The Bradford Oil Refinery holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating petroleum refinery in the United States. Over the past 125 years, the refinery has survived changes in ownership, fires, and economic highs and lows, and it continues to be an important supplier of lubricants and refinery specialties. The company was established in 1881 in the small village of Kendall Creek (now the city of Bradford) by three independent oilmen:...

Experience the University of Florida football program's fascinating 20th century journey, one that has brought enjoyment to millions and national recognition to the school. The University of Florida, the state's oldest and largest university, is recognized today as one of the country's most academically diverse public institutions. Though able to trace its history to 1853, the school did not begin its popular football program until the first few...

For many years the residents of Southwestern Illinois lacked convenient, affordable access to higher education. To address this situation, Southern Illinois University opened residence centers at the former Shurtleff College in Alton and in East St. Louis in 1957. Enrollment at the two residence centers during 1957-1958 exceeded all expectations, and continued to increase dramatically. In 1960, Illinois voters approved a statewide Universities Bond...

In 1860, the nation's first college-hospital was founded in Brooklyn. Initially called the Long Island College Hospital, Collegiate Division, this innovative institution was the first to bring controversial, cutting edge methods of teaching to the study of medicine in the United States. Until this time, medical students had been taught exclusively in schools, rarely leaving the lecture hall for first-hand experience. With the belief that medical instruction...

Samford University, established in 1841 as Howard College, is a treasured institution of higher learning in Alabama, consistently ranked among the best regional universities in the nation. Well known for the quality of education it offers and for its stunning Georgian-Colonial campus, Samford boasts a long and fascinating history, illuminated here in a collection of vintage photographs. With images ranging from informal to formal, routine to remarkable,...

In the foothills of South Carolina lies the beautiful, historic college known as Converse. It was founded near the end of the Victorian Age by several of Spartanburg's leading professionals who believed that "the well-being of any country depends much upon the culture of her women." Their vision of providing higher education to women has now been carried into a second century and has allowed Converse to touch the lives of thousands of people. Converse...

In a 50-room building that housed Connecticut's Civil War orphans, the University of Connecticut began in the fall of 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School. From this beginning comes a rich history of change that continues through the billion-dollar program known as UConn 2000. In these pages are many previously unpublished and many long-unseen images that chronicle 120 years of that transformation. Each era in the university's history has seen growth...

Located in a charming community in West Virginia's northern panhandle is West Liberty State College, the oldest institution of higher learning in the Mountain State. The school was chartered by the State of Virginia as an academy in 1837 and has seen its share of changes since that time. Arguably the foremost change arrived in 1863 when West Virginia became the 35th state in the Union, thereby making the college older than the state. The school took...

Founded in 1880, Presbyterian College exists today as the manifestation of one man's dream. William Plumer Jacobs, minister of Clinton's first Presbyterian church and founder of Thornwell Orphanage, envisioned Clinton as a center for Presbyterian education in South Carolina. His dream, supported by generations who followed him, has created and maintained this strong liberal arts college, keeping it rich in the ideals of honor and service. Presbyterian...

First established as the University of Dixie in 1909, Tennessee Technological University has grown into a flourishing, internationally recognized university, known for its emphasis on engineering, science, and sophisticated technology. Nestled in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains in Cookeville, Tennessee, TTU has a remarkable history and has triumphed over many obstacles and changes in the last century. In the early 1900s, the institute enrolled...