Franklin College history

Wilmington College first offered classes in 1871.

Founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1902, under YMCA sponsorship as the School of Commerce, Franklin is a well-regarded leader in meeting the needs of busy adult students with nearly 45,000 of our alumni found working in and serving communities across the country and around the world.

Founded in 1969, FUS was among the first institutions to bring American Liberal Arts education to Europe.

Pascal Tone spent the summer of 1970 recruiting the first class in New York City while the others completed preparation of the first campus at Villa Cirla, an 18th century building in Lugano.

In 1975, both Old Main and Franklin College’s Shirk Hall were placed on the National Register.

Established in 2000, the Franklin Residential College is a collaborative partnership among the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, the Office of Instruction, and University Housing.

In fall of 2010, the Tomas moved out of Rutherford Hall, and a graduate student, Leasa Weimer, became the new Dean in Residence.

In the Fall 2012, as the reconstruction phase began, Doctor Rebecca Simpson-Litke moved into Building 1516 to become the FRC's Residence Dean.

2013 saw Franklin receive full institutional accreditation from the Swiss University Conference, making it recognized as a university institution within the Swiss university system and the only higher education institution in the world fully accredited in both the US and Switzerland.