Dickinson has a long history of creating the future.

Chartered in 1783 by Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a prominent Philadelphia physician, Dickinson was the first college established in the new United States of America.


The Dickinson Story

The Dickinson Story

Revolution was in the air when Benjamin Rush, a prominent Philadelphia physician, prepared the charter for Dickinson College in 1783.

D-Book

D-Book

This booklet, which was developed by students, offers a selective history of the college and is distributed each year to incoming students.

Archives & Special Collections

Archives & Special Collections

The Dickinson Archives & Special Collections has compiled several resources that trace the history of the college.

Recent News on the History of the College All News

image

Dickinson College Project Tells Forgotten Stories of Slavery

The new Dickinson and Slavery project examines the college's ties to the rise and fall of slavery and tells the forgotten stories of slaves and former slaves who lived and worked at the college.

image

Thinking With Benjamin Rush

Associate Professor of History Christopher Bilodeau explores the complexities of Founding Father, and founder of Dickinson, Benjamin Rush.

image

Contemporary Revolutionary

Nearly 20 years after delivering Dickinson's Commencement address in 1998, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough discusses Benjamin Rush's enduring relevance.