Friends University.—As early as 1875, the Kansas yearly meeting of Friends expressed a desire to establish a school of collegiate rank, and several Friends academies were organized, but no college. In 1891 the College Association of Friends was organized and a charter secured from the state legislature granting authority to establish and maintain a college. Several thousand dollars' worth of stock had been subscribed, when James M. and Anna T. Davis, of St. Louis, became interested in the movement and gave to the Kansas yearly meeting of Friends, the property at Wichita, formerly owned and occupied by Garfield Memorial University. The gift was accepted, a board of directors was at once appointed, the college opened in Sept., 1898, and the same fall the yearly meeting took upon itself the obligation of maintaining the institution.

The campus consists of 15 acres. The main building is of brick, five stories high, 234 feet long and 200 feet deep. It covers three-fourths of an acre of ground and contains 66 recitation rooms and halls. The main chapel seats 3,000 people. A dormitory known as South Hall provides accommodations for about 50 women, and North Hall is a similar dormitory for men. Besides the regular college course there is the Bible school, school of education, school of music, commercial school and preparatory department. Since the Friends took charge the school has prospered. Edmund Stanley was elected president and he is ably assisted by 16 instructors in the various branches.