Bacone College in Oklahoma, after declaring bankruptcy almost a year ago, has been ordered to liquidate its assets, signaling the end of the institution. Acting president Leslie Hannah indicated that the college ceased operations due to overwhelming financial challenges, including unpaid vendor lawsuits. Enrollment plummeted from nearly 1,000 students in 2013 to just 106 this fall, highlighting long-standing financial issues. Initially founded in the 1860s for Native American education, Bacone's closure marks a significant loss for its community, which also faced difficulties in obtaining federal funding.
"My understanding is this is the death of Bacone," acting president Leslie Hannah told the newspaper, adding that he had been advised by legal counsel "to cease all operations."
The roots of the college trace back to the 1860s, when Almon C. Bacone, a white Christian missionary, established a boarding school for Native American children.
Bacone enrolled nearly 900 students at the time and never recovered from the short-lived closure.
Bacone's inability to gain tribal college status, and the federal funding that would come with it, was another challenge.
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