Discover Eureka College on the Web

President J. David Arnold welcomes you to eureka

Click to watch this greeting from President Arnold which aired during the showing of the documentary "Reagan" on PBS' American Experience.

Thank you for visiting the Eureka College website!

Eureka is a liberal arts college located equidistant between the cities of Peoria and Bloomington/Normal in the city of Eureka, Illinois.

Chartered in 1855 to provide a "non-sectarian" liberal arts education by abolitionists who were members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Eureka was the first college in Illinois and the third in the nation to admit men and women on an equal basis.

Eureka currently has almost 770 students enrolled in more than 30 degree programs. Focused on "excellence in learning, service, and leadership," Eureka graduates include 42 college presidents, seven governors and members of Congress, and the 40th President of the United States -- Ronald W. Reagan.

Whenever we ask our students and alumni what they like best about EC, the answer is always the same - the sense of belonging to a close and caring community where there are multiple opportunities to get involved in a wide variety of campus programs and activities.

Our low tuition and scholarship programs make EC's undergraduate experience, one rich in personal attention and involvement opportunities, affordable for students and their families.

We invite you to visit our beautiful and historic campus with 24 academic and residential buildings on 112 wooded acres -- including buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Ronald Reagan Museum and Peace Garden. Attend one of our many music, arts, cultural, and sporting events that take place throughout the year. Campus facilities and catering services are available for special events, seminars, and social gatherings.

To learn more about EC and our vibrant learning community located in the heart of Illinois, please call 1-888 4-Eureka (1-888-438-7352).

Yours 'neath the Elms,'

Dr. J. David Arnold
President


President J. David Arnold

Get to know

Eureka's President

President, J. David Arnold, Ph.D., began duties as the 26th president of Eureka College in July of 2005. Dr. Arnold formerly was vice president for academic and student affairs at Missouri Western State College, St. Joseph, Mo. He also served as provost at St. John Fisher College and as a dean and grants officer at Clarion University. He started his academic career teaching psychology and writing at St. Lawrence University, a residential liberal arts college where he was tenured and promoted before becoming an associate dean. As an academic leader and author, Dr. Arnold has focused on forging connections between the curricular,
co-curricular, and extracurricular spheres of students' experience in learning communities, engaging faculty in strategic planning, and promoting the "teacher-scholar" model of faculty professional development at liberal arts institutions.

A native of Lancaster, Pa., and the first in his family to graduate from college, Dr. Arnold completed his undergraduate degree with honors at Bloomsburg University (formerly Bloomsburg State College), graduate work at the University of New Hampshire, and summer post-doctoral study at the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University. A self-described movie buff and nature enthusiast, Dr. Arnold and his wife, Katherine, have a son in college, Andrew, and two grown children, Jason and Amy.