and founded in 1855. It has a strong focus on history, political science, and the fine and performing arts. Enrollment is about 765 students.

The college was founded by a group of abolitionists who had left Kentucky because of their opposition to slavery. When the school opened its doors it became the first school in Illinois (and only the third in the United States) to educate women on an equal basis with men.

Athletics, though having struggled for some years, are beginning to pick up speed again. There are teams for men's and women's soccer, basketball, tennis, swimming, golf and track, as well as football, volleyball, baseball and softball. Starting in fall 2006, teams will compete in the NCAA's Division III as part of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Eureka College was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1910-1942.

There is a very active Greek life on campus, as well, with three social fraternities, all national, and three social sororities, one national and two local. There are also professional and honorary fraternities for Music, Drama, English, Science, and Social Sciences. Over half of Eureka's students belong to a Greek organization.

The school's main library, Melick Library, was named in honor of Wesley M. Melick and Clinton F. Melick. The building was dedicated on September 28, 1967, by California Governor and Eureka College alumnus Ronald Reagan '32, who was later elected President of the United States.

Academics

The academic program at Eureka College seeks to maintain a balance between requirements which all students must meet and freedom for each student to select those courses which will best match and further one's own interests, skills, and life plan. The structure of the curriculum has been designed to reflect this balance.

The College believes that there are certain basic skills and a common core of knowledge possessed by anyone who would call him/herself truly educated. Therefore, the College requires that each student acquire and display skills in composition, and mathematics. The College also requires that each student devote a portion of time to the study of humanities, fine and performing arts, natural sciences, and social sciences. These distributional requirements insure that each student will have the opportunity to explore that body of knowledge which is our common cultural heritage.

Notable locations on campus

• The Eureka College campus is 112 acres.
• Burrus Dickinson Hall, Administration building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The Chapel, where Ronald Reagan gave his first public speech. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The Ronald W. Reagan Museum, a collection of objects and memorabilia largely donated by Reagan from his time as a student, actor, athlete, governor, and President.
• The Melick Library, where President Reagan gave a speech for its commemorative opening.

Rankings

In the U.S. News and World Report 2010, Eureka was ranked as a Tier 1 and the 30th best baccalaureate college in the Midwest ^[1]. Eureka continues to climb in the rankings, especially throughout the 00s.

Demographics

55.4% of the students that are seeking a degree at Eureka are women, while 44.6% are men. 1% of the students are Native American, 1% are Asian, 8% are African-American, and 89% are white. 1% of the students are international, but most of the students hail from the state of Illinois, with 92% of the students being Illinoisans. Regardless of the high population of Illinoisans, 68% of students live on campus.

The Eureka Idea

According to its own website: "We keep our tuition as low as possible and combine it with merit scholarships to reward you for the hard work you have done. This combination helps federal and state aid have maximum impact and you get all the benefits of a private college education all at a cost that normally is reserved for large, impersonal universities. You get a great, quality education and a better value for your hard earned money."

Eureka has considered the students' financial needs with scholarships and grants; one form financial aid is the Ronald Reagan Fellowships. Reagan Fellows (six a year) receive a four-year, full-tuition scholarship at Eureka College, as well as stipends to cover the Program's special travel and mentoring opportunities. In addition, Reagan Fellows benefit from opportunities to learn and practice leadership skills.

Eureka also offers four year, full tuition scholarships to two students interested in pursuing ministry in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Ministry Fellows receive two on-site mentorships exploring ministry, are expected to live on campus, maintain a 3.0 GPA, fully participate in ECMF activities, display exceptional leadership, spiritual growth and maturity.

Greek life

As of 2009, 33% of students are in fraternities, while 42% are in sororities.

Fraternities

• Delta Sigma Phi, Zeta Upsilon Chapter
• Tau Kappa Epsilon, Iota Chapter
• Lambda Chi Alpha, Theta-Chi Chapter

Sororities

• Phi Omega, Alpha Chapter - Local Sorority
• Delta Delta Pi, Alpha Chapter - Local Sorority
• Delta Zeta, Pi Chapter

References

External links

• Official website
• Official Athletics website

Further reading

• Adams, Harold. History of Eureka College, 1855-1982. Eureka, IL: Board of Trustees of Eureka College, 1982.
• Dickinson, Elmira J., ed. A History of Eureka College, with Biographical Sketches and Reminiscences., St. Louis: Christian Publishing Company, 1894.
• On This Day in Eureka History
• MODELS - "Matrons of Distinction": Eureka Leadership Series
• VIBES - "Variations in Black" Eureka's Stories