page_title: Drexel University
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Drexel University / History
caption_attribution_description: Summary The Main Building of en:Drexel University, c. 1892.
context_page_description: Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry, it was renamed Drexel Institute of Technology in 1936, before assuming the name Drexel University in 1970.
  As of 2020, more than 24,000 students were enrolled in over 70 undergraduate programs and more than 100 master's, doctoral, and professional programs at the university. Drexel's cooperative education program is a prominent aspect of the school's degree programs, offering students the opportunity to gain up to 18 months of paid, full-time work experience in a field relevant to their undergraduate major or graduate degree program prior to graduation.
context_section_description: Drexel University was founded in 1891 as the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry, by Philadelphia financier and philanthropist Anthony J. Drexel. The original mission of the institution was to provide educational opportunities in the "practical arts and sciences" for women and men of all backgrounds. The institution became known as the Drexel Institute of Technology in 1936, and in 1970 the Drexel Institute of Technology gained university status, becoming Drexel University.
  Although there were many changes during its first century, the university's identity has been held constant as a privately controlled, non-sectarian, coeducational center of higher learning, distinguished by a commitment to practical education and hands-on experience in an occupational setting. The central aspect of Drexel University's focus on career preparation, in the form of its cooperative education program, was introduced in 1919. The program became integral to the university's unique educational experience. Participating students alternate periods of classroom-based study with periods of full-time, practical work experience related to their academic major and career interests.
  Between 1995 and 2009, Drexel University underwent a period of significant change to its programs, enrollment, and facilities under the leadership of Dr. Constantine Papadakis, the university's president during that time. Papadakis oversaw Drexel's largest expansion in its history, with a 471 percent increase in its endowment and a 102 percent increase in student enrollment. His leadership also guided the university toward improved performance in collegiate rankings, a more selective approach to admissions, and a more rigorous academic program at all levels. It was during this period of expansion that Drexel acquired and assumed management of the former MCP Hahnemann University, creating the Drexel University College of Medicine in 2002. In 2006, the university established the Thomas R. Kline School of Law, and in 2011 the School of Law achieved full accreditation by the American Bar Association.
  Dr. Constantine Papadakis died of pneumonia in April 2009 while still employed as the university's president. His successor, John Anderson Fry, was formerly the president of Franklin & Marshall College and served as the Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania. Under Fry's leadership, Drexel has continued its expansion, including the July 2011 acquisition of The Academy of Natural Sciences.
caption: The Main Building, dedicated in 1891.
exif: {}