Bradley University Bradley University , founded in 1897 , is a private , mid - sized , independent university in Peoria , Illinois , offering 5 , 700 students the choice of 130 majors and programs of study . Bradley links academic excellence , experiential learning , and leadership development with an entrepreneurial spirit for a world - class education . Bradley ’ s size offers students extensive resources not available at most private colleges and the personal attention not commonly found at larger universities . History . 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 . The Bradleys had discussed establishing an orphanage in memory of their deceased children . After some study and travel to various institutions , Mrs . Bradley decided instead to found a school where young people could learn how to do practical things to prepare them for living in the modern world . As a first step toward her goal , in 1892 she purchased a controlling interest in Parsons Horological School in LaPorte , Indiana , the first school for watchmakers in America , and moved it to Peoria . She specified in her will that the school should be expanded after her death to include a classical education as well as industrial arts and home economics : " . . . it being the first object of this Institution to furnish its students with the means of living an independent , industrious and useful life by the aid of a practical knowledge of the useful arts and sciences . " In October 1896 Mrs . Bradley was introduced to Dr . William Rainey Harper , president of the University of Chicago . He soon convinced her to move ahead with her plans and establish the school during her lifetime . Bradley Polytechnic Institute was chartered on November 13 , 1896 . Mrs . Bradley provided of land , $ 170 , 000 for buildings , equipment , and a library , and $ 30 , 000 per year for operating expenses . Contracts for Bradley Hall and Horology Hall ( now Westlake ) were awarded in April and work moved ahead quickly . Fourteen faculty and 150 students began classes in Bradley Hall on October 4 — with 500 workers still hammering away . ( The Horological Department added another eight faculty and 70 students . ) Bradley Polytechnic Institute was formally dedicated on October 8 , 1897 . Its first graduate , in June 1898 , was Cora Unland . 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 . Academics . Bradley University was ranked 6th among Midwest universities providing a full range of undergraduate and master ' s programs in the 2013 edition of " America ' s Best Colleges " published by U . S . News & World Report . The annual survey also recognized Bradley as the fifth " best value " Midwestern school in the ranking of Great Schools at Great Prices . The Bradley University Department of Teacher Education and College of Education and Health Sciences is NCATE - approved . Additionally , of the nation ’ s 3 , 623 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 . As of 2013 , U . S . News & World Report lists Bradley University as one of only two regionally ranked colleges in Illinois with the distinction of being " more selective , " the other being North Central College in Naperville , Illinois . Bradley University is organized into the following colleges and schools : Undergraduate colleges . Students without a declared major may also be admitted to the Academic Exploration Program ( AEP ) . Graduate school . Through its Graduate School , Bradley University offers Masters level graduate degrees in five of its colleges : business , communication and fine arts , education and health sciences , engineering , and liberal arts and sciences . Each has its own hourly requirements and varies in completion time . The program of physical therapy offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree . Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation . Bradley University is among the first universities in the nation to have a school of entrepreneurship and the first established as a freestanding academic unit . The Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation is named in honor of Bob and Carolyn Turner , long - time supporters of Bradley . The Turners established the Robert and Carolyn Turner Center for Entrepreneurship in 2002 . Dr . Gerald Hills , the School ' s founding academic executive director , received the Karl Vesper Entrepreneurship Pioneer Award in 2012 and the Babson Lifetime Award in 2011 . Hills is also the Turner Chair of Entrepreneurship in the Foster College of Business Administration . Entrepreneur magazine and The Princeton Review ranked Bradley ' s undergraduate entrepreneurship program among the top 25 programs in the nation . Bradley is headquarters for the national Collegiate Entrepreneurs ' Organization ( CEO ) , with CEO student chapters at 240 universities . Campus . Bradley ' s campus is located on Peoria ' s west bluff and is minutes from the city ' s downtown . The campus of Bradley University is relatively compact . 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 residence halls 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 : St . James Apartments and the Student Apartment Complex . 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 . Bradley University is also the site of Peoria ' s National Public Radio affiliate , WCBU - FM , located on the second floor of Jobst Hall . Athletics . Bradley University is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference . Conference - approved sports at Bradley for men are baseball , basketball , cross country running , golf , outdoor track , soccer , and tennis . Women ' s ' sports consist of basketball , cross country running , golf , indoor and outdoor track , softball , tennis , and volleyball . The men ' s basketball team has appeared eight times in the NCAA Tournament : 1950 , 1954 , 1955 , 1980 , 1986 , 1988 , 1996 , and 2006 . In 1950 and 1954 they were national runners up 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 , Bradley ' s run 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 2008 , the men ' s basketball team was selected to participate in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational . They reached the Championship game but lost to Tulsa 2 - 1 in a 3 game series . In 2006 , the Bradley soccer team lost in the MVC Championship . In 2007 , the Bradley soccer team returned to the MVC Championship and defeated Creighton 1 - 0 to claim their first MVC Tournament Championship and fourth appearance in the NCAA postseason soccer tournament . They had never won a game in the NCAA tournament . Following their first ever NCAA tournament game victory over DePaul 2 - 0 , the Braves continued on a magical run to the Elite Eight by defeating seven - time national champion Indiana University on penalty kicks ( 5 – 4 ) and the University of Maryland in overtime , both on the road . During the Maryland game they were down 2 – 0 with less than three minutes left and won . The match has been referred to as " The Miracle in Maryland . " Bradley ’ s coach , Jim DeRose , was named the national Coach of the Year by Soccer America after their great season . The university does not have a football team . The football program was disbanded in 1970 . Bradley University was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1910 – 1937 . Groups and activities . Forensics . Bradley University boasts the most successful speech team in the nation , with their American Forensics Association Championship winning streak from 1980 through 2000 only broken in 1994 and 1995 . Bradley has garnered 141 individual national titles and 39 team sweepstakes over the last 30 years . Bradley ' s forensics team hosts the nation ' s oldest intercollegiate competition , known as the L . E . Norton Invitational named after former forensics director L . E . Norton . The team also hosts an annual tournament for high school speech teams , known as the George Armstrong Invitational . Greek . More than thirty percent of undergraduate students are involved in fraternities and sororities at Bradley University . The community currently consists of twenty - seven chapters , representing the North - American Interfraternity Conference , National Panhellenic Conference , and National Pan - Hellenic Council . Twenty of the chapters have houses on campus , which are primarily located on the south side of campus . Currently drinking is banned for all Greek life members , a controversial decision by the president of the university . Active Chapters of the North American Interfraternity Conference Active Chapters of the National Panhellenic Conference Active Fraternity Chapters of the National Pan - Hellenic Council ( NPHC ) Active Sorority Chapters of the National Pan - Hellenic Council ( NPHC ) Other social and professional organizations Broadside . The annual student literary journal , " Broadside " , publishes student art and writing in a 100 - page journal that is released each spring . The publication is staffed and run entirely by students . The organization also holds two readings : an informal " open mic " night in the fall , and a formal reading in the Wyckoff Room of the Cullom - Davis Library in late April which usually features writers published in the journal . The Scout . The student - run weekly newspaper , " The Scout " , covers student life and issues on campus , Bradley sports , and local Peoria news that concerns students . Dates for local concerts , movie and music reviews can all be found written by students in " The Scout " ’ s " Voice " section . Student staff rotates and changes yearly . Project Springboard . Project Springboard is an annual business plan competition started in 2007 to complement Bradley ' s Entrepreneurship major . The grand prize is $ 15 , 000 in cash and one year of knowledge capital valued at more than $ 100 , 000 . Project Springboard ' s inaugural winner , iRepair Squad , announced in February 2008 that their sales had topped $ 1 million . The competition was brought to Bradley by Peoria businessman Alexis Khazzam , owner of Junction Ventures , who donated $ 200 , 000 to the university to fund the competition . Notable people . Faculty . People who did not attend Bradley as a student but were on the Bradley staff or faculty .