ses·qui·cen·ten·ni·al/ seskwəsen-tenēəl/(adjective)
relating to the one-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of a significant event.

The 2021-2022 academic year marked West Chester University’s Sesquicentennial Anniversary. As the largest liberal arts university in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sesquicentennial provided the opportunity to pause and reflect on 150 years of excellence in scholarship, community, and academic engagement. Based on the West Chester University Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology’s exhibition, WCU 150: History and Heritage—a centerpiece of the institution’s sesquicentennial celebrations—this volume explores the university’s rich history—from its origins as a public Normal School forming elementary teachers, to a state teacher’s college in the roaring 20s, to what the Philadelphia Inquirer called “arguably the most successful” of Pennsylvania’s state schools. Compelling articles written by faculty, alumni, and student cocurators examine topics such as teaching and learning, student life, the arts, gender and sexuality, sports, military service, diversity and inclusion, and more. As the exhibition was planned, installed and exhibited during the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume also provides insight into how higher education and the culture industry dealt with a global crisis. Illustrated with over a hundred photos of rare artifacts from the exhibition, and containing original research and first-hand accounts of life at WCU, West Chester University’s heritage comes to life in this important volume, providing a compelling case study of the life history and development of a major university.

A 3D virtual experience complements this volume: ***.wcupa.edu/WCU150VirtualExhibition