A Review of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut

Presenting a review of Wesleyan University , Middletown, CT has to include some mention of the "little three". Along with Williams College and Amherst College in nearby Massachusetts, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT was a member of the what was once the "Triangular League" and later the "Little Three" formed to provide reasonable intercollegiate athletic competition among like schools. While Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT is the most frequently overlooked or forgotten of the original "Little Three" it share a common reputation in New England and beyond for providing excellent academics but with a hefty price tag attached.

Which Wesleyan Is This Anyway. In 1831 a group of Methodist clergymen and local Middletown,CT residents pooled their efforts and their funds to establish Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. The school itself was named to honor John Wesley the founder of the Methodist Church. Even though the school had a Methodist bent it was formed as primarily a liberal arts college. Wesleyan University formally broke its ties with the Methodist Church in 1937 but continue its active interest in service to others.

Wesleyan's academic leaders were forward looking in their approach to education. Wesleyan was one of the first institutions of higher learning to dedicate a building on campus to scientific study. Wesleyan took a liberal stance on civil rights and also experimented in the 19th century with permitting women to enter the college on an equal footing with men.

Today when people speak of Wesleyan University they have to further clarify their remarks, because in the United States today there are more than a dozen Wesleyan Colleges or Universities around the country. While Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT is the oldest and probably the best known there are others that sprung up in far flung locations all named for John Wesley.