Widener University is a

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester is ...

. The university has three other campuses: two in Pennsylvania (

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...

and Exton) and one in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

. Founded as The Bullock School for Boys in 1821, the school was established in Wilmington, Delaware. It became The Alsop School for Boys from 1846 to 1853, and then Hyatt's Select School for Boys from 1853 to 1859. Military instruction was introduced in 1858, and the school changed its name in 1859 to Delaware Military Academy. It moved to Pennsylvania in 1862 and became Chester County Military Academy. It was known as Pennsylvania Military College after 1892 and adopted the Widener name in 1972. About 3,300 undergraduates and 3,300 graduate students attend Widener in eight degree-granting schools. The university offers associate,

baccalaureate Baccalaureate may refer to: * ''Baccalauréat'', a French national academic qualification * Bachelor's degree, or baccalaureate, an undergraduate academic degree * English Baccalaureate, a performance measure to assess secondary schools in England ...

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

, and doctoral degrees in areas ranging from traditional

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...

to professional programs. It is classified among "Doctoral/Professional Universities" and a "Community Engagement Institution".

History

Widener University was founded in 1821 as the Bullock School for Boys preparatory school in

, by John Bullock. Bullock operated the school until 1846 when it was sold to Samuel Alsop and renamed the Alsop School for Boys. In 1853, the school was sold to Theodore Hyatt and renamed the Hyatt's Select School for Boys, and again in 1859 to the Delaware Military Academy. In 1862, the school moved to

West Chester, Pennsylvania West Chester is a borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania. Located within the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,461 at the 2010 census. West Chester is the mailing address for most of its neighb ...

. By act of assembly on April 8, 1862, the

Pennsylvania legislature The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvani ...

incorporated the school as a university under the name of Chester County Military Academy. In 1865, the school moved to Chester, Pennsylvania, and occupied the building which would become the Old Main building of the

Crozer Theological Seminary The Crozer Theological Seminary was a Baptist seminary located in Upland, Pennsylvania. Martin Luther King Jr. was a student at Crozer Theological Seminary from 1948 to 1951, and graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity degree. In 1970, the semina ...

. By 1868, the school outgrew the Crozer Old Main building and relocated to its current location. From 1892 to 1966, the school was known as Pennsylvania Military College (PMC) and was under the direction of General Charles Hyatt. PMC was once one of the nation's

senior military colleges In the United States, a senior military college (SMC) is one of six colleges that offer military Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programs under , though many other schools offer military Reserve Officers' Training Corps under other sectio ...

. In 1869, Pennsylvania Military College was the first school to have a

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

detail stationed at the school and to receive federal arms for training. In 1904, the school was recognized on the first list of distinguished institutions published by the

U.S. War Department The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...

. In 1923, "American March King"

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dist ...

wrote and dedicated "The Dauntless Battalion" march to PMC's President (Colonel Charles E. Hyatt), the faculty and the cadets of PMC. Sousa had been presented with an honorary doctor of music degree by the college in 1920, and he was impressed by the cadet cavalry horsemen. In 1966, the school changed its name again to PMC Colleges, which incorporated Pennsylvania Military College as well as Penn Morton College, which had a non-military, co-educational curriculum. The school expanded the Chester campus from 25 acres to 90 acres. Graduate programs were introduced in 1966, ''Note:'' This includes and female students were first enrolled in 1967. In 1972, the institution was renamed Widener College to honor the memory of

Eleanor Elkins Widener Eleanor Elkins Widener ( Elkins, later known as Eleanor Elkins Widener Rice or Mrs. Alexander Hamilton Rice; 1937) was an American heiress, socialite, philanthropist, and adventuress best remembered for her donation to Harvard University of th ...

, the maternal grandmother of

Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr. Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr. (August 14, 1923 – August 2, 2006) was an American educator, sportsman, and philanthropist. Early life He was the son of banker Fitz Eugene Dixon Sr. and Eleanor Widener (1891-1966), a member of the wealthy Widener family ...

, a generous supporter of the organization over four decades and a member of the prominent

Widener family The Widener family is an American family from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded by Peter Arrell Browne Widener (1834–1915) and his wife, Hannah Josephine Dunton (1836–1896), it was once one of the wealthiest families in the United ...

of Philadelphia. The Corps of Cadets disbanded, although an

Army ROTC The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AROTC) is the United States Army component of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. It is the largest Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program which is a group of college and university-based offic ...

program was retained. The Widener University School of Law was acquired in 1975, which was split in 2015 to become two separate law schools: one on the Delaware campus and another in Harrisburg –

Widener University Commonwealth Law School Widener University Commonwealth Law School (Widener Law Commonwealth) is a law school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and part of Widener University, a private university in Chester, Pennsylvania. It is one of two separate ABA-accredited ...

. In recognition of its comprehensive offerings, Widener College became Widener University in 1979. Today, Widener is a four-campus university offering more than 80 programs of study.

Architecture

The Manor House was designed and built by

Jonathan Edwards Woodbridge Jonathan Edwards Woodbridge (January 16, 1844 – May 21, 1935) was an American shipbuilder and naval architect from Richmond, Virginia. He served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War and was one of the Virginia Military Institut ...

in 1888 at 14th and Potter Street. It was a wedding gift to his wife, Louise Deshong, and was originally named "The Louise". It was modeled after the late 19th-century English country manor style and is unique for its hand-made brick construction. The house was given to the city of Chester as a home for young women. In 1976, Widener University purchased the home for use as a student residence. It later became home to the

Phi Sigma Sigma Phi Sigma Sigma (), colloquially known as Phi Sig, was the first collegiate nonsectarian sorority to allow membership of women of all faiths and backgrounds. The sorority was founded on November 26, 1913, and lists 60,000 initiated members, 115 ...

sorority. The home is currently used by Widener University as a student dormitory. The Old Main and Chemistry Building were listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1978.

Timeline

Throughout its long history, the university has undergone several name changes. The following table details the various names Widener has held over the years as well as any significant organizational changes that occurred during each period.

Campuses

Widener consists of four campuses, the Main Campus in Chester, Pennsylvania, plus campuses in Wilmington,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, and Exton,

. Founded in 1866 after the school moved to Chester, the main campus consists of over 100 buildings and serves all undergraduate day students as well as Continuing Studies, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) students, and graduate students. Widener's graduate programs include business, education, engineering, nursing, social work, physical therapy, and clinical psychology. The School of Law, which opened in 1976 on the Delaware Campus, consists of 16 buildings across and is from the Main Campus. It contains the School of Law as well as the Legal Education Institute. Some classes for Continuing Studies students and graduate business students are also held here. The Harrisburg Campus, opening in 1989, contains the

and has graduate programs in nursing and social work held there. In July 2015, Widener School of Law, which used to be one school sitting on the Delaware and Harrisburg campuses, split to become

Widener University Delaware Law School Widener University Delaware Law School (Delaware Law School and formerly Widener University School of Law) is a private law school in Wilmington, Delaware. It is one of two separate ABA-accredited law schools of Widener University. Widener Univ ...

in Wilmington and

in Harrisburg. Starting in 2004, the Exton Campus was added to Widener's growing institution. It is located in a business park from the Main Campus. It primarily serves Continuing Studies students and contains Widener's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), which provides continuing education programs for retired adults.

Academics

Widener's academic offerings include over 50 undergraduate majors, 40 minors, and more than 30 graduate programs of study. Widener has an undergraduate student to faculty ratio of 12:1 with 90% of the full-time faculty having doctorates or the highest degree in their field. In addition, 60% of all classes contain less than 20 students.

Libraries and museums

Child Feeding her Pets (1872) painting by Gaetano Chierici

The Wolfgram Memorial Library contains 242,000 volumes, 175,000 microfilms, 12,000 audio-visual materials and 1,960 serial subscriptions. In 1979, Widener University leased and restored the Deshong Art Museum located on Edgemont Avenue in Chester. The Deshong Art Museum was built in 1914 after the death of the art collector and wealthy industrialist Alfred O. Deshong left his trust and land to the city of Chester. Deshong donated over 300 pieces of art to the museum including carved Japanese ivory figures, Chinese carved hard stone vessels and 19th century American and European paintings. Over the years, the museum fell into disrepair and in July 1984 the trustees that managed the art museum dissolved the trust. The Asian and impressionistic art collection were given to Widener University and are displayed in their permanent collection. The PMC Museum highlights the legacy of the Pennsylvania Military Academy of Cadets with exhibits of sabres, uniforms, scrapbooks, newspapers and yearbooks.

Rankings and classifications

In 2013, Widener was named a finalist for the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll Presidential award – one of only 14 institutions in the nation to receive that honor. The university has made the honor roll every year since its inception in 2006. The ''2018 Best Colleges'' list from '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Widener as tied for 192nd among 311 national universities, with a score of 32 out of 100. It also ranked Widener's undergraduate engineering program 103rd among all 200 programs whose highest engineering degree is a bachelor's or master's. Out of the 262 national universities ranked, Widener is 55th in the category "Highest Proportion of Classes Under 20 Students". The 2008 ''U.S. News & World Report's Best Graduate Schools'' ranks several of Widener's graduate programs: clinical psychology → #145, health care management → #49, nursing → #141, physical therapy → #173, and social work → #140.

Athletics

Widener has 22 varsity teams (11 for men and 11 for women) participating in

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

within the

MAC Commonwealth The MAC Commonwealth, in full Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth, is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. It is one of the three conferences that operate under the umbrella of the Middle Atlantic Conf ...

of the

Middle Atlantic Conferences The Middle Atlantic Conferences (MAC) is an umbrella organization of three athletic conferences that competes in the NCAA's Division III. The 18 member colleges are in the Mid-Atlantic United States. The organization is divided into two main con ...

(MAC). Formerly known as the Pioneers, their nickname changed to the Pride in the Fall of 2006 after a student poll. Widener sports teams include: *Men's and Women's varsity:

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

, cross country,

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

indoor track and field Track and field is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of ...

, outdoor track and field, volleyball and golf. *Men's varsity:

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

*Women's varsity:

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ci ...

and

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

*Co-ed Varsity:

esports Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. Although orga ...

*Club sports: men's

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

, men's

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

, women's rugby, and

cheerleading Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...

Athletic achievements

The

team has had recent success winning the MAC championship in 2012 and an "Elite 8" appearance in the Division III Playoffs, the ECAC Southwest Bowl in 2011, and the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl in 2005. Its greatest success has been winning the NCAA Division III National Championship in 1977 and 1981 under long-time coach

Bill Manlove William B. Manlove Jr. (born February 5, 1933) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Widener University from 1969 to 1991, at Delaware Valley College from 1992 to 1995, and at La Salle University from 1997 ...

and reaching the semi-finals in 1979, 1980, and 2000. Widener also reached the quarterfinals of the tournament in 2012 before losing to eventual NCAA D-III National Champion, Mount Union, by a lopsided 72–17 score. In 2014, the team again won the MAC championship and eventually lost in the NCAA Division III tournament in the "Elite Eight" to Linfield by a score of 45–7. Additionally, Widener football has won 17 MAC championships, the most of any team in the conference. Billy "White Shoes" Johnson played for Widener in the early 70s. He went on to be an all-pro NFL player and was selected to the

NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team The National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team was chosen by a selection committee of media and league personnel in 1994 to honor the greatest players of the first 75 years of the National Football League (NFL). Five players on the li ...

as well as the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

. The men's basketball team has won 15 MAC titles and appeared in the NCAA Division III Tournament 17 times, advancing to the "Sweet 16" in 1987 and 2006, the "Final 4" in 1985, and the championship game in 1978. The men's lacrosse team has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 8 times since 2000 and has won 12 MAC titles since 1996. The men's swimming team has won 12 MAC titles since 1994.

Athletic facilities

The Schwartz Athletic Center is home to basketball, swimming, indoor track, and volleyball. It houses a newly renovated by 25 meter 10-lane competition swimming pool, squash/racquetball courts, and administrative offices for the athletic department. Schwartz is also home to the new Wellness Center, opened in April 2006 to provide the faculty, staff, and students with additional recreational and fitness opportunities. In addition to

exercise equipment Exercise equipment is any apparatus or device used during physical activity to enhance the strength or conditioning effects of that exercise by providing either fixed or adjustable amounts of resistance, or to otherwise enhance the experience or ...

, the Wellness Center provides fitness classes and a

rock climbing wall A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used i ...

. Opening in 1994, Leslie C. Quick Jr. Stadium seats over 4,000 people and has a turf playing field surrounded by an 8-lane track. The stadium houses the football, soccer, men's lacrosse, and outdoor track & field teams. In addition, Edith R. Dixon Field, opening in 2005, houses the women's field hockey and lacrosse teams. It sports an artificial turf, lighting, and a scoreboard. The field is also used for the

intramural Intramural sports are recreational sports organized within a particular institution, usually an educational institution, or a set geographic region. The term, which is chiefly North American, derives from the Latin words ''intra muros'' meaning " ...

teams. In Fall 2019, the Esports Arena in the basement of University Center opened for the inaugural season of the esports program. The arena includes 26 top-of-the-line

gaming PC A gaming computer or gaming PC is a personal computer specifically designed for playing video games at very high graphic and gameplay configurations. Gaming PCs typically differ from mainstream personal computers by using high- performance vid ...

s and serves as both a practice and competition space for the athletes. The

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

held their summer training camp on Widener's campus between 1973 and 1979. The 2006 movie ''

Invincible Invincible may refer to: Film and television * ''Invincible'' (2001 drama film), a drama by Werner Herzog about Jewish cabaret during the rise of Nazism * ''Invincible'' (2001 TV film), a fantasy / martial arts TV movie starring Billy Zane ...

'' depicts the campus during the Eagles' 1976 summer training camp. Since 2006, the

Philadelphia Soul Philadelphia soul, sometimes called Philly soul, the Philadelphia sound, Phillysound, or The Sound of Philadelphia TSOP, is a genre of late 1960s–1970s soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often feat ...

have held practices at Widener as well.

Student life

Enrollment

Widener enrolls approximately 6,300 total students including 3,600 undergraduate, 1,700 graduate students, and 1,000 law school students. Among full-time undergraduate students, the male/female ratio is about 0.8:1 (44% male, 56% female). 48% of undergraduates choose to live on the Main Campus while the remaining students live off-campus or commute. Approximately 54% of all full-time undergraduates are from Pennsylvania with 45% coming from the rest of the country (predominantly Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia), and 1% of students originating from outside the U.S. The acceptance rate for undergraduate applicants in fall 2013 was 65.5%.

Student clubs and events

The university has over 100 student clubs including honor societies, religious organizations, media groups, and special interest clubs. Greek Week, Spring Carnival, and Homecoming are among the popular events on campus. Graduate students are currently not allowed to participate in club sports activities. Media is big on Widener's campus. The Blue&Gold: Widener University's Student Media Site was established in spring 2013. This outlet for student reporting has been growing ever since, telling the news and giving students a voice on campus. TV Club is Widener's student-run television program. WDNR is the student-run campus radio station that plays a variety of music including hip-hop, rock, metal, and punk.

Fraternity and sorority life

Widener has six

fraternities A fraternity (from Latin ''frater'': "brother"; whence, "brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity in ...

and six

sororities Fraternities and sororities are Club (organization), social organizations at colleges and universities in North America. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an Undergraduate education, undergraduate student, but conti ...

. Approximately 12% of all undergraduates are members. Widener's Greek organizations include: *Fraternities:

Alpha Tau Omega Alpha Tau Omega (), commonly known as ATO, is an American social fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1865 by Otis Allan Glazebrook. The fraternity has around 250 active and inactive chapters and colonies in the United Stat ...

Phi Delta Theta Phi Delta Theta (), commonly known as Phi Delt, is an international secret and social fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, along with Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad ...

Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as or Teke, is a social college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899, at Illinois Wesleyan University. The organization has chapters throughout the United States and Canada, making the Fraternity an internat ...

Kappa Sigma Kappa Sigma (), commonly known as Kappa Sig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international fraternities with currently 318 active chapters and colo ...

Theta Chi Theta Chi () is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 at Norwich University then-located in Norwich, Vermont, and has initiated more than 200,000 members and currently has over 8,700 collegiate members across Nort ...

and

Theta Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Society, Inc. () is a national fraternal organization that emphasizes the four pillars of Leadership, Diversity, Unity, and Respect. Founded in 2001 by fourteen undergraduate men and women at the University at Buffalo (SUNY), Th ...

(Co-ed) *Sororities:

Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. () is the first intercollegiate historically African American sorority. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at the historically black Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of sixteen stud ...

Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. In 1920, five women from Howard University envisioned a sorority that would raise the consciousness of their people, encourage the highest standards of scholastic achie ...

Delta Phi Epsilon Delta Phi Epsilon () may refer to: *Delta Phi Epsilon (professional), the professional foreign service fraternity and sorority *Delta Phi Epsilon (social) Delta Phi Epsilon ( or DPhiE) is an international Fraternities and sororities in North Ame ...

Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma (), also known as Tri Sigma, is a national American women's sorority. Sigma Sigma Sigma is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), an umbrella organization encompassing 26 national sororities or women's fraterni ...

, and

Alpha Omega Epsilon Alpha Omega Epsilon () is a social and professional sorority for women in engineering and technical sciences. The sorority was founded by twenty-seven female engineering students at Marquette University on November 13, 1983, and four months late ...

Community

Widener is one of only 22 colleges that is a member of

Project Pericles Project Pericles Inc. is a non-profit organization composed of liberal arts colleges and universities geared towards the ideas that social responsibility and participatory citizenship are essential parts of an undergraduate curriculum, in the c ...

, an organization promoting social responsibility and addressing civic

apathy Apathy is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something. It is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation, or passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of intere ...

among students. It is classified as a ''Community Engagement Institution''. Widener has several initiatives aimed at benefiting the surrounding community. These include: *Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center — The school opened the center in 2006 to provide consulting and educational programs to local small businesses and entrepreneurs. It is one of only 18 in the state and one of 3 in the Philadelphia region (with

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...

and University of Pennsylvania). *Philadelphia Speakers Series — Since 2004, Widener has sponsored this series which has had such notable speakers as

Steve Wozniak Stephen Gary Wozniak (; born August 11, 1950), also known by his nickname "Woz", is an American electronics engineer, computer programmer, philanthropist, inventor, and technology entrepreneur. In 1976, with business partner Steve Jobs, he c ...

Henry Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (; ; born Heinz Alfred Kissinger, May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presid ...

Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' for 19 years (1962–1981). During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the mo ...

and

Dave Barry David McAlister Barry (born July 3, 1947) is an American author and columnist who wrote a nationally syndicated humor column for the ''Miami Herald'' from 1983 to 2005. He has also written numerous books of humor and parody, as well as comic ...

. *University Technology Park — A joint project started in 1999 between the university and Crozer-Keystone Health System to foster small business opportunities focusing on health care, science and technology. It currently consists of two buildings (with three more planned) on and is located directly in between the Main Campus and Crozer-Keystone Medical Center. *

Widener University Observatory The Widener University Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Widener University, but donated by NASA. It is located in Kirkbride Hall on Widener's main campus in Chester, Pennsylvania. The observatory is intended for ...

— The

observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...

has free public telescope viewings throughout the school year hosted by the physics and astronomy department.

Charter school

In 2006, the university established a new

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...

near the Chester campus to serve local residents from

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

to grade 5. Named the Widener Partnership Charter School, the school utilizes the university's programs in education, social work, nursing, and clinical psychology. This collaboration involves the participation of Widener faculty and students to not only provide educational support but also provide additional assistance outside of school through counseling and health services. Classes in the charter school started in September 2006, enrolling 50 students in both kindergarten and grade 1. The school continued to add a new grade each year until grade 8 had been reached, surpassing the initial expectations of the project.

Chester revitalization project

A $50 million revitalization project was started in 2007. The project, named University Crossings, included the addition of a hotel, bookstore, coffee shop, restaurant, and apartments. The project is expected to have an overall economic impact of $1 million to Chester, as well as creating 100 new jobs. In 2017, Widener University purchased the

Taylor Memorial Arboretum Taylor Memorial Arboretum (30 acres) is an arboretum and garden located at 10 Ridley Drive, Wallingford, Pennsylvania, United States, along Ridley Creek. It is open daily. Since May 2016 it has been administrated by Widener University. The arbor ...

in Nether Providence Township about 1 mile north of the Chester campus. The university purchased the site from

BNY Mellon The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, commonly known as BNY Mellon, is an American investment banking services holding company headquartered in New York City. BNY Mellon was formed from the merger of The Bank of New York and the Mellon Finan ...

bank and plans to use the nature reserve for research and hands-on learning opportunities for citizen science projects.

Notable alumni

As of 2011, there were 59,018 total living alumni. *

Benjamin P. Ablao, Jr. Benjamin James Perez Ablao Jr. (born ) is an independent (indie film) filmmaker and actor from the United States. He is the founder of B.P.A. Productions Group, Inc., a registered corporation with the State of Delaware. Not limited to any on ...

, independent filmmaker and actor *

Dawn Marie Addiego Dawn Marie Addiego (born October 20, 1962) is an American politician who represented the New Jersey's 8th legislative district in the New Jersey Senate from 2010 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the General Ass ...

, New Jersey state senator (2010-2022) *

Richard Alloway Richard Alloway II is an American politician and lawyer. He is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. He was elected to fill the seat of retiring senator Terry Punt. Early life and career Alloway attended Chambersburg Ar ...

state senator (2006-2019) * Jesse Matlack Baker, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1889-1892), Pennsylvania State Senator for the 9th district (1893-1897) *

Peter J. Barnes III Peter J. Barnes III (April 26, 1956 – February 22, 2021) was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey Senate, where he represented the New Jersey's 18th legislative district, 18th ...

, New Jersey Superior Court judge; former state senator *

Truxtun Beale Truxtun Beale (March 6, 1856 – June 2, 1936) was an American diplomat. Biography Beale was born in San Francisco to Mary Engle Edwards and Edward Fitzgerald Beale; his siblings were Mary (1852–1925), who married Russian diplomat George B ...

, diplomat * Aimee Belgard, New Jersey superior court judge * Edward M. Bernstein, attorney, philanthropist, politician and television talk show host *

Dan Borislow Daniel Marc Borislow (September 21, 1961 – July 21, 2014) was an American entrepreneur, sports team owner, inventor, and thoroughbred horse breeder. Borislow was born and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended Widener Universi ...

, entrepreneur and sports team owner * David J. Brightbill,

state senator from 1982 to 2006 * Chris A. Brown, New Jersey state senator * Michael A. Brown, member of the

Council of the District of Columbia The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia, the capital of the United States. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the district is not part of any U.S. state ...

* Irving J. Carr,

Major General *

John H. Carrington John Hunter Carrington (October 25, 1934 – February 28, 2017) was an American politician. Republican former member of the North Carolina General Assembly who long represented the state's fifteenth Senate district, including constituents in W ...

, North Carolina state senator (1995-2005) * Frederick J. Chiaventone,

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

'73, Lieutenant Colonel, historian, award-winning novelist, screenwriter *

Mark B. Cohen Mark B. Cohen (born June 4, 1949) is a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 202, District 202 in the Pennsylvania House of R ...

,member,

Pennsylvania General Assembly The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania ...

(1974-2016) *

Clarence C. Combs, Jr. Clarence C. Combs Jr., a.k.a. Buddy Combs, was an American polo player.Carolyn Comitta Carolyn Comitta is an American politician, educator and financial officer. She is a member of the Democratic Party, currently serving in the Pennsylvania State Senate representing the 19th district. Previously, Comitta was the first woman to ...

, member of the

Pennsylvania State Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...

, first female Mayor of West Chester, Pennsylvania, member of Pennsylvania House of Representatives (2017-2020) *

Drew Crompton John Andrew "Drew" Crompton is a Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Previously, he served as chief of staff and counsel for Pennsylvania Senate Pro-Tempore Joe Scarnati. He served as deputy campaign manager for policy for Lynn ...

, political consultant * William J. Crow, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1947-1949) *

Bryan Cutler Bryan Dean Cutler (born April 2, 1975) is an American politician who is the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. A Republican, Cutler represents the 100th legislative district of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He w ...

, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, List of speakers of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since 2020 * Tom Deery,

inductee (1998) * Joseph DeFelice, former chair of the

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Republican Party and

Trump Trump most commonly refers to: * Donald Trump (born 1946), 45th president of the United States (2017–2021) * Trump (card games), any playing card given an ad-hoc high rank Trump may also refer to: Businesses and organizations * Donald J. T ...

appointee *

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

, legendary Hollywood director *

Joe Fields Joseph Charles Fields Jr. (born November 14, 1953) is a former professional American football center and guard in the National Football League for the New York Jets and the New York Giants. Raised in Deptford Township, New Jersey, Fields ...

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

all-pro center *

Ericka Hart Ericka Hart is an American sex educator, model, and professor. Background After being diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer in May 2014 at the age of 28, Hart went viral for attending Afropunk topless, showing scars from her double mastectomy ...

, sex educator, writer, and model *

Frederic E. Humphreys Frederick Erastus Humphreys (September 16, 1883 – January 20, 1941) was one of the original three military pilots trained by the Wright brothers and the first to fly solo. Biography Frederick was born on September 16, 1883 in Summit, New Jersey ...

, first American military pilot * Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, 1974,

inductee (1996) * Jamarr Johnson, basketballer * Brendan Kehoe, author of ''Zen and the Art of the Internet: A Beginner's Guide'' and

software developer Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, Computer programming, programming, software documentation, documenting, software testing, testing, and Software bugs, bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applic ...

Benjamin Ralph Kimlau Benjamin Ralph Kimlau (金勞少尉) (April 11, 1918 – March 5, 1944) was a Chinese American aviator and United States Air Force bomber pilot. Kimlau was born on April 10, 1918, in Concord, MA and moved to New York City with his parents in 193 ...

Chinese American Chinese Americans are Americans of Han Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans along with their ancestors trace lineage from ...

World War II hero (1938–1942) *

Walter Francis Layer Walter Francis Layer (March 22, 1907 – April 21, 1965) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for Delaware County from 1947 to 1948. He served as lieutenant ...

, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1947–1948), Marine Corps Colonel *

John Linder John Elmer Linder (born September 9, 1942) is an American politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2011. His district was numbered the from 1993 to 1997, the from 1997 to 2003, and the from 2003 u ...

, Mayor of Chester, Pennsylvania *

Phil Martelli Philip Martelli Sr. (born August 31, 1954) is an American college basketball coach, who is currently the associate head coach for the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball, Michigan Wolverines. As the former head coach of the Saint Joseph's Hawks ...

, former

St. Joseph's University Saint Joseph's University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia and Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College. Saint Joseph's is the seventh olde ...

head basketball coach *

Don McGahn Donald Francis McGahn II (; born June 16, 1968) is an American lawyer who served as White House Counsel for U.S. President Donald Trump, from the day of Trump's inauguration through October 17, 2018, when McGahn resigned. Previously, McGahn serv ...

White House Counsel The White House counsel is a senior staff appointee of the president of the United States whose role is to advise the president on all legal issues concerning the president and their administration. The White House counsel also oversees the Of ...

Matthew McGrory Matthew McGrory (May 17, 1973 – August 9, 2005) was an American actor. At , he was recognized as the tallest actor by Guinness World Records. He portrayed physically imposing characters throughout his career, including Tiny Firefly in the horro ...

, world's tallest actor *

Sylvanus Morley Sylvanus Griswold Morley (June 7, 1883September 2, 1948) was an American archaeology, archaeologist and epigraphy, epigrapher who studied the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in the early 20th century. Morley led extensive excavations of the Ma ...

, archaeologist * Patrick J. Murphy, Member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from Pennsylvania (2007-2011), acting

United States Secretary of the Army The secretary of the Army (SA or SECARMY) is a senior civilian official within the United States Department of Defense, with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, insta ...

, 2016 *

Burt Mustin Burton Hill "Burt" Mustin (February 8, 1884 – January 28, 1977) was an American character actor.Obituary ''Variety'', February 2, 1977, page 94. Over the course of his career, he appeared in over 150 film and television productions. He ...

, actor, Gus the Fireman on '' Leave it to Beaver'' *

D. Lane Powers David Lane Powers (July 29, 1896 – March 28, 1968) was an American Republican Party politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1933 to 1945. Early life and career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Powers a ...

1915, represented in the

from 1933 to 1945.David Lane Powers
''

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress The ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress'' (Bioguide) is a biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress and its predecessor, the Continental Congress. Also included are Delegates from ...

''. Accessed September 9, 2007. *

Charles F. B. Price Charles Frederick Berthold Price (September 18, 1881 – January 23, 1954) was a Lieutenant General of the United States Marine Corps, who saw service during Cuban Pacification, Spanish–American War, World War I and World War II. Retired Mari ...

, Lieutenant General of the United States Marines,

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

awardee *

Leslie C. Quick Jr. Leslie C. Quick Jr. (January 27, 1926 – March 8, 2001) was co-founder of Quick & Reilly. He graduated from Widener University. In 1974 he co-founded Quick & Reilly, the first New York Stock Exchange member firm to offer discounted commissions t ...

, founder Quick & Reilly Inc. * Pat Quinn, former

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

Coach and General Manager *

Barbara Bohannan-Sheppard Barbara Bohannan-Sheppard (born June 15, 1950) is an American politician who served as mayor of Chester, Pennsylvania from 1992 to 1995. Bohannan-Sheppard was the first Democrat to be elected mayor of Chester in almost a century and the second fe ...

, Mayor of Chester, Pennsylvania *

Gerald J. Spitz Gerald Joseph Spitz (June 23, 1941 – December 5, 2013) was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 162nd district from 1977 to 1984. Early life and education Spitz was born ...

, Pennsylvania State Representative for the 162nd district (1977–1984) *

Brent Staples Brent Staples (born 1951) is an American author and member of the editorial board of ''The New York Times'', where he specializes in coverage of education, criminal justice and economics. His books include ''An American Love Story'' and ''Parallel ...

, 1973, ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' editorial writer and author of ''Parallel Time'' *

Bill Stern Bill Stern (July 1, 1907 – November 19, 1971) was an American actor and sportscaster who announced the nation's first remote sports broadcast and the first telecast of a baseball game. In 1984, Stern was part of the American Sportscaster ...

, newsreel and sports commentator *

Brian Tierney Brian P. Tierney (born 1957) is an American advertising and public relations executive and former publisher of ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. Born in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, Tierney is chief executive officer of Brian Communications ...

, publisher of ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...

'' and the ''

Philadelphia Daily News ''Philadelphia Daily News'' is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper is owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC, which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. The ''Dail ...

'' * John H. Tilelli, Jr., 1963,

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

four-star general *

Dan Yemin Daniel Yemin is an American vocalist and musician in the melodic hardcore punk scene. He played guitar in the early 1990s with the band Lifetime (band), Lifetime, and in the late 1990s with Kid Dynamite (band), Kid Dynamite. Yemin also played in ...

, musician *

References

External links

* {{authority control Educational institutions established in 1821 Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union Widener family Universities and colleges in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Universities and colleges in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Chester, Pennsylvania 1821 establishments in Pennsylvania Private universities and colleges in Pennsylvania