Deree College - History

History

The American College of Greece was founded in 1875 in the city of Smyrna, Asia Minor, by American Christian missionaries. Initially an all-girls secondary school, it became an institution of higher education in 1885. The College was shut down in 1922 during the massive flight of Greeks from Asia Minor following the Asia Minor Disaster in the aftermath of World War I. In 1923, Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos invited the College to reopen in Athens. It did so that same year and survived the World War II Nazi occupation of the country. In the 70s the undergraduate division of The American College of Greece was renamed DEREE College, in honor of William Deree, a wealthy Greek American philanthropist from Chicago. DEREE has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) since 1981. Its degrees are equivalent to degrees issued by US colleges and universities. DEREE has a 64-acre campus in Agia Paraskevi, a suburb of Athens, just 6 miles from the center. It has another campus in Downtown Athens. DEREE - The American College of Greece offers 21 undegraduate majors leading to BA or BS degrees, and 8 graduate specialties leading to master's degrees. It also offers a series of graduate diplomas and certificates, professional qualification and continuing education courses.