Davidson College

Davidson College, private, coeducational liberal arts institution in Davidson, North Carolina. Founded in 1837 as an all-male school, the college was named after William Lee Davidson, a general in the American Revolution (1775-1783). Davidson’s son donated the land for the original campus. The curriculum originally included instruction in moral and natural philosophy, Greek, Latin, and mathematics. The college struggled to survive during the American Civil War (1861-1865), and by 1866 its student body numbered only 24 students. Enrollment grew to 100 students by 1900, and programs were added in the sciences, English, and history. Davidson first admitted women as candidates for degrees in 1972.

Davidson College is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church but has always admitted students with other religious affiliations. The school confers bachelor’s degrees in the arts and sciences, communications, computer science, and the social sciences. Students are required to complete a core curriculum that includes courses in the fine arts, the natural sciences and mathematics, philosophy and religion, literature, history, and the social sciences. The school places special emphasis on international studies through the Dean Rusk Program in International Studies. Dean Rusk, a former United States secretary of state, graduated from Davidson College in 1931. Other Davidson alumni include former North Carolina governors James G. Martin and James E. Holshouser.