MacMurray College is a career-directed liberal arts college located in Jacksonville, Illinois. As of September 2010, it claimed more than 528 students, counting 47 high school students in its enrollment number. The College did not report enrollment numbers for the Spring 2011 semester and does not list enrollment numbers on its website. It is 30 miles (48 km) from Springfield and 235 miles (378 km) from Chicago. Although founded in 1846 by a group of Methodist clergymen as the Illinois Conference Female Academy, the first class was not held until 1848. Since its beginnings, the college has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It is one of the oldest institutions of higher education originally for women in the United States. The school was renamed the Illinois Conference Female College in 1851, with the name changed again to Illinois Female College in 1863 and Illinois Woman's College in 1899. The name was changed to MacMurray College for Women in 1930 to honor James E.