Guilford College is a small, private, four-year liberal arts college in Greensboro, North Carolina originally founded by the Religious Society of Friends (the Quakers). Originally founded in 1837 as the New Garden Boarding School; the name was changed to Guilford College in 1888 when the academic program expanded considerably.
Guilford College is listed in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives.
Student body[]
Only about eight percent of the student body, faculty and staff are Quakers; however, the institution is governed by Quaker principles. It is the only Quaker-founded college in the Southeast, and the fourth-oldest institution of higher learning in North Carolina. Its academic atmosphere, like that of many Quaker colleges, is open and informal; for example, many professors encourage students to call them by their first names.
The student body is actively vocal in protesting war and social injustice. Students often organize in peaceful protests on campus and around the country to bring about social change. Political activism is immensely popular at Guilford, which is considered one of the most progressive schools in the South thanks to its Quaker heritage. Its current president is Jane Fernandes, the first female president of Guilford College in its 179 year existence.
Athletics[]
Guilford competes as an NCAA Division III and Old Dominion Athletic Conference member. The school has won five national championships, including the 1973 NAIA men's basketball title, the 1981 NAIA women's tennis title and the 1989 (NAIA), 2002 and 2005 (NCAA Division III) men's golf titles.
In 2015, the football team (founded in 1892) had their best season ever, with a 9-1 record, sharing the conference title (with old rival, Washington and Lee University), and finishing the season ranked in the Top 25 of Division III.
Campus events[]
In the past decade, Guilford's "Bryan Series" has brought many notable speakers to the campus and city for an annual public lecture series. Past speakers have included Desmond Tutu, Mikhail Gorbachev, Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright and Ken Burns, former president of Ireland Mary Robinson, Pulitzer Prize winning authors David McCullough and Toni Morrison, President Bill Clinton, NBC Nightly News legend and author, Tom Brokaw, among others.
Every summer, the college hosts the five-week-long Eastern Music Festival, where both professional and student musicians come together for seminars and public performances. In 2005, EMF featured more than 70 concerts and music-related events on- and off-campus.
The Quaker Man[]
The Quaker Man (or just "The Quaker") is the mascot of Guilford College. He is often depicted with a tall hat and buckled shoes, reminiscent of the "Quaker Oats man" (despite the fact that the Quaker Oats man was a not a Quaker and was dressed in Puritan Style clothing instead of traditional Quaker garb). He usually is seen carrying a cowbell. He always wears the school colors of crimson and gray.
The Fighting Quaker[]
One of the more notable nicknames for the Quaker Man is the "Fighting Quaker." This name is more well known and popular than the official name; "The Quaker." This name is oxymoronic, and a pun, as Quakers, by nature, are pacifists.
External links[]
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