Private college in Dover, Delaware, US (1873–2021)
Wesley College
Wesley College, now part of Delaware State University as DSU Downtown
Former names
Wilmington Conference Academy
Wesley Collegiate Institute
Motto Great Things Await Type
Private
liberal arts college Active 1873; 151 years ago (1873 ) – 2021; 3 years ago (2021 ) Religious affiliation
United Methodist Church Academic affiliation
Space Grant Location , , United States
Campus Small city, 50 acres (20 ha)
Colors Blue and white
Nickname Wolverines Sporting affiliations
Website
wesley.edu
Wesley College was a
private
liberal arts college in
Dover ,
Delaware . It was acquired by
Delaware State University (DSU) in 2021 and is now the DSU Downtown campus.
[1]
[2]
[3]
History
Postcard of Wesley Junior College
The institution was founded in 1873
[4] as Wilmington Conference Academy , a
prep school .
[5] During this period
Annie Jump Cannon , a prominent astronomer who pioneered stellar classification, graduated valedictorian from Wilmington Conference Academy in 1880.
[6]
[7] It became a two-year college in 1918 and renamed the Wesley Collegiate Institute .
[5] It was renamed again in 1941 as Wesley Junior College , and again in 1958 as Wesley College.
[5] The institution conferred its first four-year degrees in 1978.
[8]
In its last decades, the college experienced significant financial challenges and relied on state funding and grants.
[4]
[1] At one point in 2019, had the state not given Wesley $3 million, students would have lost access to federal financial aid and salaries would have been at risk. In early 2021, the college faculty voted "no confidence" against Wesley's last president,
Robert E. Clark II , but Wesley College's board of trustees subsequently dismissed the resolution and supported him.
[9]
[10]
On June 30, 2021,
Delaware State University (DSU) began the formal process of purchasing Wesley College.
[11] This made DSU "the first historically Black college or university to acquire another college."
[1] The acquisition was finalized one year later, on July 1, 2021.
[12] Approximately 60 percent of the Wesley community were offered employment by Delaware State University. DSU took on Wesley College's debts and did not directly pay to purchase the university. All Wesley students with non-adverse records were permitted to become DSU students.
[13] After the acquisition, the campus was known as DSU Downtown, while the Wesley name remained attached to the Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences housed at the campus.
[14]
[15]
Academics
Prior to ceasing operations, many of its students pursued a
liberal arts program of study. At its close, Wesley College had 917 students.
Athletics
The institution competed in
National Collegiate Athletic Association 's
Division III athletics in the
Atlantic East Conference . Its teams were known as the Wolverines.
[16]
[17]
Notable alumni
William N. Andrews (1898) –
U.S. House of Representatives
Steve Azzanesi – college football coach
Clarence Bailey – professional football player
Larry Beavers – professional football player
Bill Belleville – environmental writer, documentary filmmaker, and lecturer
Colin R.J. Bonini (1991) –
Republican Party politician, including serving as a member of the
Delaware Senate from the
16th district (since 1995)
[18]
Franklin Brockson (1890) –
U.S. House of Representatives
[19]
Joseph L. Cahall (c. 1880s) –
Republican Party politician who served as
Secretary of State of Delaware
Joe Callahan (B.S. 2016) –
quarterback for the
Philadelphia Eagles of the
National Football League (NFL)
Annie Jump Cannon (1880) – Astronomer
[7]
Martha E. Church – (B.A. 1952) – College president
[20]
Steve Colavito – professional football player
Bill Collick – college football coach and athletics administrator
Ronald S. Dancer –
New Jersey General Assembly
William D. Denney –
Governor of Delaware and
Delaware House of Representatives
Wayne Gilchrest (A.A., 1971) –
Republican Party politician, including serving as
U.S. Representative for
Maryland's 1st congressional district (1991–2009)
[21]
Matt Gono (2017) – professional football player for the
Atlanta Falcons of the
National Football League (NFL)
John B. Goodman – polo player
Bob Hannah – college baseball coach
William P. Jackson –
Treasurer of Maryland and
United States Senator
[22]
Thomas B. McCabe –
chairman of the Federal Reserve and president and CEO of
Scott Paper Company
Ernie McCook – college football coach
Mark Meseroll – professional football player
Charles M. Oberly, III (A.A., 1966) – lawyer and
Democratic Party politician, including serving as
Delaware Attorney General (1983–1995);
U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware
[23]
Eunan O'Neill (non-degreed)
– Irish television presenter
John Palermo (non-degreed) – college football coach
Simeon S. Pennewill –
Governor of Delaware and
Delaware Senate
[24]
Bryan Robinson – professional football player; awarded
all-American football player
[25]
Charles L. Terry Jr. –
Governor of Delaware and
Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court
[26]
Ebrahim Victory (nondegreed)
– mechanical engineer and television presenter
Rebecca Walker –
Delaware House of Representatives
Carolyn Bunny Welsh –
Republican Party politician, former sheriff of
Chester County ,
Pennsylvania
Josiah O. Wolcott – Chancellor of the
Delaware Court of Chancery ,
United States Senator , and
Attorney General of Delaware
[27]
Notable faculty and staff
See also
References
^
a
b
c Alamdari, Natalia (July 9, 2020).
"Delaware State University signs agreement to acquire Wesley College" .
The News Journal . Retrieved August 12, 2021 .
^ Cherry, Amy (July 9, 2020).
"Delaware State University to officially acquire Wesley College" .
WDEL-FM . Retrieved October 13, 2020 .
^ Eichmann, Mark (July 9, 2020).
"Delaware State Univ. to make historic acquisition of Wesley College" .
WHYY . Retrieved October 13, 2020 .
^
a
b Chase, Randall (May 26, 2021).
"Tenured faculty challenge Wesley College acquisition by DSU" . Associated Press. Retrieved August 12, 2021 .
^
a
b
c
"History" . Wesley College. Archived from
the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021 .
^
"WE Celebrate: Annie Jump Cannon" . Blog . Colonial School District. March 18, 2021.
^
a
b
"Wesley Unveils Annie Jump Cannon Historical Marker" . Wesley College. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2020 . {{
cite web }}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link )
^
"Kent County Markers" . Delaware Public Archives . State of Delaware. Retrieved June 16, 2016 .
^ Wesley College Board of Trustees Meeting Open Session Minutes - March 20, 2021
^
"Wesley Faculty Vote "No Confidence" In President Clark" . March 8, 2021. Archived from
the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021 .
^
"Millions in Tax Dollars Went to Private Wesley College; Fallout From Sale Leaves a Lot of Questions" . The News Journal . March 29, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021 .
^
"DSU & Wesley" . Delaware State University. Retrieved July 27, 2021 .
^ Redden, Elizabeth (July 2, 2021).
"A Cross-Town Acquisition" .
Inside Higher Ed . Retrieved July 27, 2021 .
^ Tabeling, Kate (July 1, 2021).
"DSU Officially Closes Wesley Acquisition" . Delaware Business Times . Retrieved November 20, 2021 .
^ Neiburg, Jeff (July 16, 2021).
"After acquiring Wesley College, what's next for Delaware State?" . The News Journal . Retrieved November 24, 2021 .
^ Tresolini, Kevin (February 16, 2021).
"Sale to DSU Spells End of Wesley College Sports" . The News Journal . Retrieved November 21, 2021 .
^ Lopez, Anissa (March 19, 2021).
"Discontinuation of Wesley College Athletic Program impacting student" .
WDMT .com . Retrieved July 26, 2021 .
^
"Senator Colin Bonini" . Delaware General Assembly. Retrieved August 12, 2021 .
^
"Brockson, Franklin" . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved November 29, 2023 .
^
"University of Pittsburgh to Honor Academy Visitors" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . October 14, 1966. p. 13. Retrieved November 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^
"GILCHREST, Wayne Thomas - Biographical Information" . Retrieved June 16, 2016 .
^
"Jackson, William Purnell" . Biographic Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved November 29, 2023 .
^
"Meet Charles Oberly" . mainjustice.com . September 30, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2016 .
^
"Delaware Governor's - 1901 to 1949" . www.russpickett.com . Retrieved November 29, 2023 .
^
"Robinson Standing Out For Philadelphia Soul" (Press release). Dover, Delaware: Wesley College. April 5, 2012. Archived from
the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2021 .
^
"Delaware Governor's - 1949 to Present" . www.russpickett.com . Retrieved November 29, 2023 .
^
"Wolcott, Josiah O." Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved November 29, 2023 .
External links
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