Transylvania University.html
 
| ca | de | en | es | fr | it | nl | no | pl | pt | ru | ro | fi | sv | tr | vo |


 

Transylvania University
Transylvania University Logo
Motto: In Lumine Illo Tradimus Lumen (In That Light, We Pass On The Light)
Established: 1780
Type: Private Undergraduate liberal arts college
Endowment: $145.5 million1
President: Charles L. Shearer
Staff: 100
Students: 1,158
Location: Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Campus: Urban
Athletics: NCAA Division III
Mascot: Pioneer
Affiliations: Disciples of Christ
Website: http://www.transy.edu/

Transylvania University is a private liberal arts college related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The college is located on a 35 acre (14.2 hectare) campus about 4 blocks north of downtown Lexington, Kentucky, and is currently ranked number 77 on US News & World Report's Best Liberal Arts Colleges. 2

Contents

Name

Transylvania, meaning "across the woods" in Latin, is most commonly referred to as "Transy." The name stems from Transylvania University's initial founding, within the heavily-forested region of western Virginia known as the Transylvania colony, which became most of Kentucky in 1792.3

While Transylvania does not take its name from the Transylvania region in central Romania, the college does use this unique naming connection in celebration. Though not written until 1897, elements of Dracula can be seen on campus, predominantly in the week of Halloween during Rafinesque Week.

History

Transylvania University has a long, notable and complicated history that touches a number of former and subsequent institutions of higher learning.

Beginning through the Civil War (1780-1865): Transylvania University and Kentucky University

Transylvania University opened in 1780, after the Virginia Assembly adopted a charter establishing Transylvania Seminary.4

Originally in a log cabin in Boyle County, Kentucky, the school moved to Lexington in 1789.4 The first site in Lexington was a single building in the historic Gratz Park. In 1818, this building burned, and in 1829 and the school was moved to its present location north of Third Street. Old Morrison, the only campus building at the time, was completed in 1833, under the supervision of Henry Clay, who both taught law and was a member of Transylvania's Board.5 After 1818, the university included a medical school, a law school, a divinity school, and a college of arts and sciences.46

The other major institution that aided in the creation of the modern Transylvania University was Bacon College, named after Sir Francis Bacon, which would later be known as Kentucky University. Bacon College existed from 1837-1851, founded by the Christian churches in Kentucky. Bacon College was a new entity separated from Georgetown College, a Baptist supported institution, but Bacon College inevitably closed due to lack of funding. Seven years later, in 1958, Bacon College's charter was amended to establish Kentucky University, and moved to donated land in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.46

Post-Civil War through the Modern Era (1865-1908): Kentucky University

The American Civil War wreaked havoc on the South, and the state of Kentucky was no exception. Kentucky University was devastated by fire and both it and Transylvania University were in dire financial straits. As a result, in 1865, both institutions secured permission to merge. The new institution utilized Transylvania's campus in Lexington while perpetuating the name Kentucky University.4

The University was reorganized around several new colleges, including the Agricultural and Mechanical College (A&M) of Kentucky, publicly chartered as a department of Kentucky University as a land-grant institution under the Morrill Act.6 However, due to questions regarding the appropriateness of a federally funded land-grant college controlled by a religious body, the A&M college was spun off in 1878 as an independent, state-run institution. The A&M of Kentucky soon developed into the state's flagship public university, the University of Kentucky.6

Kentucky University's College of the Bible, which traced its roots to Bacon College's Department of Hebrew Literature, also received its own charter in 1878. The Seminary became a separate institution, although it remained housed on the Kentucky University campus until 1950, later changing its name to the Lexington Theological Seminary. In 1903, Hamilton College, a Lexington-based women's college founded in 1869, merged into Kentucky University.6

Modern Transylvania (1908-present): Transylvania University

Due to confusion between Kentucky University and its daughter institution the University of Kentucky, the institution adopted the eldest name in its lineage "Transylvania University" in 1908.4

The school remains affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Originally it was founded by Christ Episcopal Church's rector (The Rev. MOORE), and then became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, followed by the Disciples of Christ (which was founded after Transylvania).citation needed

Rankings

Transylvania University is ranked 77th among the nation's Liberal arts colleges according to U.S. News & World Report. 2 According to The Princeton Review, Transylvania ranks 4th among colleges with a "Major Frat and Sorority Scene," which indicates the prevalence of fraternity and sorority activities among students at Transylvania.7

Rafinesque Week

Thanks to Transylvania's namesake, and an on-campus tomb, Halloween has become a week-long celebration at Transylvania. Known as Rafinesque Week, the college ends October in a unique combination of activities, such as ghost stories, an underground haunted house, a flag football tournament, and a lottery for four students to win a night to sleep in Rafinesque's tomb.8

Campus Buildings

Academic buildings

Residential buildings

  • Forrer Hall - Mainly the women's dormitory, Forrer's front and back lobbies contain offices for Residence Life, Department of Public Safety, campus nurse, and the main cafeteria.
  • Henry Clay Hall - Men's dormitory primarily for freshmen.
  • Jefferson Davis Hall - Men's dormitory for upperclassmen. Each floor belongs to one of the four fraternities.
  • Rosenthal Residence Complex - Apartment complex for upperclassmen.
  • Poole Residence Center - Suite style residential building.
  • Hazelrigg Hall - Built as a freshmen dormitory, it was later converted to a multipurpose building. Contains a classroom, a computer lab, social science faculty offices, and two floors of "Honors" dormitories for students meeting GPA and other requirements. These rooms are single occupancy, as opposed to double, and have stricter rules regarding noise, and other rules to facilitate more intense studying.
  • Thomson Hall - Finished in the Fall of 2008, Thomson Hall features 31 Suite-style dorms for students who meet a GPA requirement, the 1780 Cafe for late night dinners, several lounges and a large public meeting / conference room.

Other buildings

Old Morrison College in 1987
  • Old Morrison - The administrative building, this building was built in the 1830s. The interior was gutted by fire in 1969 and was renovated and reopened in 1971. This building is featured on the city seal of Lexington and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
  • Lucille C. Little Theater - Black box style theater allowing for very flexible stage and seating arrangements.
  • Clive M. Beck Athletic Center - Contains athletics offices, classrooms, fitness center, competition and recreational facilities. Completed in 2002.
  • Glenn Building - Completed in the fall of 2005, this building houses the new university bookstore as well as a coffee shop.

Fraternities and sororities

Transylvania has a thriving Greek life on campus, with four fraternities and four sororities on campus. Over half of the students are members of a Greek organization. Each chapter is represented on the Interfraternity Council or the Panhellenic Association. This community does provide a social outlet, but the “Animal House” image of the past is misleading.

Fraternities

Sororities

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

  • Constantine Samuel Rafinesque, an unrecognized genius of botany and zoology from Europe, became the professor of botany at Transylvania University in 1819, teaching French and Italian as well. In the spring of 1826 he was dismissed from the university, either for having an affair with the university president's wife or for attending even fewer classes than his students. His tomb is on campus. Each Halloween, students celebrate "Rafinesque Week," which includes bonfires, mock awards, ghost tours of campus and as the culmination of the week, 3 students chosen from a lottery will spend the night in the tomb of Rafinesque in Old Morrison, the school's administration building.. An old legend suggests that he placed a curse on the school when it dismissed him.

Trivia

 Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (September 2008)

See also

References

  1. ^ "2006 NACUBO endowment study". National Association of College and University Business Officers. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
  2. ^ a b "Transylvania University - US News & World Report". US News & World Report. Retrieved on 2008-11-19.
  3. ^ "Transylvania University's Name". Transylvania University. Retrieved on 2008-11-19.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Transylvania and the Christian Church". Transylvania University. Retrieved on 2008-11-19.
  5. ^ "Old Morrison, Administrative Building". Transylvania University. Retrieved on 2008-11-19.
  6. ^ a b c d e "The Early History of Transylvania University: An Archetype of Restoration Movement Institutions of Higher Education". James M Owston. Retrieved on 2008-11-19.
  7. ^ "Top 10 Schools With the Most Intense Greek Life". The Princeton Review, via Encarta. Retrieved on 2008-11-19.
  8. ^ "Barefootin’ it for Rafinesque, Transylvania University Magazine, Fall 2005". Transylvania University. Retrieved on 2008-11-19.
  9. ^ "Governor's Information: Kentucky Governor Beriah Magoffin". Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives. Retrieved on 2007-05-03.

External links

v • d • e
Kentucky higher education
Public universities
Private colleges
and universities
Alice Lloyd College • Asbury College • Asbury Theological Seminary • Bellarmine University • Berea College • Brescia University • Campbellsville University • Centre College • Clear Creek Baptist Bible College • Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing • Georgetown College • Kentucky Christian University • Kentucky Mountain Bible College • Kentucky Wesleyan College • Lexington Theological Seminary • Lindsey Wilson College • Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary • Mid-Continent University • Midway College • Pikeville College • Saint Catharine College • Simmons College • Southern Baptist Theological Seminary • Spalding University • Spencerian College • Sullivan University • Thomas More College • Transylvania University • Union College • University of the Cumberlands
Community and/or
technical colleges
v • d • e
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
v • d • e
Annapolis Group

Chair: Katherine Haley Will, President, Gettysburg College

Agnes Scott • Albion • Albright • Allegheny • Alma • Amherst • Augustana (Illinois) • Austin • Bard • Barnard • Bates • Bennington • Berea • Birmingham-Southern • Bowdoin • Bryn Mawr • Bucknell • Carleton • Centre • Chatham • Claremont McKenna • Coe • Colby • Colgate • College of Saint Benedict • Colorado College • Connecticut College • Cornell College • Davidson • Denison • DePauw • Dickinson • Drew • Earlham • Eckerd • Franklin & Marshall • Furman • Gettysburg • Gordon (Massachusetts) • Goucher • Grinnell • Gustavus Adolphus • Hamilton • Hampden-Sydney • Hampshire • Harvey Mudd • Haverford • Hendrix • Hiram • Hobart & William Smith • Hollins • Holy Cross • Hope • Illinois Wesleyan • Juniata • Kalamazoo • Kenyon • Knox (Illinois) • Lafayette • Lake Forest • Lawrence • Lewis & Clark • Luther • Macalester • Manhattan • McDaniel • Middlebury • Millsaps • Monmouth • Moravian • Morehouse • Mount Holyoke • Muhlenberg • Nebraska Wesleyan • Oberlin • Occidental • Oglethorpe • Ohio Wesleyan • Pitzer • Pomona • Presbyterian • Puget Sound • Randolph-Macon • Randolph • Reed • Rhodes • Ripon • Rollins • St. John's College • St. John's University • St. Lawrence • St. Olaf • Salem • Sarah Lawrence • Scripps • Sewanee • Skidmore • Smith • Southwestern • Spelman • Swarthmore • Sweet Briar • Transylvania • Trinity College (Connecticut) • Trinity University (Texas) • Union • Ursinus • Vassar • Wabash • Washington College • Washington & Jefferson • Washington & Lee • Wellesley • Wesleyan College • Wesleyan University • Westmont • Wheaton (Massachusetts) • Whitman • Whittier • Willamette • William Jewell • Williams • Wittenberg • Wooster
All Right Reserved © 2007, Designed by Stylish Blog.