# What are the most prestigious US/Global universities that no longer exist? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 27, 2024, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409 "2024-06-27T17:33:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/21 "2024-07-04T13:14:29Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Anyway, quite a few faltering Midwestern colleges went belly-up after a Japanese corporation called Teikyo bought them up. I’m not disputing your info, but since you did the research and presumably already know the answer … What timeframe was Teikyo doing this buy-up? And with what stated intention? No gotcha, just curious. A small Midwestern university near where I used to live in St. Louis MO > **[Lindenwood University in St. Charles / St. Louis, Missouri](https://www.lindenwood.edu/)** > > Founded 1832, Lindenwood University offers dynamic liberal arts degrees in St. Charles, MO & online, fostering academic excellence for St. Louis area students. had been struggling for a long time and in the ~90s got new management and a huge infusion of money from ??? which recovered them to considerable success within their small-scale milieu. With lots of local grumbling that it had to be some sort of pump and dump that somehow hasn’t dumped yet 30 years later. It’d be interesting to compare what went wrong and right. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/22 "2024-07-04T14:38:27Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > it’s rare to find a university that was well thought of back in the day to not be very well thought of today The closest thing to that, I suspect, is Clark University. It was founded around the same time as Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago, MIT, and Caltech, well after the Ivy League ones. Those six universities were all the best private universities other than the Ivy League ones (well, Cornell is partly state-supported) in the early twentieth century. All six still exist, but I suspect that most people have never heard of Clark. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/23 "2024-07-04T16:39:01Z")
Does the OP’s “well thought of” mean “has a high reputation among those who know universities” or does it mean “has high visibility in popular culture”. The OP probably meant #1 while this > [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > but I suspect that most people have never heard of Clark. seems to hint at @Wendell_Wagner using definition #2. I’ve never heard of Clark. I also pretty much ignore all of New England about almost anything, so my ignorance is not surprising. But is Clark considered quality by the people who rate universities? I do note it’s tiny compared to any of the given peers except Caltech. Caltech is an oddball with a much larger graduate headcount than undergrad headcount. AFAIK very few US universities can make that claim. Tiny says very little as to quality, but a lot as to notoriety. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/24 "2024-07-04T17:04:38Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Does the OP’s “well thought of” mean “has a high reputation among those who know universities” or does it mean “has high visibility in popular culture”. The OP probably meant #1 while this I mean would appear high on the rankings in US News and other university ranking lists. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/25 "2024-07-04T17:23:26Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > But is Clark considered quality by the people who rate universities? No, it’s not considered one of the top universities in the U.S. anymore. It’s ranked as being number 142 out of the most significant 439 universities. Again, in the early twentieth century, Clark University, Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago, MIT, and Caltech were considered just a little below the eight Ivy League universities in quality. So it was at least the 14th best university in the U.S. Now it’s considered the 142nd best. It has nothing to do with size: [https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/clark-university-massachusetts-2139/overall-rankings](https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/clark-university-massachusetts-2139/overall-rankings) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/26 "2024-07-04T17:27:53Z")
On what basis are you saying that Clark University was considered just below the Ivy League in the early twentieth century? Is there an early twentieth century equivalent of the US News rankings? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/27 "2024-07-04T18:01:38Z")
On the basis of this: > **[Clark University | History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_University#History)** > > On January 17, 1887, successful American businessman Jonas Gilman Clark announced his intention to found and endow a university in the city of Worcester, filing a petition in the Massachusetts Legislature requesting a charter for Clark University. An Act of Incorporation was duly enacted by the legislature and signed by the governor on March 31 of that same year. Clark University was to incorporate the best features of universities in continental Europe and America, particularly Cornell Unive Cla... ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/28 "2024-07-04T18:05:03Z")
Here’s another website about it: > **[What are some universities that used to be highly ranked but are no longer?](https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-universities-that-used-to-be-highly-ranked-but-are-no-longer)** > > Answer (1 of 3): Thanks for the A2A. > > On the annual National University Rankings list put out by US News & World Report: > > \* Howard University had the largest drop, down 38 spots, to 142. > \* Down 25: University of La Verne (to 161). Down 22:... ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/29 "2024-07-04T18:13:59Z")
Thanks for the additional info. I wasn’t trying to be contrary; just trying to figure out what you meant. Sorry if it came off more contrary / nitpicky than intended. Yeah, clearly they have not kept up in the quality sweepstakes over the last ~100 years. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/30 "2024-07-04T18:15:58Z")
That discussion at Quora mentions Mount Holyoke College and Howard University. Both obviously are aimed at groups (women and blacks) who were excluded from most schools, so I wonder if that’s the reason for their drop in prestige, given that those groups have more choices today. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/31 "2024-07-04T18:19:46Z")
Another thing you should realize is that the reputation of the Ivy League universities around 1900 was not basically about how good the teaching was there. It was also about the fact that the students came from rich families and most of the students were the children of alumni of Ivy League universities. Yes, the students were mostly reasonably smart, but there were a lot of children of alumni and other rich people would got in despite not being particularly smart. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/32 "2024-07-04T18:29:09Z")
They were also at the center of the world when it comes to football back then. People like Walter Camp were changing the game and Yale, Harvard and Princeton were regularly national champions. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/33 "2024-07-04T18:31:15Z")
Even today, the primary benefit of an Ivy education is not the education itself, but the networking, in that it lets you connect with other Important People, and looks really good on a resume. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/34 "2024-07-04T22:42:47Z")
So far in the thread. So few mentions of Trump University. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2024, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/35 "2024-07-05T04:34:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > A small Midwestern university near where I used to live in St. Louis MO And this Doper’s alma mater. Proud (well at least surprised and relieved) BS graduate in 1968. During my years there it was the venerable ivy covered college campus of red brick buildings with big white columns. Less than 500 students living on its picturesque, bucolic campus. Established in 1832 as a genteel Presbyterian seminary for women. When I arrived as a freshman, it was still a college only for women. My sophomore year in 1969 it became coeducational bringing about 30 men students on campus. I was an admissions office volunteer and gave campus tours to National Merit scholar high school seniors the College was trying to recruit. In the spring of 1969 I gave a tour to two Catholic HS seniors from Omaha and the rest is history. Married one of them and the other one became my brother 16 years later when his parents legally adopted me. It was a traditional liberal arts for learning’s sake institution then. Becoming coeducational seemed to work out. As @LSL said, something happened in the 1990s-like it did for many other small private colleges. Lindenwood changed vastly under a new President and Board, but it survived. The new guard ended tenure, teaching was done by a vast cadre of adjuncts, lots of career majors were added. Yada, yada, you can guess the rest. Now it has 16,000 students instead of 466, many of whom never step foot on campus, which would be unrecognizable to me. It survived, people are being educated but it no longer delivers the classic liberal arts education I received. There is a cagey, almost spooky black ops secrecy to this day about where that turnaround money came from and certainly who master-minded it. The new guards tossed out the old guard but no one is saying who that new guard was, much less is. But heh, at least now we have a Division II football team when before all we had was the likes of me racing up and down a field in a short kilt playing varsity field hockey. Any of you find out who that new $$$ and new guard, plus let me know. Until they restore faculty tenure they sure aint getting any of this alum’s money. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2024, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409/36 "2024-07-05T23:04:00Z")
The whole Teikyo thing happened in the 1990s and early 2000s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-prestigious-us-global-universities-that-no-longer-exist/1003409.md?page=1)