It was founded in 1912 by Mary Kimball Morgan with the purpose of "serving the Cause of Christian Science." Morgan wrote in her book, Education at the Principia that, "Although the College is not affiliated with the Christian Science Church, the practice of Christian Science is the cornerstone of campus life." Principia no longer requires its students or their parents to be students of Christian Science or Christian Science Church members. Presently, its student body represents 26 countries and a variety of faith backgrounds.
Principia sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River between Alton and Grafton in the Metro East region of Southern Illinois, thirty miles north of St. Louis. A portion of the school's 2,500-acre (1,000 ha) campus is a designated National Historic Landmark District, for its many buildings and design by architect Bernard Maybeck.
== History ==
Although Principia College was born out of The Principia, founded by Mary Kimball Morgan in 1898, the name Principia was not adopted until …
