West Chester University (also known as West Chester, WCU, or WCUPA, and officially as West Chester University of Pennsylvania) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kno ...

in and around

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 ...

. The university is accredited by the

Middle States Commission on Higher Education The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (abbreviated as MSCHE and legally incorporated as the Mid-Atlantic Region Commission on Higher Education) is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit membership organization that performs peer evalua ...

and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". With 17,719 undergraduate and graduate students as of 2019, WCU is the largest of the 10 state-owned universities belonging to the

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that oversees 10 state-owned universities. Collectively, it is the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth. All ...

(PASSHE) and the sixth largest university in Pennsylvania. It also maintains a

Center City Philadelphia Center City includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of Philadelphia. It comprises the area that made up the City of Philadelphia prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854, which extended the city borders to be coterminous wi ...

satellite campus on

Market Street Market Street may refer to: *Market Street, Cambridge, England *Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia * Market Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia *Market Street, Manchester, England *Market Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ...

History

The university traces its roots to the West Chester Academy, a private, state-aided school that existed from 1812 to 1869. As the state began to take increasing responsibility for public education, the academy was transformed into West Chester Normal School or West Chester State Normal School, still privately owned and state certified. The

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...

admitted its first class, consisting of 160 students, on September 25, 1871. In 1913, West Chester became the first of the normal schools to be owned outright by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. West Chester became West Chester State Teachers College in 1927 when Pennsylvania initiated a four-year program of teacher education. In 1960, as the Commonwealth paved the way for liberal arts programs in its college system, West Chester was renamed West Chester State College, and two years later introduced the

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 ...

program that turned the one-time academy into a comprehensive college. The campus quad located on North Campus appears 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 ...

, and is called the West Chester State College Quadrangle Historic District, featuring WCU's historic buildings. The buildings, with the exception of Anderson Hall and

Philips Memorial Building Philips Memorial Hall is a building of West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester University, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States, named after George Morris Philips (principal from 1881–1920), orig ...

(named after long-time principal

George Morris Philips George Morris Philips (October 28, 1851 – March 11, 1920) was an American educator and academic administrator who was the longest-serving principal of West Chester State Normal School (now West Chester University of Pennsylvania) from 1881 to ...

), were each built with local Chester County serpentine stone. They include Ruby Jones Hall,

Recitation Hall West Chester University (also known as West Chester, WCU, or WCUPA, and officially as West Chester University of Pennsylvania) is a public research university in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania. The university is accredited by the Middl ...

and the Old Library. With passage of the State System of Higher Education bill, West Chester became one of the 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education on July 1, 1983. Along with its new name—West Chester University of Pennsylvania—the institution acquired a new system of governance and the opportunity to expand its degree programs. West Chester is recognized for its formal poetry program. Its annual conference on form and narrative in poetry began in 1995 and is devoted to

New Formalism New Formalism is a late 20th- and early 21st-century movement in American poetry that has promoted a return to metrical, rhymed verse and narrative poetry on the grounds that all three are necessary if American poetry is to compete with novels an ...

. It has established a poetry center that sponsors readings and an annual book competition oriented toward formal poetry. Its Iris N. Spencer Poetry Awards recognize undergraduate achievement in formal poetry. Nineteen days before his death,

Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1817 or 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became ...

gave his last public lecture, on February 1, 1895, at West Chester University. The university's Frederick Douglass Institute is named in his honor, and a statue of Douglass appears on its campus. It has been named a

national historic landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

by the U.S. National Park Service. The Underground Railroad Network to Freedom recognized the Frederick Douglass Institute for its work in understanding the history of the underground railroad. In April each year, students celebrate Banana Day, on which a gorilla, Rammy, and many others give out bananas across the entire campus. Banana Day was conceptualized by WCU senior, Rodolfo P. Tellez, in 1996. Students take part in games similar to a field day to win Banana Day T-shirts, from push-up competitions to banana eating contests.

Academics

At the

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

level, the university offers

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachelor ...

, and

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of prescr ...

degrees. Paraprofessional studies are available in law, medicine, and theology. In cooperation with the

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, and

Thomas Jefferson University Thomas Jefferson University is a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in its earliest form in 1824, the university officially combined with Philadelphia University in 2017. To signify its heritage, the univer ...

, West Chester University offers a 3–2 dual-degree program combining liberal arts, physics, and engineering. Also available are early admission assurance programs with

College of Medicine,

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) is a private medical school with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and additional locations in Suwanee, Georgia (PCOM Georgia) and Moultrie, Georgia (PCOM South Georgia). Founded ...

and

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 ...

School of Medicine. The university provides special admission opportunities and scholarships to the Widener School of Law–Harrisburg Campus. At the graduate level, West Chester University offers

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.

(M.A., M.B.A., M.Ed., M.M., M.P.A., M.P.H., M.S., M.S.W., M.S.N., M.U.R.P.) and

doctoral A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

(DPA, DNP, Ed.D., Psy.D.) degrees. West Chester was ranked 50th in the "Regional Universities North" category by '' U.S. News & World Report'' for 2020. The university is accredited by the

and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

Off-campus programs

WCU's

International Programs International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

office helps send students abroad. The university participates in the National Student Exchange Program, in which students spend up to a year at any one of more than 170 member schools across the United States. Transfer of credit is a part of this program.

Campus

The university's North Campus is partially in West Chester borough and partially in

West Goshen Township West Goshen Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 23,040 at the 2020 census. In 2013, ''Money Magazine'' voted West Goshen as the 10th best place to live in America. West Goshen has also been ra ...

. The South Campus is partially in West Goshen Township and partially in East Bradford Township. The campus is located in a suburban area approximately 20 miles from the city of

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 ...

. West Chester's downtown center is less than half of a mile away from the main campus. The university also operates an urban satellite campus in

Center City, Philadelphia Center City includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of Philadelphia. It comprises the area that made up the City of Philadelphia prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854, which extended the city borders to be coterminous wi ...

. On campus, there is the Recreation Center, the Business and Public Management Center, The Dr. Sandra F. Prichard-Mather Planetarium, The Hollinger Field House, many buildings (built in the 1800s and early 1900s) in the West Chester State College Quadrangle Historic District registered into the

, and the Sciences & Engineering Center that is near completion, just to name a few buildings. There are also many outdoor activity areas such as: basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball courts, and the nearly 100 acre Robert B. Gordon Natural Area for Environmental Studies. West Chester University currently has the second largest university geothermal system in the United States. The system drastically reduces

carbon emissions Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and larg ...

on the campus. File:Philips Memorial Building, West Chester University, PA - looking south.jpg, View from outside the quad, looking south File:Philips Hall WCU 1.JPG, View from inside the quad, looking north File:Philips Hall WCU 3.JPG, Whispering archway File:Old Library, West Chester University, PA - front view.jpg,

Old Library, West Chester The Old Library at West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA, is on the prominent corner of South Church Street and West Rosedale Avenue, marking the southwest corner of the Quad. Following the old tradition of the Quad, this 1902 ...

Athletics

The athletic teams at West Chester University are named the Golden Rams. Students participate in

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division II athletics in the PSAC and the ECAC. West Chester University has won national championships in women's basketball, women's lacrosse, women's swimming (the team was the

DGWS The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships (see AIAW Champions). It evolved out of the Commission on Interc ...

champion in 1972), women's field hockey (including four

AIAW The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships (see AIAW Champions). It evolved out of the Commission on Interc ...

titles from 1975 to 1978), and men's soccer. West Chester won the first ever women's basketball national

championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...

in 1969 and was on the losing end in the final game each of the following three years. In 1961, the men's soccer team won the

NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship The NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament, sometimes known as the College Cup, is an American intercollegiate soccer tournament conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and determines the Division I men's national champi ...

Jerry Yeagley Jerry Yeagley (born January 10, 1940 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Lebanon, Pennsylvania) is a former soccer player and coach. He was the coach of the Indiana Hoosiers men's soccer team from 1973 to 2003. His teams won six NCAA Men's Soccer Championsh ...

was a player on WCU's championship team before going on to win six

NCAA Championships The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...

and six National Coach of the Year Awards as the men's soccer coach at

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

. In addition, prior to the NCAA instituting a tournament format to decide the champion in 1959, the Golden Rams were voted the National Soccer Champions in 1950 by the

Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association The NCAA held its first men's National Collegiate Soccer Championship in 1959, with eight teams selected for the tournament. Before 1959, national champions were selected by a committee of the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association (ISFA) ba ...

. In 1977, 1979, and 1982 the boxing team won the

National Collegiate Boxing Association The National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) is a non-profit college sports organization that organizes boxing fights for student athletes. The association falls under the auspices of USA Boxing. After 1960, the NCAA no longer sanctioned box ...

national championship. In 1976, Edward Skalamera claimed the national title for his 147 lb. weight class while Joe Gery took the top position in the nation for his 180 lb. class. In 2008, West Chester defeated

C.W. Post College LIU Post (formally, the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, and often referred to as C.W. Post) is a private university in Brookville, New York. It is the largest campus of the private Long Island University system. The campus is nam ...

13–12 to win the Division II women's lacrosse title. It was the second national title in the women's program history. WCUPA played in the NCAA tournament in 2010 (2nd place), 2011 (4th place), and 2012 (2nd place). The 2013 team was named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Champions. Ginny Martino's winning percentage is 80% over the last 17 years as head coach (250–60). In 2012, the Men's Baseball Team claimed West Chester's first

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

College Baseball National Championship. The Golden Rams shut-out Delta State 9–0 in

Cary, North Carolina Cary is a town in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is part of the Raleigh–Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2020 Census, its population was 174,721, making it the seventh largest muni ...

. West Chester becomes the first team from the

Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. The conference was originally formed in 1951 as the State Teachers C ...

(PSAC) to win the national championship and just the third northern school to walk away with the title. West Chester's

Women's 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 ...

team won the NCAA Division II championship in 2011, 2012, and 2019. The varsity

Women's Rugby Women's rugby union is a full contact team sport based on running with the ball in hand. The same laws are used in men's rugby union with the same sized pitch and same equipment. Rugby was originally a men's sport, and women's rugby has become p ...

program also won the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) rugby national championship in 2019. Campus Recreation: The Women'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 ...

Club won the Division II national championship in 2013. The Men's

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 ...

Club won the Division II national championship in 2013 and 2015.

Notable alumni

Politics and government

Mary Ann Arty Mary Ann Arty-Majors (November 24, 1926 – October 26, 2000) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 165th district from 1979 to 1988. Early life and e ...

(1926–2000) former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives * Chris Asplen (b. 1954) DNA policy expert and former Assistant United States Attorney for the US Attorney's Office in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Jill Biden Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (born June 3, 1951) is an American educator and the current first lady of the United States since 2021, as the wife of President Joe Biden. She was the second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 when her hus ...

(b. 1951) (M.Ed. 1981) American professor, former

Second Lady of the United States The second gentleman or second lady of the United States (SGOTUS or SLOTUS respectively) is the informal title held by the spouse of the vice president of the United States, concurrent with the vice president's term of office. Coined in contrast ...

, and current

First Lady of the United States The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never ...

* Tim Briggs (b. 1970) member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives *

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 ...

(b. 1952) financial officer, 58th Mayor of West Chester, former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and 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 ...

* Jeff Gannon (b. 1957) conservative columnist and author * Molly Henderson (b. 1953) former Commissioner of

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Lancaster County (; Pennsylvania Dutch: Lengeschder Kaundi), sometimes nicknamed the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the south central part of Pennsylvania. ...

* Albert W. Jefferis (1868–1942) former member of the United States House of Representatives *

Stephen Kinsey Stephen Kinsey (born December 15, 1958) is an American politician and Democratic Party member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving since 2013. Kinsey had served as the chief of staff to state Representative John Myers, who pre ...

(b. 1958) member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives * John A. Lawless (b. 1957) former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives *

F. Joseph Loeper F. Joseph "Joe" Loeper (born December 23, 1944) is an American politician who represented the 26th senatorial district from 1979 through 2000 in the Pennsylvania State Senate. He resigned his seat in 2000 after pleading guilty to falsifying tax ...

(b. 1944) former member of the

Pennsylvania 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 ...

, Republican Leader of the PA Senate, and Republican whip of the PA Senate *

Isaac James MacCollum Isaac James MacCollum (August 18, 1889 – March 4, 1968) was an American physician and politician from Wyoming, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party who served as the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Delaware. Early l ...

(1889–1968) physician and 11th

Lieutenant Governor of Delaware The lieutenant governor of Delaware is the second ranking executive officer of the U.S. state of Delaware. Lieutenant governors are elected for a term of four years in the same general election as the U.S. president and take office the following ...

* Jose Miranda (b.1985) former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives * Joseph Miró (b. 1946) former member of the

Delaware House of Representatives The Delaware State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal number of constituencies, each of whom is ...

* Frank Noonan former

Pennsylvania State Police The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) is the state police agency of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, responsible for statewide law enforcement. The Pennsylvania State Police is a full service law enforcement agency which handles both traffic and cr ...

commissioner and

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

agent *

Jennifer O'Mara Jennifer O’Mara (born November 12, 1989) is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 165th Legislative District. The district includes parts of Springfield Township, Marple Township, Radnor Townsh ...

(b. 1989) member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives * Joe Pitts (b. 1939) former member of the United States House of Representatives *

Roy Reinard Roy Reinard is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He is a 1973 graduate of Council Rock High School in Newtown, Pennsylvania. He earned a degree from West Chester University in 1977. Prior to elective offic ...

(b. 1954) former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives * John A. Rocco (b. 1936) former member of the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...

* Elinor Z. Taylor (1921–2010) former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives * Dan Truitt engineer and former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives * Barbara McIlvaine Smith (b. 1950) former member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

Francis Tenaglio Francis X. Tenaglio (born January 8, 1949) is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 159th district from 1977 to 1978. Tenaglio ran unsuccessfully for Governor of New Jersey in 2005 ...

(b. 1949) former member of the

Curt Weldon Wayne Curtis Weldon (born July 22, 1947) is an American politician. He served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 2007, representing the 7th district of Pennsylvania. He was defeated in November 2006 ...

(b. 1947; Class of 1969) former 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 ...

* Dean Wink (b. 1944) former speaker of the

South Dakota House of Representatives The South Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 70 members, two from each legislative district. Two of the state's 35 legislative districts, Districts 26 and 28, are each subdivided int ...

Tommy Tomlinson Robert M. Tomlinson (born December 4, 1945) is an American politician serving as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, who represented the 6th District from 1995 to 2022. Biography Tomlinson was previously a member of the Pennsylvania H ...

(b. 1945) member of the

Business and industry

* Michael Dever (b. 1957) businessman, futures trader, entrepreneur, and author; CEO of Brandywine Asset Management * Philip M. Sharples (1857–1944) inventor and entrepreneur who ran largest industrial enterprise in West Chester history *

George Wackenhut George Russell Wackenhut, (September 3, 1919 December 31, 2004) was the founder of the Wackenhut private security corporation. Biography George Russell Wackenhut was the son of William and Frances (Hogan) Wackenhut. He grew up in Upper Darby, o ...

(1919–2004) founder of

Wackenhut G4S Secure Solutions (USA) is an American / British-based security services company, and a subsidiary of G4S, G4S plc. It was founded as The Wackenhut Corporation in 1954, in Coral Gables, Florida, by George Wackenhut and three partners (all ar ...

private security corporation

Arts and entertainment

Jessica Barth Jessica Barth is an American actress, known for portraying Tami-Lynn McCafferty in the film ''Ted (film), Ted'' and Ted 2, its sequel. Education After high school, she took classes at the Wilma Theater (Philadelphia), Wilma Theater, and later ...

(b. 1980) actress *

Keith Brion Keith Brion is an American classical conductor and band leader. Biography and career Keith Brion studied music education at West Chester State University and piccolo with John C. Krell, then taught in New Jersey schools while studying for a ...

(b.1933) Director of Bands of

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

Howard J. Buss Howard J. Buss (born January 6, 1951 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American composer of contemporary classical music. Buss’ works include instrumental solos, chamber music, symphonic, choral, and band works. His music has received awards, ...

(b. 1951) composer of contemporary classical music *

Bob Curnow Robert Harry "Bob" Curnow (born November 1, 1941) is an American musician who served as a trombonist, staff arranger and producer for the Stan Kenton Orchestra during the 1960s and 1970s.Sparke, Michael; Venudor, Peter (1998). "Stan Kenton, The ...

(b. 1941) trombonist, conductor, composer, arranger, Music Producer, educator, and music publisher *

Melissa Dunphy Melissa Dunphy (born 1980) is an Australian-American composer of classical music. She is most notable for the ''Gonzales Cantata'', a 40-minute choral piece in Baroque style that sets the text of the parts of the dismissal of U.S. attorneys contr ...

(b. 1980) composer of classical music *

Derek Frey Derek Frey (born April 23, 1973) is an American film producer and director who is the current head of Tim Burton Productions and Lazer Film Productions. He has been a producer on numerous Tim Burton-directed films including ''Miss Peregrine's H ...

(b. 1973) film producer and director, head of

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...

productions *

Shane Gillis Shane Gillis (born December 11, 1987) is an American stand-up comedian, radio personality, sketch comedy writer, and podcaster. He is co-host of ''Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast'' with fellow stand-up comedian Matt McCusker. Sanneh, Kelefa (Sep ...

(b. 1987) stand-up comedian, podcast host, would-be SNL cast member * Donald Yetter Gardner (1913-2004) songwriter and educator. * Thom Hannum (b. 1957) band director at the

University of Massachusetts The University of Massachusetts is the five-campus public university system and the only public research system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes five campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and a medica ...

. Member of the

Drum Corps International Drum Corps International (DCI) is a governing body for junior drum and bugle corps responsible for developing and enforcing rules of competition, and for providing standardized adjudication at sanctioned drum and bugle corps competitions througho ...

Hall of Fame *

Barry Jenner Barry Francis Jenner (January 14, 1941 – August 9, 2016) was an American actor. Early life Jenner was born January 14, 1941, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began acting during his college years at West Chester University, in Pennsylvania. A ...

(1941-2016) police officer and actor (1974-2016) *

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 ...

(1973-2005). actor,

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

holder for tallest actor and biggest feet *

George N. Parks George N. Parks (May 23, 1953 – September 16, 2010) was the director of the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band at University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1977 until 2010. He also led the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy, a ...

(1953-2010) former band director at the

Asher Roth Asher Paul Roth (born August 11, 1985) is an American rapper. He is best known for his debut single " I Love College". Roth released his debut studio album ''Asleep in the Bread Aisle'', on April 20, 2009, by Universal Motown, SRC, and School B ...

(b. 1985 ) rapper *

Paul Ruditis Paul Ruditis is an American author. Early life Ruditis was born and raised in Philadelphia. He attended West Chester University where he majored in Theatre Arts with a directing emphasis. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles where he began ...

author *

Rodney Linderman Rodney Linderman (born 21 May 1963), also known by his stage name Rodney Anonymous, is an American musician, journalist, and humorist currently based in Philadelphia. He is best known as the lead vocalist, keyboardist and co-songwriter of the ...

aka Rodney Anonymous (b. 1963), vocalist and keyboardist,

The Dead Milkmen The Dead Milkmen is an American punk rock band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia. Their original lineup consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Rodney Linderman ("Rodney Anonymous"), guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro ("Joe Jack Talcum"), bassist Da ...

Larry Mendte Lawrence David Mendte (born January 16, 1957) is an American news anchor, commentator and radio talk show host. Mendte is currently hosting three TV shows, ''Jersey Matters'', ''The Delaware Way'', and ''Another Thing with Larry Mendte''. Mend ...

(b. 1957) news anchor and radio talk show host. Honored with receiving the Edward R. Murrow Award *

Heidi Strobel Colbert Michael Hamels (born December 27, 1983), nicknamed "Hollywood", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (2006–2015), Texas Rangers ( ...

(b. 1978) '' Survivor: The Amazon'' contestant * Tom Wright (b. 1952) actor *

Nafessa Williams Nafessa Williams is an American actress. She is most known for her 2011 role as Nicole Gordon in the Meek Mill film ''Streets'', her 2011 role as Deanna Forbes on the ABC soap opera '' One Life to Live'', and her 2016 role as Dr. Charlotte Piel ...

(b. 1985) actress *

Billy Kametz Billy P. Kametz (March 22, 1987 – June 9, 2022) was an American voice actor. He was best known for his work dubbing anime and video games. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Kametz began his voice acting career in 2016 when he moved to Los Ang ...

(1987-2022) voice actor

Sports

Geno_Auriemma_140507-D-HU462-423_(cropped)

Geno Auriemma Luigi "Geno" Auriemma (born March 23, 1954) is an Italian-born American college basketball coach and, since 1985, the head coach of the University of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team. , he has led UConn to 17 undefeated conference sea ...

(b. 1954) (B.A. 1981)

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...

r and head

women's basketball Women's basketball is the team sport of basketball played by women. It began being played in 1892, one year after men's basketball, at Smith College in Massachusetts. It spread across the United States, in large part via women's college compet ...

coach at the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...

* Joey Wendle (b. 1990) current MLB baseball player for the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

* Max Barsky (b. 1991) professional wrestler best known by his ring name David Starr *

Dean Demopoulos Dean Demopoulos (born March 29, 1954) is an American professional basketball coach. He currently serves as head coach for the Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). Early life Demopoulos was born in Philadelphia, ...

(b. 1954) collegiate and

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

basketball coach *

Kevin Guskiewicz Kevin Guskiewicz (born April 8, 1966) is an American academic administrator who is the 12th chancellor and 30th chief executive of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He gained prominence as a neuroscientist, sports medicine researc ...

(b. 1966) Sports Medicine researcher, as well as a Kenan Distinguished Professor at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

. Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC. Interim Chancellor at UNC * Steve Maxwell (b. 1952) named one of the top 100 trainers in the United States by ''

Men's Journal ''Men's Journal'' is an American monthly men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and gear. It was founded in 1992 by Jann Wenne ...

'' * Pat Meiser named one of the nation's top 50 women's sports executives by ''Sports Business Journal''. Former

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

head women's basketball coach and athletic director at

University of Hartford The University of Hartford (UHart) is a private university in West Hartford, Connecticut. Its main campus extends into neighboring Hartford and Bloomfield. The university attracts students from 48 states and 43 countries. The university and it ...

Ed T. Rush Ed T. Rush (born 1942) is a former professional basketball Official (basketball), referee. He joined the NBA as a referee in 1966, at age 24, becoming the youngest referee in NBA history. In 1973, he left for the American Basketball Association b ...

(b. 1942) former NBA referee *

Cathy Rush Cathy Rush (born Cathy Cowan; April 7, 1947) was the head women's basketball coach at Immaculata from 1972 to 1977. She led Immaculata to three consecutive AIAW national titles from 1972–1974. She led the Mighty Macs to six consecutive fina ...

(b. 1947) (B.S. 1968, M.Ed. 1972) former

Immaculata University Immaculata University is a private Roman Catholic university in East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The university is composed of 1,427 traditional undergraduate and ad ...

head women's basketball coach *

Joe Senser Joseph Michael Senser (born August 18, 1956) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). A 6'4", 240 lbs. tight end from West Chester University, S ...

(b. 1956) former NFL football player *

Eddie Layton Edward M. Layton (October 10, 1925 – December 26, 2004) was an American stadium organist who played at old Yankee Stadium for nearly 40 years, earning him membership in the New York Sports Hall of Fame. Early life Layton was a native of Philad ...

(1925–2004)

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

and New York Sports Hall of Fame member *

Ralph Tamm Ralph Earl Tamm (born March 11, 1966) is a former American football player. He was selected by the New York Jets in the ninth round of the 1988 NFL Draft. Football career Before attending West Chester University, Tamm graduated from Bensalem Hig ...

(b. 1966) former NFL football player *

Tony Thornton Tony Thornton (November 8, 1959 – September 10, 2009 in Camden, New Jersey) was an American professional boxer who died of a motorcycle accident on 10 September 2009. During his career as a professional boxer, Tony fought three times for the ...

(1959–2009) professional boxer *

Tank Toland John Michael Toland (born August 31, 1973) is a former American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Tank Toland. Toland is best known for his appearances on the independent circuit with promotions such as Ring of Honor, as well ...

(b. 1973) professional wrestler *

Marian Washington Marian Elizabeth Washington (born August 26, 1946) is a former women's basketball coach, mostly known for her career at the University of Kansas, a post she held for over 30 years. Throughout her career, Washington achieved multiple awards and ac ...

(b. 1946) former women's basketball coach. Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame * Chuck Weber (1930–2017) former NFL football player *

Lee Woodall Lee Artis Woodall (born October 31, 1969) is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 1994 NFL Draft. A 6'1", 230-lb. linebacker from West Chester University, Woodall pla ...

(b. 1969) former NFL football player * Dean Wink (b. 1941) former NFL football player *

(b. 1940; Class of 1960) coached Indiana University to 6 NCAA Soccer Championships

Others

Dirk Ballendorf Dirk Anthony Ballendorf (April 22, 1939 – February 4, 2013) was an American historian and professor whose area of expertise was Micronesia. Ballendorf, a specialist on Micronesian culture, politics, current affairs, and history, authored more th ...

(1939–2013) historian and professor. Specialist on

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...

n culture, politics current affairs, and history * Leon Bass (1928–2013) educator and African-American soldier in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

who witnessed the

Buchenwald concentration camp Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or su ...

. Participant in the International Liberators Conference *

Tyree Blocker Tyree Cedric Blocker (born 1953) is a retired law enforcement official who rose in the ranks of the Pennsylvania State Police serving as Commissioner from 2015 until his retirement in 2018. Blocker began his career with the state police as a tro ...

(b. 1953) 21st commissioner of the

Michael Brune Michael Brune (born 24 August 1971) became the youngest executive director of the Sierra Club at 38, an American environmental organization founded by preservationist John Muir, UC professor of botany Willis Linn Jepson, and attorney Warren Olney ...

(b. 1971) executive director of the

Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who be ...

and the

Rainforest Action Network Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is an environmental organization based in San Francisco, California, United States. The organization was founded by Randy "Hurricane" Hayes and Mike Roselle in 1985, and first gained national prominence with a gras ...

. * Howard Dodson (b. 1939) scholar who is the Director of the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center and Howard University Libraries, and was formerly the director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem * John Doebley botanical

geneticist A geneticist is a biologist or physician who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a scientist or a lecturer. Geneticists may perform general research on genetic processe ...

anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and ...

, and professor *

Francis Harvey Green Francis Harvey Green (May 19, 1861 – January 23, 1951) was an American educator, poet and lecturer. He served as Chair of English at West Chester Normal School for 30 years and as Headmaster of the Pennington School. The Francis Harvey Green E ...

(1861–1951) educator, poet, and lecturer; former Chair of English at West Chester University; Headmaster of the

Pennington School The Pennington School is a private (independent), coeducational college preparatory school for day and boarding students in sixth through twelfth grades, located in Pennington, New Jersey, a small community in the northeastern United States mid ...

* Henry Theodore Hallman (1904–1999) professor and artist *Michael Horrocks (1985–2001) first officer

United Airlines flight 175 United Airlines Flight 175 was a domestic passenger flight that was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists on September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The flight's scheduled plan was from Logan International Airport, in Boston, M ...

September 11, 2001 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

* Miles D. McCarthy (1914–1995) professor of biology. One of the five founding faculty members of

California State University, Fullerton California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...

. Served as president of California State University, Fullerton as well as Chairman of the Biology Department and Vice President for Academic Affairs *

David Roselle David Paul Roselle (born May 30, 1939) is an American mathematician and academic administrator who served as the ninth president of the University of Kentucky and the 25th president of the University of Delaware. Early life and family David Ro ...

(b. 1939; Class of 1961) American mathematician and served as the ninth president at the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...

and the 25th president of the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...

* Vice Admiral D. Brian Peterman assumed command of

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...

Atlantic Area * Asaf Romirowsky Middle East historian *

Stanley Weintraub Stanley Weintraub (April 17, 1929 – July 28, 2019) was an American historian and biographer and an expert on George Bernard Shaw. Early life Weintraub was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 17, 1929. He was the eldest child of Benja ...

(1929–2019) historian, biographer, and professor at

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...

* Geralyn Wolf (b. 1947) former Bishop of Rhode Island

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:West Chester University Of Pennsylvania Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union Educational institutions established in 1871 West Chester, Pennsylvania West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania Universities and colleges in Chester County, Pennsylvania 1871 establishments in Pennsylvania Public universities and colleges in Pennsylvania