An American missionary school "Syrian Protestant College" (1866-1920)

Missionaries established many organizations to spread Christianity within the Ottoman borders. One of these organizations was the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM). Missionaries working under this institution continued their educational, health, evangelical preaching and press activities in Syria uninterruptedly since 1820. The first missionary school established in the region within the scope of educational activities was established in 1824, and many schools providing education at primary school level were opened, the number of which was rapidly increasing. As a continuation of these schools, which were thought to have failed to meet the needs over time, the Syrian Protestant College (SPC), or "El-Medresetü'l-Külliyetü's-Suriyetü'l-İnciliyye" in Arabic, was opened without a license on December 3, 1866. Missionaries divided the region into missions and stations to make it more understandable. The Syria-Palestine mission, in which the College was involved, was transferred to the Presbyterian Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (BFMPC), which worked in coordination with ABCFM in 1870. In SPC, which claimed that it would combine Christian ideals with modern views and provide an advanced Western education, departments of Colligeate, Medicine, Pharmacy were opened in the establishment phase. In later years, Preparatory, Dentistry, Nursing, Commerce departments and Biblical Archeology and Philology departments were opened. The Ottoman Empire was cautious about the College and wanted the graduation exams of Medicine and Pharmacy students to be held in Istanbul by the instructors of Mekteb-i Tibbiye-i Şahane. It was claimed that college graduates influenced the socio-economic and cultural structure of the region. The College claimed to provide education within the framework of its "civilizing mission" but carried out the education with the mission of raising the pioneers of the region. However, it never compromised on the education it provided based on Protestant morality and it subjected her students to compulsory practices accordingly. Due to the impact of these practices, problems occurred at the College from time to time. The College, which is claimed to have caused many firsts in the region, attracted attention with its press and publication activities. It is understood that the institution took an active part in the work carried out within the framework of the medical mission with the Ottoman Government during the World War I, maintained positive relations with the government and remained open for all but two weeks during the war. Many doctors, pharmacists, dentists, teachers, engineers, lawyers and clergy were trained at the College. The institution also had a representative in the Advisory Board at the conference convened for the future of the region. The college remained within the mandate after World War I, and changed its name to the American University of Beirut in 1920.