WCU 150: History and Heritage
September 17, 2021 – April 23, 2022
ses·qui·cen·ten·ni·al/ˌseskwəsenˈtenēəl/(adjective)
relating to the one-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of a significant event.
Visit our virtual exhibition below
The 2021-2022 school year marks West Chester University’s sesquicentennial anniversary, 150 years of excellence in scholarship, community, and academic engagement.
Learn what it is to be a Golden Ram by exploring our rich history—from our origins as a public Normal School forming elementary teachers, to a state teacher’s college in the roaring 20s, to the largest comprehensive, public liberal arts university in Pennsylvania.
Discover our heritage through hundreds of artifacts that showcase the people and events that have made WCU what it is today, focusing on teaching and learning, student life and culture,and diversity and inclusion.
And leave your own mark by depositing your favorite objects that speak to today’s experiences in an interactive time capsule that will be opened on our next big anniversary!
Like our society in which we live, West Chester University has changed significantly in the past 150 years. But what hasn’t changed is our dedication to student success, the cultivation of inquisitive minds, our dedication to human expression, and our formation of engaged citizens of tomorrow.
Exhibition sponsored by
Watch the opening ceremony and ribbon cutting by WCU President Christopher Fiorentino and Museum Director Michael A. Di Giovine
Credits
Curator: Michael A. Di Giovine, Ph.D.
Exhibition Designer: Thomas Haughey, MFA
Student co-curators: Michael Cassidy, Ellery Coleman, Ciara DeMelo, Kat Godfrey, Brian Labows, Allison
Magerr, Maddie Maychak, Chelsey Moore, Sadie Patterson, Sarah Scarborough, Aaron Stoyack,
Ashley Wallen, Jasper Wilson, Julia Zahm
Exhibition sponsored by: WCU Alumni Association
Additional support by: Chester County History Center, Delaware Museum of Natural History, LaSalle University
Museum of Art, Metropolitan Flag and Banner, C and R Glass
WCU 150 Emblem Design: David Jones, Dept. Art + Design
Virtual Exhibition Support: Office of Digital Learning and Innovation
WCU 150 in the News
- West Chester University Celebrates 150th Anniversary Amid Much Fanfare DailyLocal.com
- History of West Chester University buildings topic of live Zoom lecture series Daily Local News
- Celebrate West Chester University’s Sesquicentennial with More Programs in the Museum’s Live Zoom Lecture Series Delco Today/ Newsbreak
- West Chester University’s 150th Kicks Off With Fanfare. Daily Local News.
- Why West Chester, at 150, Has Emerged as the State System’s Best. Philadelphia Inquirer.
- WCU Museum Prepares for Sesquicentennial Exhibition. Patch.com.
- 6 ABC Covers WCU 150 Museum Exhibit 6abc.com
- Museum examines 150 years of history at West Chester University DailyLocal.com
Enter the Virtual Exhibition
Click on the + for instructions on how to navigate the 3D map, and click the arrow to enter
ORAL HISTORIES
Student co-curator Aaron Stoyack conducted grant-funded research collecting candid oral histories from faculty, administrators, alumni and students about their experiences with diversity and inclusion at WCU over the years.
TIMELINE
Along all four walls of the exhibition space is an inspiring timeline of the major events that has shaped WCU into what it is today.
Thematic Tour and Lecture Series
Throughout our Sesquicentennial year, the Museum and Alumni Association have partnered to provide thematic tours of the exhibitions that feature behind-the-scenes visits and exclusive lectures by important guest speakers from the WCU community.