Bishop McKendree deeded 480 acres (194.2 ha) of land in Shiloh, Illinois to endow the college. Reverend Peter Akers, in 1833, was the first president of the newly named college. He was president of McKendree College three times and received its first degree, an honorary Doctorate of Divinity. In 1835, the college received one of the first charters granted to independent church colleges by the Illinois legislature. The institution still operates under the provisions of a second, more liberal charter obtained in 1839.
Since 1994 and the installation of its former president James M. Dennis, the institution has significantly increased its enrollment. In 2001, the college embarked on a capital campaign which raised more than $20 million for the campus including the creation of a performing arts center, the Russel E. and Fern M. Hettenhausen Center for the Arts, also known as The Hett. In 2004, McKendree offered its first graduate programs in addition to its existing undergraduate programs.
== Academics ==
McKendree …
