Knox College, Liberal arts college in Galesburg, United States
Knox College is a liberal arts institution in Galesburg, Illinois, set on a 36-hectare campus with red brick buildings, modern laboratories, and research centers. Students choose from 42 majors and 57 minors across disciplines including sciences, humanities, and creative fields.
Presbyterian and Congregationalist abolitionists founded the institution in 1837 as Knox Manual Labor College, where students worked on the attached farm. The main building Old Main hosted the fifth encounter between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858 during their debate series.
The institution takes its name from Henry Knox, a general during the American Revolution, while students shape campus life through Greek organizations and shared rituals. Pumphandle brings everyone together each fall in a handshake line that winds across the grounds, creating a moment when the entire community connects in a single gesture.
The institution follows a trimester calendar, with students taking three courses in each section of the year. Visitors should check ahead for public tour options or open access during term time.
Old Main is the only surviving site of the seven Lincoln-Douglas debates that shaped national political discourse on slavery. Thousands of listeners gathered in front of the building at the time to follow the speakers, and the event remains a reference point for American rhetoric.
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