Of Fighting Blue Hens & Foreign Educations

I-95 Delaware Northbound Exit 1b To: DE 896, to Newark, Middletown, near Newark, DE


Ok now it’s time for a Road Test so get ready to hear the fast facts.


Folks you are now in Delaware. Congratulations. Really.  Nearby is the home of the University of Delaware.  Originally surrounded by farmland nearby Newark, Delaware is now surrounded by housing developments -- although farmland plays an important part in locally based University of Delaware's creation.


Newark itself was founded by Scots-Irish and Welsh settlers in 1694. Schools have played a significant role in the history of Newark. A grammar school, founded  1743,  became Newark Academy. Newark Academy became the University of Delaware.  Among the first graduates of the school were three signers of the Declaration of Independence: George Read, Thomas McKean, and James Smith.


The University of Delaware is the largest university in Delaware. As far as state universities go, it is medium-sized – approximately 18,000 undergrads and 5,000 grad students. ​

U.D. is a so-called “land-grant”  university. Land grant colleges began after 1862 in a program whereby government land would be sold or converted into college property.   Before land grant colleges existed, most Private Universities only served the nation’s elite.  Land Grant colleges specifically focused on teaching useful trades, like farming and engineering, mostly to poor citizens.  This heritage is likely why the mascot of University of Delaware is a farm animal: The University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens. And since hens are quite nasty when provoked, they also fit the fighting spirit of the student body at sports games. Right? ​

As to teaching superlative courses, the university's programs in chemical and bio-molecular engineering as well as business are all highly ranked. Perhaps that is because of the presence of locally headquartered chemical giant, Du Pont Corporation.


But Delaware is not all science and numbers.  It is also one of only four schools in North America with a major in art conservation.  And Delaware was the first American university to begin a Study Abroad program. In fact, the school graduates a large number of international students. ​

Now for the Road Test: who is the college's fine feathered mascot? You have three seconds. Three…. and two….and One. If you said Fighting Blue Hens, then go to the head of your class. And if you are already attending University of Delaware, that means you are amongst a lot of very smart kids. So great job!


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