Lawrence University facts for kids
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Former names
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| Motto | "Light! More Light!" "Veritas est lux" |
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Motto in English
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"Truth Is Light" |
| Type | Private liberal arts college |
| Established | 1847 |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | $487 million (2021) |
| President | Laurie Carter |
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Administrative staff
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164 faculty |
| Students | 1,555 undergraduates (fall 2013) |
| Location |
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United States
44°15′40″N 88°24′00″W / 44.261°N 88.400°W |
| Campus | Urban: 84 acres (34 ha) Björklunden: 425 acres (172 ha) |
| Nickname | Vikings |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division III – Midwest Conference |
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Lawrence University is a private college in Appleton, Wisconsin. It focuses on liberal arts and also has a special conservatory of music. The university was started in 1847, and its first classes began on November 12, 1849. Lawrence was one of the very first colleges in the U.S. to welcome both male and female students.
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History of Lawrence University
Lawrence University was founded by William Harkness Sampson and Henry R. Colman. They used $10,000 from a generous person named Amos Adams Lawrence. The Methodist church also gave the same amount of money.
The school was first called Lawrence Institute of Wisconsin in 1847. But its name changed to Lawrence University before classes started in November 1849. The oldest building still standing, Main Hall, was built in 1853.
Growth and Name Changes
The university grew a lot when Samuel G. Plantz was president from 1894 to 1924. During this time, the number of students went from 200 to 800.
From 1913 to 1964, the school was known as Lawrence College. This name was used to show that it was a smaller school focused on liberal arts. It became Lawrence University again when it joined with Milwaukee-Downer College.
Music and Studies
The Lawrence Conservatory of Music, often called "the Con," started in 1874. Students can earn different music degrees here. They can also get a special five-year degree that combines a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Music.
All first-year students at Lawrence take a required class called First-Year Studies. In this class, students read and discuss 11 important works of literature, art, and music. The list of works changes each year. This program began in 1945 and is still a key part of the university.
Milwaukee-Downer Traditions
Some traditions from Milwaukee-Downer College are still part of Lawrence University. These include a group of hawthorn trees called Hawthornden and a sundial on the back of Main Hall. Each class also gets its own color and banner.
University Presidents
Here are some of the people who have led Lawrence University:
- 1849–1853 William Harkness Sampson, principal
- 1853–1859 Edward Cooke, president
- 1859–1865 Russell Zelotes Mason, president
- 1865–1879 George McKendree Steele, president
- 1879–1889 Elias DeWitt Huntley, president
- 1883–1889 Bradford Paul Raymond, president
- 1889–1893 Charles Wesley Gallagher, president
- 1893–1894 L. Wesley Underwood, acting president
- 1894–1924 Samuel G. Plantz, president
- 1925–1937 Henry Merritt Wriston, president
- 1937–1943 Thomas Nichols Barrows, president
- 1944–1953 Nathan Marsh Pusey, president
- 1954–1963 Douglas Maitland Knight, president
- 1963–1969 Curtis William Tarr, president
- 1969–1979 Thomas S. Smith, president
- 1979–2004 Richard Warch, president
- 2004–2013 Jill Beck, president
- 2013–2021 Mark Burstein, president
- 2021–present (as of 2023[update]) Laurie Carter, president
Academics at Lawrence
Lawrence University has a small class size, with about 9 students for every teacher. This means students get a lot of personal attention.
The college offers many different subjects in the liberal arts. Liberal arts education helps students learn about many topics like history, literature, science, and art. Students can also create their own unique study plans. Lawrence gives out Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees. It is even possible to earn both degrees at the same time.
First-Year Studies Program
All new students must take First-Year Studies during their first two terms. This program helps students explore different subjects and gives everyone a shared learning experience. It started in 1945 and is a key part of the school's learning plan. The program includes a mix of classic and important modern works, like books, paintings, and music.
Lawrence Conservatory of Music
The Lawrence University Conservatory of Music began in 1874. It is a big part of Lawrence University. The Conservatory offers special music degrees in areas like performance, music theory, and music education. About 25% of Lawrence students, or 350 students, are in the Conservatory.
The Conservatory has many music groups, including three choirs, two bands, two jazz groups, and a symphony orchestra. They also have groups for world music and chamber music.
Academic Connections
Lawrence is part of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. This is a group of 14 liberal arts colleges that work together. They help students find study abroad programs in many different countries.
Campus Life and Buildings
The main campus is 84 acres and is in downtown Appleton. The Fox River divides the campus into two parts. The main school buildings are on the north side of the river. The sports facilities, like the Banta Bowl, are on the southeast side.
Lawrence also has a large 425-acre property called Björklunden. This estate is located in Door County. It is used for special events, workshops, concerts, and plays. It also has a chapel for weddings.
New Campus Buildings
In the mid-1980s, the Physics Department built a special laser lab. This lab, called the "laser palace," has many small lasers and mirrors.
In 2009, Lawrence opened the Richard and Margot Warch Campus Center. This building is a central meeting place for everyone at the university. It has a cinema, dining services, and many spaces for meetings and events. The Warch Campus Center is also very eco-friendly and has a special "LEED Gold" certification.
Student Body at Lawrence
Lawrence University has about 1,500 students. In 2010–11, it had its largest number of students ever, with 1,566. About 12% of the students are from other countries. Also, about 25% of the students study music in the conservatory.
Lawrence students have won many important scholarships. Seven students have been named Rhodes Scholars. Since 1976, 57 students and nine teachers have received Fulbright Scholarships. Also, 73 students have been named Watson Fellows since 1969.
Student Traditions
At the start of each school year in September, new students arrive a week early for Welcome Week. This week is full of activities to help them get to know each other and get used to college life. On the first night, new students meet the university president. They shake hands and exchange a few words in a tradition called the matriculation handshake.
In the fall, the fraternity Beta Theta Pi hosts an event called Beach Bash. For this party, they bring about 14 tons of sand into their house basement! They also build a boardwalk and a lifeguard station for the DJ. This fun tradition was skipped in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the spring, Lawrence has a music festival called LU-aroo. This name is a playful nod to the famous music festival Bonnaroo. The festival takes place on the main quad and features many talented student bands. Sometimes, famous musicians also play at the festival, like The Tallest Man on Earth who played in 2016.
Media and News
The student newspaper, The Lawrentian, has been published for over 100 years.
Lawrence also had a radio station, WLFM, from 1955 until 2005.
Athletics and Sports
| Lawrence Vikings | |
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| University | Lawrence University |
| Conference | Midwest Conference Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (hockey only) |
| NCAA | Division III |
| Athletic director | Jason Imperati |
| Location | Appleton, Wisconsin |
| Varsity teams | 21 |
| Football stadium | Banta Bowl (5,255) |
| Basketball arena | Alexander Gymnasium |
| Baseball stadium | Whiting Field |
| Nickname | Vikings (1926) |
| Fight song | "Go, Lawrence, Go" |
| Colors | Navy and White |
Lawrence University's sports teams are called the Vikings. They have been known as the Vikings since 1926. They compete in the Midwest Conference in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III.
Lawrence has many sports for both men and women. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, fencing, football, golf, ice hockey, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, and track & field. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, fencing, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.
In 2005–06, the men's basketball team was ranked first in Division III for most of the season. They finished with an amazing record of 25 wins and only 1 loss. The team's star player, Chris Braier, won a national award for his playing and community service. The basketball team made it to the national tournament five times between 2004 and 2009. Their best result was reaching the quarterfinals in 2004.
In 2011, Lawrence's men's cross country team won the Midwest Conference championships. This was their first win since 1985, and they ended Grinnell College's 14-year winning streak.
University Recognition
Lawrence University is recognized as a strong liberal arts college. In 2022-2023, U.S. News ranked it 63rd among the best U.S. National Liberal Arts Colleges. It was also ranked 35th in its list of best-value schools.
Notable Faculty Members
- William Chaney, historian
- Richard N. Current, historian
- Estelí Gomez, soprano
- William H. Riker, political scientist
- Charles B. Schudson, judge
- Fred Sturm, jazz composer and musician
- Arthur Thrall, artist
- Harry Dexter White, economist, first U.S. Director of IMF (1946–47)
- John Holiday, opera singer, music professor
- Peter N. Peregrine, anthropologist and archaeologist
Notable Alumni
- James Sibree Anderson, Wisconsin State Representative
- Martha Bablitch, judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals
- John Miller Baer, 1909, Congressman from North Dakota
- William Baer, Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division
- Melvin Baldwin, Congressman from Minnesota
- Charles A. Barnard, Wisconsin State Representative
- Sam Barry, college basketball and baseball coach (attended)
- Myrt Basing, NFL player
- Jennifer Baumgardner, 1992, feminist writer and activist
- Lisle Blackbourn, 1925, NFL head coach
- Champ Boettcher, NFL player
- Thomas Boyd, Wisconsin State Representative
- Alexander Brazeau, Wisconsin State Representative
- Webster E. Brown, Congressman from Wisconsin (attended)
- Bonnie Bryant, 1968, author of children's books
- Louis B. Butler Jr., 1973, associate justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
- Thomas Callaway, Actor and Interior Designer
- Robert A. Collins, Wisconsin State Representative
- Julia Colman (1828–1909), American temperance educator, activist, editor, writer
- Charles Rankin Deniston, Wisconsin State Representative
- James Dinsdale, Wisconsin State Representative
- William Diver, 1942, linguist and founder of the Columbia School of Linguistics
- Pawo Choyning Dorji, 2006, filmmaker and photographer
- William Draheim, Wisconsin State Senator
- Paul Driessen, 1970, author and lobbyist
- Dale Duesing, 1967, operatic baritone
- Siri Engberg, curator, Walker Art Center
- Cynthia Estlund, 1978, law professor and author
- Edna Ferber, author and playwright (attended)
- James A. Frear, Congressman from Wisconsin (attended)
- Earle W. Fricker, Wisconsin State Representative
- William Fuller, 1975, poet
- Dominic Fumusa, 1991, actor
- John Rankin Gamble, 1872, Congressman from South Dakota
- Robert J. Gamble, 1874, Congressman from South Dakota
- Ed Glick, NFL player (attended)
- Walter Samuel Goodland, governor of Wisconsin (attended)
- Suzanne Graff, actress
- Michael P. Hammond, 1954, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts
- Lorena Hickok, confidante of Eleanor Roosevelt (attended)
- Earnest Hooton, 1903, physical anthropologist
- John D. Huber, Columbia University political scientist
- Thomas R. Hudd, Congressman from Wisconsin (attended)
- Frank W. Humphrey, 1881, Wisconsin State Representative
- Bruce Iglauer, founder of Alligator Records
- Lester Johnson, Congressman from Wisconsin
- Zachary Scot Johnson, 2001, singer-songwriter and creator of Thesongadayproject
- Scott Klug, 1975 former congressman from Wisconsin
- Peter Kolkay, bassoonist
- Eddie Kotal, National Football League player
- Takakazu Kuriyama, Japanese ambassador to the United States (attended)
- Barbara Lawton, 1987, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin (2001–2011)
- Fred Lerdahl, 1965, composer and music theorist
- John A. Luke Jr., 1971, CEO of MeadWestvaco
- Harry N. MacLean, 1964, true crime author
- Momodu Maligie, 2004, Minister of Water Resources for Sierra Leone
- William H. Markham, Wisconsin State Senator
- John McDonald, NFL player
- James H. McGillan, mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin
- James Merrell, 1975, professor of history at Vassar College
- John S. Mills, U.S. Air Force major general
- Terry Moran, 1982, chief White House correspondent for ABC News
- David Mulford, 1969, United States Ambassador to India (2004–2009)
- William F. Nash, Wisconsin State Senator
- George Allen Neeves, Wisconsin State Representative
- Tom Neff, 1975, CEO and founder of The Documentary Channel
- Justus Henry Nelson, missionary in the Amazon (attended)
- Garth Neustadter, 2011 Emmy winner, Outstanding Music Composition for a Series
- Angelia Thurston Newman, poet, author, lecturer
- Roger Nicoll, 1963, neuroscientist at UCSF
- Jessica Nelson North, 1917, author
- Arnold C. Otto, Wisconsin State Representative
- Rip Owens, NFL player (attended)
- Alice Peacock, 1992 singer-songwriter
- Charles Pettibone, Wisconsin State Senator
- Cindy Regal, 2001, experimental physicist
- Scott Reppert, 1983, player for Lawrence's football team
- Eben Eugene Rexford, author of works on gardening (attended)
- Carl W. Riddick, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the Second District of Montana
- Josh Sawyer, video game designer at Obsidian Entertainment
- Melvin H. Schlytter, Wisconsin State Representative
- Campbell Scott, 1983, actor
- Michael Shurtleff, 1942, casting director, author
- Eric Simonson, 1982, Oscar-winning writer–director
- Red Smith, 1926, MLB player, NFL player and assistant coach
- Janet Steiger, 1961, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission
- Thomas A. Steitz, 1962, Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University, 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate
- Heidi Stober, 2000, operatic soprano
- Fred Sturm, 1973, jazz composer and arranger
- William T. Sullivan, Wisconsin State Representative
- Gladys Taber (1899–1980), author
- Anton R. Valukas, 1965, U.S. attorney, author of the Valukas Report
- Madhuri Vijay, 2009, novelist, author of The Far Field
- James Franklin Ware, 1871, legislator
- William Warner, U.S. Senator from Missouri (attended)
- Iva Bigelow Weaver, soprano and music educator based in Milwaukee
- Alexander B. Whitman, Wisconsin State Senator
- George W. Wolff, Wisconsin State Representative and Senator
- Tom Zoellner, 1991, author, journalist
- Al Zupek, 1944, NFL player
See also
- List of NCAA fencing schools
