Concord University is a comprehensive, public, liberal arts institution located in Athens, West Virginia, United States, 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". Founded by veterans of both the Union and the Confederacy, Concord is named for the ideal of "harmony and sweet fellowship". It is known for its picturesque campus which has been dubbed "The Campus Beautiful".