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2016

  • December

    • Drexel celebrated its 75th anniversary with a parade in 1966. Photo courtesy University Archives.

      How Did Drexel Celebrate its Other Anniversaries?

      The entirety of this academic year will be spent celebrating Drexel’s 125th anniversary. What was it like on campus during the University’s other milestone years?
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    • Drexel's Main Building is already decorated for the holidays and the 125th anniversary celebration.

      Celebrating Drexel’s 1891 Founding in Style

      On Dec. 7, the entire Drexel community will come together to honor the University’s illustrious founding and mark the occasion of its full 125 years.
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  • November

    • A green bean casserole made with fried onions and sprinkled cheese. Photo courtesy Flickr user Phil King.

      The Drexel History Behind a Beloved Thanksgiving Side Dish

      The green bean casserole is a staple on Thanksgiving tables across the country, thanks to an enterprising Drexel alumna.
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    • Future president Barack Obama shook hands with then-Drexel President Constantine Papadakis when the University hosted a debate for Democratic presidential hopefuls in 2007. Photo courtesy University Archives.

      A Drexel History of U.S. Presidents

      In time for the final moments of the election, DrexelNow looks back at U.S. presidents who have touched Drexel in some way.
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    • A banner announcing the debate hung on Drexel's campus.

      Recalling Drexel’s Ties to the 2008 Presidential Election

       Back in 2008, Drexel hosted an official debate for the Democratic presidential candidates.
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  • October

    • Drexel presidents are pictured left to right, top to bottom, in chronological order. Photos courtesy University Archives.

      Remembering Drexel’s Presidents

      As part of Drexel’s 125th anniversary, DrexelNow takes a look at the past presidents who steered Drexel on the path to becoming the University it is today.
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    • Edwin E.L. Gerber, PhD, pictured when he was 17 in 1952 and when he received Drexel's Harold Myers Service Award in 2013. Photos courtesy Edwin E.L. Gerber, PhD.

      Drexel Memories From the Professor Who Has Been Here for Six Decades

      Edwin E.L. Gerber, PhD, professor in the College of Engineering, discusses what it’s been like at Drexel during the 63 years he’s been on campus.
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  • September

    • Drexel students study in the library in 1892. Photo courtesy University Archives.

      What Was Drexel Like 125 Years Ago?

      Drexel students, faculty, staff and alumni are celebrating Drexel’s 125th anniversary this year. What would Drexel have been like if they were on campus when it first opened?
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    • Banner for Drexel's 125th anniversary.

      Drexel Throws Itself a Yearlong 125th Anniversary Party

      To honor its 1891 founding, Drexel has planned a year’s worth of events and celebrations for the 2016-17 academic year, including exhibits, a special historical book and even a special Drexel beer.
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    • Drexel Bday

      Happy 190th Birthday, A.J. Drexel

      Drexel University celebrated the 190th birthday of its founder, Anthony “Tony” J. Drexel, with an ice cream party on Sept. 13, 2016.
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  • August

    • Tony when he was photographed at about 29 years, painted in his late 30s, snapped in a rare candid and then painted before passing at age 67 in 1893.

      Who Was A.J. Drexel?

      Though his name can be found everywhere on campus, there is still a lot to be learned about Drexel University founder Anthony J. Drexel.
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    • This undated photo of a junior's class in cooking was taken in the early years at Drexel. Cookery classes were always part of Anthony "Tony" J. Drexel's vision for vocational training for women. Photo courtesy University Archives.

      The Drexel Institute That Almost Was

      Before Anthony “Tony” J. Drexel founded the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry, he almost started an all-women’s industrial institute.
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  • July

    • James Creese, bottom left, is pictured in a 1919 Princeton "Bric-a-Brac" activities yearbook for his work with Princeton's literary magazine. Photo published with permission of the Princeton University Library.

      The Drexel President Who Edited F. Scott Fitzgerald

      Before F. Scott Fitzgerald became a famous author and James Creese became president of the Drexel Institute of Technology, the two men started out as student writers at Princeton University.
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  • June

    • A memorial dedicated to Anthony "Tony" J. Drexel's life and accomplishments can be found in Main Building.

      When One Door Opens, Another One Closes: The Untimely Death of Founder A.J. Drexel

      The opening of the Drexel Institute 125 years ago was the fulfillment of founder A.J. Drexel’s lifelong dream — yet he was only alive for the first 18 months of the school’s existence.
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    • A facsimilie of the original manuscript for Edgar Allan Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue."

      Poe, Dickens and Drexel: The Epic Story of the University’s Former Literary Collection

      During its first 50 years, Drexel owned a treasure trove of autographed manuscripts and letters from important literary and historical figures. This is the story of what became of it.
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  • May

    • Take a closer look at the archway on Main Building's Chestnut Street entrance.

      Looking Up to the Geniuses Who Never Left Campus

      There’s a lot to learn from the 12 men etched on the archway to Main Building’s Chestnut Street entrance.
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    • Drexel President Richard D. Breslin was on hand to test the ice cream sandwich. Photo courtesy Drexel University Alumni Association.

      Remembering the Great Drexel Ice Cream Sandwich Food Fight of 1991

      It’s the 25-year anniversary of Drexel’s attempt to create the world’s largest ice cream sandwich. Of course, the event ended with a massive food fight.
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    • This photo of what is believed to be Drexel’s 1925 women’s rifle team has gathered over 2,000,000 views on Imgur and Reddit. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

      Set Your Sights on Drexel’s Women’s Rifle Team

      Back in the day, Drexel had one of the first — and best — women’s rifle teams in the country.
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  • April

    • Walt Disney, center, photographed with the cast of “The Happiest Millionaire” on set. Fred MacMurray, who portrayed the titular character and Anthony J. Drexel's grandson, stands behind him.

      When Mickey Met Mario: The Forgotten Disney Movie Tied to Drexel

      The grandson of Drexel University’s founder Anthony J. Drexel led an illustrious life, which was immortalized in the 1967 Disney musical “The Happiest Millionaire.”
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  • March

    • An undated photograph from the Drexel University Archives of the Drexel's Women's Club.

      The Club That Fostered a Sense of 'Belonging' for Women at Drexel

      Started about 90 years ago, the Drexel Women’s Club changed what it meant to be a woman tied to Drexel through personal or professional connections.
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  • February

    • WMCP Class of 1891, featuring Halle Tanner Dillon Johnson, MD, the first woman resident physician at the Tuskegee Institute. Photo courtesy Legacy Center Archives, Drexel College of Medicine.

      Examining Drexel’s Ties to the First African-American Women Physicians

      Some of the country’s first African-American women physicians graduated from an institution that later grew into Drexel’s College of Medicine.
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    • Drexel's 1900 class of architectural students, including William Sidney Pittman.

      Meet Drexel’s First African-American Male Graduate: William Sidney Pittman

      William Sidney Pittman broke racial barriers at Drexel and across the country as one of the first prominent African American architects in America.
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