Early History
The Institute's first president was James A. MacAlister. Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1840, he emigrated with his family to Wisconsin in 1850, attended Brown University and subsequently received his J.D. from Albany Law School in 1864. During his term as president (1891–1913), the institute offered a variety of courses in subjects ranging from art and illustration, mechanic arts, domestic arts and sciences, commerce and finance, teacher training, physical education, and librarianship. He also advocated lectures and programs that we open to the public, even granting access to the library to non-students. Another initiative was to offer classes in the evening that could be attended by working professionals.
From 1895 to 1898, renowned American Impressionist painter Colin Campbell Cooper taught courses in watercolor and architectural rendering. In 1905, the department of art was closed (except for the architecture program). In the same time period, the school expanded the main building eastward into additional buildings on Chestnut and 32nd streets. The school also grew from 70 graduates to 500.
Drexel became the Drexel Institute of Technology in 1936.
Read more about this topic: History Of Drexel University
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