Lawrence University Lawrence University is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Appleton , Wisconsin . Founded in 1847 , the first classes were held on November 12 , 1849 . Lawrence was the second college in the United States to be founded as a coeducational institution . The school is a member of the Colleges That Change Lives and one of the Great Books Colleges . Campus . The campus is located in downtown Appleton , divided into two parts by the Fox River . The academic campus is on the north shore of Fox River , and the major athletic facilities ( including the 5000 - seat Banta Bowl ) are on the northeast shore . Lawrence also has a northern estate called Björklunden ( full name : Björklunden vid sjön ) , which serves as a site for retreats , seminars , concerts , and theatrical performances . It contains a chapel for weddings . Donald and Winifred Boynton of Highland Park , Illinois , donated the property in Door County to Lawrence in 1963 . In the mid - 1980s the physics department built a $ 330 , 000 small laser laboratory ( known as the " laser palace " ) , which includes 800 5 mW small lasers and more than 500 mirrors . Razed buildings . The college has a long history of razing buildings on its campus , because of the limited land available for constructing new buildings . Many buildings on campus are built on the site of former buildings . Some razed buildings include : History . Lawrence ' s first president , William Harkness Sampson , founded the school with Henry R . Colman , using $ 10 , 000 provided by philanthropist Amos Adams Lawrence , and matched by the Methodist church . Both founders were ordained Methodist ministers , but Lawrence was Episcopalian . The school was originally named Lawrence Institute of Wisconsin in its 1847 charter from the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature , but the name was changed to Lawrence University before classes began in November 1849 . Its oldest extant building , Main Hall , was built in 1853 . Lawrence University was Wisconsin ’ s first co - educational university . Lawrence ' s first period of major growth came during the tenure of alumnus Samuel G . Plantz as president . From 1894 to 1924 , when Plantz presided over the school , its student body grew from 200 to 800 . From 1913 until 1964 , the school was named Lawrence College , to emphasize its small size and liberal arts education focus . The name was changed to Lawrence University when it merged with Milwaukee - Downer College . The state of Wisconsin then purchased the Milwaukee - Downer property and buildings to expand the campus of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee . Initially , the university designated two entities : Lawrence College for Men and Downer College for Women . This separation has not lasted in any material form , though degrees are still conferred " on the recommendation of the Faculty of Lawrence and Downer Colleges " and the university by - laws still make the distinction . During World War II , Lawrence College was one of 131 colleges and universities in the nation that took part in the V - 12 Navy College Training Program , which offered students a path to a Navy commission . The Lawrence Conservatory of Music , usually referred to as " the Con " , was founded in 1874 . The university confers a Bachelor of Music degree and offers a five - year program leading to a Bachelor of Arts in addition to the music degree . Freshman Studies at Lawrence is a mandatory two - term class , in which all students study the same selected 11 classic works of literature , art , and music . President Nathan M . Pusey is credited with initiating the program in 1945 , although Professor Waples chaired the Freshman Studies Committee and was responsible for implementing the program . The program continues to this day , despite being temporarily suspended in 1974 . In 2005 Lawrence University initiated a capital campaign called " More Light ! " , which aimed at raising $ 150 million . By October 2011 the college has raised $ 160 , 272 , 839 , with the conclusion event held on October 28 , 2011 . Lawrence University is part of the Oberlin Group , a consortium of liberal arts college libraries . Milwaukee - Downer traditions . The traditions and heritage of Milwaukee - Downer are woven into the Appleton campus , from the grove of hawthorn trees ( called Hawthornden ) between Brokaw and Colman halls , to the sundial on the back of Main Hall , to the bestowing upon each class a class color and banner . The Lawrence Dean of Women was referred to as the " Dean of Downer " , but when the offices of Dean of Men and Dean of Women were merged to form the Dean of Students , the substantive duties of the " Dean of Downer " came to an end ; the title is still borne by a senior female professor , but her only duty is to carry the Downer Mace in academic processions . For many years the women ' s choir was called the Downer Chorus . At one time the BA was conferred upon women in the name of " Downer College of Lawrence University " and upon men in the name of " Lawrence College of Lawrence University " ; now all B . A . degrees are conferred in the name of " Lawrence & Downer Colleges of Lawrence University . " ( The B . Mus . degree is from " the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music . ) Academics . Lawrence University operates on a trimester calendar . The academic year runs from mid - September to mid - June . The student / faculty ratio at Lawrence is 9 : 1 . Lawrence grants Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees , with a double degree possible . Lawrence offers a number of cooperative degree programs in areas such as engineering , health sciences and environmental studies . The college offers majors in most of the liberal arts . The school also offers the option of interdisciplinary areas of study and allows students to design their own majors . All students are required to take Freshman Studies , which introduces students to broad areas of study and provides a common academic experience for the college . Lawrence ’ s freshman studies program focuses on a mixture of Great Books and more contemporary , influential works . For example , the 2011 - 2012 list includes Plato ' s " Republic " and Stephen Jay Gould ' s " Bully for Brontosaurus : Reflections in Natural History " . The school has an independent study option that allows students to design their own courses . This allows students to explore academic interests not covered by Lawrence ’ s classes or to explore topics more deeply . Over 90 % of the students take advantage of the independent study program . In 2005 , Lawrence University began the Lawrence Fellows Program , initially selecting eight recent Ph . D . s to teach and carry out research at Lawrence for a period of two to three years . This program seeks to develop the liberal arts faculty of the future . Conservatory of Music . The Lawrence University Conservatory of Music was founded in 1874 and has been a part of Lawrence University ever since . The Conservatory offers Bachelor of Music degrees in Performance , Theory / Composition , Music Education , and a five - year double degree option that grants both a BM degree from the Conservatory and a BA degree from the College . Approximately 25 % of the Lawrence student body , or 350 students , is in the Conservatory . The Conservatory has three choirs , two bands , two jazz ensembles , a symphony orchestra , an improvisation collective , five world music ensembles , and numerous chamber music groups . Recognition . In 2011 " Newsweek " named Lawrence University the 18th most rigorous U . S . college . In 2012 , it was ranked by " Forbes " as the top college in Wisconsin . In 2011 , " Forbes " ranked Lawrence 63rd on the list of America ' s ( 600 ) Best Colleges , which combined national research universities , liberal arts colleges , and military academies in a single survey . Lawrence was ranked 56th on the 2013 U . S . News : List of Best U . S . National Liberal Arts Colleges . Lawrence was included in Loren Pope ' s 1996 book , " Colleges That Change Lives " . InsideCollege lists Lawrence University as a college of distinction . Student body . Lawrence enrolls about 1 , 500 students who hail from nearly every U . S . state . The total enrollment in academic year 2010 - 2011 was 1 , 566 students , the largest student body in Lawrence University ' s history . Over 75 % of the students identify as white . About 12 % are international student s . About 25 % of students study in the conservatory of music . Media . The student newspaper , " The Lawrentian " , has been published for over a century . Lawrence University hosts the Great Midwest Trivia Contest , webcast every January over the college radio station , WLFM . Athletics . Lawrence College teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ' s Division III . The Vikings are a member of the Midwest Conference . Men ' s sports include baseball , basketball , cross country , fencing , football , golf , ice hockey , soccer , swimming & diving , tennis , track & field and wrestling ; while women ' s sports include basketball , cross country , fencing , golf , soccer , softball , swimming & diving , tennis , track & field and volleyball . In 2005 - 06 , the Lawrence men ' s basketball team was ranked number one in NCAA Division III for much of the season , after starting the season unranked . The team was the only undefeated team in all divisions of college basketball for the last six weeks of the season , ending with a record of 25 - 1 . Star forward Chris Braier won the Josten ' s Award as the top player in the country for both playing ability and community service . Coach John Tharp was named Division III Midwest Coach of the Year . Following their win of the Midwest Conference Tournament in 2009 , the Vikings have qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament in five of the last six years . Their best finish was in 2004 when they lost in the Elite 8 to eventual national champion University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point 82 - 81 in overtime at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma , Washington . In 2011 Lawrence ' s men ' s cross country team won the Midwest Conference championships for the first time since 1985 , beating Grinnell College and ending its 14 - year winning streak .