Centenary College of Louisiana is a private liberal arts collegeinShreveport, Louisiana. The college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1825, it is the oldest chartered liberal arts college west of the Mississippi River and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Former names |
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|---|---|
| Motto | Labor Omnia Vincit (Latin) |
Motto in English | Work Conquers All |
| Type | Private liberal arts college |
| Established | 1825; 199 years ago (1825) |
Religious affiliation | United Methodist Church |
| Endowment | $138.5 million (as of 2015[1]) |
| President | Christopher L. Holoman |
Administrative staff | 228 |
| Undergraduates | 650 |
| Postgraduates | 107 |
| Location |
,
, United States 32°29′02″N 93°43′55″W / 32.484°N 93.732°W / 32.484; -93.732 |
| Campus | Urban, 117 acres (47 ha) |
| Colors | Maroon & white |
| Nickname | Gentlemen & Ladies |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division III – SCAC |
| Website | www |
 | |
Centenary College of Louisiana is the oldest college in Louisiana and is the nation's oldest chartered liberal arts college west of the Mississippi River.[2] Centenary traces its origins to two earlier institutions. In 1825, the Louisiana state legislature issued a charter for the College of Louisiana at Jackson.[3] Its curriculum included courses in English, French, Greek, Latin, logic, rhetoric, ancient and modern history, mathematics, and natural, moral, and political philosophy.[4] In 1839, the Mississippi Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, established Centenary College, first located in Clinton, Mississippi, then relocated to Brandon Springs.[5] When the College of Louisiana lost the financial support from the state legislature in 1845, Centenary College purchased the facility and moved to Jackson.[6]
In 1846, the college's trustees changed the institution's name to Centenary College of Louisiana and adopted the alumni of the two predecessor colleges.[7] During the 1850s, enrollment reached 260, and the college constructed a large central building, which included classrooms, laboratories, literary society rooms, a library, a chapel, offices, and an auditorium with seating for over 2,000 people.[8] This prosperity halted with the American Civil War. Following a meeting on October 7, 1861, the faculty minute book states, "Students have all gone to war. College suspended; and God help the right![9]" During the war, both Confederate and Union troops occupied the campus’ buildings.[10] Centenary reopened in the fall of 1865, though struggled financially through the remainder of the nineteenth century. In 1906, the Louisiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, accepted an offer from the Shreveport Progressive League to relocate the college.[11] The Jackson campus now serves as the Centenary State Historic Site operated by the Louisiana Office of State Parks; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[10]
Centenary opened in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1908.[12] Enrollment and course offerings increased during the 1920s, and Centenary received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1925.[13] During the 1920s and 1930s, the college's football program earned fame for defeating such teams as Baylor, LSU, Rice, SMU, and Texas A &M.[14] The Centenary College Choir, formed in 1941, began performing throughout the region and eventually expanded to making national as well as international tours.[15] In 1942, Centenary acquired a satellite campus, the former Dodd College, which served as a pre-flight training facility for air force cadets.[16] Following the Second World War, the college undertook many new construction projects – dormitories, a cafeteria, a science building, a religious education center, a chapel, an expanded student center, a library, a theater, and a music building.[17]
College of Louisiana (Jackson, Louisiana)
Centenary College (Brandon Springs, Mississippi)
Centenary College of Louisiana (Jackson, Louisiana)
Centenary College of Louisiana (Shreveport, Louisiana)
Centenary College's campus spans sixty-five acres and is located two miles south of downtown Shreveport. The Dr. Ed Leuck Academic Arboretum, located in the heart of campus, is home to more than 300 species of plant life.[18]
Centenary is a selective liberal arts college with 25 majors in the arts and sciences, numerous academic concentrations, a variety of pre-professional programs, and two graduate programs.
Centenary College of Louisiana is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelors’ and master's degrees. The music program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
| Academic rankings | |
|---|---|
| Liberal arts | |
| U.S. News & World Report[26] | 146 |
| Washington Monthly[27] | 133 |
| National | |
| Forbes[28] | 584 |
There are several Greek social organizations at Centenary College.
Centenary is currently a member of the NCAA Division III's Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC),[29] having moved from the American Southwest Conference (ASC)[30] after the 2011–12 academic year. Prior to July 2011, the college was a member of The Summit LeagueinNCAA Division I.[31]
The first official records of athletic teams at Centenary College are to be found in the 1908–1909 college catalog and the November 1909 issue of the Maroon and White, a monthly publication edited by the students.[32]
Centenary fields 20 intercollegiate athletic teams including football, baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, and swimming for men; and basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball for women.
U.S. Olympics Women's Gymnastics Coach (Tokyo, 1964) Vannie Edwards coached the Centenary women's gymnastics team from 1964 to 1968 and again from 1977 to 1985. Coach Edwards was also the team manager for the U.S. Olympics Women's Gymnastics teams in 1968 (Mexico City) and 1972 (Munich). He was inducted into the U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1986.[33]
Centenary previously fielded a college football team. From 1927 thru 1936, the team compiled a record of 73–22–11, including two undefeated seasons (1927 & 1932). The 1927 team featured wins over four powers in the Southwest Conference: Southern Methodist, Baylor, Rice, and Texas Christian. The 1932 team featured wins over Louisiana State, Texas, Texas A&M, and Mississippi.[34] Head Coach Homer Norton left Centenary after the 1933 season, and success and fan interest dwindled. After an 0–8–2 season in 1941, the team was discontinued for the duration of World War II due to budget deficits. Football resumed in 1947, but after winning only one game during the season, the football program was halted for good in December 1947.[32]
In 2023, Centenary reinstated their football team for the first time in seven decades.
