Allegheny College

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Allegheny College
President	Richard J. Cook
School type	Private
Religious affiliation	Methodist
Founded	1815
Location	Main Campus: Meadville, Pennsylvania Branch Campuses: None
Enrollment	Approx. 2,000
Faculty	134 (full time)
Campus surroundings	Suburban
Campus size	77 acres (31 ha)
Sports teams	Gators

Allegheny College is a small private liberal arts college located in Meadville, Pennsylvania located 90 miles north of Pittsburgh and 90 miles east of Cleveland. Founded in April 1815 by Timothy Alden, Allegheny College was the first college west of the Appalachian Mountains. The college has been historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church when, following a period in 1833 during which the college was forced to close due to financial difficulties, the United Methodist Church provided the financial backing necessary to reopen. Despite the college's formal affiliation with the United Methodist Church, it welcomes members of all faiths and maintains a policy of non-discrimination.

History

The July 18,1815 publication of the Crawford County Messenger carries the first official mention of Allegheny College (then Alleghany College) in the form of an advertisement by founder Timothy Alden. The first class (comprised of four members) entered the college one year later, on July 4,1816. Following receipt of a charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1817, Alden continued to serve as President until 1831, when financial and enrollment problems forced his resignation.

The college's famous alumni include President William McKinley, journalist Ida Tarbell, Nine Inch Nails leader Trent Reznor, Academy Award winner Ben Burtt, and Pennsylvania Governor Raymond P. Shafer, and founder of Mount Union College, Orville Nelson Hartshorn. In 1971, the movie Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me, based on the novel by Richard Farina of the same name, was filmed on college grounds; the movie was a box office flop. Today, the college's undergraduate enrollment as of 2004-2005 is nearly 2,000 with an average class size of 16, representing 35 states and 15 countries with the class of 2008 being the largest in the college's history.