March 27, 2026

Sitting at 2254 East Main Street in Bexley, Ohio, is a timeless relic, a classic Art Deco movie theatre that harkens back to the heyday of neighborhood cinemas. Passersby might easily stop to admire its architecture, but for Drexel Dragons, there's an added reason why one might take a closer look. Atop this historic landmark, the name of the theatre, "DREXEL," is displayed in bright red letters. Surely, that can't be a coincidence, right? There must be some connection with the university that shares its name.

However, a quick Google search doesn’t result in a clear answer. To uncover the link between Drexel University and the Drexel Theatre, one must dig a bit deeper.

The Drexel Theatre is well-known in the Columbus metropolitan area for its eclectic programming of independent, classic, international, and mainstream films. According to its website, the theatre was designed by architect Robert Royce and opened its doors on Christmas Day, 1937, under the ownership of William and Ethel Chesbrough.

After the couple's divorce in the 1930s, Ethel retained control of the business. In 1959, she leased the theatre to Jerry Knight, who operated it through the 1970s. In 1981, Jeff and Kathy Frank took over and immediately oversaw a major restoration, and in 1991, added two more screens.

When economic downturn hit in 2008, the theatre struggled to remain financially viable. The community responded by creating Friends of the Drexel, which, according to its mission statement, "exists to secure and sustain the future of the historic Drexel Theatre as a distinctive cultural asset to Bexley and the greater Columbus community."; When the Franks retired in 2011, the not-for-profit took over operations.

At first glance, there appears to be no connection between the Drexel Theatre and Drexel University, or its namesake, Philadelphia financier Anthony J. Drexel. The theatre’s name presumably comes from Drexel Avenue, which intersects with Main Street where the theatre is located.

According to the Bexley Historical Society, "The winning name for the street and the circle where it crossed East Broad Street was, of course, Drexel, named after the most prominent investor in the Bullitt Park Addition, the Anthony Drexel family."

Documents show that in 1891, Logan M. Bullitt, a Philadelphia native, filed a plat (a plot of land) to develop Bullitt Park, an area that would eventually merge with Pleasant Ridge in 1908 to form the village of Bexley. The village would officially become a city in 1932. Drexel University's archives reveal that Bullitt had a business partnership with Anthony J. Drexel; together, they co-founded the Beaver Coal Corporation (later known as the Beaver Coal Company, Limited) in West Virginia sometime after 1889.

So, while the Drexel Theatre has no formal connection to Drexel University, the shared name traces back to an investment made by its founder that helped shape the city of Bexley.

Coincidentally, 1891, the year Bullitt filed the plat for Bullitt Park, is also the year Anthony J. Drexel founded the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry, now known as Drexel University. That same year, Thomas Edison invented the kinetoscope, an early motion-picture device.

Today, Drexel University is home to robust film-centric programs like Film & Television, Screenwriting & Playwriting, and a master's in Television & Media Management, housed in the Department of Cinema & Television of the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. It would be a stretch to say Anthony J. Drexel envisioned such a cinematic legacy, especially considering he passed away in 1893. As an aside, his grandson, Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr., became the subject of Disney's 1967 musical The Happiest Millionaire.

And yet, whether through a street name in Bexley or a film program in Philadelphia, the Drexel name has undeniably left its mark on American cinema.