Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania. The college traces its origin to three log cabin colleges in Washington County established by three Presbyterian missionaries to the American frontier in the 1780s: John McMillan, Thaddeus Dod, and Joseph Smith. These early schools eventually grew into two competing academies, with Jefferson College located in Canonsburg and Washington College located in Washington. The two colleges merged in 1865 to form Washington & Jefferson College. The 60 acre (0.2 km2) campus has more than 40 buildings, with the oldest dating to 1793.
Former names
Jefferson College (1802–1865)
Washington College (1806–1865)
Juncta Juvant (Latin)
"Together We Thrive"
1781
Annapolis Group
PCLA
$122.9 million (2020)[1]
1,149 (fall 2022)[2]
Small town
60 acres (0.2 km2)[3]
Whichi Coax
Red and black
The college's academic emphasis is on the liberal arts and the sciences, with a focus on preparing students for graduate and professional schools. Campus activities include various religious, political, and general interest clubs, as well as academic and professional-themed organizations. The college has a strong history of competing literary societies, dating back before the union of Jefferson and Washington Colleges. Students operate a college radio station, a campus newspaper, and a literary journal. The athletic program competes in NCAA Division III. A large majority of students participate in intramural athletics. Nearly all students live on campus and roughly one third are members of fraternities or sororities. A number of noteworthy alumni have attended the college or its predecessor institutions, including James G. Blaine, William Holmes McGuffey, Joseph Ruggles Wilson (the father of President Woodrow Wilson), and Pete Henry.
Academic rankings
92
108
437
208
Student life[edit]
Student housing[edit]
The college offers "Theme Community Living," where students with common interests live in a single living unit.[125] Past themes have included the "Intensive Study," the "Service Leadership Community," the "International House," "Music House," the "WashPA Radio Theme Community" for students who participate in the WNJR college radio station, and the "Pet House".[126][127] Students proposing a theme community must develop an educational plan centered on the theme.[127] The college does not typically allow students to live in off-campus housing.
The Pet House, which allows students to bring their pets to campus, has been located in Monroe Hall in Presidents' Row.[128] Not all types of pets are permitted, only permits students to bring cats, small dogs, small birds, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and fish.[128] Further, students may only bring pets that they have owned for over one year and be over the age of one and one half, to avoid the problem of impulse purchases and abandonment of pets.[128][129] The college began the pet house program in 2006, and is one of a dozen schools nationwide to have such a program.[130] The Pet House has been profiled in The New York Times, the USA Today, Observer-Reporter, and KDKA.[130][131][132]
Several old Victorian houses, named Whitworth Hall and Wade Hall, are used as women's dorms and are slightly isolated from the other dormitories. Many students are also housed in the Greek houses on Chestnut Street, all of the Greek organizations on campus occupy houses owned by the college.
The college's dining services has made efforts to use locally grown foods.[133] There are three dining venues on campus, The Commons Café, G&T's Grill and X'Prez'O, which are managed by Bon Apetit Management Company.[134]
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