Moravian College
Founded: 1742
The last of our oldest colleges in the United States is the smaller size Moravian College.
Founded in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the college goes all the way back to 1742 when it was established by 16-year-old Countess Benigna von Zinzendorf, who launched it as Bethlehem Female Seminary, the first boarding school for young ladies in the US.
This college earned such an outstanding reputation that George Washington himself petitioned the headmaster to admit two of his great-nieces.
The Moravian Female Seminary, as the school ultimately became known, began granting baccalaureate degrees in 1863. But in 1913, it became Moravian Seminary and College for Women before finally becoming co-ed when the colleges for the two genders joined together in 1954.
Notable Alumni:
- John Andretti: Graduated in 1985. Race car driver for NASCAR, Indy car, and NHRA.
- Andrew A. Humphreys: Graduated in 1822. One of the main incorporators of the National Academy of Science.
- James Montgomery Beck: Graduated in 1880. Solicitor General of the United States from 1921 to 1925, and member of the United States House of Representatives from 1927 to 1934.
- Janine Jagger: Graduated cum laude in 1972. An epidemiologist granted the MacArthur Fellowship in 2002 and serves as the director of the International Health Care Worker Safety Center at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
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