Mary Baldwin University

Mary Baldwin University (abbreviated as MBU), formerly Mary Baldwin College, is a private liberal arts, master’s-level university[3][4][5] in Staunton, Virginia, USA. It was founded in 1842 by Rufus William Bailey as the Augusta Female Seminary. Today, Mary Baldwin University is home to the Mary Baldwin College for Women, a residential women's college with a focus on liberal arts and leadership, as well as co-educational residential undergraduate programs within its University College structure. MBU also offers co-educational graduate degrees as well as undergraduate degree and certificate programs for non-traditional-aged students. The university is the oldest institution of higher education for women in the nation affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, and it is home to the only all-female corps of cadets in the world. U.S. News & World Report lists MBU among the top Regional Universities in the South in its 2017 edition of “Best Colleges.”Located in Staunton, Virginia within Augusta County, the university was founded as the Augusta Female Seminary in 1842 by Rufus William Bailey. Among the first students was Mary Julia Baldwin. In 1863, Baldwin was named principal and headed the school through the Civil War, although most schools in the area had closed due to the war and economic hardship. The school was renamed Mary Baldwin Seminary in 1895 in honor of Baldwin. In 1923, the name changed to Mary Baldwin College when the school became a four-year institution. In 1963, Mary Baldwin officially ended its policy of admitting only white women.