Dickinson Celebrates Charter Day with Community Partners, Unveiling of New Peace Pole
Students gather for Charter Day 2025. Photo by Dan Loh.
Community Gathering and Campus Dinner Mark Meaningful Moments in College's History
by Craig Layne
Dickinsonians and members of the Carlisle community will gather on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 4 p.m. for the dedication of a Peace Pole, an international monument displaying the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in multiple languages, near East College. The ceremony will be followed at 5 p.m. with an all-campus dinner on the Academic Quad commemorating the anniversary of the signing of the college's charter in 1783.
The Peace Pole initiative is a collaboration among Dickinson and the Rotary Clubs of Carlisle, the J. Sherwood McGinnis Jr. War, Peace and Justice Project and the Carlisle Arts Learning Center.
“As a college dedicated to preparing engaged citizens of the world, Dickinson proudly welcomes this Peace Pole as a reminder that peace begins with each of us and grows through our shared commitment to dialogue, learning, and mutual respect,” says college President John E. Jones III '77, P'11. “Alongside our local partners, we recognize that meaningful collaboration can foster a more compassionate and welcoming community.”
The dedication ceremony will include special guests Cumberland County Commissioner Jean Foschi and Logan Hoover, south central PA regional director for Sen. Dave McCormick, as well as members of the partnering organizations.
The program will include remarks and a musical performance. Attendees may place a commemorative stone along the pathway as a symbol of the community’s commitment to global understanding and shared hope for a more peaceful future.
The Charter Day celebration and all-campus dinner will mark the college's 243rd anniversary. The Dickinson charter was drawn up by Dr. Benjamin Rush, a renowned physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, and enacted on Sept. 9, 1783—one week after the Treaty of Paris was signed, officially bringing the American Revolution to a close—making Dickinson the first college chartered in the newly formed United States.
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Published September 2, 2026