Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a university located in central rural Pennsylvania town of Lewisburg. The university was founded under the name of the University at Lewisburg in 1846 as a private Baptist university. Bucknell University later shed its Baptist roots and was renamed for its benefactor, William Bucknell, a Philadelphian who bolstered the university during the post-Civil War recession.
Bucknell University has academic departments in the liberal arts, engineering, management, and animal behavior disciplines among others. Primarily an undergraduate institution, Bucknell enrolls about 3,550 students (3,350 undergraduates and 200 graduate students) and employs over 280 faculty members as of 2002.
Bucknell University is a member of the Patriot League for competitive sports. In sports history, Bucknell University won the first Orange Bowl (26-0 over the University of Miami on January 1, 1935). Bucknell University is also the alma mater of the primordial baseball hero, Christy Mathewson, who requested that he be buried in a cemetery adjoining Bucknell's campus.
Bucknell University has a reputation for its rigorous academic programs (especially in engineering) and for its conservative student body. Students participate in "Greek" organizations (fraternities and sororities) at a higher than average rate (60% of all eligible students as of 2002) compared to other Greek campuses. Students commonly praise their school for its scenic campus, while complaining about the culture and lack of options for entertainment other than alcohol.
Bucknell University's newspaper is The Bucknellian.
Alumni
