Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the United States. It is highly selective and is considered to be one of the country's top liberal arts colleges. All of its approximately 1,500 students are undergraduates. Swarthmore is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, around 11 miles (17.7km) southwest of Philadelphia. The school was founded in 1864 by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Quakers. Swarthmore dropped its religious affiliation and became officially non-sectarian in the early 20th century. However, strong Quaker influences remain, including the tradition of holding "collections," a strong focus on the college as a community, and weekly Quaker services at the local Quaker meetinghouse, which is located on campus. The college has been coeducational since its founding.

History

The name 'Swarthmore' has its roots in early Quaker history. Swarthmoor Hall, in Cumbria, England, was the home of Thomas and Margeret Fell in 1652 when George Fox, fresh from his epiphany atop Pendle Hill in 1651, came to visit. The visitation turned into a long association as Fox persuaded Thomas and Margeret Fell and the inhabitants of the nearby village of Fenmore of Friendly, and Swarthmoor was used for the first Friends' meetings.

Related Topics:
Quaker - Swarthmoor Hall - Cumbria, England - 1652 - George Fox - Pendle Hill - 1651

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See also: Unofficial History of Swarthmore College

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Alumni

Swarthmore's alumni include five recipients of the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (sometimes referred to as "the genius awards") and four Nobel laureates, most recently Edward C. Prescott of the class of 1962. In addition, hundreds of prominent figures–in diverse fields, including law, art, science, business, and politics –have attended Swarthmore. The most famous Swarthmore graduates are probably Michael Dukakis, a former Presidential candidate and novelist James Michener, both of whom graduated with highest honors. (Astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, attended but later transferred to Stanford University to major in Physics and English.)

Related Topics:
MacArthur Foundation Fellowship - Nobel laureates - Edward C. Prescott - 1962 - Law - Art - Science - Business - Politics - Michael Dukakis - Presidential candidate - James Michener - Sally Ride - Space

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Other notable Swarthmore alumni can be found on the List of Swarthmore College people.

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• Co-educational institution from its beginning (1864)
• Continually highly ranked on U.S. News and World Report's ranking of liberal arts colleges
• Campus itself is a nationally recognized arboretum (see Scott Arboretum)