Bradley University

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Bradley University is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a medium sized institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students.

[edit] History

Bradley Hall is one of the first buildings constructed for the university and bears the name of the university's founder.

The Bradley Polytechnic Institute was founded by philanthropist Lydia Moss Bradley in 1897 in memory of her husband Tobias and their six children, all of whom died early and suddenly, making Bradley a childless widow. In 1896, Bradley was introduced to the president of the University of Chicago, who convinced her to move ahead with her plans to establish the institute. Bradley provided seventeen and a half acres of land, $170,000 for buildings, equipment, and a library, and $30,000 per year for operating expenses.

Originally, the institute was organized as a four-year academy as well as a two-year college. There was only one other high school in the city of Peoria at the time. By 1899 the institute had expanded to accommodate nearly 500 pupils, and study fields included biology, chemistry, food work, sewing, English, German, French, Latin, Greek, history, manual arts, drawing, mathematics, and physics. By 1920 the institute dropped the academy orientation and adopted a four-year collegial program. Enrollment continued to grow over the coming decades and the name Bradley University was adopted in 1946. [2]

[edit] Academics

Baker Hall, named after Murray M. Baker, is home to the Foster College of Business Administration

Bradley University was recently ranked 7th among Midwestern comprehensive masters-degree-granting universities in the 2006 edition of America's Best Colleges published by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, Bradley's Department of Industrial Engineering was ranked second among colleges that do not grant PhDs. [3]

Bradley University was named 24th on the list of "Top 25 Most Connected Campuses" and "Top 25 Most Entrepreneurial Campuses" in the nation by The Princeton Review and Forbes magazine.

The College of Education at Bradley University is NCATE-approved. [4] Additionally, of the nation’s 3623 colleges and universities, Bradley University's Foster College of Business Administration is one of only 160 schools whose business and accounting programs are both accredited by AACSB International. [5]

Bradley University is organized into the following colleges and schools:

[edit] Undergraduate School

• College of Education and Health Sciences
• College of Engineering and Technology
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Foster College of Business Administration
• Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts
• Academic Exploration Program (AEP), for students without a declared major.

[edit] Graduate School

Through its Graduate School, Bradley awards 14 degrees in over 30 academic areas, including a doctor of physical therapy degree.

[edit] Campus

Seen here from bottom left to bottom right are Wyckoff, Heitz, and Elmwood Halls, with Harper and Geisert (also from left to right) dominating the background.

Bradley's 85 acre campus is located on Peoria's west bluff and is only minutes from the city's downtown. The campus of Bradley University is relatively compact when compared to other universities which may enjoy a more isolated setting. Consequentially, there are few places on campus which cannot be reached from any other part of campus in under ten minutes on foot. Bradley's student housing is concentrated on the campus's east side, and the dormitories include College (all women's), Geisert, Harper, Heitz, University, Williams, and Wyckoff Halls. There is also a complex of singles dormitories and two university-owned apartment complexes. [6]

Geisert Hall is a ten-story building that is predominantly upperclassmen, although some floors/rooms are open to freshmen depending on availability. Irene P. Heitz, the former Irene Phillips of Delavan, was a 1906 graduate of Bradley. She donated $50,000 to purchase furnishings for the dormitory, which was dedicated in 1962. Besides being a home to students, Heitz Hall houses the Student Health Center. The Singles Complex is a 3-building complex which has all singles rooms. Usually the singles complex is reserved for sophomores and up. Each building has a TV lounge, soda and candy machines, and a resident advisor. University Hall is predominantly occupied by freshmen. The Hall has been completely lofted by the university. Harper Hall and Wyckoff Hall share the same building options. A game room located off the lobby complete with a TV, pool table and newly purchased air hockey table. There is also a study lounge open to all residents located in the lobby.

Also located on the south side of Bradley's campus is Dingeldine Music Center, which was acquired from the Second Church of Christ, Scientist in 1983. The Center serves as the main performance and practice facility for Bradley's instrumental and choral programs.

The Dingeldine Music Center

Bradley University is also the site of Peoria's National Public Radio affiliate, WCBU-FM, located on the second floor of Jobst Hall.

[edit] Groups and activities

[edit] Athletics

The athletic emblem of the Bradley University Braves.

The Bradley University Braves currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. Conference-approved sports on the Bradley program for men are baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, and tennis. Women's sports consist of basketball, corss country, golf, indoor track, outdoor track, softball,tennis, and volleyball. The men's basketball team has made eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament: 1950, 1954, 1955, 1980, 1986, 1988, 1996, and 2006. In 1950 and 1954 they were in the Final Four, and in 2006 the Braves made their first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1955, defeating 4th seed Kansas and 5th seed Pittsburgh. However, their Cinderella story came to an end in the Sweet Sixteen with a loss to the University of Memphis. Bradley also won the National Invitation Tournament in 1957, 1960, 1964, and 1982.

In 2006, the Bradley soccer team lost in the MVC Championship. However Assistant Coach Brad Ruzzo is currently scouting for new players. Bradley University does not have a football team, having disbanded its football program in 1970.

[edit] Fight song

Bradley Loyalty Song or Charge On Bradley
Here's our pledge to Bradley,
Loyal hearts and hands,
Loudly sing your praises,
In a mighty band,
Ever forward Bradley,
We'll praise you to the sky,
Ever keep your banners flying while you hear our cry!
Charge on, Charge on, Bradley,
March right down the field,
Foes may press you,
Foes may even stress you,
But we'll never yield,
Fight for Alma Mater,
Plunge right thru to victory,
Fight on, Fight on, Bradley, And fight for varsity!

[edit] Controversy

In August of 2005, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which conducts collegiate athletics, insituted a ban on schools that use "hostile and abusive" American Indian nicknames from hosting postseason games, beginning February 2006. Bradley, whose athletic teams are known as the "Braves," was placed on the list. In April 2006, the NCAA removed Bradley from the list but placed it on a 5-year watch list. [7].

After considering a new mascot to go with the Braves name, Bradley has decided not to create a mascot. Instead, the University is thinking about changing the Braves logo.

[edit] Forensics

Westlake Hall is home to Bradley's College of Education and Health Sciences.

Bradley University boasts the nation's most prolific college forensics team, with their American Forensics Association Championship winning streak from 1980 through 2000 only broken in 1994 and 1995. [8][9] Originally established as an Oratorical Competition in 1897 by founder Lydia Moss Bradley, the Speech Team has become the most successful intercollegiate team in history. In 2005, Bradley won its 38th national championship title at the National Forensic Association tournament at the University of Akron. The team, consisting of nearly thirty Bradley students, won by one of the largest margins in history.

Since 1979, Bradley University has had one hundred and fifteen individual national champions. No other team has attained as many individual national champions. Since 1980, Bradley has won nationals thirty-three times. This record of success is unmatched by any other college forensics team in the United States.

[edit] Greek

Bradley chapters of the North-American Interfraternity Conference, National Panhellenic Conference, and National Pan-Hellenic Council are primarily located on the south side of campus.

[edit] North-American Interfraternity Conference chapters

• Alpha Epsilon Pi
• Delta Tau Delta
• Delta Upsilon
• Theta Xi
• Theta Chi
• Pi Kappa Alpha
• Pi Kappa Phi
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon
• Sigma Nu
• Sigma Phi Epsilon
• Sigma Chi
• Phi Gamma Delta
• Phi Kappa Tau

[edit] National Panhellenic Conference sorority chapters

• Alpha Chi Omega
• Gamma Phi Beta
• Kappa Delta
• Pi Beta Phi
• Sigma Delta Tau
• Sigma Kappa
• Chi Omega

[edit] National Pan-Hellenic Council fraternity chapters

• Alpha Phi Alpha
• Phi Beta Sigma

[edit] National Pan-Hellenic Council sorority chapters

• Alpha Kappa Alpha
• Delta Sigma Theta
• Zeta Phi Beta
• Sigma Gamma Rho

[edit] Other social and professional organizations

• Alpha Phi Omega (Co-ed Community Service)
• Gamma Iota Sigma
• Sigma Alpha Iota
• Sigma Theta Epsilon
• Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
• Kappa Phi Club
• Chi-Alpha Christian Fellowship

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Government, public service, and public policy

• Dr. Janet Barry - American Association of School Administrators 1996 National Superintendent of the Year
• Ray LaHood - U.S. Congressman from Illinois' 18th District
• The Honorable Joe Billy McDade - United States District Court Federal Judge
• Robert H. Michel - retired Congressman from Illinois' 18th District and longest serving Republican leader of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Nicholas Scoppetta - New York City Fire Commissioner
• General John M. Shalikashvili - retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO
• Darren R. Rusakiewicz -- Officer of the United States Secret Service and Firearms Instructor at the James J. Rowley Training Center

[edit] Literature, arts, and media

• Jack Brickhouse - former radio and TV announcer for the Chicago Cubs
• Neil Flynn - actor on Scrubs
• Lillian Glass - noted speech pathologist, speech communication author and speaker
• Jerry Hadley - leading lyric tenor for the New York Metropolitan Opera
• David Horowitz - consumer advocate
• Tami Lane - Academy Award winner (Makeup, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)
• Ralph Lawler - TV play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Clippers
• Wendy Ross - assistant managing editor for the Washington Post
• Charlie Steiner - former host of ESPN's SportsCenter, former radio announcer for the New York Yankees, current announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Chick Hearn - former play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers

[edit] Business and science

• Charles Ebeling - retired vice president of corporate communications, McDonald's Corporation
• Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr. - Became the first African American astronaut in 1967
• Timothy L. Mounts - agricultural chemist specializing in edible oilseed.
• George T. Shaheen - CEO of Siebel Systems and former CEO of Andersen Consulting and Webvan
• Richard Teerlink - retired chairman of Harley-Davidson
• David Vecsey - noted Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist, pilot of the Mars Rover Exploration Module.
• Tom Wagner - retired vice president for customer communication and satisfaction at Ford Motor Company
• Howard L. Lance - Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS)

[edit] Athletics

• Hersey Hawkins - professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls, Seattle Supersonics, Charlotte Hornets, & Philadelphia 76ers; bronze medalist, 1988 Summer Olympics. All time leading scorer for men's basketball at Bradley.
• Jim Les - professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings & Atlanta Hawks; assistant coach for the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs; current men's basketball coach at Bradley.
• Marcus Pollard - professional football player for the Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts
• Bobby Joe Mason - professional basketball player for the Harlem Globetrotters.
• Matt Savoie - figure skater: U.S. bronze medalist, member of 2006 Winter Olympics U.S. team
• Chet Walker - professional basketball player for the Syracuse Nationals, Philadelphia 76ers, and Chicago Bulls.
• Patrick O'Bryant - professional basketball player drafted ninth overall in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.
• Kirby Puckett - was a professional baseball player for the Minnesota Twins and inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Anthony Parker - professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.
• Gavin Glinton - professional soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy and Turks and Caicos Islands national football team.
• Brian Shouse - professional baseball player for the Milwaukee Brewers.
• Lavern Tart - Most Valuable Player of the 1964 National Invitational Tournament and two time all star in the American Basketball Association

[edit] Infamous

• Matthew F. Hale - white supremacist and founder of the Creativity Movement, currently in jail for soliciting an undercover FBI officer to kill a federal judge

[edit] See also

• Peoria, Illinois
• Lydia Moss Bradley
• Carver Arena

[edit] External links

• Official Website
• Admissions Website
• BU Braves
• InterFraternity Council chapters at Bradley University
• Panhellenic Sorority chapters at Bradley University
• Broadside: Writers & Artists- Bradley's Official Literary Journal
• Psi Phi: Bradley's science fiction and fantasy club
• Bradley Basketball fansite

[edit] References

1. ^1 endowment  America's Best Colleges 2006. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved on February 7, 2006.