Excerpt from La Salle College Bulletin, 1977-78, Vol. 59

La Salle College was chartered by the legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1863. The founders of the new educational institution consisted of Christian Brothers, priests of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and several Catholic laymen. The College's beginnings were modest indeed: at first it was an adjunct to St. Michael's parish school. As the small college began to establish its educational reputation, its need for space dictated several moves. From St. Michael's the College moved to a center city site at Juniper and Filbert Sts. And from there to the old Bouvier mansion at 1240 North Broad St.

Forty-three years later, in 1929, the still-expanding college purchased part of the historic Belfield Farm, once the home of American painter Charles Willson Peale, and began to build the collegiate Gothic towers of College Hall. La Salle was hardly settled in its new home before the Great Depression threatened its very survival. The lean years of the 1930's became even more difficult when World War II depleted the student population to a mere 90 students.

With the end of the war, however, the influx of veterans taking advantage of the gi. Bill necessitated a new cycle of growth and expansion that has continued until the present day.

Two decisions stand out as noteworthy in this period of change. The first is the inauguration of the Evening Division in 1946 and that division's subsequent development as a leader in the state in providing evening degree programs for adults. The second is the decision to admit women students, thus ending a century old tradition and beginning a new chapter in La Salle's history. Women entered evening classes in 1967 and day classes in 1970. Of the entering class of 1977, 35% were women.

The tremendous expansion of La Salle to its present day students is apparent in the building boom that has taken place on campus. Additions over the last 25 years have included the David Lawrence Library and the newly-completed Library Annex in Wister Hall; a College Union; nine residence halls; the Holroyd Science Center; a biological field station; Olney Hall, a new classroom and faculty office building; and Hayman Hall, the athletic facilities building, completed in 1972.

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