York College of Pennsylvania

York College of Pennsylvania is a private college in Spring Garden Township, Pennsylvania. It offers more than 70 baccalaureate majors in professional programs, the sciences, and humanities to 3,500 full-time undergraduate students. It also offers master's programs in business, public policy, education, and nursing, along with a doctoral program in nursing practice to over 400 postgraduate students. History York College of Pennsylvania traces its institutional lineage to the York County Academy, a school opened in the 1770s in downtown York, Pennsylvania that was connected to St. John's Episcopal Church, which was led by Rev. John Andrews, D.D. In 1787, the school received its charter from the General Assembly of Pennsylvania and was incorporated as the York County Academy. The academy held a close connection with St. John's Church in York from that time until 1799. Thaddeus Stevens taught at the academy in 1815–1816, prior to establishing his law practice and serving as a U.S. congressman. York College also traces its roots to a second institution, the York Collegiate Institute (YCI), which was founded around 1872. The building that housed the institute, located on the corner of College Avenue and Duke Street, was destroyed by fire in December 1885. A new four-story building designed by architects John A. Dempwolf and Reinhardt Dempwolf was completed at the same location in late 1886. The building was demolished in 1969 after being sold. In 1929, the York County Academy and YCI entered into a teaching agreement, then in 1941 merged to become York Junior College. Under its new charter, the combined institution shifted its focus from elementary and secondary education to post-secondary education. At this point, the school began to outgrow its campus, forcing a move outside of downtown York. In 1965, the current campus, located in Spring Garden Township, was dedicated. The former occupier of these lands was the Outdoor Country Club and golf course, which moved north of the city after selling its property. The campus is located about west of Philadelphia and north of Baltimore. By 1968, York College established an accredited four-year bachelor's degree program, and officially became York College of Pennsylvania.