Swarthmore College (/ˈswɑːrθmɔːr/) is a private liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, Swarthmore was one of the earliest coeducational colleges in the United States. It was established by Quakers with a commitment to social equality and intellectual rigor. The 1,600-acre (6.5 km2) campus is located 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Philadelphia.
The name “Swarthmore” has its roots in early Quaker history. In England, Swarthmoor Hall near Ulverston, Cumbria was the home of George Fox, founder of the Religious Society of Friends. Edward Hicks painted The Peaceable Kingdom there in 1826. By the time William and Louisa James purchased an estate adjoining Swarthmoor Hall for their daughter’s school in 1863, the name had already transformed from “Swathmoor” to “Swarthmore.” Like many other Quaker schools that were founded during this period, neither William nor Louisa James were Quakers; both were members of churches with historic ties to the Society of Friends but which had since become more orthodox. The school opened its doors on November 13, 1864 with $20,000 from Louisa James and two students enrolled—Elizabethbank Biddle and Alice Taylor.:1–2 The school became coeducational within a few years: Mary Emma Woolley became one of its first female graduates when she received her degree at commencement ceremonies on June 15, 1870.