Celebrating 125 Years of Quality Education
In 2011, the Goldey-Beacom College community
celebrated its 125th
Anniversary! To commemorate this momentous occasion, the College
planned a series of exciting events including archival displays, campus
banners, a website pictorial history, and a September 7th, 2011,
campus-wide 125th
Anniversary Party.
The Hirons Library hosted wonderful documents and mementos documenting the GBC success story. You can enjoy a nostalgic peek into the past by visiting our "125 Years at GBC: Friends and Places Remembered” online media gallery. For a fun look at our long history, browse through the collection of historical facts and trivia.
You can find more details about the College's history online, or visit the Hirons Library and check out a copy of “A History of Goldey-Beacom College” by Lloyd W. Kline, a 121-page retrospective on this wonderful small school. Several copies are available for check-out.
Most important, to celebrate this milestone Anniversary, the College awarded $1000 tuition scholarships to 125 Fall incoming students. We believe there is no better way to celebrate our own success story than to help students begin theirs!
The College traces its origins to September 1, 1886, when
business educator H.S. Goldey opened the Wilmington Commercial College with
five students in a rented room. In 1900, one of Goldey's best instructors,
W.H. Beacom, parted ways opening his own school, only blocks away in
downtown Wilmington. By 1929, his re-named Beacom College had an enrollment
over 1000. For decades the two schools engaged in fierce competition, but in
1951 the two entities merged, giving rise to today's Goldey-Beacom College. In 1974, the College relocated from its landlocked downtown Wilmington
location to the present suburban Pike Creek campus on Limestone Road.
The
College was first accredited by the Middle States Association Commission on
Higher Education in 1976, and has offered baccalaureate degrees since 1978. In 1992, Goldey-Beacom established its first master program, which today
thrives with nearly 500 students. In 1997-98, the College completed the
rigorous self-study process for the Accreditation Council for Business
Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and in the following year, attained
accreditation by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business
Education (IACBE). In 2009 the College announced the introduction of
baccalaureate programs in economics and psychology, expanding on their long
history of excellence in business education. In Fall 2011, new
baccalaureate programs in Criminal Justice and English also joined the
College’s offerings.
As you can see, much has changed over 125 years – but what has remained constant at GBC is a commitment to quality education, excellence in the classroom, and personalized support for students and their families. Thank you for celebrating 125 years with us!