Over the past century, Drexel University has undergone countless cycles of success, adversity, and transition. In that time, The Triangle has covered a wide variety of subjects, some timeless and some bizarre. Ultimately, the history of the student newspaper is the history of the student body, and these headlines offer a glimpse into classes past.
1926
Feb. 1: The Triangle publishes its very first edition. “With this, the first edition of The Drexel Triangle, the Drexel students break forth and humbly beg the vast group of alumni and friends to lend an open ear to their cries.”
“It shall be the aim of THE DREXEL TRIANGLE to encourage intelligent thought about vital things… as well as to foster a noble and lasting college spirit at Drexel.”
1927
January 15: “Student Forum Held January 12.” Students sought “the reform of social laws and the permission to express opinions without fear of being disciplined,” while recommending the university president meet with the head of student organizations monthly.
April 26: “Roller Skaters Increase,” illustrating a new fad. “Drexel Co-eds have followed suit with the fairer sex of many other colleges. Most any evening will bring a drove of gleeful girls from the student house steps, gliding along on roller skates. It is a sight to behold…”
1928
January 2: “More than 200 manufacturing establishments in New Jersey and Pennsylvania have entered into a co-operative agreement with the Drexel Institute in the furtherance of its engineering and business administration courses, according to an announcement issued recently.” At the time, a four-year college education cost around $6000.
March 5: “A Triangle Reporter Declares Drexel Sluggish in Attitude towards Student Affairs,” marking one of the first complaints about lack of school spirit and engagement. “Ever since the day your humble correspondent entered Drexel he has been wondering at the utter lack of that quality, that really undefinable something that is so frequently miscalled ‘school spirit.’”
April 6: In a footnote, the “Drexel Engineers” athletic teams are rechristened as the Drexel Dragons: “Due to the fact that both the Engineering and Business Administration Schools are being represented on the various athletic teams of Drexel, it has been decided to call or nickname these teams, ‘The Dragons.’”
1929
February 14: The Triangle speaks on Drexel’s ban of hazing. “…since the students themselves have indicated that they cannot use the hazing privilege with discretion, thus bringing about a ban on hazing, we have judged it fitting to drop the subject.”
May 2: Curtis Hall is formally dedicated, but plans for a Student Union Building are dropped. The fact that “…Drexel will probably be forced to move within the next five years effectively prohibits erecting a building at the present time,” the article explained.
1930
March 14: “Great Court Scene of Intense Smoke” refers to a smoking concert, which was a night of entertainment for men. “The Student Council Smoker has come and gone. All those who could get out of the court without choking on the smoke voted it the best smoker held during this student generation.” Among the festivities was a boxing match between a sophomore and freshman in the Great Court.
1931
May 8: Drexel Lodge Dedication Marks Brilliant Annual Alumni Celebration. “Quite a large crowd was present in spite of the threatening aspect of the day – a crowd composed largely of alumni and faculty, but with a fair sprinkling of students among it.” Drexel Lodge was a retreat for students and faculty built in Newtown Square which featured tennis courts, swimming, athletic fields, and room to sleep 50 people.
1932
February 26: “Triangle Adopts Platform” aimed at improving engagement. “For the first time in its career, which has been characterized wholly by success, the Triangle is publishing the policy or platform for which the staff is continually working:” eliminating school politics, promoting discussion, increasing interaction between different classes, and boosting school spirit.
1933
May 19: “R.O.T.C. Staffs Depleted by Roosevelt Order” when FDR recalled school officers to help run the Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal work-relief program that would employ millions during the Great Depression.
1934
February 16: “Part Time Jobs Made Available By Federal Funds.” These 98 need-based positions would evolve into the modern work-study system.
1935
February 15: “Pacifism Subject of Culture Club.” The Cultural Society, a new organization, aimed to foster discussion of “current topics of interest.” America was in its interwar isolationist period, and talks of disarmament and maintaining world peace lingered even as tensions in Europe began to rise again.
1936
May 22: “School Name Officially Becomes D.I.T.” or Drexel Institute of Technology. Then-President Parker Kolbe advocated that Drexel remain a professional institution focused on science and business. The student body was predominantly commuters, and many students were enrolled in evening classes.
A notable gap in coverage: in August and October 1936, the airship Hindenburg would fly over Philadelphia, once passing directly over campus (as UCross residents will know).
1937
May 14: “Foreign Fracas – Crisis Imminent” heralded traveling lecturer Dr. Mike Dorizas, who spoke to “an enthusiastic audience” about the Spanish Civil War and rise of fascism in Europe. “Italy and Germany are poor countries… When you have two persons clutching for one piece of bread, then comes the totalitarian state.”
1938
October 25: “Students’ Antipathy Toward War Revealed by Poll of Drexel Men.” The poll revealed that, while many thought involvement in a European war was inevitable, few were strongly inclined to fight – even if foreign forces landed at home.
1939
April 4: Eleanore M. Burkholder becomes first woman Editor-in-Chief of The Triangle. She was the second woman to be an editor in the newspaper’s 12-year run.
April 28: “Drexel Has Champion Goldfish Eater in New Collegiate Sport.” Yes, live goldfish. “Let it never be said that Drexel was ever outdone by Harvard in the current collegiate sport of gold fish swallowing. For, believe it or not, we have our own champion gulper of live gold fish in Bob Bachus…”
1941
Jan 30: “Depicture of the Week” shows students entering the Main Building on 32nd Street through the basement stairwell. At the time, the western archway entrance did not exist, and many student amenities were in the basement.
February 14: “Glenn Martin Looks To Future of Aviation” in an interview with The Triangle. “Drexel conceivably has a considerable interest in the Martin future. Has she not sent some of her best men to the Baltimore company?” the writer speculated. In fact, the Martin Company would eventually become Lockheed Martin in 1995.
1942
January 9: After the U.S. entry into World War II, the editorial board wrote that “As a unique group of college students, there is much we can and must do. For half of each year a great many of us become parts of the industries that at all costs must keep in operation… We will fulfill our duty.”
February 20: “George Nannos Killed at Pearl Harbor.” Nannos, ‘39, had been a business major and varsity football player at Drexel. He was the first alum to be killed in action in World War II.
Red Cross blood drives, rationing measures, and draft callups would soon become staples in the newspaper.
1943
July 17: A total of 727 Army cadets would arrive at Drexel for technical training through the Army Specialized Training Program. Enrollment had plummeted, and their arrival was welcomed by students and administrators. A few even joined The Triangle.
October 8: The Triangle reports on Drexel’s first-ever women in engineering: “Because of the needs for women engineers in industry and the shortage of men in this career at the present time, statistics show that there is a total of 17 women enrolled in the various schools of Engineering here. Among these are 5 June freshmen, 11 September freshmen, and 1 sophomore.” They would create the first collegiate Society of Women Engineers here.
1944
January 14: “Drexel is Bared of Art Pieces” when they are sent to New York City for appraisal and potential sale. With enrollment down, the university was facing a budget crunch, and was considering selling much of its founding collection of artifacts – including the original manuscript for Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” one of the first-ever detective stories. The proposal caused an uproar on campus.
April 14: “ASTP Ended, Recall Troops.” While the ASTU cadets had passed aptitude tests to come to Drexel, there was a high washout rate, and the demand for manpower grew too great to keep them in training. “They left on Wednesday afternoon at 5:30 after marching 3 miles to a rail siding at 29th and Brown Streets.” The “collegiate G.I.s” would disperse to Louisiana, New Jersey, and then across the world.
1946
January 11: “Veterans Boost Enrollment” after the end of the war, with 75 percent of the school’s incoming 408 students attending on G.I. Bill benefits.
Navy plane parked on the future site of the Alumni Engineering Labs along Ludlow Street, facing Chestnut Street
April 12: “Navy Hellcat Parked on Curtis Field; New Engines On The Way” after the Mechanical Engineering department acquired a military surplus Grumman F6F fighter plane. Capable of 350 miles per hour in action, it was reserved for lab testing and teardowns by engineering students.
1947
May 16: “D.I.T. Acquires Land for Expansion” in its first postwar expansion. Disque Hall and Stratton Hall occupy the space today.
1948
January 30: “G.I. Students Ask for Increase in Subsistence to Beat the [High Cost of Living]” amidst postwar inflation as rationing and price controls ended.
1949
February 25: “Creese Announces Purchase of Land:” 18.3 acres which is today Vidas Field.
1951
January 26: “College Students May Finish Year, Then Choose Service.” The Korean War meant that the draft returned for Drexel men.
1952
October 10: “Students Asked to Stop Smoking on Court Steps” by the Men’s Student Council due to major congestion, especially in between classes. A letter to the editor decried the decree, arguing it was a perfect spot for smoking.
1953
February 20: “Opinion Poll: Should Commies Be Allowed to Teach?” was answered with a resounding “no” by college students surveyed around the country. However, a plurality of 45 percent thought former Communists should be allowed on faculties.
1955
February 4: “Student Union Will Hold Pizza Party” pointed to a future college staple long before institutions like Ed’s Pizza or Sava’s would open.
April 22: “Women’s Rifle Team Wins National Title,” taking first and second place in competitive marksmanship. The practice rifle range was once housed in Curtis Hall.
October 21: “Drexel Initiates I.D. Card Policy for Better Student Identification,” primarily to replace the outdated athletics cards it issued previously.
1956
January 20: “DIT’s Dream Campus Becoming Reality: PTC Raze El, Woodland Ave. Doomed.” The L formerly ran elevated all the way to the Schuylkill River, with an elevated station stop at 32nd Street — hence the height of the train bridge. However, the L and trolley tunnel was dug in 1955, clearing Market Street. The PTC was the private company that preceded SEPTA.
April 13: “Granary Blast Damages Drexel; Estimated Loss at Half Million,” delivering a major setback to the “DIT’s dream campus.” “Night school students and instructors were showered with flying splinters of glass. It was fortunate that few people were in the Great Court when the skylight broke and glass showered down upon the Court.” The Tidewater Grain Elevator sat on what is today the parking lot by Lincoln Plaza. Drexel suffered damage equivalent to $6 million, and the Student Union Building at Market and 31st Streets took the brunt of it, ultimately being demolished.
1958
February 14: “TUITION UP AGAIN” as university administrators sought to increase staff pay. At the time, the average co-op salary was $1550. “Therefore, students spending two periods each year in cooperative positions can anticipate earnings from $500 to $700 more than they will need for their tuition fees,” assured University President James Creese.
1959
January 30: “WMAX Now Broadcasting” proclaimed “RADIO HAS FINALLY COME TO DREXEL!” Broadcasting on 690 KC, the station laid the groundwork for today’s WKDU. Its earliest programming would include a jazz hour, basketball games, and syndicated shows, with its transmitter reaching campus and the neighborhood.
September 18: “New Library Opens This Term.” The Korman Center was originally the library. The new, air-conditioned building on Woodland Avenue replaced the original library in the Main Building basement, and cost $2 million at the time, or around $22 million in 2025. “[T]he air-conditioned study rooms were a welcome relief from the summer heat” opened for summer students before the bookshelves were even stocked.
This photo appears to be taken facing today’s main entrance to the Korman Center, on what was then Woodland Avenue.
1960
November 18: “Pres. Creese Speaks at Entrance Opening” for the new archway entrance to the Main Building –– today’s primary entrance, along 32nd Street, oriented significantly towards “Drexel Institute’s projected development.”
1961
In the 1960s, a new and much more creative voice emerged in the Drexel Triangle, as did more strongly opinionated students. Drexel also began much more rapid — and controversial — campus expansion.
May 5: “Ground Breaking Ceremony Completed For The Student Activities Center” heralded the coming Creese Center, home to The Triangle today. The SAC was the first Drexel building built on land cleared by the city Redevelopment Authority using eminent domain.
1962
April 27: “Nuclear Reactor Installed in Rush Hospital Building.” The subcritical nuclear reactor — meaning it required power to run — was partially funded by an Atomic Energy Commission grant for research into reactor theory.
May 25: “An 1896 Drexel Graduate,” Mrs. Dorothy Khtar, was interviewed by The Triangle. A member of Drexel’s second graduating class, she was by then 92 years old. “She stated that there was no grading system at that time. Everyone attending Drexel was there for the sole purpose of getting an education.” She lived in Camden and befriended poet Walt Whitman.
August 24: “SAC Now Open, Use Emphasized”
1963
April 19: “Newest ROTC Officer Musgraves Reports on Viet Nam” alludes to the U.S.’s early involvement in Vietnam in an advisory role, before combat broke out. “Q. Major Musgrave… What do the Viet Namese think of Americans? A. My personal opinion is that the average Viet Namese likes the U.S. soldiers as individuals. However, in his role as an adviser, he often finds that his suggestions fall on deaf ears… When I left in January of ‘63, it was no longer a strange
land but a home I hated to leave.”
1965
November 19: “Drexel’s First Coffee House To Open in December.” The Hovel, at 3310 Baring Street accessed by Pearl Street, would open Wednesdays and Sundays as a rather bohemian, informal, “conversational” space for “singing, dancing, poetry reading and skits.” A founding member was campus Rev. Pat Fenske, whose first floor it occupied.
December 3: “Two Students Victims of Police Brutality.” “Within the last six weeks, this is the second unprovoked attack by a Philadelphia police officer on a Drexel student.” Two plainclothes officers beat and arrested two students, but the charges against the students were dropped. The police department would soon enter its most violent era under commissioner, then mayor, Frank Rizzo.
1966
November 4: “DIT to have ‘real’ campus by Fall” after the removal of Woodland Avenue and Ludlow Street, construction of the quad, and planting 200 trees. The future site of PISB would be a parking lot.
1967
A fundamental tension between Drexel’s idealists and pragmatists began to emerge on the physical page: as the paper’s coverage of antiwar activism grew, each piece was often flanked by an ad by Grumman, Dow, or another defense contractor. Meanwhile, just two years before, The Triangle had reported the majority of college students favored extending the war in Vietnam.
January 20: “Students support ‘Dis-Credit ROTC’ buttons, petition:” The issue was not yet with Vietnam, but with mandatory first-year conscription in ROTC. The then-commander rebutted that the Army was on campus to cultivate “good ‘managers of violence.’”
February 10: “Students picket Armory.” After “sparse attendance,” the anti-conscription movement petered out — for the time being. A staff-led boycott of the ROTC would have been unthinkable in years prior, when the newspaper was seemingly solely focused on covering social events like Military Balls.
April 21: “Pot smoking results in three suspensions” after students were reported smoking in their apartment.
October 27: “Peace marchers gather in Washington,” with a Drexel contingent among them led by Rev. Paul Fenske. “Ellis Cohen, Drexel Fellows ’69, said, ‘It would be unpatriotic and un-American not to come down and protest the U.S. involvement in a messy and unfortunate situation.’”
1968
March 1: “Federal Court rules no funds for area 5.” After years of legal petitions and proposals, Powelton Village residents won an injunction to block federal funding for Drexel’s expansion northward. The story was far from over.
August 2: “Fenske decision ‘final,’ MSC official tells Triangle.” Reverends Pat and Paul Fenske, popular campus figures, faced reassignment from Drexel when the Protestant organization sponsoring them faced budget problems. Students responded with a pro-Fenske rally and letter-writing.
September 27: “The Hovel: Drexel’s Last Resort” chronicled the flourishing of Drexel’s independent coffeehouse and gathering space. The Fenske brothers had put up their own basement for the gathering space in 1965, but its future was uncertain as they went on leave.
1969
The newspaper was demonstrating a new level of editorial independence, dropping “Drexel” from its nameplate in autumn of 1969.
July 18: “Congress censures tenured Humanities Faculty.” After the firing of English professor Martin Kellman, possibly due to his antiwar positions, the Student Congress voted to censure the faculty board that had denied Kellman tenure and ended his contract.
September 24: “DIT Publications” paints a self-portrait of The Triangle at the time. “Hanging on the walls around the office are… [p]eace symbols, anti-war and anti-draft literature… but all the staff members are not draft-dodgers or peaceniks. [Members] manage to coexist in relative peace and harmony. The discussions among factions often become a bit heated, but since most staff members are non-violent no one has been killed so far.”
October 10: “ALL WE ARE SAYING IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE,” reads the front page. The Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam would take place five days later, drawing hundreds of thousands of protestors and marking the ascendancy of the anti-war movement.
1970
Years of disputes between residents of Powelton Village and Mantua come to a head.
March 3: Drexel changes its name from Drexel Institute of Technology to Drexel University. “Drexel Tech is dead… President and Senator: Dr. Hagerty and Dr. Scott display the first diploma from Drexel University.”
1971
January 15: “human sexuality teach-in draws full house.” “The Teach-In, the first of its kind at Drexel, was conceived and organized by a coalition of members of the Student Affairs staff,” drawing 1,200 students.
November 5: “people elect the government they deserve,” boasted the epitaph of the tombstone on the front page after Philadelphia elected Frank Rizzo mayor. “R.I.P. Philadelphia, former city of brotherly love.”
1972
June 23: “Powelton Residents Arrested After Drexel Damage.” “Six Powelton area residents were arrested June 15th after removing blacktop applied over a Drexel construction site” at the future Towers Hall, and were charged with inciting a riot and disorderly conduct, among others.
October 6: “Student Congress Condemns Hagerty’s Parking Decision.” The university’s decision to charge $45 for a fall term garage permit set off waves of anger, at a time when the university was primarily commuter-based.
December 1: “CLASSIFIED EMP. STRIKE CONTINUES, MOST HEAT, FOOD, MAINT. CURTAILED” painted a dire portrait of a campus ground to a halt while negotiations with professional staff dragged.
1973
January 12: “DREXEL IS WELL PREPARED AS TEAMSTERS GO ON STRIKE,” added insult to injury as the university’s facilities staff went on strike. The union deemed a raise of “49￠to 94￠more per hour” insulting, leaving students without trash collection or many other services on campus.
February 2: “Additional Employees Fired As Teamster Strike Enters Week 5.” By the fifth week of the strike, the labor situation was acrimonious: accusations of sabotage flew, classified employees were fired for breaking their contract, and two operating engineers were threatened with termination.
May 25: “Teamsters Unanimously Ratify Contract, Men Back To Work As 20 Week Strike Ends,” receiving 75-cent raises over three years plus benefits and returning to a campus in disarray.
July 20: “Drexel Employees Oust Union In NLRB Controlled Election” in a win for the university. After striking at the end of 1972, union office staff and technicians cast a vote of no confidence to leave AFSCME Local 2481.
November 30: “DU Drops Football After 54 Years.” “Rising Costs Blamed As University Ends Oldest Intercollegiate Sport.”
1974
February 1: “High Prices Face Drexel Community As School Store Rip-Offs Skyrocket.” “It is ‘not only students stealing from us,’ asserted Drexel University’s Store Director Robert Gaulin. Gaulin, in a recent interview with the TRIANGLE attested to the fact that he has personally seen pilferage committed by ‘faculty members, Drexel employees, administrators and customers off the street.’”
March 29: “Garbage Piles Up; Incinerators Fired.” “Garbage is beginning to accumulate at Drexel as the result of the strike by private trash handlers,” thwarting the university yet again.
1975
February 21: IRS Investigates D.U. Data – Tax Exempt Return Obtained. “A federal investigation has been initiated into certain financial matters of the university.”
1976
March 5: Anthrax suspected in textile supplies. “Several lots of Pakistani yarn used by Drexel design students have been identified as part of a shipment of the iported wool, found to carrying anthrax spores.”
July 2: Housing expansions in gear; Drexel begins building what became Myers Hall. “The construction of the new residence hall is scheduled to begin in January, 1977.”
1977
“MOVE resists eviction: Face police in standoff”. Radical Black liberation group MOVE had established a fortified compound in the heart of Powelton Village, and after months of conflict with neighbors and the City, Mayor Rizzo was ready to evict them. But “[b]randishing shotguns, rifles, and machine guns. MOVE members made it clear last Friday that they were not to be forced out of their home located at 33rd and Pearl St.” A yearlong armed standoff with police would follow.
1978
February 24: Student Congress impeaches Fry; President charged with negligence. “Student Congress voted to impeach Karen Fry, the Student Body president.”
August 8: “Policeman Dies in MOVE Arrests.” After a gunfight erupted between entrenched police and an embattled MOVE, Officer James Ramp was shot and killed in contested circumstances. While no MOVE members were killed, one was brutally beaten in front of TV cameras afterwards, and nine would be charged with third-degree murder.
1981
February 6: “Class of ‘86 to get cooked.” “The incoming freshmen’s obligation for the food service program will be raised from one to three terms.”
February 27: Roach found in food; “It’s a big one, isn’t it.” A Drexel student was “eating pancakes in the cafeteria. By Chance, he happened to turn his pancake over – planted in the center of it was a big, black cockroach.”
1983
September 30: Dorms jammed, frosh move downtown. “65 students, who were scheduled to be residents, were faced with a housing shortage dilemma upon their arrival to the university.”
October 28: New College of Information Studies will offer degree.
December 2: Library woes – nice new building, same old problems. “The Hagerty Building, the university’s new library, opened its doors to students on Monday, October 17. Since then, therd have been a myriad of foreseen and unforeseen problems.”
1984
January 27: Drexel University requires students to own personal computers. “After several delays and much speculation, university officials rolled back the folding wall in the Grand Hall of the Creese Student Center, and unveiled the new Apple Macintosh personal computer as the required machine for its freshman class.”
April 13: ‘73 grad slated for shuttle. “Dr, James P. Bagian. a 1973 graduate in mechanical engineering, has been selected as a mission specialist aboard the January. 1986 voyage of the space shuttle, Columbia.”
December 17: University mourns senseless death. “The dismal weather on Monday afternoon reflected the emotions of those who came together that day to remember University student Deborah Lynn Wilson.”
1986
January 17: William Walsh Haggerty, President Emeritus, dies. “An impelling teacher, a sound scholar, and a dynamic administrator.”
January 25: The Triangle reports on campus drug use. “Drug use declines overall on college campuses, while cocaine use rises.”
March 7: Drexel Dragons make it to the NCAA tournament for the first time. “The Drexel Dragons held off Hofstra Monday night, 80-76, to win the East Coast conference tournament and make it into the NCAA tournament for the first time in the team’s history.”
March 7: Drexel readies for SEPTA strike. “The proposed SEPTA strike by union workers will start March 15 if a contract is not ratified with SEPTA management.”
1988
January 8: Security guard stationed at Drexel dies. “Wells Fargo Security Captain Rufus Hunter suffered a fatal heart attack after grappling with an intruder who had illegally entered Disque Hall in the early hours of Tuesday, December 22nd, according to University Director of Safety and Security Ed Smith.”
April 22: The Triangle reports that Drexel increases tuition. “The Board of Trustees’ executive committee voted unanimously last Wednesday to accept Acting University President Harold M. Myers’ budget proposal for fiscal year 1988-89 which includes a nine percent tuition increase, as well as raises in student fees and residential living costs.”
November 11: Swastika causes fear, anger at Drexel Hillel. “A swastika scrawled on the memo board outside of Hillel, the University’s Jewish organization, ‘could be symptomatic of the state of the world now,’ according to Hillel director Carrie Kanne.”
1990
September 28: Drexel considering end of mandatory phys-ed. “The drop in enrollment at Drexel University, along with budgetary problems in recent years, may force drastic changes in Drexel policy for the near future.”
September 28: Volleyball courts replace dirt lot across from Calhoun Hall.
November 16: Weekday fraternity parties end. “Last Thursday Vice President of Student Life Dr. Richard E. Woodring announced to the Inter-Fraternity Association that weekday fraternity parties will no longer be allowed on Drexel’s campus.”
1991
January 29: What about the draft? “A major issue on the collective Drexel mind these days is the possible reinstitution of the draft. Students are especially concerned since, if the draft is reinstated, there will be no student deferments.”
1995
January 27: Campus commodes: your choice of thrones. “With about 15 minutes left in your most boring class of the term, you realize there is something you need to do. You need to go to the bathroom. But you don’t want a simple flush-and-go, you want a porcelain experience. Where do you go?”
May 19: Board names Papadakis Drexel’s 11th President.
1996
April 26: Plans for campus bar nixed. “The September plan to open a bar in the basement of the Creese Student Center has been scrapped.”
1997
May 9: New shuttle service debuts. “The University administration hopes to curb student use of the Department of Public Safety’s escort service by requiring students to take a newly revised shuttle service, which features a broader area of coverage.”
2000
September 21: LeBow burglarized under cover of night. “According to the incident report, there were no signs of any objects being thrown through the glass and there were no signs of forced entry along the entrance door.”
September 29: University delegation celebrates canonization in Rome. “
2001
September 20: Implications of World Trade Center tragedy reach U. “The University brought operations to a halt at 12 p.m. Sept. 11 following terrorist attacks against New York City’s World Trade Center and then Pentagon.
October 5: U. bookstore robbed at gunpoint. “The University bookstore was robbed at approximately 7:45 a.m. Oct. 1, according to an incident report filed by the Department of Public Safety.
2002
October 25: Convocation celebrates merger, technology. “Drexel’s first Convocation celebration since its groundbreaking merger with Medical College of Pennsylvania, Hahnemann University.”
November 22: Area students march to protest possible Iraq war.
2006
June 2: Plus-minus grading system approved at Drexel, to take effect Fall 2006.
July 14: The University donates $200,000 to improve the Summer Winter Garden on Race Street.
2007
February 16: Students slide to class on slushy sidewalks.
March 2: East Hall renamed Caneris Hall by trustees.
2008
February 15, 2008: Drexel to implement Bike Share.
2009
April 10: President Papadakis dies at 63. “Drexel University president Constantine Papadakis died suddenly from pulmonary complications April 5, according to Drexel Board of Trustees Chairman Richard Greenawalt. Papadakis had battled cancer, but was in remission.”
2010
March 12: John Fry selected as new Drexel President.
May 14: Election for USGA president tied! “The two presidential candidates, Sean Murphy and Lucas Hippel, tied with 562 votes each.”
August 6: Drexel athletes arrested. “Basketball players involved in botched robbery.”
October 1: Bed bugs in U. Cross. “Four housing units in crossings are infested.”
November 19: New business building in 2014. “Businessman and LeBow College of Business namesake Bennett S. LeBow donated $45 million to help fund a new College of Business building that will replace Matheson Hall.”
2011
May 20: Drexel obtains the Academy of Natural Sciences. “Drexel President John A. Fry and Academy of Natural Sciences President George W. Gephart Jr. announced May 19 that they have signed a letter of intent to establish an affiliation between the two institutions.”
2016
November 18: Professor finds profanity keyed into her car. “Drexel professor Adrienne Juarascio, a self-identified Hillary Clinton supporter, discovered Nov. 11 that her car, parked at 18th and Reed streets, had been vandalized.”
2017
March 3: Students hold vigil for removed tree. “At the base of the hill outside of Disque Hall, students will no longer see a tree, but a stump.”
April 21: Second Saxbys to open in PISB, replacing Seasons. “‘Two @saxbys on #drexel’s campus is better than one!!’ @drexeluniv said in the original Instagram post.”
May 21: Sexual assault allegations, suspension for TKE. “According to a public safety advisory sent to the university community on May 5, the two alleged consultants were reported to have taken place at the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.”
2018
January 19: Sitting is detrimental to health, Drexel University study finds. “A recently published Drexel University study claims that employers should be held responsible for employee health issues caused by excessive sitting.”
February 19: A city, a dream and a football game: Eagles champs at last. “It was a night that felt like forever in the making.”
April 13: Wawa lands at Drexel. “Drexel University and Wawa Inc. plan to open a new Wawa store on the corner of 34th and market streets.”
2019
January 25: Drexel named as one of the worst colleges for free speech: “Overall, FIRE, which reports on written policies of over 450 of America’s largest and most prestigious colleges and universities, gave Drexel its lowest rating in the “red light” category for having policies that clearly and substantially hinder freedom of speech on campus.”
January 25: The Triangle may have printed its last issue ever. “After years of struggling financially and suffering from a decrease in readership and revenue, The Triangle is close to having zero dollars left in its bank account.”
2020
April 17: Class-action lawsuit filed against Drexel, students demanding tuition refunds. “Over the past few weeks, universities nationwide have transitioned to remote, virtual instruction in response to the COVID-19 global crisis. This decision has stirred controversy among college students, who are demanding tuition refunds.”
2021
April 23: Drexel mandates vaccines, continues with vaccine distribution amid Covid-19 uptick on campus. “According to Janet Cruz, an assistant professor in the Drexel College of Medicine, no Drexel dorm has significantly more COVID-19 infections than the others.”
May 7: Drexel EMS center closing amid financial fallout from the pandemic and Hahnemann closure. “Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions will cease operations of its EMS Training Center by June 30. The decision, made in February, was largely due to financial issues in the aftermath of the Hahnemann hospital closure and COVID-19.”
2022
July 22: ‘It’s been devastating:’ Drexel community reacts to reversal of Roe. “On June 24, the decision to overturn Roe was made official. Philadelphians yet again gathered in much larger numbers in front of City Hall.”
August 22: Drexel University Unveils Profound “Pars pro Toto” Stone Art Installation on Lancaster Walk. “Eight striking rocks have been flaunted on Drexel University’s Lancaster Walk on Thursday, Aug. 25 as part of a collaboration with the Forman Arts Initiative.”
August 26: UC Townhome encampment cleared with outcry from residents and community organizers. “The Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office enforced an order from Judge Joshua Roberts to break up the University City Townhomes encampment on Aug. 8.”
2023
April 21: Drexel lifts COVID-19 vaccine mandate. “On Tuesday, April 11, Drexel University released a statement outlining new changes to its vaccination policy, announcing that it will now no longer require all students, faculty and staff members to be vaccinated against COVID-19.”
May 5: Community reacts to UC Townhomes settlement. “UC Townhomes residents and organizers held a rally on Friday, April 21 to discuss their new demands following a settlement between property owner Brett Altman and the City of Philadelphia announced on Wednesday, April 19.”
August 9: Looking back on John Fry’s years as President. “With the announcement of President John Fry’s departure from Drexel University, The Triangle looks back at Fry’s 14 year tenure.”
2024
April 12: Drexel RAs overwhelmingly vote to form union with 63-4 result. “After gathering 617 signatures in support of a petition to unionize, Drexel University resident assistants overwhelmingly voted 63-4 (94% in favor) on Thursday, April 11 to form the first ever student employee union at Drexel and the second union within the Housing and Residential Life department.”
May 19: Gaza Solidarity Encampment set up at Korman Quad. “An encampment in solidarity with Palestine was established at Drexel University’s Korman Quad late Saturday afternoon. This comes a day after an attempted occupation of the University of Pennsylvania’s Fisher-Bennett Hall.”
July 12: Drexel-Salus merger moving forward. “The Middle States Commission on Higher Education officially approved the merger of Drexel and Salus Universities on Monday, July 1. The commission’s approval has been anticipated by students and faculty of both schools for over a year.”
October 18: Drexel budget cuts announced at town hall. “At a town hall held on Wednesday, Oct. 9, Drexel University Interim President Denis P. O’Brien indicated that cost-cutting measures will continue in an effort to stem a $63 million operating deficit.”
November 15: Student groups react to election results: “On Drexel University’s campus, a flurry of reactions – dismay and approval – have taken the scene, leaving many students concerned about the future.”
2025
January 17: Deans step down following college merger announcement. “Following Drexel University’s decision to merge the College of Computing and Informatics, College of Engineering and School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems.”
January 31: Drexel University announces new president-elect Antonio Merlo. “Drexel University’s Board of Trustees announced that by a unanimous vote Antonio Merlo, Ph.D., has been confirmed as the 16th president of Drexel University in a press release on Friday, Jan. 31.”
February 28: What we know about Drexel’s Academic Transformation. “Drexel University is preparing for a significant academic overhaul that will reshape its curriculum, academic calendar and institutional structure, set to take effect in Fall 2027.”
November 14: Drexel’s first-year enrollment plummets by nearly twenty percent. “Drexel University announced today that 1,918 students enrolled in the first-year class for the 2025-2026 academic year, a significant drop from the 2,369 students who enrolled last year and the 2,850 the year before.”
2026
January 10: Drexel’s Wawa to close January 21. “The closure marks the 12th Philadelphia location to shutter in recent years due to safety and security concerns, and as the company looks to reduce unsatisfactory customer experiences.”
January 16: Drexel to integrate ChatGPT Edu. “Drexel University announced by email that it had “signed an enterprise license with OpenAI to provide secure access to ChatGPT Edu for all members of the Drexel community.”
January 27: Philly protests ICE in solidarity with Minneapolis. “Following the killings of American citizens Renee Nicole Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti on Jan. 24 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Philadelphia residents have responded with peaceful protests throughout January.”