Swarthmore College - Halcyon Yearbook (Swarthmore, PA)

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INTRODUCTION TO SWARTHMORE COLLEGE Swarthmore College, founded in 1864 by members of the Religious Society of Friends, is a co-educational college occupying a campus of about 300 acres of rolling wooded land in and adjacent to the borough of Swarth- more in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It is a small college by deliberate policy. Its present enrollment is about 1075 students, of whom 500 are women and 575 are men. The borough of Swarthmore is a residential suburb within half an hour ' s commuting distance of Philadelphia. Because of its location, Swarthmore College students are able to combine the advantages of a semi-rural setting with the opportunities offered by Phila- delphia. Especially valuable is the cooperation made possible with three other nearby institutions, Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges and the University of Pennsylvania. Objectives and Purposes In accordance with the traditions of its Quaker background, Swarthmore students are expected to prepare themselves for full, balanced lives as individuals and as responsible citizens through exacting intellectual study supplemented by a varied program of sports and other extra-curricular activities. The purpose of Swarthmore College is to make its students more valu- able human beings and more useful members of society. It shares this purpose with other educational institutions, for American education is a direct outgrowth of our democratic principles. While a common purpose underlies all American education, each school and college and university seeks to realize that purpose in its own way. Each must select those tasks it can do best. Only by such selection can it contribute to the diversity and richness of educational opportunity which is part of the American heritage and the American strength. Academic Competence Democracy demands a broad base of intelligent understanding of issues. It also necessitates a high order of excellence in those who are destined to become its leaders. Swarthmore can best serve society by the main- tenance of high standards. It is peculiarly fitted by tradition and perform- ance for this essential role, and it is precisely this readiness to do a particular job well that gives the College its value in the educational pattern of American democracy. Education is largely an individual matter, for no two students are exactly alike. Some need detailed help, while others profit from c .:- siderable freedom. The program of Honors study, in which Swarthmore pioneered, is designed to give recognition to this fact. It is the most distinctive feature of the College ' s educational program. For many stu- dents, it provides an enriching and exciting intellectual experience. It has as its main ingredients freedom from ordinary classroom routine and close association with faculty members in small seminars, concentrated

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