Concord University is a public university in Athens, West Virginia. It was founded on February 28, 1872, when the West Virginia Legislature passed “an Act to locate a Branch State Normal School, in Concord Church, in the County of Mercer”. It is known for its picturesque campus which has been dubbed “The Campus Beautiful”[4][5] and its scenic location on a knoll overlooking the mountains in the area.[6] The university also operates a center and conducts classes in Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia.