s ▁men ' s ▁cross ▁country ▁team ▁won ▁the ▁Mid west ▁Conference ▁champion ships ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁be ating ▁Gr inn ell ▁College ▁and ▁ending ▁its ▁ 1 4 - year ▁winning ▁stre ak . ▁ ▁Rec ogn ition ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁News week ▁named ▁Lawrence ▁University ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁most ▁rig orous ▁U . S . ▁college . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁For bes ▁ranked ▁Lawrence ▁ 6 3 rd ▁on ▁the ▁list ▁of ▁America ' s ▁( 6 0 0 ) ▁Best ▁Colleg es , ▁which ▁combined ▁national ▁research ▁univers ities , ▁liberal ▁arts ▁colleg es , ▁and ▁military ▁academ ies ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁survey . ▁Lawrence ▁was ▁ranked ▁ 5 6 th ▁on ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁U . S . ▁News : ▁List ▁of ▁Best ▁U . S . ▁National ▁Liberal ▁Arts ▁Colleg es . ▁Lawrence ▁was ▁included ▁in ▁Loren ▁Pope ' s ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁book , ▁Colleg es ▁That ▁Change ▁L ives . ▁Inside Col lege ▁lists ▁Lawrence ▁University ▁as ▁a ▁college ▁of ▁distinction . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁N iche ▁named ▁Lawrence ▁University ▁the ▁top ▁private ▁university ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Wisconsin . ▁ ▁Notable ▁fac ulty ▁▁ ▁William ▁Chan ey , ▁historian ▁ ▁Richard ▁N . ▁Current , ▁historian ▁ ▁William ▁H . ▁R iker , ▁political ▁scient ist ▁ ▁Charles ▁B . ▁Sch ud son , ▁judge ▁