Franklin & Marshall College
Encyclopedia
Franklin & Marshall College (abbreviated as "F&M") is a four-year private co-educational residential national liberal arts college
in the Northwest Corridor
neighborhood of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
, United States
.
It employs 175 full-time faculty members and has a student body of approximately 2,120 full-time students.
F&M was ranked in 2011 as the 4th Most Rigorous College / University on Newsweek's "The Daily Beast. F&M was ranked 41st on U.S. News & World Report
's 2010 list of liberal arts colleges. Forbes
' 2009 list of "America's Best Colleges" ranked the school 36th overall, and 33rd among private colleges. It was also ranked #1 in the nation for "Faculty accessibility" by The Princeton Review
in 2003. The college is a member of the Centennial Conference. For the Class of 2012 Admissions Cycle, the acceptance rate dropped to 35.9%, making it F&M's most selective class yet while increasing the admissions profile. The average SAT score is 1311, which combines the Critical Reading and Math portions.
on the site of a former brewery. It was named for Benjamin Franklin
, who donated £200 to the new institution. Founded by four prominent ministers from the German Reformed Church and the Lutheran Church, in conjunction with numerous Philadelphians, the school was established as a German college whose goal was "to preserve our present republican system of government," and "to promote those improvements in the arts and sciences which alone render nations respectable, great and happy." Its first trustees included five signers of the Declaration of Independence
, two members of the Constitutional Convention
and seven officers of the Revolutionary War.
The school's first courses were taught on July 16, 1787, with instruction taking place in both English
and German
making it the first bilingual college in the United States
.
Franklin College was also America's first coeducational institution, with its first class of students composed of 78 men and 36 women. Among the latter was Rebecca Gratz
, the first Jewish female college student in the United States. However, the coed policy was soon abandoned and it would take 182 years before women were again permitted to enroll in the school.
In July 1789, Franklin College ran into financial difficulty as its annual tuition of four pounds was not enough to cover operating costs. Enrollment began to dwindle to just a few students and eventually the college existed as nothing more than an annual meeting of the Board of Trustees. In an effort to help the ailing school, an academy was established in 1807. For the next three decades, Franklin College and Franklin Academy managed to limp along financially, with instructors supplementing their income with private tutoring.
In 1835, the school's Debating Society was renamed Diagnothian Literary Society at the suggestion of seminary student Samuel Reed Fisher. In June of that year, Diagnothian was divided into two friendly rivals to encourage debate. Diagnothian retained its original name, while the new society was named Goethean, in honor of German philosopher and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
. The two organizations sponsored orations and debated politics
, philosophy
and literature
. They merged together in 1955, but became separate entities again in 1989. The Diagnothian Society is the oldest student organization on campus.
. The school was named for the fourth Chief Justice of the United States
John Marshall
, who had died the previous year. It was founded with the belief that harmony between knowledge and will was necessary to create a well-rounded person.
During its first year, 18 students were taught by Frederick Augustus Rauch
and his assistant, Samuel A. Budd. Rauch, an acclaimed young scholar and theologian from Germany
who authored the first American textbook in psychology
, also served as the College’s president.
The school's small, but brilliant faculty grew in both size and status with the addition of John Williamson Nevin
and another German scholar, church historian Philip Schaff
. Nevin became the college’s president upon Rauch’s sudden death in 1841.
Life at Marshall College was well-regimented. Students were required to attend morning prayers—sometimes as early as 5 a.m.—and were expected to study in their rooms for six hours a day. In addition, they were forbidden to associate with people of questionable moral character.
Marshall College quickly gained national recognition and attracted students from a large geographical area, with some coming as far away as the West Indies. However, despite being initially well-funded, Marshall College began to experience financial difficulties of its own. By the late 1840s, financial support and enthusiasm among the local community had virtually disappeared and the school was in danger of closing its doors for good.
. The merger created an all-male Reformed Church institution that combined the resources of both schools. James Buchanan
, four years shy of becoming the 15th President of the United States
, was named president of the first Franklin & Marshall board of trustees.
The college’s first two presidents, Emanuel Vogel Gerhart
, a Marshall College graduate, and Nevin struggled to keep the young school afloat with an inadequate endowment. But the hope of creating a reputable liberal arts institution fueled their efforts to push on. “No second- or third-rate school will do,” said Nevin at the formal dedication of the united college. “We must either have no college at all or else have one that may be in all respects worthy of the name.”
On May 16, 1856, Franklin and Marshall College dedicated its main building, "Recitation Hall." The distinctive, tall-towered structure, designed in the Gothic Revival style, was constructed on "Gallows Hill," the former site of Lancaster's public executions and the highest point of ground in the city. At the laying of the building's cornerstone in 1853, Henry Harbaugh, a Marshall College graduate and pastor of the Reformed Church of Lancaster noted that the city's lowest point was the location of the Lancaster County Prison. Harbaugh stated: "Thank God! The College stands higher than the jail. Education should be lifted up and let crime sink to the lowest depths!" Recitation Hall came to be known as Old Main and the ground as College Hill.
Franklin and Marshall College took as its motto the Latin
phrase "Lux et Lex", which translates in English
to "Light and Law". This was the reverse of the Marshall College motto "Lex et Lux". While legend has it that the switch was the result of an error by an engraver, it was more likely a deliberate decision to pair the words with its founders Benjamin Franklin
("light") and John Marshall
("law").
The college seal depicts the profiles of Franklin and Marshall, both looking to the left. It has been often suggested that this represented the two leaders looking westward
towards the (then) future expansion of the United States. Despite the fact that his name comes second, John Marshall
is shown on the left of the seal and Benjamin Franklin
is on the right. But Franklin's full head is shown, while Marshall's profile is cut off and far in the background. Some say that this shows the college's unspoken tendency to favor Franklin's legacy over Marshall's. Recently this preference became more than simply unspoken, as the school actively promoted recognition of Benjamin Franklin
's 300th birthday while ignoring John Marshall
's 250th birthday, both of which occurred during the spring semester of 2006. The school only recognized Marshall's milestone birthday after a petition was circulated by then senior Ryan Corbalis and signed by a significant portion of the students and faculty of the college.
opened on campus. When it closed in 1943, it was the last prep school
in America to be directly affiliated with a college or university. The Academy's first building, East Hall, was constructed in 1872. A second, larger building, Hartman Hall, replaced it in 1907. Both buildings were used by the college for various purposes after the Academy folded. Hartman Hall was demolished in 1975 and East Hall followed in 1978.
College Days, the first student newspaper
, began publication in 1873. Later student newspapers included The College Student (1881–1914), The F&M Weekly (1891–1915), The Student Weekly (1915–1964), The Blue and The White (1990–1992) and The College Reporter (1964–present).
Oriflamme, the Franklin and Marshall College yearbook, was established in 1883.
In 1887, the centennial celebration of Franklin College was held at the school. By then, over 100 students were enrolled at F&M.
1899 saw the formation of the college's first theatre
group, the Franklin & Marshall Dramatic Association. The next year, it was renamed The Green Room Club. The club performed plays at Lancaster's Fulton Opera House
. Because the college admitted only men, the female roles were played by local actresses. In 1937, the Green Room Theatre opened on campus. F&M alumni who have performed on the Green Room stage include Oscar
-winning film director Franklin J. Schaffner and actors Roy Scheider
and Treat Williams
.
The college began a rapid period of growth after World War I
. Enrollment rose from around 300 students in 1920, to over 750 students by the year 1930. In 1924, the architectural firm of Klauder and Day presented a master campus plan in the Colonial Revival style. Dietz-Santee dormitory, Meyran-Franklin dormitory, the Mayser Physical Education Center, and Hensel Hall were all completed within three years. Two additional dormitories were planned at that time, but never constructed.
The sesquicentennial celebration of Franklin College was held in mid-October 1937. Student enrollment at that time was 800. A commemorative plaque celebrating the sesquicentennial of Franklin College and the signing of the United States Constitution
was presented to the college by the Lancaster County Historical Society.
In 1939, the school began an aviation
program in the new Keiper Liberal Arts Building. The Aeronautical Laboratory eventually became a government-sponsored flight school with 40 faculty members. Two airplanes were disassembled, moved into the building and reassembled on the third floor where they were used as flight simulators.
During World War II
, Franklin and Marshall College was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
By 1945, with the majority of young men fighting in World War II
, the college population dwindled to just under 500 students and 28 faculty members. But the end of the war brought many new students who decided to pursue their education under the G.I. Bill. By 1946, enrollment had swelled to over 1,200 students (including four females permitted to study in the pre-med
program) and there was a sudden critical shortage of faculty members.
The fifties and sixties brought more college expansion and construction to the campus including: North Museum (1953), Marshall-Buchanan Residence Hall (1956), Appel Infirmary (1959), Schnader Residence Hall (1959), Mayser Physical Education Center (1962), Benjamin Franklin Residence Halls (1964), Pfeiffer Science Complex (now Hackman Physical Science Laboratory) (1967), Grundy Observatory (1967), Whitely Psychology Laboratory (1968) and Thomas Residence Hall (1968).
Like other academic institutions in the sixties, Franklin and Marshall experienced a series of student protests during the decade that were based on important social issues, such as the American Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War
. In April 1961, students rioted in front of the President's house and Hensel Hall, burning effigies and college property in protest of administration policies.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
visited the campus on December 12, 1963. He spoke about civil rights
before a capacity audience of 3,300 in Mayser Center, the school's gymnasium.
In 1965, visiting English instructor Robert Mezey was suspended after being accused of urging students to burn their draft cards
. He was later reinstated. This became known as the "Mezey Affair."
In the spring of 1969, black students protested the final examination of the history course "The Black Experience in America." Demanding an apology from the faculty for exploitation and an "A" in the course, the students argued that no white man can test them on their "blackness." The day before the exam, the professors agreed to the apology, but still insisted that the students take the final exam. On May 22, the day of the exam, forty black students—many of whom were not enrolled in the course—blocked the entrance to the exam room in Old Main. The professors attempted to hand out the exam to the other students in the class, but the protesters confiscated them. Retreating to Goethean Hall next door, the professors and staff met to evaluate the situation. The protesters followed them to the building, blocked all doors and exits and held them hostage
. They declared that they would not release the faculty members until they received an apology and immunity from punishment. The standoff lasted until midnight, when the professors agreed to allow the students to grade themselves. The students relented and released the hostages. However the college's Professional Standards Committee later overturned the decision, declaring that the professors would, in fact, have to grade the students after all.
In 1969, Franklin and Marshall College ended its formal affiliation with the United Church of Christ
, becoming a secular school.
Since its inception, Franklin and Marshall was an all-male institution, although Franklin College had enrolled female students and women were permitted to attend summer school classes at F&M beginning in 1942. Continuing a trend in single-sex schools across the country, the Board of Trustees announced on January 17, 1969 that it had voted to admit women to F&M, a decision that was unanimously and enthusiastically supported by male students. In the fall of 1969, 82 freshman women and 34 female transfer students were enrolled in F&M's first coeducational class.
In 1970, F&M students protested the administration's failure to rehire popular sociology instructor Anthony Lazroe and history instructor Henry Mayer. The protest, known as the "Lazroe-Mayer incident," culminated in the East Hall sit-in
on April 30, where students took over the building for several hours.
On September 17, 1970, the Herman Art Center (named after Jacob Leon Herman, Class of 1916) was dedicated as part of Convocation, during which painter Jim Dine and sculptor Chaim Gross were awarded honorary degrees. The building was designed by Fisher, Nes and Campbell of Baltimore, MD for the studio art program, but, unfortunately only half of the original plan was ever constructed due to lack of funds.
In 1976, the Steinman College Center was constructed. The building—designed by Minoru Yamasaki
, architect of New York's World Trade Center
—originally housed the campus bookstore. Today it houses the College Reporter, the Oriflamme Yearbook, the College Entertainment Committee, the Phillips Museum of Art, Pandini's (a restaurant) and the campus radio station WFNM. The College Center continues to contain a Post Office.
On April 29, 1976, the Green Room Theatre staged the world premiere of the John Updike
play Buchanan Dying, about former President James Buchanan
, a Lancaster resident and former President of the Board of Trustees. The production was directed by Edward S. Brubaker and starred Peter Vogt, an F&M alumnus. After the premiere, a reception was held at Wheatland, Buchanan's Lancaster residence.
On March 28, 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor in nearby Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
experienced a partial meltdown
, forcing the college to close for a short time.
The eighties were a prosperous time for the college. Construction projects initiated during the decade included Hartman Green (1982), French House (1984), Murray Arts House (1984), Ice Rink (1984), Spaulding Plaza (1985), the Other Room Theatre (1985), major renovations and expansions of Fackenthal Library (1983, renamed Shadek-Fackenthal Library), which currently houses approximately 513,942 volumes, Stahr Hall (1985, renamed Stager Hall, 1988), the Black Cultural Center (1986) and Weis Residence Hall (1989).
On June 6, 1987 Franklin and Marshall College celebrated its bicentennial.
The nineties
brought a major expansion to the north side of campus with the construction of College Square in (1991). The multi-use complex housed a new bookstore, laudromat, video store, restaurants and a food court. Other buildings from the decade include International House (1990), Martin Library of the Sciences (1990), which currently houses approximately 61,170 volumes, and the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center (1995)
In 2000, Bill Cosby
was chosen as commencement speaker for the graduating class. He also donated $100,000 to start a scholarship
in honor of his deceased son Ennis
. The scholarship is awarded to students who pursue their graduate studies in education
at Columbia University Teachers College, Ennis' alma mater.
On January 19, 2006, the college celebrated the tricentennial of Benjamin Franklin's birth. Among other activities, noted Franklin scholar Walter Issacson gave a lecture, and a full-page ad praising Franklin and advertising the college was purchased in the New York Times.
On March 10, 2010, it was announced that then current President John Fry would be leaving the college to become the President of Drexel University
on August 1, 2010. The college began its search for a new President for the fall semester immediately. Alumnus John Burness took a one year leave from his job at Duke University
as senior vice president for public affairs and government relations to head the college as interim president.
On November 16, 2010, it was announced that Daniel R. Porterfield
would become the new President of the college effective March 1, 2011. President Porterfield came to F&M from Georgetown University
in Washington, D.C. where he served as a senior vice president. He is the 15th president in the college's history.
. Men's intercollegiate competition is in fourteen sports: baseball
, basketball
, cross country
, football
, golf
, lacrosse
, soccer, squash
, swimming
, tennis
, indoor track and field
, outdoor track and field, and wrestling
, and rowing
. Women's intercollegiate competition is in fourteen sports: basketball, rowing, cross country, field hockey
, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball
, squash, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and volleyball
. F&M competes in NCAA Division III for all varsity sports except wrestling, which is Division I, and men's and women's squash, which are nondivisional. F&M also boasts several student run clubs, most notably Men's and Women's Rugby, both of which have become serious contenders for regional, and national championships each season and which compete in the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union
. Ultimate Frisbee is also a popular club sport on campus, fielding both a men's and a women's team.
In 1866, the student-run Alpha Club sponsored the college's first baseball
game.
In 1887, the first football
team was organized by Seminary student Miles O. Noll
. Franklin and Marshall College was defeated 9–0 by the York YMCA. Later that year, the program played a re-match and lost again, this time by score of 6–4.
Distler House, the school's first gym
nasium, was constructed in 1891. It contained a bowling
alley, indoor running track, and gymnastic equipment.
Sponaugle-Williamson Field
was constructed in 1895 with the assistance of $1,500 from Henry S. Williamson. It was later renamed "Williamson Field." A concrete grandstand was added in 1922 at a cost of $10,000.
In 1900 the first basketball
game was played. The opposing team was Millersville Normal School.
Professor Charles W. Mayser
founded the F&M wrestling
team in 1923, and early 1924 saw the college's first wrestling match as the Blue & White defeated Western Maryland College, 24–5. The Diplomat grapplers finished their maiden season with a 4–1 record. F&M wrestling competes in the EIWA
, the oldest collegiate wrestling conference in the United States.
Mayser Physical Education Center, the college's second gym
nasium, was opened in 1927.
In 1992, F&M became a charter member of the Centennial Conference
, an athletic conference of 11 mid-Atlantic institutions that compete in 22 sports in the NCAA's Division III. The other founding members of the conference are Bryn Mawr College
, Dickinson College
, Gettysburg College
, Haverford College
, Johns Hopkins University
, Muhlenberg College
, Swarthmore College
, Ursinus College
, Western Maryland College, (renamed McDaniel College
) and Washington College
.
In 1995, the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center, the school's third gym
nasium opened on the site of the college's former ice rink.
In 2007, the F&M women's lacrosse team won the NCAA Division III championship with an undefeated season record of 21–0. The women's lacrosse team took back the NCAA Division III championship in 2009, for the second time in three years with a 21–1 record. It marked the third consecutive year that the women's lacrosse team played in the championship game.
The men's basketball team has reached the NCAA Division III Final Four on five occasions (1979, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2009), appearing in the national championship game in 1991. The men's basketball team has been nationally ranked on a frequent basis since the late 1970s, including No. 1 in Division III at some point during seven different seasons. Head coach Glenn Robinson
is the career leader in wins in Division III. Robinson has been listed as one of the top 100 college basketball coaches of all-time.
Other successful athletic teams at F&M include men's soccer, men's and women's swimming, baseball, and squash. They all traditionally compete for conference championships and have been ranked high nationally. In 2008, the men's swimming team won the Centennial Conference championships and the women's swimming team placed second. At that championship, Thomas Anthony Grabiak Jr. of F&M set Centennial Conference championship meet records in the 100 and 200 yd breaststroke events. Men's squash consistently maintains a Top 16 Division I national ranking, having finished No. 14, No. 16 and No. 12 in the past three seasons, respectively.
. This was known as "derecognition." At the time, three of the school's fraternities had recently lost their national charters due to various offenses. In an effort to repair the system, the college administration proposed eight specific reforms to the Greek Council, which were ultimately rejected by all of the organizations. The result was derecognition. Derecognition was highly unpopular with the student body, but it served to remove the college from any liability
associated with hazing
and underage alcohol abuse, issues that were in the national public eye at that time. The Greek System continued, albeit without financial or administrative support from the college. After several years, a small number of fraternities struggled with health code violations, fires, and one unfortunate accidental alcohol-related death. Owing to several factors, including dwindling financial support from fraternity and sorority alumni and legitimate concerns about student academics, health and safety, the college announced on May 19, 2004 that it would reinstate a new, revised Greek System beginning on September 1, 2004 after a 16 year absence.
As part of the new agreement between the school's Greek organizations and the administration, Fraternity and Sorority houses are required to submit to weekly "life safety" inspections by school officials, and inspections by the local Fire Department, Police Department, and Office of Public Health conducted once per semester. Additionally, an Inter-Fraternity Council consisting of representatives from all fraternities and advised by a member of the faculty as well as a Greek Council consisting of members of all Greek organizations (male and female) similarly advised by a faculty member was re-established to deal with issues facing the Greek community and advising the administration on Greek issues.
As recently as the Fall 2008 Semester, relations between the administration and the Greek system have been strained. The administration placed a month long moratorium on all Greek social events. During this period the Inter Fraternity Council revised protocols governing parties, the revisions were approved by the administration resulting in the lifting of the moratorium, but the administration committed to more sternly enforcing the newly agreed upon rules. There are also tensions between some members of the Greek system and Lancaster City, arising chiefly from incidents of crime.
Concerns over the condition of Greek housing has led the administration and Greek organizations to examine different options for improving the quality of housing options in order for such house to receive continued support and approval from the college. In some cases this has resulted in the temporary closure of Greek housing until the buildings can be brought up to school and town safety standards.
Marshall College:
Franklin and Marshall College:
In 2001, Tim McGraw
posed for publicity photos wearing a "Franklin Marshall Wrestling" t-shirt, one of which was included in the CD booklet for his album Set This Circus Down
. When the college became flooded with inquires about its (nonexistent) connection to the singer, they began to investigate further and discovered that the Franklin Marshall Clothing company was using its name without permission.
In 2003, after lengthy discussions, the college decided not to sue and instead agreed to accept a licensing fee from the company so that they could continue to produce their products, which had begun to gain popularity with youth, especially in the United Kingdom.
Today, the line is sold in upscale stores, such as Bloomingdales and, as part of the agreement with the college, at the Franklin and Marshall College bookstore. However, many of the designs omit Franklin & Marshall's ampersand
and instead reads simply "Franklin Marshall." The clothing company also opened a flagship store in Milan
, and another shop in Paris
.
Liberal arts colleges in the United States
Liberal arts colleges in the United States are certain undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers a definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general...
in the Northwest Corridor
Northwest Corridor (Lancaster)
The Northwest Corridor is a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA neighborhood. The name refers to the neighborhood's location within the city of Lancaster, and the importance of the corridor in connecting important economic and civic developments within the city, and nearby, suburban East Hempfield...
neighborhood of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It employs 175 full-time faculty members and has a student body of approximately 2,120 full-time students.
F&M was ranked in 2011 as the 4th Most Rigorous College / University on Newsweek's "The Daily Beast. F&M was ranked 41st on U.S. News & World Report
College and university rankings
College and university rankings are lists of institutions in higher education, ordered by combinations of factors. In addition to entire institutions, specific programs, departments, and schools are ranked...
's 2010 list of liberal arts colleges. Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
' 2009 list of "America's Best Colleges" ranked the school 36th overall, and 33rd among private colleges. It was also ranked #1 in the nation for "Faculty accessibility" by The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
in 2003. The college is a member of the Centennial Conference. For the Class of 2012 Admissions Cycle, the acceptance rate dropped to 35.9%, making it F&M's most selective class yet while increasing the admissions profile. The average SAT score is 1311, which combines the Critical Reading and Math portions.
Franklin College (18th century)
Franklin College was chartered on June 6, 1787 in Lancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
on the site of a former brewery. It was named for Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
, who donated £200 to the new institution. Founded by four prominent ministers from the German Reformed Church and the Lutheran Church, in conjunction with numerous Philadelphians, the school was established as a German college whose goal was "to preserve our present republican system of government," and "to promote those improvements in the arts and sciences which alone render nations respectable, great and happy." Its first trustees included five signers of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
, two members of the Constitutional Convention
Philadelphia Convention
The Constitutional Convention took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address problems in governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from...
and seven officers of the Revolutionary War.
The school's first courses were taught on July 16, 1787, with instruction taking place in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
making it the first bilingual college in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Franklin College was also America's first coeducational institution, with its first class of students composed of 78 men and 36 women. Among the latter was Rebecca Gratz
Rebecca Gratz
Rebecca Gratz was a preeminent Jewish American educator and philanthropist.Gratz was the seventh of twelve children born to Miriam Simon and Michael Gratz...
, the first Jewish female college student in the United States. However, the coed policy was soon abandoned and it would take 182 years before women were again permitted to enroll in the school.
In July 1789, Franklin College ran into financial difficulty as its annual tuition of four pounds was not enough to cover operating costs. Enrollment began to dwindle to just a few students and eventually the college existed as nothing more than an annual meeting of the Board of Trustees. In an effort to help the ailing school, an academy was established in 1807. For the next three decades, Franklin College and Franklin Academy managed to limp along financially, with instructors supplementing their income with private tutoring.
In 1835, the school's Debating Society was renamed Diagnothian Literary Society at the suggestion of seminary student Samuel Reed Fisher. In June of that year, Diagnothian was divided into two friendly rivals to encourage debate. Diagnothian retained its original name, while the new society was named Goethean, in honor of German philosopher and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
. The two organizations sponsored orations and debated politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. They merged together in 1955, but became separate entities again in 1989. The Diagnothian Society is the oldest student organization on campus.
Marshall College (19th century)
Having grown from a Reformed Church academy, Marshall College opened in 1836 in Mercersburg, PennsylvaniaMercersburg, Pennsylvania
Mercersburg is a borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Harrisburg. Originally called Black Town, it was incorporated in 1831. In 1900, 956 people lived here, and in 1910, 1,410 people lived here...
. The school was named for the fourth Chief Justice of the United States
Chief Justice of the United States
The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
John Marshall
John Marshall
John Marshall was the Chief Justice of the United States whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches...
, who had died the previous year. It was founded with the belief that harmony between knowledge and will was necessary to create a well-rounded person.
During its first year, 18 students were taught by Frederick Augustus Rauch
Frederick Augustus Rauch
Frederick Augustus Rauch [in Germany Friedrich August Rauch] was an educator. He was the founding president of Marshall College.-Biography:...
and his assistant, Samuel A. Budd. Rauch, an acclaimed young scholar and theologian from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
who authored the first American textbook in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, also served as the College’s president.
The school's small, but brilliant faculty grew in both size and status with the addition of John Williamson Nevin
John Williamson Nevin
John Williamson Nevin , American theologian and educationalist, was born on Herron's Branch, near Shippensburg, Franklin county, Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
and another German scholar, church historian Philip Schaff
Philip Schaff
Philip Schaff , was a Swiss-born, German-educated Protestant theologian and a historian of the Christian church, who, after his education, lived and taught in the United States.-Biography:...
. Nevin became the college’s president upon Rauch’s sudden death in 1841.
Life at Marshall College was well-regimented. Students were required to attend morning prayers—sometimes as early as 5 a.m.—and were expected to study in their rooms for six hours a day. In addition, they were forbidden to associate with people of questionable moral character.
Marshall College quickly gained national recognition and attracted students from a large geographical area, with some coming as far away as the West Indies. However, despite being initially well-funded, Marshall College began to experience financial difficulties of its own. By the late 1840s, financial support and enthusiasm among the local community had virtually disappeared and the school was in danger of closing its doors for good.
Merger
On December 6, 1849, Franklin College and Marshall College began to explore the possibility of a merger as a method to secure the future of both institutions. Three years later, on June 7, 1853, the combined college was formally dedicated at Lancaster's Fulton HallFulton Opera House
The Fulton Opera House, also known as the Fulton Theatre or simply The Fulton, is a League of Regional Theatres class C regional theater located in historic downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.-Building:...
. The merger created an all-male Reformed Church institution that combined the resources of both schools. James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
, four years shy of becoming the 15th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, was named president of the first Franklin & Marshall board of trustees.
The college’s first two presidents, Emanuel Vogel Gerhart
Emanuel Vogel Gerhart
Emanuel Vogel Gerhart was an American minister of the German Reformed church.-Biography:...
, a Marshall College graduate, and Nevin struggled to keep the young school afloat with an inadequate endowment. But the hope of creating a reputable liberal arts institution fueled their efforts to push on. “No second- or third-rate school will do,” said Nevin at the formal dedication of the united college. “We must either have no college at all or else have one that may be in all respects worthy of the name.”
On May 16, 1856, Franklin and Marshall College dedicated its main building, "Recitation Hall." The distinctive, tall-towered structure, designed in the Gothic Revival style, was constructed on "Gallows Hill," the former site of Lancaster's public executions and the highest point of ground in the city. At the laying of the building's cornerstone in 1853, Henry Harbaugh, a Marshall College graduate and pastor of the Reformed Church of Lancaster noted that the city's lowest point was the location of the Lancaster County Prison. Harbaugh stated: "Thank God! The College stands higher than the jail. Education should be lifted up and let crime sink to the lowest depths!" Recitation Hall came to be known as Old Main and the ground as College Hill.
Franklin and Marshall College took as its motto the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
phrase "Lux et Lex", which translates in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
to "Light and Law". This was the reverse of the Marshall College motto "Lex et Lux". While legend has it that the switch was the result of an error by an engraver, it was more likely a deliberate decision to pair the words with its founders Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
("light") and John Marshall
John Marshall
John Marshall was the Chief Justice of the United States whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches...
("law").
The college seal depicts the profiles of Franklin and Marshall, both looking to the left. It has been often suggested that this represented the two leaders looking westward
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the 19th century American belief that the United States was destined to expand across the continent. It was used by Democrat-Republicans in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico; the concept was denounced by Whigs, and fell into disuse after the mid-19th century.Advocates of...
towards the (then) future expansion of the United States. Despite the fact that his name comes second, John Marshall
John Marshall
John Marshall was the Chief Justice of the United States whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches...
is shown on the left of the seal and Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
is on the right. But Franklin's full head is shown, while Marshall's profile is cut off and far in the background. Some say that this shows the college's unspoken tendency to favor Franklin's legacy over Marshall's. Recently this preference became more than simply unspoken, as the school actively promoted recognition of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
's 300th birthday while ignoring John Marshall
John Marshall
John Marshall was the Chief Justice of the United States whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches...
's 250th birthday, both of which occurred during the spring semester of 2006. The school only recognized Marshall's milestone birthday after a petition was circulated by then senior Ryan Corbalis and signed by a significant portion of the students and faculty of the college.
Late 19th century
In 1872, the Franklin and Marshall Academy, an all-male prep schoolUniversity-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
opened on campus. When it closed in 1943, it was the last prep school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
in America to be directly affiliated with a college or university. The Academy's first building, East Hall, was constructed in 1872. A second, larger building, Hartman Hall, replaced it in 1907. Both buildings were used by the college for various purposes after the Academy folded. Hartman Hall was demolished in 1975 and East Hall followed in 1978.
College Days, the first student newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, began publication in 1873. Later student newspapers included The College Student (1881–1914), The F&M Weekly (1891–1915), The Student Weekly (1915–1964), The Blue and The White (1990–1992) and The College Reporter (1964–present).
Oriflamme, the Franklin and Marshall College yearbook, was established in 1883.
In 1887, the centennial celebration of Franklin College was held at the school. By then, over 100 students were enrolled at F&M.
1899 saw the formation of the college's first theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
group, the Franklin & Marshall Dramatic Association. The next year, it was renamed The Green Room Club. The club performed plays at Lancaster's Fulton Opera House
Fulton Opera House
The Fulton Opera House, also known as the Fulton Theatre or simply The Fulton, is a League of Regional Theatres class C regional theater located in historic downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.-Building:...
. Because the college admitted only men, the female roles were played by local actresses. In 1937, the Green Room Theatre opened on campus. F&M alumni who have performed on the Green Room stage include Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning film director Franklin J. Schaffner and actors Roy Scheider
Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
and Treat Williams
Treat Williams
Richard Treat Williams is a Screen Actors Guild Award–nominated American actor and children's book author who has appeared on film, stage and television...
.
20th century
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Enrollment rose from around 300 students in 1920, to over 750 students by the year 1930. In 1924, the architectural firm of Klauder and Day presented a master campus plan in the Colonial Revival style. Dietz-Santee dormitory, Meyran-Franklin dormitory, the Mayser Physical Education Center, and Hensel Hall were all completed within three years. Two additional dormitories were planned at that time, but never constructed.
The sesquicentennial celebration of Franklin College was held in mid-October 1937. Student enrollment at that time was 800. A commemorative plaque celebrating the sesquicentennial of Franklin College and the signing of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
was presented to the college by the Lancaster County Historical Society.
In 1939, the school began an aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
program in the new Keiper Liberal Arts Building. The Aeronautical Laboratory eventually became a government-sponsored flight school with 40 faculty members. Two airplanes were disassembled, moved into the building and reassembled on the third floor where they were used as flight simulators.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Franklin and Marshall College was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
By 1945, with the majority of young men fighting in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the college population dwindled to just under 500 students and 28 faculty members. But the end of the war brought many new students who decided to pursue their education under the G.I. Bill. By 1946, enrollment had swelled to over 1,200 students (including four females permitted to study in the pre-med
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
program) and there was a sudden critical shortage of faculty members.
The fifties and sixties brought more college expansion and construction to the campus including: North Museum (1953), Marshall-Buchanan Residence Hall (1956), Appel Infirmary (1959), Schnader Residence Hall (1959), Mayser Physical Education Center (1962), Benjamin Franklin Residence Halls (1964), Pfeiffer Science Complex (now Hackman Physical Science Laboratory) (1967), Grundy Observatory (1967), Whitely Psychology Laboratory (1968) and Thomas Residence Hall (1968).
Like other academic institutions in the sixties, Franklin and Marshall experienced a series of student protests during the decade that were based on important social issues, such as the American Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. In April 1961, students rioted in front of the President's house and Hensel Hall, burning effigies and college property in protest of administration policies.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
visited the campus on December 12, 1963. He spoke about civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
before a capacity audience of 3,300 in Mayser Center, the school's gymnasium.
In 1965, visiting English instructor Robert Mezey was suspended after being accused of urging students to burn their draft cards
Draft dodger
Draft evasion is a term that refers to an intentional failure to comply with the military conscription policies of the nation to which he or she is subject...
. He was later reinstated. This became known as the "Mezey Affair."
In the spring of 1969, black students protested the final examination of the history course "The Black Experience in America." Demanding an apology from the faculty for exploitation and an "A" in the course, the students argued that no white man can test them on their "blackness." The day before the exam, the professors agreed to the apology, but still insisted that the students take the final exam. On May 22, the day of the exam, forty black students—many of whom were not enrolled in the course—blocked the entrance to the exam room in Old Main. The professors attempted to hand out the exam to the other students in the class, but the protesters confiscated them. Retreating to Goethean Hall next door, the professors and staff met to evaluate the situation. The protesters followed them to the building, blocked all doors and exits and held them hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
. They declared that they would not release the faculty members until they received an apology and immunity from punishment. The standoff lasted until midnight, when the professors agreed to allow the students to grade themselves. The students relented and released the hostages. However the college's Professional Standards Committee later overturned the decision, declaring that the professors would, in fact, have to grade the students after all.
In 1969, Franklin and Marshall College ended its formal affiliation with the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
, becoming a secular school.
Since its inception, Franklin and Marshall was an all-male institution, although Franklin College had enrolled female students and women were permitted to attend summer school classes at F&M beginning in 1942. Continuing a trend in single-sex schools across the country, the Board of Trustees announced on January 17, 1969 that it had voted to admit women to F&M, a decision that was unanimously and enthusiastically supported by male students. In the fall of 1969, 82 freshman women and 34 female transfer students were enrolled in F&M's first coeducational class.
In 1970, F&M students protested the administration's failure to rehire popular sociology instructor Anthony Lazroe and history instructor Henry Mayer. The protest, known as the "Lazroe-Mayer incident," culminated in the East Hall sit-in
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
on April 30, where students took over the building for several hours.
On September 17, 1970, the Herman Art Center (named after Jacob Leon Herman, Class of 1916) was dedicated as part of Convocation, during which painter Jim Dine and sculptor Chaim Gross were awarded honorary degrees. The building was designed by Fisher, Nes and Campbell of Baltimore, MD for the studio art program, but, unfortunately only half of the original plan was ever constructed due to lack of funds.
In 1976, the Steinman College Center was constructed. The building—designed by Minoru Yamasaki
Minoru Yamasaki
was a Japanese-American architect, best known for his design of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, buildings 1 and 2. Yamasaki was one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century...
, architect of New York's World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
—originally housed the campus bookstore. Today it houses the College Reporter, the Oriflamme Yearbook, the College Entertainment Committee, the Phillips Museum of Art, Pandini's (a restaurant) and the campus radio station WFNM. The College Center continues to contain a Post Office.
On April 29, 1976, the Green Room Theatre staged the world premiere of the John Updike
John Updike
John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....
play Buchanan Dying, about former President James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
, a Lancaster resident and former President of the Board of Trustees. The production was directed by Edward S. Brubaker and starred Peter Vogt, an F&M alumnus. After the premiere, a reception was held at Wheatland, Buchanan's Lancaster residence.
On March 28, 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor in nearby Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
experienced a partial meltdown
Nuclear meltdown
Nuclear meltdown is an informal term for a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. The term is not officially defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency or by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission...
, forcing the college to close for a short time.
The eighties were a prosperous time for the college. Construction projects initiated during the decade included Hartman Green (1982), French House (1984), Murray Arts House (1984), Ice Rink (1984), Spaulding Plaza (1985), the Other Room Theatre (1985), major renovations and expansions of Fackenthal Library (1983, renamed Shadek-Fackenthal Library), which currently houses approximately 513,942 volumes, Stahr Hall (1985, renamed Stager Hall, 1988), the Black Cultural Center (1986) and Weis Residence Hall (1989).
On June 6, 1987 Franklin and Marshall College celebrated its bicentennial.
The nineties
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
brought a major expansion to the north side of campus with the construction of College Square in (1991). The multi-use complex housed a new bookstore, laudromat, video store, restaurants and a food court. Other buildings from the decade include International House (1990), Martin Library of the Sciences (1990), which currently houses approximately 61,170 volumes, and the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center (1995)
21st century
At the turn of the twenty-first century, the college continued to grow with the addition of the Barshinger Center for Musical Arts in Hensel Hall (2000), President's House (built 1933; purchased by the college in 2002), Roschel Performing Arts Center (2003), Writer's House (2004), College Row Apartments (2007) which included apartment style living for upper-classmen with retail space on ground floors, the newly reonvated Klehr Center for Jewish life (2008) and a new academic building for Life Sciences and Philosophy (2007)In 2000, Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
was chosen as commencement speaker for the graduating class. He also donated $100,000 to start a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
in honor of his deceased son Ennis
Ennis Cosby
Ennis William "The Music" Cosby was the son of comedian-actor Bill Cosby and Camille Cosby. He was murdered in 1997 on Skirball Center Drive, an access road of Los Angeles' 405 Freeway by Mikhail Markhasev.-Life:...
. The scholarship is awarded to students who pursue their graduate studies in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
at Columbia University Teachers College, Ennis' alma mater.
On January 19, 2006, the college celebrated the tricentennial of Benjamin Franklin's birth. Among other activities, noted Franklin scholar Walter Issacson gave a lecture, and a full-page ad praising Franklin and advertising the college was purchased in the New York Times.
On March 10, 2010, it was announced that then current President John Fry would be leaving the college to become the President of Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
on August 1, 2010. The college began its search for a new President for the fall semester immediately. Alumnus John Burness took a one year leave from his job at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
as senior vice president for public affairs and government relations to head the college as interim president.
On November 16, 2010, it was announced that Daniel R. Porterfield
Daniel R. Porterfield
Daniel R. Porterfield is the 15th president of Franklin & Marshall College.- Education :A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Daniel R. Porterfield graduated from Loyola Blakefield, a Jesuit college prep school, in 1979. In 1983 he received a B.A. in English from Georgetown University. As a Rhodes...
would become the new President of the college effective March 1, 2011. President Porterfield came to F&M from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in Washington, D.C. where he served as a senior vice president. He is the 15th president in the college's history.
Athletics
Sports have been an active part of Franklin and Marshall since its inception. The school's sports teams are called the Diplomats. Many of the teams compete in the Centennial ConferenceCentennial Conference
The Centennial Conference is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in Maryland and Pennsylvania....
. Men's intercollegiate competition is in fourteen sports: baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, soccer, squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, indoor track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, outdoor track and field, and wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
, and rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
. Women's intercollegiate competition is in fourteen sports: basketball, rowing, cross country, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, squash, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
. F&M competes in NCAA Division III for all varsity sports except wrestling, which is Division I, and men's and women's squash, which are nondivisional. F&M also boasts several student run clubs, most notably Men's and Women's Rugby, both of which have become serious contenders for regional, and national championships each season and which compete in the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union
Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union
The Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union is the Local Area Union for rugby union teams in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, as well as Delaware and parts of New Jersey...
. Ultimate Frisbee is also a popular club sport on campus, fielding both a men's and a women's team.
In 1866, the student-run Alpha Club sponsored the college's first baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
game.
In 1887, the first football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team was organized by Seminary student Miles O. Noll
Miles O. Noll
Miles O. Noll was a clergyman, educator, and American football coach in the United States.-Coaching career:Noll was the first head college football coach for the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He held that position for the 1887 season. His coaching record at...
. Franklin and Marshall College was defeated 9–0 by the York YMCA. Later that year, the program played a re-match and lost again, this time by score of 6–4.
Distler House, the school's first gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, was constructed in 1891. It contained a bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
alley, indoor running track, and gymnastic equipment.
Sponaugle-Williamson Field
Sponaugle-Williamson Field
Sponaugle–Williamson Field is a stadium for the outdoor athletic teams of Franklin & Marshall College, and is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The venue was built in 1920 as Williamson Field. Sponaugle–Williamson Field was named after S. Woodrow Sponaugle, who coached football and basketball,...
was constructed in 1895 with the assistance of $1,500 from Henry S. Williamson. It was later renamed "Williamson Field." A concrete grandstand was added in 1922 at a cost of $10,000.
In 1900 the first basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
game was played. The opposing team was Millersville Normal School.
Professor Charles W. Mayser
Charles Mayser
Charles W. Mayser was an American football and baseball coach in the United States. He served three stints as the head football coach at Franklin & Marshall College and was the head football coach at Iowa State University from 1915 to 1919, compiling a career college football record of...
founded the F&M wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
team in 1923, and early 1924 saw the college's first wrestling match as the Blue & White defeated Western Maryland College, 24–5. The Diplomat grapplers finished their maiden season with a 4–1 record. F&M wrestling competes in the EIWA
Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association
The Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association is an NCAA Division I collegiate wrestling conference. It has been active since 1905 and has had a variety of schools as members throughout its tenure.-Current members:*American University...
, the oldest collegiate wrestling conference in the United States.
Mayser Physical Education Center, the college's second gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, was opened in 1927.
In 1992, F&M became a charter member of the Centennial Conference
Centennial Conference
The Centennial Conference is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in Maryland and Pennsylvania....
, an athletic conference of 11 mid-Atlantic institutions that compete in 22 sports in the NCAA's Division III. The other founding members of the conference are Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
, Dickinson College
Dickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
, Gettysburg College
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg College is a private four-year liberal arts college founded in 1832, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States, adjacent to the famous battlefield. Its athletic teams are nicknamed the Bullets. Gettysburg College has about 2,700 students, with roughly equal numbers of men and women...
, Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
, Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America.- History...
, Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
, Ursinus College
Ursinus College
Ursinus College is a liberal arts college in Collegeville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.-History:1867Members of the German Reformed Church begin plans to establish a college where "young men could be liberally educated under the benign influence of Christianity." These founders were hoping to...
, Western Maryland College, (renamed McDaniel College
McDaniel College
McDaniel College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Westminster, Maryland, located 30 miles northwest of Baltimore. The college also has a satellite campus located in Budapest, Hungary. Until July 2002, it was known as Western Maryland College...
) and Washington College
Washington College
Washington College is a private, independent liberal arts college located on a campus in Chestertown, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782...
.
In 1995, the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center, the school's third gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium opened on the site of the college's former ice rink.
In 2007, the F&M women's lacrosse team won the NCAA Division III championship with an undefeated season record of 21–0. The women's lacrosse team took back the NCAA Division III championship in 2009, for the second time in three years with a 21–1 record. It marked the third consecutive year that the women's lacrosse team played in the championship game.
The men's basketball team has reached the NCAA Division III Final Four on five occasions (1979, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2009), appearing in the national championship game in 1991. The men's basketball team has been nationally ranked on a frequent basis since the late 1970s, including No. 1 in Division III at some point during seven different seasons. Head coach Glenn Robinson
Glenn Robinson (coach)
Glenn R. Robinson is the men’s basketball coach at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Robinson began his 40th season at Franklin and Marshall in 2010. He is the all time wins leader in Division III men’s basketball history with over 780 career victories and currently is 5th...
is the career leader in wins in Division III. Robinson has been listed as one of the top 100 college basketball coaches of all-time.
Other successful athletic teams at F&M include men's soccer, men's and women's swimming, baseball, and squash. They all traditionally compete for conference championships and have been ranked high nationally. In 2008, the men's swimming team won the Centennial Conference championships and the women's swimming team placed second. At that championship, Thomas Anthony Grabiak Jr. of F&M set Centennial Conference championship meet records in the 100 and 200 yd breaststroke events. Men's squash consistently maintains a Top 16 Division I national ranking, having finished No. 14, No. 16 and No. 12 in the past three seasons, respectively.
Greek system
In April 1988, the College's Board of Trustees voted no longer to officially recognize the school's fraternities and sororitiesFraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. This was known as "derecognition." At the time, three of the school's fraternities had recently lost their national charters due to various offenses. In an effort to repair the system, the college administration proposed eight specific reforms to the Greek Council, which were ultimately rejected by all of the organizations. The result was derecognition. Derecognition was highly unpopular with the student body, but it served to remove the college from any liability
Legal liability
Legal liability is the legal bound obligation to pay debts.* In law a person is said to be legally liable when they are financially and legally responsible for something. Legal liability concerns both civil law and criminal law. See Strict liability. Under English law, with the passing of the Theft...
associated with hazing
Hazing
Hazing is a term used to describe various ritual and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group....
and underage alcohol abuse, issues that were in the national public eye at that time. The Greek System continued, albeit without financial or administrative support from the college. After several years, a small number of fraternities struggled with health code violations, fires, and one unfortunate accidental alcohol-related death. Owing to several factors, including dwindling financial support from fraternity and sorority alumni and legitimate concerns about student academics, health and safety, the college announced on May 19, 2004 that it would reinstate a new, revised Greek System beginning on September 1, 2004 after a 16 year absence.
As part of the new agreement between the school's Greek organizations and the administration, Fraternity and Sorority houses are required to submit to weekly "life safety" inspections by school officials, and inspections by the local Fire Department, Police Department, and Office of Public Health conducted once per semester. Additionally, an Inter-Fraternity Council consisting of representatives from all fraternities and advised by a member of the faculty as well as a Greek Council consisting of members of all Greek organizations (male and female) similarly advised by a faculty member was re-established to deal with issues facing the Greek community and advising the administration on Greek issues.
As recently as the Fall 2008 Semester, relations between the administration and the Greek system have been strained. The administration placed a month long moratorium on all Greek social events. During this period the Inter Fraternity Council revised protocols governing parties, the revisions were approved by the administration resulting in the lifting of the moratorium, but the administration committed to more sternly enforcing the newly agreed upon rules. There are also tensions between some members of the Greek system and Lancaster City, arising chiefly from incidents of crime.
Concerns over the condition of Greek housing has led the administration and Greek organizations to examine different options for improving the quality of housing options in order for such house to receive continued support and approval from the college. In some cases this has resulted in the temporary closure of Greek housing until the buildings can be brought up to school and town safety standards.
List of fraternities
- Phi Kappa SigmaPhi Kappa SigmaPhi Kappa Sigma is an international all-male college social fraternity. Its members are known as "Phi Kaps", "Skulls" and sometimes "Skullhouse", the latter two because of the skull and crossbones on the Fraternity's badge and coat of arms. Phi Kappa Sigma was founded by Dr. Samuel Brown Wylie...
, Zeta Chapter (est. Oct. 13, 1854) - Chi PhiChi PhiThe Chi Phi ' Fraternity is an American College Social Fraternity that was established as the result of the merger of three separate organizations that were each known as Chi Phi. The oldest active organization that took part in the union was originally founded in 1824 at Princeton...
, Zeta Chapter (est. 1854) - Phi Kappa PsiPhi Kappa PsiPhi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been...
, Penn Eta Chapter (est. 1860) - Phi Sigma KappaPhi Sigma Kappa-Phi Sigma Kappa's Creed and Cardinal Principles:The 1934 Convention in Ann Arbor brought more changes for the fraternity. Brother Stewart W. Herman of Gettysburg wrote and presented the Creed, and Brother Ralph Watts of Massachusetts drafted and presented the Cardinal Principles.-World War II:The...
, Pi Chapter (1903–1983) (currently inactive) - Phi Sigma PiPhi Sigma PiPhi Sigma Pi is a national coeducational honor fraternity based in the United States. The fraternity is a 501 not-for-profit organization incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania, with the purpose of fostering the ideals of scholarship, leadership and fellowship...
, Zeta Beta Chapter (Est.2010) - Delta Sigma PhiDelta Sigma PhiDelta Sigma Phi is a fraternity established at the City College of New York in 1899 and is a charter member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The headquarters of the fraternity is the Taggart Mansion located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Upsilon Chapter (est. 1915) - Lambda Chi AlphaLambda Chi AlphaLambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
, Alpha Theta Chapter (1917–1980)(currently inactive) - Sigma PiSigma PiSigma Pi is an international college secret and social fraternity founded in 1897 at Vincennes University. Sigma Pi International fraternity currently has 127 chapters and 4 colonies in the United States and Canada and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee...
, Nu Chapter (est. 1918) - Phi Kappa TauPhi Kappa TauPhi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906...
, Xi Chapter (Est. 1921) - Kappa SigmaKappa SigmaKappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
, Delta Rho Chapter (June 1, 1929) - Zeta Beta TauZeta Beta TauZeta Beta Tau was founded in 1898 as the nation's first Jewish fraternity, although it is no longer sectarian. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is one of the largest, numbering over 140,000 initiated Brothers, and over 90 chapter locations.-Founding:The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was...
, Alpha Tau Chapter (1931–1988) (currently inactive) - Pi Lambda PhiPi Lambda PhiPi Lambda Phi International Fraternity Inc. is a college social fraternity with 35 active chapters and four colonies in the United States and Canada....
, Tau Chapter (est. 1947) (currently inactive)
List of sororities
- Alpha PhiAlpha PhiAlpha Phi International Women's Fraternity was founded at Syracuse University on September 18, 1872. Alpha Phi currently has 152 active chapters and over 200,000 initiated members. Its celebrated Founders' Day is October 10. It was the third Greek-letter organization founded for women. In Alpha...
, Zeta Sigma Chapter (est. 1982) (was inactive for several years until being reestablished on April 6, 2008) - Alpha Delta PiAlpha Delta PiAlpha Delta Pi is a fraternity founded on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Alpha Delta Pi is one of the two "Macon Magnolias," a term used to celebrate the bonds it shares with Phi Mu...
, Theta Lambda Chapter (est. 2011) - Chi OmegaChi OmegaChi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee....
, Phi Lambda Chapter (est. 1987) - Kappa DeltaKappa DeltaKappa Delta was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School , in Farmville, Virginia. It is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university...
, Eta Lambda Chapter (est. 2008) - Kappa Beta GammaKappa Beta GammaKappa Beta Gamma was founded at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Currently, there are 15 active chapters and two in the process of colonization; the sorority is recruiting both inactive and new chapters to expand the sorority's ideals and provide more leadership opportunities for...
, Nu Chapter (2002–2008) (currently inactive) - Sigma Sigma SigmaSigma Sigma SigmaSigma Sigma Sigma , also known as Tri Sigma, is a national American women’s sorority with membership of more than 100,000 members. Sigma Sigma Sigma is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference and hosts chapters on more than 110 college campuses and 89 alumnae chapters in communities all...
, Delta Nu Chapter (currently inactive)
Presidents
Franklin College:- Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst MuhlenbergGotthilf Heinrich Ernst MuhlenbergGotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg was an American clergyman and botanist.-Biography:The son of Heinrich Melchior Muhlenberg, he was born in Trappe, Pennsylvania. He was educated at in Halle starting in 1763 and in 1769 at the University of Halle. He returned to Pennsylvania in September 1770...
(1787–1815) - Operated as an academy by Board of Trustees (1816–1853)
Marshall College:
- Frederick Augustus Rauch (1836–1841)
- The Rev. John Williamson NevinJohn Williamson NevinJohn Williamson Nevin , American theologian and educationalist, was born on Herron's Branch, near Shippensburg, Franklin county, Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
(1841–1853)
Franklin and Marshall College:
- The Rev. Emanuel Vogel GerhartEmanuel Vogel GerhartEmanuel Vogel Gerhart was an American minister of the German Reformed church.-Biography:...
'38 (1854–1866) - John Williamson NevinJohn Williamson NevinJohn Williamson Nevin , American theologian and educationalist, was born on Herron's Branch, near Shippensburg, Franklin county, Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
(1866–1876) - The Rev. Thomas Gilmore Apple '50 (1877–1889)
- The Rev. John Summers Stahr '67 (1889–1909)
- Henry Harbaugh AppleHenry Harbaugh AppleHenry Harbaugh Apple was an American clergyman and educator born in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1889 and from the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church in 1892. Ordained to the ministry of his denomination, he became pastor of St...
'89 (1910–1935) - John Ahlum Schaeffer '04 (1935–1941)
- H. M. J. Klein '93 (1941) (acting president)
- Theodore August Distler (1941–1954)
- William Webster Hall (1955–1957)
- Frederick deWolf Bolman, Jr. (1957–1962)
- Anthony R. Appel '35 (1962) (resigned after one week)
- G. Wayne Glick (1962) (acting president)
- Keith Spalding (1963–1983)
- James Lawrence Powell (1983–1988)
- A. Richard KneedlerRichard KneedlerRichard Kneedler is President Emeritus of Franklin & Marshall College. From 2005-2006 he served as chairman of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Commission on Training America’s Teachers. From 2006-2008, he served as interim president of Rockford College.During his fourteen year presidency , Franklin...
'65 (1988–2002) - John Anderson FryJohn Anderson FryJohn Anderson Fry is the former President of Franklin & Marshall College and the current President of Drexel University.-Early life:John Anderson Fry was born in Brooklyn, New York City and received an undergraduate degree in American Civilization from Lafayette College. He worked in management...
(2002–2010) - John Burness '67 (2010–2011) (interim president)
- Daniel R. Porterfield, Ph. D – (2011- )
Notable alumni
- George Frederick BaerGeorge Frederick BaerGeorge Frederick Baer was an American lawyer who was the President of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad and spokesman for the owners during the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902....
, Class of 1861, President of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad - Louise BurkhartLouise BurkhartLouise M. Burkhart is an American academic ethnohistorian and anthropologist, noted as a scholar of early colonial Mesoamerican literature. In particular, her published research has a focus on aspects of the religious beliefs and practices of Nahuatl-speakers in central Mexico...
, class of 1980, ethnohistorian and scholar of Mesoamerican literatureMesoamerican literatureThe traditions of indigenous Mesoamerican literature extend back to the oldest-attested forms of early writing in the Mesoamerican region, which date from around the mid-1st millennium BCE. Many of the pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica are known to have been literate societies, who produced a...
, professor of anthropology at University at Albany, SUNY - Denis A. Cortese, Class of 1966, CEO & President MAYO Clinic (2003–present)
- Michael T. Dee, Class of 1985, CEO Miami Dolphins (2009–present)
- Paula DowPaula DowPaula T. Dow is the 58th and current Attorney General of New Jersey, appointed by incoming Governor Chris Christie. Her nomination to a full term was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate in February 2010. She is the first African American woman to be attorney general in state history.-Biography:Dow...
, Class of 1977, Attorney General of New Jersey (2010–present) - Kenneth DubersteinKenneth DubersteinKenneth M. Duberstein served as U.S. President Ronald Reagan's White House Chief of Staff from 1988 to 1989.A native of Brooklyn, New York, he graduated from Franklin and Marshall College and American University . He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Franklin and Marshall in 1989...
, Class of 1965, White House Chief of StaffWhite House Chief of StaffThe White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
under Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.... - Edwin D. Eshleman, Class of 1942, U.S. Congressman from PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(1967–1977) - Barry FinegoldBarry FinegoldBarry R. Finegold is a Democratic member of the Massachusetts Senate representing the Second Essex and Middlesex district. He has served since January 2011...
, Class of 1993, Massachusetts State Senator - Ed FleshEd FleshEdwin Albert Flesh Jr, known as Ed Flesh, was an American art director and designer who worked on a variety of television programs from the 1950s through the 1990s. He is best known for designing the Wheel used in the game show, Wheel of Fortune. In 1993, Flesh was nominated for a Daytime Emmy...
, Class of 1953, Art director, designed wheel for Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that... - Jennifer GareisJennifer GareisJennifer Lynne Gareis is an American actress and former beauty queen.-Private life:She is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College, where she majored in accounting and was an All-American Swimmer, and J.P...
, Class of 1992, Actress (TV's The Bold and the BeautifulThe Bold and the BeautifulThe Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
, The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
) - William H. Gray, Class of 1963, U.S. Congressman from PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(1979–1991), President of United Negro College FundUnited Negro College FundThe United Negro College Fund is an American philanthropic organization that fundraises college tuition money for black students and general scholarship funds for 39 private historically black colleges and universities. The UNCF was incorporated on April 25, 1944 by Frederick D. Patterson , Mary...
(1991–2004) - Keith HammKeith HammKeith Hamm is an American political scientist and Edwards Professor of political science at Rice University. He's an expert on state legislatures...
, Class of 1969, Edwards Professor of Political Science at Rice UniversityRice UniversityWilliam Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States... - William Edwin Hoy, Class of 1876?, Founder of Tohoku Gakuin and a pioneer of missionary to Japan and China, (1858–1927)
- John Weinland KillingerJohn Weinland KillingerJohn Weinland Killinger was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.John W. Killinger was born in Annville, Pennsylvania. He attended the public schools of Annville and the Lebanon Academy in Lebanon, Pennsylvania...
, Class of 1843, U.S. Congressman from PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(1859–1863, 1871–1875, 1877–1881)* - J. Roland KinzerJ. Roland KinzerJohn Roland Kinzer was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.J. Roland Kinzer was born on a farm near Terre Hill, Pennsylvania in East Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania He graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in...
, Class of 1896, U.S. Congressman from PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(1930–1947) - Bowie KuhnBowie KuhnBowie Kent Kuhn was an American lawyer and sports administrator who served as the fifth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from February 4, , to September 30,...
, Class of 1948, Commissioner of Baseball (1969–1984) - Jeffrey M. LackerJeffrey M. LackerJeffrey M. Lacker is an American economist and president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. He is also a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee for the year of 2009. Formerly, he was senior vice president and the director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of...
, Class of 1977, President of the Federal Reserve Bank, Richmond, Virginia. - James LapineJames LapineJames Lapine is an American stage director and librettist. He has won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times, for Into the Woods, Falsettos, and Passion. He has frequently collaborated with Stephen Sondheim and William Finn.-Biography:Lapine was born in Mansfield, Ohio and graduated...
, Class of 1971, Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning and Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning playwright (Sunday in the Park with GeorgeSunday in the Park with GeorgeSunday in the Park with George is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical was inspired by the painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat...
, Into the WoodsInto the WoodsInto the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
) - Ken MehlmanKen MehlmanKenneth Brian Mehlman is an American businessman, attorney, and political figure who served as the campaign manager for the 2004 re-election campaign of George W. Bush and Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2005 to 2007. In 2007, President Bush appointed Mehlman to the U.S...
, Class of 1988, campaign manager for George H.W. Bush, former chairman of the United States Republican Party, 2005–2007 - Richard P. MillsRichard P. Mills (USMC General)Lieutenant General Richard P. Mills is a senior United States Marine Corps officer and is currently the Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration and Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, VA...
, Class of 1972, Lieutenant General, U.S.M.C. Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration and Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command. - Jason NarvyJason NarvyJason A. Narvy, Ph.D is an American actor who spent a number of years playing the character Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch on the Power Rangers television series and starred in both movies based on the series....
, Class of 2002, Actor (Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers) - Dick OrkinDick OrkinDick Orkin is an award-winning voice actor and commercial radio producer who created the series Chickenman and The Secret Adventures of the Tooth Fairy...
, Class of 1956, radio announcer and commercial producer - Richard Lee Plepler, Class of 1981, Executive Vice President, HBO (Time Warner)
- Willam R. Rathvon, CSB, Class of 1873, Christian Science practitioner, lecturer, Church director and the only known eye-witness to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address to leave an audio recording his impressions
- Jeff RineerJeff RineerJeffrey Alan "Jeff" Rineer is former Major League Baseball pitcher. Rineer played in one game for the Baltimore Orioles in .-External links:*...
, attended 1974-75, former MLB pitcher - Scott RitterScott RitterWilliam Scott Ritter, Jr. was an important United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq from 1991 to 1998, and later a critic of United States foreign policy in the Middle East. Prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Ritter stated that Iraq possessed no significant weapons of mass...
, Class of 1979, anti-war activist - Franklin SchaffnerFranklin SchaffnerFranklin James Schaffner was an American film director best known for such films as Planet of the Apes , Patton , Papillon , and The Boys from Brazil .-Early life:...
, Class of 1942, Oscar-winning film director (PattonPatton (film)Patton is a 1970 American biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. It was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H...
, Planet of the ApesPlanet of the Apes (1968 film)Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des singes by Pierre Boulle. The film stars Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly and Linda Harrison...
) - Mary SchapiroMary SchapiroMary L. Schapiro is the 29th chairperson of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission .She is the immediate past chairperson and CEO of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority , the securities industry self-regulatory organization for broker-dealers and exchanges in the United States, and...
, Class of 1977, chairwoman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission - Roy ScheiderRoy ScheiderRoy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
, Class of 1955, actor (JawsJaws (film)Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
, All That JazzAll That JazzAll That Jazz is a 1979 American musical film directed by Bob Fosse. The screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur and Fosse is a semi-autobiographical fantasy based on aspects of Fosse's life and career as dancer, choreographer and director. The film was inspired by Bob Fosse's manic effort to edit his...
) - David Bowman Schneder, Class of 1876?, Second and most respected President of Tohoku Gakuin (Now Tohoku Gakuin UniversityTohoku Gakuin Universityis a private university in Sendai, Japan. It was founded under a Christian background is a private university in Sendai, Japan. It was founded under a Christian background is a private university in Sendai, Japan. It was founded under a Christian background (specifically the German Reformed...
)(1857–1938) - David Simons, Class of 1943, NASA physician, established altitude record, 102000 feet, in 1957 in helium balloon, testing equipment that would used by astronauts
- Mark St. Amant, Class of 1990, Author of Committed: Confessions of a Fantasy Football Junkie and Just Kick It: Tales of an Underdog, Over-Age, Out-of-Place Semi-Pro Football Player, contributor to the New York Times and ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. - Spliff StarSpliff StarWilliam A. Lewis Raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York, he is of Trinidadian descent, better known as Spliff Star, first appeared alongside Busta Rhymes as the Flipmode Squad in 1996 on his album The Coming....
, Class of 1996, rapper and hypeman for famous MC Busta RhymesBusta RhymesTrevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes... - Glen TetleyGlen TetleyGlen Tetley was an American ballet and modern dancer as well as a choreographer who mixed ballet and modern dance to create a new way of looking at dance, and is best known for his piece Pierrot Lunaire.-Biography:Glenford Andrew Tetley, Jr. was born on February 3, 1926 in Cleveland, Ohio...
, Class of 1946, choreographer - William I. TroutmanWilliam I. TroutmanWilliam Irvin Troutman was a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.-Biography:Troutman was born in Shamokin, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, he attended Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Pi Fraternities...
, Class of 1927, Judge and U.S. Congressman from PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(1943–1945) - Andrew TruxalAndrew TruxalAndrew Gehr Truxal was the third president of Hood College and the first president of Anne Arundel Community College...
, Class of 1920, Hood CollegeHood CollegeHood College is a co-educational liberal arts college located in Frederick, Maryland. The college serves approximately 1,050 graduate students and more than 1,400 undergraduate students.-Early History :...
and Anne Arundel Community CollegeAnne Arundel Community CollegeAnne Arundel Community College, founded in 1961, is located in Arnold, Maryland. The college was named "Community College of the Year" by National Business Alliance in 2000. AACC has also received many other in recent years...
presidents - Don WertDon WertDonald Ralph Wert , nicknamed "Coyote", is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers from 1963 to 1970 and also briefly played for the Washington Senators in 1971...
, attended in 1957, MLB player - James J. WhalenJames J. WhalenJames J. Whalen was an American psychologist and educational administrator who served as president of Ithaca College from 1975 to 1997.-Biography:As Ithaca's sixth president, James J...
, Class of 1950, president of Ithaca CollegeIthaca CollegeIthaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
(1975–1992) - Treat WilliamsTreat WilliamsRichard Treat Williams is a Screen Actors Guild Award–nominated American actor and children's book author who has appeared on film, stage and television...
, Class of 1973, actor (Hair, Prince of the CityPrince of the CityPrince of the City is an American crime drama film about an NYPD officer who chooses to expose police corruption for idealistic reasons. The character of Daniel Ciello was based on real-life NYPD Narcotics Detective Robert Leuci and the script was based on Robert Daley's 1978 book of the same name...
, TV's EverwoodEverwoodEverwood is an American drama television series that initially aired in the United States on The WB. The series is set in the fictional small town of Everwood, Colorado, and was filmed in Ogden, South Salt Lake, and Draper, Utah, except the series pilot which was filmed in Canmore, Alberta,...
) - Richard WintersRichard WintersMajor Richard "Dick" D. Winters was a United States Army officer and decorated war veteran. He commanded Company "E", 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, during World War II....
, Class of 1941, Served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooperParatrooperParatroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
during WWII. Achieved rank of MajorMajor (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
and was recommended for the Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. - Piers Halley, Class of 1991, President of Pittsburgh Institution of Art and Culture also known as PIAC.
- Theodore E. WoodwardTheodore WoodwardTheodore E. Woodward was an American medical researcher in the field of medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. In 1948, he received a Nobel Prize nomination for his role in finding cures for typhus and typhoid fever.-Biography:Born in Westminster, Maryland the son of Lewis K. Woodward,...
, Nobel Prize Nominee, renowned researcher in the field of Medicine
Clothing Company
In 1999, after seeing an official Franklin & Marshall sweatshirt, a company based in Verona, Italy began producing clothing in a vintage 1950's collegiate-style with the words "Franklin and Marshall" on them. F&M alumni began to report seeing F&M merchandise for sale in Europe, which puzzled the college.In 2001, Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
posed for publicity photos wearing a "Franklin Marshall Wrestling" t-shirt, one of which was included in the CD booklet for his album Set This Circus Down
Set This Circus Down
Set This Circus Down is the seventh album by country music singer Tim McGraw. Certified 3× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA for U.S. sales of three million copies, the album produced four singles for McGraw on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
. When the college became flooded with inquires about its (nonexistent) connection to the singer, they began to investigate further and discovered that the Franklin Marshall Clothing company was using its name without permission.
In 2003, after lengthy discussions, the college decided not to sue and instead agreed to accept a licensing fee from the company so that they could continue to produce their products, which had begun to gain popularity with youth, especially in the United Kingdom.
Today, the line is sold in upscale stores, such as Bloomingdales and, as part of the agreement with the college, at the Franklin and Marshall College bookstore. However, many of the designs omit Franklin & Marshall's ampersand
Ampersand
An ampersand is a logogram representing the conjunction word "and". The symbol is a ligature of the letters in et, Latin for "and".-Etymology:...
and instead reads simply "Franklin Marshall." The clothing company also opened a flagship store in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, and another shop in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.