A History of Drexel

In the closing decades of the nineteenth century, Philadelphia financier and philanthropist Anthony J. Drexel envisioned an institution of higher learning uniquely suited to the needs of a rapidly growing industrial society and of the young men and women seeking their place in it. In 1891, he realized his vision with the establishment of the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry.

In founding the Institute, Anthony J. Drexel launched a tradition of innovation, which today is carried on by Drexel University. Although distinguished by decades of growth and change from Mr. Drexel’s Institute, the University remains faithful to his vision. Its greatly expanded enrollment, campus and curriculum reflect a history of responsiveness to societal and individual needs, which Mr. Drexel sought to address in his day.

Originally a non-degree-granting institution, Drexel began conferring the bachelor of science degree in 1914, when its 18 departments were organized into four schools. In 1927, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted Drexel the privilege to confer the master of science degree, and in 1965, the doctor of philosophy degree.

Along with its degree offerings, the institution’s curriculum and organization of academic programs have developed. In accord with this evolution, Drexel has undergone two changes in name, in 1936 becoming Drexel Institute of Technology and in 1970, Drexel University. The current title reflects the institution’s commitment to research, as well as the breadth of its graduate programs.

Despite the many changes during its first century, Drexel’s identity has held constant. Since its founding, the institution has remained a privately controlled, non-sectarian, coeducational center of higher learning, distinguished by a commitment to preparing men and women for success in their chosen careers.

The cornerstone of the career preparation Drexel provides is the University’s co-operative education program. Introduced at Drexel in 1919, the program has become integral to the University’s educational experience. Through it, students alternate periods of study with periods of full-time professional employment related to their academic and career interests.

Drexel’s was among the first co-operative education programs in the nation, and today it is one of the largest and most diverse. Through co-op, Drexel students are currently employed by more than 1,500 businesses and organizations at 2,600 sites in 39 states and 12 countries.

In addition to its career development focus, another constant element in Drexel’s identity has been its commitment to providing technological expertise for society’s needs. In 1983, Drexel became the first university to require all undergraduates to have personal access to a microcomputer for use in all of their coursework. In the years since, the computer has become an integral part of instruction throughout the University’s curriculum. Drexel became the nation’s first major university to operate a fully wireless university campus in June 2000 and the first to provide free voice recognition software to its over 16,000 students (2000). In the 2001 Yahoo! Internet Life rankings of the nation’s 100 “Most Wired” campuses, Drexel is No. 1 in “Wireless Access” and sixth overall. The University introduced DrexelOne mobile in June 2002, the first mobile wireless web portal for college students.

Today, Drexel continues to build upon strengths in the fields of science and engineering, preparing professionals for leadership in our global technological community through studies and research in a broad range of disciplines. In July 2002, Drexel’s mission, services and opportunities expanded further when it acquired MCP Hahnemann University, a major Philadelphia health sciences institution. This historic union has extended the resources of Drexel and led to many productive synergies in teaching and research.

MCP Hahnemann’s roots are even deeper than Drexel’s, having served the medical community for more than 150 years through the combination of two path- breaking medical schools founded on progressive principles, the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University.

In 1848, three physicians - Constantine Hering, Jacob Jeanes and Walter Williamson -joined forces and rented rooms at the rear of a Philadelphia pharmacy on 229 Arch Street. All three physicians were proponents of an innovative system of medical treatment called homeopathy, developed by German physician Samuel Hahnemann, that attempts to stimulate the body to heal itself. With 15 students they began operating Hahnemann’s parent institution, the Homeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania, offering M.D. and H.M.D degrees. After a series of moves, the College joined forces with a hospital and moved to its present locale near Broad and Vine Streets. By 1928 the Broad Street location became the site of one of the first high-rise teaching hospitals in the world.

When Hahnemann Medical College left its original site in 1850, the building on 229 Arch Street became the home of the Female (later, Woman’s) Medical College of Pennsylvania. Founded by Quaker businessmen, clergy and physicians and operated by philanthropist William J. Mullen, “Woman’s Med” was the first medical school in the world to provide medical education exclusively for women. In its early days, it faced serious opposition from the male medical establishment. Prevailing notions held women too feeble-minded to succeed in the demanding arena of academic medicine and too delicate to endure the physical requirements of clinical practice. As a result, Anne Preston, M.D., a member of the College’s first graduating class, founded the Women’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

After being renamed to Medical College of Pennsylvania (MCP) in 1969, it merged with Hahnemann University in 1982, with four fully accredited schools: the School of Medicine, Graduate School, School of Allied Health Professions and the School of Continuing Education. In 1993, MCP and Hahnemann University were acquired by the Allegheny Health Education and Research Foundation (AHERF) and were integrated into the Allegheny University of the Health Sciences (AUHS), which included facilities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But five years later, AHERF, which owned eight Philadelphia hospitals, collapsed in the nation’s largest bankruptcy of a non-profit health care organization.

In October 1998, in an historic reorganization, the AHERF hospitals were sold to Tenet Healthcare Corporation, a for-profit hospital corporation based in Texas. A new non-profit corporation, Philadelphia Health & Education Corporation (PHEC), was created to carry on the education, research and service missions under the name MCP Hahnemann University. Drexel University was hired as the university’s operator, to bring the same level of expertise to running this academic medical center that Tenet brought to hospital operations.

After successfully operating MCP Hahnemann University for three and one-half years, the Drexel Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to make its relationship with MCP Hahenmann permanent. On July 1, 2002, two of the MCP Hahnemann schools – the College of Nursing and Health Professions, and the School of Public Health – formally became part of Drexel, and PHEC continued to operate as a legal affiliate of Drexel under its new name, Drexel University College of Medicine. Shortly thereafter, the Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania approved the transfer to Drexel University of all degree-granting authority that had previously been vested in MCP Hahnemann. As a result, all students of the former MCP Hahnemann University are Drexel students and will graduate with Drexel degrees.

Three years later, in August 2005, the Secretary of Education granted Drexel the authority to open a new law school, and to award three new law-related degrees. The College of Law will open in August 2006 when it will welcome its inaugural JD class. When it does, Drexel will be truly a comprehensive national university.

In the finest traditions of the Drexel Institute and consistent with the vision of its founder, Drexel Law will be grounded in experiential learning, will seek a diverse student body, will provide a practical education, and will encourage its graduates both to be productive members of industry and of their communities, in the fullest sense of citizenship and in the proudest traditions of the Philadelphia Lawyer.