| Defiance College | |
| Former Name: | Defiance Female Seminary (1850–1903) |
| Motto: | "Defi the ordinary" |
| Endowment: | $19.2 million (2020)[1] |
| Faculty: | 86 |
| President: | Richanne C. Mankey |
| Students: | 740 |
| Undergrad: | 671 |
| Postgrad: | 69 |
| Country: | United States |
| Colors: | Purple and gold |
| Sports Nickname: | Yellow Jackets, Lady Jackets |
| Athletics Affiliations: | NAIA – WHAC MSFA - (Football) |
Defiance College is a private college located in Defiance, Ohio and affiliated with the United Church of Christ. The campus includes eighteen buildings and access to the 2001NaN1 Thoreau Wildlife Sanctuary.[2] The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, but the college has been on probation since 2023 for concerns with one out of the eighteen accreditation criteria.[3]
The college began as Defiance Female Seminary in 1850 and was opened by the Christian Connection, which itself later became part of the United Church of Christ, to provide schooling for young women. In 1903 the Defiance Female Seminary formally became Defiance College, making it one of only two religious-affiliated colleges to begin operation in Ohio during the 20th century.
During President Kevin McCann's leadership (1951–1964), the campus increased in size to 140acres; the library, student union, and Pilgrim halls were built; and old buildings were renovated. President Dwight D. Eisenhower paid two visits to Defiance. On October 15, 1953, he laid the cornerstone for the Anthony Wayne Library of American Study https://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/jefferso.htm. Eisenhower re-visited the campus on May 26, 1963, to deliver the commencement address, at which time the college announced that one room in the library had been designated "the Eisenhower Room," honoring the friendship between Eisenhower and Kevin C. McCann.
The Defiance College Yellow Jackets compete in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) as an NCAA Division III school.[4] On October 6, 2023, it was announced that the Defiance College Yellow Jackets would rejoin the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) on July 1, 2024 and would compete in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) in every sport except for football, which will join the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA).