A Methodist women's college in Lexington, Missouri that operated from 1869 to 1925.
Central Female College was founded in 1869 as Marvin Female Institute in Lexington, Missouri, named after Bishop Enoch Mather Marvin of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In December 1870, the Missouri Masons donated their former college building and five acres to the institution, valued at $20,000. The college relocated to this campus in 1871 and was renamed Central Female College that October. It operated under the governance of three Methodist conferences and served as a women's educational institution for over five decades.
The college's first-year curriculum included algebra, arithmetic, grammar, Latin, mechanical philosophy, moral philosophy, music instruments, physiology and hygiene, rhetoric, trigonometry, and vocal music. By 1904, the institution had grown to support 135 students with eighteen teachers and officers. The college was one of seven women's colleges in Missouri that were original members of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society.
The college maintained several Greek letter organizations, including Beta Sigma Omicron, Phi Theta Kappa, Eta Upsilon Gamma, and Sigma Iota Chi. These organizations fostered community and leadership among the student body throughout the institution's history.
In March 1925, the three Methodist conferences announced plans to relocate the college to provide a larger campus with improved facilities. Kansas City expressed interest in hosting the relocated institution, and a million-dollar fund was established for the move with a donation of 100 acres. The college closed at the end of spring 1925. Its Lexington property was subsequently acquired by Central College (now Central Methodist University) in Fayette, Missouri, including three main buildings: an administration building, dormitory, and classroom/auditorium building.