Mount Union College is located in Alliance, Ohio, a city of 25,000 with a rich history and small-town feel. Known as the 'Carnation City' because of resident and politician Dr. Levi Lamborn's role in the creation of the state flower, Alliance offers a number of highlights, from peaceful parks and a refurbished downtown to restaurants, movie theatres and other artistic opportunities.
Alliance was incorporated in 1889 upon the merging of three small communities: Williamsport, Freedom and Liberty. In 1891, the village of Mount Union, home of Mount Union College, was annexed to Alliance.
An industrial town, Alliance thrived after the development of two railroads ' the Cleveland and Wellsville and the Ohio and Pennsylvania. Although many of the original businesses are no longer in the area, the commerce-friendly city continues to seek out new business through innovative planning.
Alliance's largest employer is Alliance Community Hospital, which recently began construction on a new state-of-the-art facility. The project includes a four-story facility, professional building and nursing home.
Educationally, Alliance is excelling. New or refurbished school buildings are part of an initiative between the Alliance City Schools and the Ohio School Facilities Commission. The school district is supported by the efforts of the Rodman Public Library, which offers a number of cultural and educational programs in addition to its traditional printed materials and e-book program.
Cultural opportunities are abundant in Alliance. The Alliance Art Center, Carnation City Players, Alliance Symphony Orchestra. Alliance Area Concert Association, Youth-Ful Chamber Orchestra and Mount Union Alliance Chorale provide entertainment and education to the community, and the Carnation Cinema and Mount Union Theatre bring motion pictures to the area.
Churches of various denominations, parks, restaurants and other entertainment venues, civic and professional organizations, non-profit groups and means of public transportation all call Alliance home. The city also has a daily newspaper, 'The Alliance Review,' and local radio stations, WDPN 1310 AM and WZKL 92.5 FM.
The 'Carnation City' is also home to the annual Carnation Festival, complete with a parade, ribs-burnoff and park festival, among other activities. In 2004, the city became a 'One Book-One Community' participant, with more than 500 citizens reading and discussing the same book. This will become an annual community-building event.