Wesley College

Wesley College, now part of Delaware State University as DSU Downtown
Former names	Wilmington Conference Academy (1873–1918) Wesley Collegiate Institute (1918–1941) Wesley Junior College (1941–1958)
Motto	Great Things Await
Type	Privateliberal arts college
Active	1873; 152 years ago (1873) – 2021; 4 years ago (2021)
Religious affiliation	United Methodist Church
Academic affiliation	Space Grant
Location	Dover , Delaware , United States
Campus	Small city, 50 acres (20 ha)
Colors	Blue and white
Nickname	Wolverines
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III –Atlantic East (until 2021)
Website	wesley.edu

Wesley College was aprivateliberal arts college inDover, Delaware. It was acquired byDelaware State University (DSU) in 2021 and is now the DSU Downtown campus.^[1][2][3]

The institution was founded in 1873^[4] asWilmington Conference Academy, aprep school.^[5] During this periodAnnie Jump Cannon, a prominent astronomer who pioneered stellar classification, graduated valedictorian from Wilmington Conference Academy in 1880.^[6][7] It became a two-year college in 1918 and renamed theWesley Collegiate Institute.^[5] It was renamed again in 1941 asWesley Junior College, and again in 1958 as Wesley College.^[5] The institution conferred its first four-year degrees in 1978.^[8]

In its last decades, the college experienced significant financial challenges and relied on state funding and grants.^[4][1] At one point in 2019, had the state not given Wesley $3 million, students would have lost access to federal financial aid and salaries would have been at risk. In early 2021, the college faculty voted "no confidence" against Wesley's last president,Robert E. Clark II, but Wesley College's board of trustees subsequently dismissed the resolution and supported him.^[9][10]

On June 30, 2020,Delaware State University (DSU) began the formal process of purchasing Wesley College.^[11] This made DSU "the first historically Black college or university to acquire another college."^[1] The acquisition was finalized one year later, on July 1, 2021.^[12] Approximately 60 percent of the Wesley community were offered employment by Delaware State University. DSU took on Wesley College's debts and did not directly pay to purchase the university. All Wesley students with non-adverse records were permitted to become DSU students.^[13] After the acquisition, the campus was known as DSU Downtown, while the Wesley name remained attached to the Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences housed at the campus.^[14][15]

Prior to ceasing operations, many of its students pursued aliberal arts program of study. At its close, Wesley College had 917 students.

The institution competed inNational Collegiate Athletic Association'sDivision III athletics in theAtlantic East Conference. Its teams were known as the Wolverines.^[16][17]

• William N. Andrews (1898) – U.S. House of Representatives
• Steve Azzanesi  – college football coach
• Clarence Bailey  – professional football player
• Larry Beavers  – professional football player
• Bill Belleville – environmental writer, documentary filmmaker, and lecturer
• Colin R.J. Bonini (1991) – Republican Party politician, including serving as a member of theDelaware Senate from the16th district (since 1995)^[18]
• Franklin Brockson (1890)  – U.S. House of Representatives^[19]
• Joseph L. Cahall (c. 1880s) – Republican Party politician who served asSecretary of State of Delaware
• Joe Callahan (B.S. 2016) – quarterback for thePhiladelphia Eagles of theNational Football League (NFL)
• Annie Jump Cannon (1880) – Astronomer^[7]
• Steve Colavito  – professional football player
• Bill Collick  – college football coach and athletics administrator
• Ronald S. Dancer – New Jersey General Assembly
• William D. Denney – Governor of Delaware andDelaware House of Representatives
• Wayne Gilchrest (A.A., 1971) – Republican Party politician, including serving asU.S. Representative forMaryland's 1st congressional district (1991–2009)^[20]
• Matt Gono (2017) – professional football player for theAtlanta Falcons of theNational Football League (NFL)
• John B. Goodman  – polo player
• Bob Hannah – college baseball coach
• William P. Jackson – Treasurer of Maryland andUnited States Senator^[21]
• Thomas B. McCabe  – chairman of the Federal Reserve and president and CEO ofScott Paper Company
• Ernie McCook  – college football coach
• Mark Meseroll  – professional football player
• Charles M. Oberly, III (A.A., 1966) – lawyer andDemocratic Party politician, including serving asDelaware Attorney General (1983–1995);U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware^[22]
• Eunan O'Neill (non-degreed) – Irish television presenter
• John Palermo (non-degreed)  – college football coach
• Simeon S. Pennewill – Governor of Delaware andDelaware Senate^[23]
• Bryan Robinson – professional football player; awardedall-American football player^[24]
• Charles L. Terry Jr. – Governor of Delaware andChief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court^[25]
• Ebrahim Victory (nondegreed) – mechanical engineer and television presenter
• Rebecca Walker – Delaware House of Representatives
• Carolyn Bunny Welsh – Republican Party politician, former sheriff ofChester County,Pennsylvania
• Josiah O. Wolcott – Chancellor of theDelaware Court of Chancery,United States Senator, andAttorney General of Delaware^[26]

• Bob Andrus – head football coach
• Steve Azzanesi – football coach
• Earl D. Brooks II – executive vice president and professor ofscience andpresident ofTrine University
• Mike Drass – head football coach
• William N. Johnston – 16th president of Welsey College
• Tim Keating – head football coach
• Tripp Keister – baseball coach
• Chip Knapp – assistant football coach
• David Laganella – music professor
• John Palermo – football coach
• Clarence A. Short – president of Wesley Collegiate Institute in 1926
• Leroy Thompson – assistant football coach

• List of colleges and universities in Delaware

Wikimedia Commons has media related toWesley College (Dover, Delaware).

• Wesley State University site at theWayback Machine (archive index)
• DSU & Wesley -Delaware State University

• Wesley College (Delaware)
• 1873 establishments in Delaware
• Buildings and structures in Dover, Delaware
• Education in Kent County, Delaware
• Universities and colleges established in 1873
• Educational institutions disestablished in 2021
• Preparatory schools in Delaware
• Two-year colleges in the United States
• Universities and colleges affiliated with the United Methodist Church
• Defunct private universities and colleges in Delaware
• Liberal arts colleges in Delaware
• 2021 mergers and acquisitions

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