By: Kristina Ferry & Jasmine Gage
Images retrieved from the McKendree University website
McKendree University is one of the oldest universities in the nation and the oldest university in Illinois as it was founded in 1828. McKendree also holds the title of being the oldest university in the nation to have ties with the Methodist Church. However, this would not come as a big surprise to anyone who knows the past of this historic university.
To those who are unaware, the university was founded by Methodist pioneers and was originally called Lebanon Seminary. This seminary trained priests and ministers in the Methodist faith for a couple of years under Edward Raymond Ames, a Methodist bishop and the namesake of the dining hall on campus. Later, a bishop by the name of William McKendree changed the name of the seminary to McKendree College and turned the small seminary into a small university by compiling 480 acres of land to help grow the institution.
The school remained this quaint college over the next 175 years, slowly adapting over time to fit its ever-changing needs. Major adjustments to the college came in the mid-2000s and early 2010s, improving the college for the better. Some of these changes include: The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts, often shortened as the Hett, was opened in 2006, the name of the institution changed from McKendree College to McKendree University in 2007, and in 2010 a ceremony was held to commemorate the opening of Residence Halls East and West.
Due to this extensive history, the campus is also slightly haunted. Sightings have been reported in almost every area on campus, ranging from hearing doors slam to seeing shadows walk around corners. There are some backings to these sightings since many individuals have been found dead on campus. Some examples include: a man named Lester Hickman was struck by lightning on the bell tower, a Native American body was found on campus and buried under an ivy mound in front of Old Main, a man who hanged himself from the third floor of Carnegie Hall, and a man by the name of John Chamberlin hanged himself in the Alumni House after his wife died. While these sightings rarely cause harm to individuals, they add a unique aspect to McKendree that many universities do not have.
Today, anyone can walk down the pathways and see the background behind this beautiful campus. Most of the buildings are brick with steep staircases and have funky smells hidden in the corners. The library’s upper floor has pictures of all the presidents of the university throughout its history, and the lower floor has artifacts spanning decades into the past. While the average student or staff member may not think about the campus’s history on a daily basis, the history is also surrounding them, bringing out the best of what the university has to offer.
