Centre College

During my tenure the fraternities dominated social life. It is quite accepted now to bash the greek system and perhaps with some legitimacy but this again gave me a place to grow socially among a group with whom you shared a special bond and who looked out after each other. The parties were numerous and loud when I was there with "rush" being all semester long with Tuesday as well as Friday and Saturday nights being party nights for a full six months. Alchohol flowed freely and the college didn't enforce any drinking laws but again it was a safe environment in which to pass this ritual to adulthood. We used to sit on the front stoop with a keg while the Dean's lodging was less than a hundred yards away! All the fraternities were within a short walk, the quad as it was called, and we went to each others parties and the rivalries were good natured and without serious incident really. Since then the residential aspect of greek life has been minimized by the college with the frats being all placed further on the edge of compass and fewer lives ins being allowed. I don't wish to belabor this point but I found it fascinating that so many others would consider a party during their college years an open bottle in a dorm room or meeting at a local bar. Call it sheltered if you will but I cherished what I experienced socially at Centre

I had wonderfull professors in the history department.. many of whom I have called up over the years to say hello or to get their advice. I considered not one but four or five of them mentors and friends. I sent flowers to the funeral service of one who passed away.. how many other alumns can say that sort of relationship existed where they attended college?

I cannot speak for others but I had fraternity brothers in my graduating class who went on the sucessfull careers in law, medicine and the military.. virtually all really and they did so without being bookworms.. there was a nice balance at Centre.The only real negative I have to say about Centre is that outside the state of KY there is no recognition for the name. I have found this frustrating to a degree but again your degree is what you make of it. The president of the college for most of the time I was there was Thomas Spragans. He passed away to that long ago which surprised me because he seemed ancient when I was there. Anyway, he would give lecters to the student body as a whole and envariably make mention of an obscur statement Woodrow Wilson had once made comparing Centre to Princeton. I think this recollection pretty well sums up my feelings on this point.

Beware of people who give negative feedback about Centre. These people are usually those who could not live up to the academic standards and blame this not on their own work ethic, but on the professors. I know there are professors at Centre that don't live up to standards. As a whole, however, the professors as well as the educational system are quite exceptional.The only true downside to Centre is that their PR campaign is lackluster at best. What this means is that if you try to get a job out of the state, you can't expect an employer to know the reputation of Centre. However, you will still very well prepared.