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History

1810

American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions organized in Boston
1840

cyrus_hamlin
Missionary Cyrus Hamlin founds Bebek Seminary outside of Constantinople
1862

Seminary transferred to Merzifon in north central Turkey; construction of campus begins
1886

charles_tracy
Anatolia College founded at the Merzifon Seminary with Charles Tracy as President; the students are principally Greek and Armenian, most coming from outside of Merzifon and boarding at the school; the faculty is Greek, Armenian, and American; enrollment soon reaches 115 students
1893

Girls' School founded
1894

Anatolia incorporated under the laws of the state of Massachusetts
1895

First Turkish attacks on Armenians
1914-1915

Turkish massacres of Armenians, including those on Anatolia faculty
1916

Anatolia closed because of World War I, campus occupied by Turkish troops
1919

Anatolia reopens
1920

Enrollment stands at 218 students, with an equal number in the Girls' School; campus consists of more than 40 New England style buildings; Anatolia includes a kindergarten,a school for the deaf, high schools for boys and girls, a college-level program, a theological seminary, one of the largest hospitals in Asia Minor, and an orphanage for 2000 orphans
1921

Executions by Turks of student leaders and faculty advisor of the Pontus club, the school's Greek literary society; Turkish government orders the closing of Anatolia College; 2,425 students had graduated since 1886
1922

Smyrna catastrophe and defeat of Greek expeditionary force; Anatolia Board of Trustees organized in Boston
1923

Population exchange between Greece and Turkey
1924

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With help from Eleftherios Venizelos, Anatolia reopens in Thessaloniki, in rented buildings in Harilaou, with 13 students, mostly refugees; enrollment soon jumps to 157
1927

girlsschool
Mission School for Girls in Thessaloniki becomes part of Anatolia College
1934

macedonia_hall_uc ac1934
Anatolia moves to newly constructed campus above the city near the village of Pylea, on the lower slopes of Mt. Hortiatis
1937

Anatolia Alumni Association begun
1940

Greece enters World War II when Italy invades; school closed, campus used as military hospital
1941

Germany invades Greece, campus taken over by Germans as general headquarters for the Balkans
1944-1945

British Army occupies the campus
1945

War ends, Anatolia reopens as repair of damaged campus proceeds; Girls' School moved into temporary quarters on the Anatolia campus after its building on Allatini Street burns
1949

The last units of the British Army depart the campus
1950s

Girls' School buildings constructed
1950-1958

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Carl Compton serves as Anatolia President
1958

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Dr. Howard Johnston appointed President
1960's

Anatolia increases enrollment to over 1000 students
1964

robert_hayden
Robert Hayden appointed President; Secretarial School opened
1972

Joseph Kennedy appointed President
1974

william_mcgrew
Dr. William McGrew appointed President; arrival of 26 scholarship students from Cyprus in the wake of the Turkish invasion
1980

Anatolia begins transition to co-education
1981

American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) founded to provide post-secondary instruction in business and the liberal arts
1986

Anatolia College celebrates its centennial year
1993

ACT grants first 4-year Baccalaureate degrees in Liberal Arts and Science
1997

ACT accredited by New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
1998

IB_logo_2013
International Baccalaureate program introduced to the Anatolia High School curriculum.
1999

richard jackson
Mr. Richard Jackson appointed President
2002

Inauguration of the Bissell Library.
An intensive American-style MBA program begins at ACT.
2003

Anatolia Elementary School opens adjacent to campus.
2005

Alumni Field renovated
2007

Opening of renovated Raphael Hall.
2008

ACT undergraduate programs become EU accredited.

Opening of renovated Gymnasium.
2009

hans_giesecke
Dr. Hans Giesecke named 10th President of Anatolia.
2010

Anatolia Elementary School (lower campus) moves to new campus.
2011

Establishment of the President’s Club - The institutions’ most steadfast and ardent supporters.

Renovation of A’ side soccerfield gifted by Anatolia College Alumni Association.

Initiated and fulfilled the fundraising goal for the 125th Anniversary Matching Fund.
2013

panos_vlachos
Dr. Panos Vlachos named 11th President of Anatolia College.

ACT undergraduate programs are now accredited by the Open University in the UK.

CTY Greece begins operating at Anatolia College, with the Johns Hopkins University serving as their program adviser and the Stavros Niarchos as a founding donor.
2014

The Entrepreneurship Hub is established at ACT.
2017

The Lifelong Learning Hub receives its license in the Fall and is ready to offer its first programs.
2019

Pinewood International School is welcomed into the Anatolia family.
2020

The Anna Papageorgiou STEM Center, built on the Anatolia High School campus, is inaugurated.

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Contact

Anatolia College
P.O. Box 21021
60 John Kennedy Avenue
555 35 Pylea
Thessaloniki
Tel.: +30-2310-398-200
Fax: +30-2310-327-500

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