History of Wesleyan University in Timeline

Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, is a private liberal arts university. Established in 1831, it initially served as a men's college with ties to the Methodist Episcopal Church. Over time, Wesleyan transitioned into a secular institution, known for its open curriculum and strong academic programs.

1901: The Wesleyan Song Book Published

In 1901, Karl P. Harrington and Carl F. Price published "The Wesleyan Song Book".

The Wesleyan Song Book

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1901: Publication of The Wesleyan Song Book

University alumni published the first edition of The Wesleyan Song Book in 1901.

1903: Founding of the Debate Society

The Debate Society was founded in 1903 and later named in honor of Woodrow Wilson.

1906: Original North College Destroyed

In 1906, the original North College was destroyed in a fire.

1909: Replacement of North College after fire

Following a fire, North College, originally a Nassau Hall-type building, was replaced in 1909 with the current North College.

1909: Construction of Judd Hall

In 1909, Judd Hall was built, named after alumnus Orange Judd, becoming one of the earliest academic buildings devoted to undergraduate science instruction on an American college campus.

1909: Acceptance of female applicants ends

In 1909, Wesleyan stopped accepting female applicants, a policy that lasted until 1970 when it became fully co-educational.

1909: Board of trustees votes to stop admitting women as undergraduates

In 1909, the board of trustees voted to stop admitting women as undergraduates, fearing that the school was losing its masculine image and that women would not be able to contribute to the college financially after graduation the way men could.

1910: Wesleyan University, 1831–1910: Collegiate Enterprise in New England Published

In 1910, David B. Potts published "Wesleyan University, 1831–1910: Collegiate Enterprise in New England".

1910: Student body size

In 1910, the Wesleyan student body numbered about 300.

1912: Wesleyan operates as an all-male college

From 1912, Wesleyan operated again as an all-male college until 1970.

1916: Cupola and Belfry addition

In 1916, the cupola and the belfry, which contains the Wesleyan Carillon, was designed by Henry Bacon and was added to South College.

1923: The Goose-Step: A Study of American Education Published

In 1923, Upton Sinclair published "The Goose-Step: A Study of American Education".

The Goose-step: A Study of American Education

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1925: Construction of Olin Library

Olin Library was built from 1925-1927.

1927: Construction of Olin Library

Olin Library was built from 1925-1927.

1928: Dedication of Olin Library

In 1928, Olin Library was dedicated.

1928: Glee club performs at the White House

In 1928, the Wesleyan Glee Club performed at the White House for President Coolidge.

1932: Wesleyan's First Century With an Account of the Centennial Celebration Published

In 1932, Carl F. Price published "Wesleyan's First Century With an Account of the Centennial Celebration".

Wesleyan's first century,: With an account of the centennial celebration

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1937: Wesleyan becomes independent of the Methodist church

In 1937, Wesleyan became independent of the Methodist church.

1948: Edwin Deacon Etherington graduates

Edwin Deacon Etherington, class of 1948, was one of Butterfield's successors who completed many innovations including the return of women in numbers equal to men, a quadrupling in the total area of building space devoted to laboratory, studio, and performing arts instruction, and a significant rise in racial, ethnic, and religious diversity and total number of students.

1957: Tradition of stealing the cannon begins

In 1957, the tradition of stealing the Douglas Cannon began in earnest.

1959: Founding of the College of Social Studies

In 1959, the College of Social Studies (CSS) was founded, combining the fields of history, economics, government, and philosophy.

1960: Student body size

By 1960, the Wesleyan student body had grown to 800.

1963: Night and Silence Who is Here? Novel

In 1963, Pamela Hansford Johnson's comedic novel, "Night and Silence Who is Here?", was published, and is believed to be patterned humorously after Wesleyan's Institute for Advanced Studies.

Night and Silence Who is Here?

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1968: Watson Fellows Program Inception

Since the inception of the Watson Fellows Program in 1968, Wesleyan has had at least 87 Watson Fellows.

1970: A History of the Eclectic Society of Phi Nu Theta, 1837–1970 Published

In 1970, William B.B. Moody published "A History of the Eclectic Society of Phi Nu Theta, 1837–1970".

1970: Wesleyan operates as an all-male college

Until 1970, Wesleyan operated as an all-male college.

1991: Wesleyan University wins ECAC Soccer Championship

Amos Magee helped lead Wesleyan University to an ECAC Soccer Championship and school-best record of 15–1–1 in 1991.

1992: Amos Magee named All-American

In 1992, Amos Magee was named a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III All-American.

1994: PCU Film Released

In 1994, the cult comedy film "PCU" was released, based on and filmed partly at Wesleyan University.

1995: Thinker, Sailer, Brother, Spy: A Novel Published

In 1995, John Maher's "Thinker, Sailer, Brother, Spy: A Novel" featured a fictionalized look at a professor's life at Wesleyan University.

1999: Wesleyan University, 1831–1910: Collegiate Enterprise in New England Published

In 1999, David B. Potts published "Wesleyan University, 1831–1910: Collegiate Enterprise in New England".

Wesleyan University, 1831–1910: Collegiate Enterprise in New England

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2000: Hidden Ivies: Thirty Colleges of Excellence Published

In 2000, Howard Greene and Matthew Greene published "Hidden Ivies: Thirty Colleges of Excellence".

Greenes' Guides to Educational Planning: The Hidden Ivies: Thirty Colleges of Excellence

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2000: Designated as a historic Methodist site

In 2000, Wesleyan University was designated as a historic Methodist site.

2002: The Gatekeepers: Inside The Admissions Process of a Premier College Published

In 2002, Jacques Steinberg published "The Gatekeepers: Inside The Admissions Process of a Premier College".

The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College

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2006: One Hundred Semesters: My Adventures as Student, Professor, and University President, and What I Learned along the Way Published

In 2006, William M. Chace published "One Hundred Semesters: My Adventures as Student, Professor, and University President, and What I Learned along the Way".

One Hundred Semesters: My Adventures as Student, Professor, and University President, and What I Learned along the Way (The William G. Bowen)

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2007: Fulbright Scholarships Awarded

From 2007 through 2011, a total of 42 Wesleyan students and alumni received scholarships under the Fulbright program.

2007: Gary Yohe Wins Nobel Peace Prize

In 2007, Gary Yohe, a current professor of economics at Wesleyan University, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

2007: A History of the Eclectic Society of Phi Nu Theta, 1837–1970 Published

In 2007, William B.B. Moody published "A History of the Eclectic Society of Phi Nu Theta, 1837–1970".

A History of The Eclectic Society of Phi Nu Theta, 1837–1970

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2008: Recognition of Wesleyan Film Studies program

In 2008, Vanity Fair and Variety magazine highlighted Wesleyan's Film Studies program and its influence in Hollywood.

2008: Olla Podrida ceases publication as yearbook

Until 2008, the student body published the Olla Podrida which was originally a quarterly newspaper in the late 1850s, but was the college yearbook since the Civil War.

2009: Hidden Ivies: 50 Top Colleges that Rival the Ivy League Published

In 2009, Howard Greene and Matthew Greene published "Hidden Ivies: 50 Top Colleges that Rival the Ivy League".

The Hidden Ivies: 50 Top Colleges—from Amherst to Williams —That Rival the Ivy League (Greene's Guides)

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2009: Creation of the Bailey College of the Environment

In 2009, the Bailey College of the Environment was created, integrating curricular components, a Think Tank, and the Collaborative Research Initiative (CRI).

January 2010: The Eclectic Society Play Premiered

On January 27, 2010, "The Eclectic Society", a play based on the Eclectic Society at Wesleyan University during the early 1960s, premiered at the Walnut Street Theatre.

2010: Music at Wesleyan: From Glee Club to Gamelan Published

In 2010, Mark Slobin published "Music at Wesleyan: From Glee Club to Gamelan".

Music at Wesleyan: From Glee Club to Gamelan (Garnet Books)

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2010: Renaming of the Wesleyan Concert Choir

In 2010, the Wesleyan Concert Choir was renamed The Wesleyan Ensemble Singers.

2010: Doonesbury Comic Strip Features Wesleyan

In the autumn of 2010, Garry Trudeau's Pulitzer prize-winning comic strip "Doonesbury" featured Wesleyan University in a series of daily strips.

February 2011: U.S. News & World Report describes the university as one of "20 Colleges Where It's Easiest to Get Involved"

In February 2011, U.S. News & World Report described the university as one of "20 Colleges Where It's Easiest to Get Involved" with a "Students per Club" ratio of "11.66".

2011: Fulbright Scholarships Awarded

From 2007 through 2011, a total of 42 Wesleyan students and alumni received scholarships under the Fulbright program.

2012: Partnership for free public access online courses

Beginning in 2012, Wesleyan partnered with a private consortium to design and offer free public access online courses.

2012: Dream School Novel Published

In 2012, Blake Nelson's novel "Dream School" was published, featuring a protagonist attending a college modeled on Wesleyan.

Dream School

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February 2013: Creation of a new College of Film and the Moving Image

In February 2013, Wesleyan announced the creation of a new College of Film and the Moving Image, incorporating the Film Studies Department, the Center for Film Studies, the Cinema Archives and the Wesleyan Film Series.

September 2014: Fraternities to Become Co-Educational

In September 2014, Wesleyan University mandated that all fraternities with on-campus housing must become co-educational within three years.

2014: Test optional policy begins

Since 2014, Wesleyan has been test optional.

2015: Rolling Stone Article on Wesleyan's Drug Culture

In 2015, Rolling Stone published "Inside the Wesleyan Molly Bust", a long-form feature on Wesleyan's drug culture, detailing student overdoses and expulsions.

2015: Satoshi Omura Wins Nobel Prize for Medicine

In 2015, Satoshi Omura, the Max Tishler Professor of Chemistry at Wesleyan University, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine.

2015: Closure of DKE Fraternity House

In 2015, Wesleyan University ordered the closure of the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) fraternity house on High Street.

2016: Listed on the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education's "10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech"

Wesleyan was listed on the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education's 2016 "10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech".

2017: DKE Wins Court Trial

In 2017, DKE won its claim against Wesleyan University in court. The jury awarded $386,000 in damages to the Kent Literary Club, the Wesleyan alumni chapter of DKE.

2018: Men's Lacrosse team wins NCAA Division III championship

In 2018, Wesleyan's Men's Lacrosse team won the Division III NCAA championship title, which was the first national championship in school history.

2019: Kiplinger ranking

In 2019, Kiplinger ranked Wesleyan 16th of the 149 best value liberal arts colleges in the United States.

2022: Washington Monthly ranking

In 2022, Washington Monthly ranked Wesleyan third out of 203 liberal arts colleges in the U.S.

July 2023: End of legacy admission

In July 2023, Wesleyan announced that it would no longer give preference in admission to applicants with family or donor ties to the school, officially ending legacy admission at the institution.

2023: International Student Body

In 2023, approximately 10 percent of the Wesleyan student body holds citizenship other than that of the United States. Financial aid is available for students from Africa and Asia.

2023: Statistics for Class of 2027 applications

In 2023, for the Class of 2027, Wesleyan received 14,500 applications and accepted 2,280 (15.7%).

2024: Fraternities on Campus

As of 2024, Alpha Delta Phi (ADP), Psi Upsilon (Psi U), and The Eclectic Society are the only active fraternities with society houses on the Wesleyan campus.

2024: Installation of Minute/Year

In 2024, the sound-art work Minute/Year was installed in the main library stairwell.

2024: U.S. News & World Report ranking

In the 2024 edition, Wesleyan University was ranked first in "Best Colleges for Veterans", 16th in "Best Value Schools", and tied for 36th in "Top Performers on Social Mobility" by the U.S. News & World Report.

2024: Forbes ranking

In the Forbes ranking of the top 500 American colleges for 2024-25, Wesleyan University is ranked 54th overall and 12th among liberal arts colleges alone.