The college's sports teams are nicknamed the Hornets and compete in the NCAA Division III Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

[5] In 1850, the Kalamazoo Literary Institute name was restored and in 1855 the school finally received an educational charter from the State of Michigan; it was now officially a college.

Shortly after becoming president, Stone proposed the addition of a theological seminary to increase the supply of ministers in the region.

[9] The first known student of African descent to attend Kalamazoo College was ex-slave Rufus Lewis Perry.

[10] He was ordained a Baptist minister in Ann Arbor in 1861, and later earned a Ph.D. from State University in Louisville, Kentucky.

[12] Kalamazoo College also served as a pioneer in coed education, granting its first degree to a woman, Catherine V. Eldred, in 1870.

[14] The inscription reads: The first classroom building for the Michigan and Huron Institute, now Kalamazoo College, was erected on this site between June and September of 1836.

The charter bill for the school had been introduced in the Michigan Territorial Legislative Council on January 18, 1833, and signed into law by Governor George B. Porter on April 22, 1833.

Village pledges supplied funds for the two-story frame classroom structure, which was the start of Michigan’s first church-related college.

Programs in service-learning include Community Advocates for Parents and Students, Helping Youth through Personal Empowerment, Academic Mentorship In Giants On-going Success, the Woodward School, Keeping the Doors Open, and Farms to K. About 70% of Kalamazoo College students spend at least one term abroad and the college maintains partnerships with over 45 programs and 22 countries on six continents.

College football has been played at Kalamazoo since 1892, when the school completed a record of 0 wins and 2 losses, both to the Olivet Comets.

[35] In 1897, the first coach came to the program with Charles Hall, who led the team to a record of 7 wins and 1 loss, earning the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship.

[36] The Kalamazoo College men's tennis team has won 78 consecutive Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships (1936–2013) with a record of 426–3 in the MIAA from 1935 - 2007.

[39][40] Allison Iott finished 10th in the 2008 NCAA D-3 Championship, earning USTFCCCA All-American honors in cross country.

[41] In 2001, the men's basketball team was at the center of a lengthy dispute regarding the outcome of a January 20 game with league rival the Olivet Comets.

With Olivet leading 70–69, Kalamazoo center, Kevin Baird, made a shot at the buzzer that was initially waved off by referees.

The referees reviewed videotape of the game and determined that the player had, in fact, released his shot before the buzzer; they then awarded Kalamazoo a 71–70 victory.

[43] The words to the college fight-song, "All Hail to Kazoo," were written by A. G. Walton (1911) with music by D. R. Belcher (1909), arranged by Burton Edward Fischer.

During the winter quarter, the college holds the annual Monte Carlo night, on which the student body raises money by gambling in a makeshift casino where the professors are the dealers.

Kaleidoscope (formerly known as the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Ally Student Organization, GLBTSO) hosted the Crystal Ball each spring.

[45] The tradition continues in most other aspects; it is still hosted by the same club and attendees are still encouraged to don attire that thoughtfully represents or challenges their gender identity.

The Quad is also the site of numerous large-scale events throughout the year, including Homecoming, Spring Fling, Convocation, and Commencement.

There is a mass streak after the spring performance by Frelon, the Kalamazoo College dance group, and also during the day by the senior class.

A crew of student workers operates one of the nation's most successful recycling programs and organizes the school's participation in the annual RecycleMania event, a competition among over 400 colleges and universities across the United States.

[49] Kalamazoo College signed the President's Climate Commitment in 2007 and has completed a greenhouse gas emission inventory.

Open to all students, including those with no musical experience, the courses train them to play brass and woodwind instruments.

He was scheduled to take office on July 1, 2016, and has declared that he will host multiple new interdisciplinary programmes, such as Latin American studies and public health.