Title
Honoring Peirce College for its 150 years of providing an affordable education to working class students.
Body
WHEREAS, Thomas May Peirce founded the Union Business College in 1865 to deliver a new kind of practical, business education in the post-war years, in its first year enrolling 550 students, many ex-Civil War soldiers who needed special teaching to land a career; and
WHEREAS, Ahead of its time in 19th Century America, Dr. Peirce also offered career-oriented education to women, with enrollment reaching 300 women by 1888, in a tradition that continues today, with Peirce College being a leading provider of part-time business education for Pennsylvania women; and
WHEREAS, Growth and recognition came hand in hand as the renamed Peirce College of Business moved to larger facilities, drawing commencement speakers like John Wanamaker, Andrew Carnegie and several ex-presidents, including Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft; and
WHEREAS, Peirce moved to its current location - a state of the art facility with a library, restaurant, gymnasium, showers, bowling alley, elevators and filtered drinking water delivered to fountains every day - in 1915, the same year a Building and Loan Association was formed to help students invest their earnings and support their income; and
WHEREAS, During World War I, special "War Courses" were taught free of charge to Armed Forces members designed to meet the demand for clerical workers, and during World War II, Peirce again prepared both civilian and government workers for their roles in the operations of the modern military; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the 1950s, Peirce offered specialized certificate programs to growing occupations, like medical, airline secretaries and receptionists; and
WHEREAS, Through the 1970s and the 1980s, Peirce's position as a leader in business education was fueled by interest in practical business and technology programs, such as its n...
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