Wilkes University is a private university in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It has over 2,200 undergraduates and over 2,200 graduate students (both full and part-time). Wilkes was founded in 1933 as a satellite campus of Bucknell University, and became an independent institution in 1947, naming itself Wilkes College, after English radical politician John Wilkes after whom Wilkes-Barre is named. The school was granted university status in January 1990. It is classified among "Doctoral/Professional Universities" (D/PU) and accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
The university's mascot is a colonel and the official colors are blue and yellow. The campus symbol is a letter "W" known as the "flying W" by students and alumni.
History
Mid-twentieth century
Wilkes University was first established in 1933 by Bucknell University under the name "Bucknell University Junior College" (BUJC) in Wilkes-Barre. Frank G. Davis, chair of the Education department at Bucknell, first developed the idea of BUJC and served as an early liaison between BUJC and Bucknell. BUJC attracted many students who were the first members of their families to benefit from higher education as the need for junior colleges arose in urban areas. The college opened in downtown Wilkes-Barre, where the first classes were held on the third floor of the Wilkes-Barre Business College building. By 1934, the business college moved out of the building and BUJC had taken it over and continued to grow over the years, acquiring old mansions for student housing, classrooms, and administration offices along the streets of South River and South Franklin. By 1945, the board of trustees formally moved to develop the junior college into a four-year institution.
In 1947, "Wilkes College" was instituted as an independent, nondenominational four-year college, with programs in the arts, sciences, and a number of professional fields, as well as numerous extracurricular activities. The student body in the postwar period was primarily composed of Luzerne County residents, especially G.I. bill recipients. In the 1950s, increasing numbers of students elected to live on campus, which led to a rapid expansion in on-campus student housing. Increased federal funding for science and engineering in the 1950s led the college to develop academic programs in those areas, build the Stark Learning Center, and increase enrollment.
In 1972, the Wilkes Barre area experienced the devastation of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Agnes that flooded much of the campus and downtown region.
Late twentieth century
Wilkes College became "Wilkes University" in December 1989, and the school officially received university status a month later, in January 1990.
Wilkes University opened the School of Pharmacy in 1996, and in 1999, through a donation from Mrs. Geraldine Nesbitt Orr, the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy was established.
The Thomas P. (Pettus) Shelburne Jr. Telecommunications Center was built under the guidance of chief engineer Carl Brigido and dedicated by Wilkes University in the lower level of the Stark Learning Center in 1996. Secured after a major gift from Shelburne's widow Catherine and family and fundraising efforts of long time Communication Studies professors, Bradford L. Kinney and Thomas Bigler. This was the second television studio on campus, previously located in two small rooms on the second floor of the Stark Learning Center. The Shelburne Center became the first dedicated space built with first use equipment for the direct purpose of media education with multiple editing bays, two studio spaces, educational break out teaching space and director offices and storage. The Shelburne Center served for twenty years as the precursor to the Clayton and Theresa Karambelas Media and Communications Center dedicated in 2017 that consolidated all of the university media holdings for instruction.
Early twenty-first century
The Jay S. Sidhu School of Business & Leadership was created in 2004 and the university purchased a 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m2) building in downtown Wilkes-Barre. to house the expanding school. Initially named the Center on Main, the building houses the Sidhu School of Business and Leadership, an indoor track and field, and ropes course. In 2021 the Center on Main was formally named after Ron and Rhea Simms to be known as Simms Center on Main.
The Henry Student Center was expanded in 2005.
By 2014, Wilkes University grew to include eight academic buildings, 20 residence halls, nine administrative buildings, and other facilities such as the Eugene S. Farley Library, the Henry Student Center, and athletic complexes.
On April 17, 2015, Wilkes University dedicated the main university mailroom facility located on the second floor of the Henry Student Center as the Edward Elgonitis Sr. Mailroom or simply "Eddie's Mailroom" in honor of the thirty-three year dedicated Wilkes University staff member.
On August 31, 2017, the university dedicated the Clayton and Theresa Karambelas Media and Communication Center, built within the structure of the original Bartikowsky Jewelers building on 25 West South Street by the Sordoni Contractors to be the first constructed to hold all the university media instruction holdings into one consolidated building. The building also houses the Sordoni Art Gallery that moved from its original location on the first level of the Stark Learning Center.
In March 2020, Wilkes University temporarily suspended in-person instruction and evacuated the campus as a safety measure to address the global COVID-19 pandemic. Under the leadership of interim president Paul S. Adams, the university continued basic operations and was able to safely re-open following strict protocols. Commencement for the Class of 2020 was postponed and eventually held in-person along with the Class of 2021.
Presidents
Eugene S. Farley, 1936–1970, Chief Administrative Officer of Wilkes precursor Bucknell University Junior College and first president of Wilkes University Wilkes' first holder of Chancellor/Honorary President title upon retirement.
Francis J. Michelini, 1970–1975, first president to ascend from the academic ranks of the university Resigned to become President of Pennsylvania Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities.
Robert S. Capin, '50* H'83, 1975–1984, first university alumnus to serve as president Wilkes first holder of President Emeritus title upon retirement as president and returning to the business faculty.
Christopher N. Breiseth, 1984-2001, first president hired as part of a national recruitment search; retired to accept position as founding president and CEO of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute
Joseph "Tim" E. Gilmour, 2001-2012
Patrick F. Leahy, 2012–2019, resigned effective July 31, 2019, to accept presidency of Monmouth University
Alan Gregory "Greg" Cant, 2020–present, first internationally born president having hailed from Adelaide, Australia
Interim presidents
Robert S. Capin, '50* H'83, 1974, promoted to president in 1975
Paul S. Adams, '77, '82*, 2019-2020, second university alumnus to serve as president and first to ascend from the student affairs division
Campus
Academic buildings
Most of the academic buildings are located within the same city block, between South River Street, South Franklin Street, South Street, and Northampton Street. The Stark Learning Center (SLC), located on South River Street, is the largest building on campus with 220,000 sq ft (20,000 m2) housing classrooms, laboratories, and office space. The facility consists of nursing, math and engineering offices and classrooms. Stark Learning Center received extensive renovation in 2018.
Classrooms and offices for humanities and social sciences are located in Breiseth Hall, a three-story building located on South Franklin Street, in the same block as SLC. Kirby Hall, a mansion formerly home to Fred Morgan Kirby, was renovated to house offices and classrooms for English.
The Cohen Science Center, a $35 million project, was established to house the biology and health sciences, chemistry and biochemistry, and environmental engineering and earth sciences departments. The facility has been built to LEED silver standards for environmental sustainability and allows for students to monitor energy use, water use, and general building performance to aid sustainability studies. The building also features a rooftop vegetation area for greenhouse purposes and to assist in reducing rain runoff.
Simms Center on Main (formerly University Center on Main)
In 2005, the university acquired the former Wilkes-Barre Call Center building and parking garage on South Main Street. The parking garage is currently being used for student and faculty parking. The Public Safety department has remodeled and relocated to the basement of the garage. The Call Center building was renovated and renamed University Center on Main. The building now houses recreation facilities including tennis and basketball courts, and a rock climbing wall. In summer 2014, the building was renovated to also house the Sidhu School of Business and Leadership. On August 11, 2021, the center was formally named after Ron and Rhea Simms to be known as Simms Center on Main.
Residential Halls
The campus offers seventeen different residence halls and apartment buildings for all levels of students, although some apartments are reserved for upperclassmen. Many residence halls are located in 19th century mansions that were donated to the university, or other houses purchased by the university. Over 11 mansion and house style residence halls are used throughout the campus. Apartment style residences are found in University Towers and Rifkin Hall. Non-apartment residence halls include Catlin Hall, Doane Hall, Evans Hall, Fortinsky Halls, Michelini Hall, Passan Hall, Ross Hall, Roth Hall, Schiowitz Hall, Sterling Hall, Sturdevant Hall, Sullivan Hall, University Towers, Waller Halls (North and South), and Weiss Hall. Dr. Francis J. Michelini Hall houses students registered for the university Honors Program. First year and second year students are required to live in residence halls (commuters are exempt), and can live off-campus starting their third year.
Traditional dormitory housing is provided at Evans Residence Hall. With four floors and about 200 students, Evans Residence Hall is the largest first-year student residential hall on the Wilkes University campus. Renovated in 2008, Chesapeake and Delaware Residence Halls were re-dedicated as Lawrence W. Roth Residence Hall, a residential hall connecting the previously separate Chesapeake and Delaware Residence Halls. It is a first year student, non-traditional residential hall house with about seventy residents and three RAs. Students living on campus have access to laundry facilities, basic cable, and local phone service.
The university purchased the University Towers apartment complex located at 10 East South Street from a private real estate company for $8.1 million. Approximately 400 students are housed in this building's 130 units. Part of the nearby YMCA building has been renovated into apartment style residences and houses upperclassman. The apartments are known as 40 West.
Colonel Corner University Bookstore
The university partnered with neighboring King's College to operate a joint for-profit bookstore in downtown Wilkes-Barre. The new bookstore opened in October 2006, consolidating two independent bookstores into one new facility. The new bookstore, run by Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, was located in the basement and first floor of the Innovation Center on South Main Street. The bookstore included a full selection of general trade books, a full-service Starbucks cafe, lounges and study areas, and a spirit shop featuring products from both Wilkes and King's College. In 2021 the bookstore returned to the main campus no longer partnered with King's College. Colonel Corner is located inside the Henry Student Center and offers school supplies and spirit wear.
Karambelas Media and Communications Center
In August 2017, the university dedicated the newly renovated Bartikowsky Jewelers building as the Clayton and Theresa Karambelas Media and Communications Center. It houses WCLH 90.7 FM (the university radio station), the Beacon newspaper, Zebra Communications (a student-run public relations agency) and the Sordoni Art Gallery.
Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts
The Darte Center is the home of performing arts at Wilkes University. Built in 1965 to replace the Chase Theater (a converted carriage house), it includes the Darling Theater, which seats 478, a black box theater which seats 48, and a two-story music building. The land on which the Darte Center sits was donated by the Wyoming Valley Society of Arts and Sciences. The building was financed by an anonymous donation of $1 million by Dorothy Dickson Darte and dedicated in her honor after her death. In late October 2022 Wilkes University announced the receipt of a 2.5 million grant that will finance major renovations to the center, particularly to bring the performing arts center to ADA compliance.
Eugene Shedden Farley Library
In 1968, Wilkes College dedicated the newly constructed Eugene Shedden Farley Library and named it after the college's first president. The library initially contained four special collection rooms - dedicated to Admiral Harold Stark, Eleanor C. Farley, Gilbert McClintock, and Wyoming Valley residents of Polish heritage. The Polish room was designed by Stefan Mrozewski in the Zakopane Style, and Stefan Hellersperk carved the furniture. The first Norman Mailer Room was dedicated in 2000, and the second Norman Mailer Room and Collection were dedicated in October 2019. The Harold Cox Archives room, which houses the Wilkes University Archives, was dedicated in 2004 and 2013. As of 2019, the library contained 200,000 books and bound journals, 75,000 electronic journals, and 430 newspaper and journal subscriptions, as well as circulating technology like iPads and laptops.
Academics
Undergraduate studies
Wilkes University offers majors in science, education, engineering, business, and liberal arts for undergraduate and graduate students. The academic programs at Wilkes University are divided among three colleges:
Bing K. Wong College of Arts and Sciences
College of Business and Engineering
College of Health and Education
Accreditation
Wilkes University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education with specific programs having disciplinary accreditation from various relevant accrediting bodies.
Bing K. Wong College of Arts and Sciences
The Bing K. Wong College of Arts and Sciences includes programs in the performing arts, humanities, behavioral and social sciences, environmental sciences and natural sciences.
The College was named in 2026 for Professor Emeritus Bing K. Wong a long-time faculty member after he made the largest individual donation in the school history. The money donated came from an initial investment by Wong of 200 shares at $13.00 of Apple stock he invested in 1983.
College of Business and Engineering
The College of Business and Engineering programs in Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET).