I could not be happier to call DePauw University my home for the next three years. With its incredible academia, thriving student life and rich history, this school is bursting with information. It’s almost too much for one person to know! Here, I’ve listed seven things you probably didn’t know about DePauw University.
1. Our first president had some pretty big influence
Matthew Simpson was an American bishop who became the first president of DePauw University in 1839 when it was still Indiana Asbury College. He was a trusted friend of President Abraham Lincoln, giving the sermon at his funeral, and he was baptized by Francis Asbury, Indiana Asbury’s namesake. He also traveled all over the world as either a delegate or missionary, visiting various countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America.
2. There’s a reason Greek Life is prevalent
Greek Life at DePauw began only eight years after its foundation in 1837 with the Beta Theta Phi fraternity. The second chapter on campus, the Lambda chapter of Phi Gamma Delta is the longest continuous chapter of FIJI in existence.
3. “The Boulder” started off as a turtle
The Boulder that sits outside of East College was originally owned by a farmer who kept it in a fence and charged visitors ten cents to see his “petrified tortoise.” The boulder was a gift to DePauw for the four hundredth anniversary of Columbus’s discovery of America.
4. The origin of DePauw’s name is Dutch
Washington C. DePauw was a notable alum who was at one point considered the wealthiest man in Indiana. He made a donation to Indiana Asbury University that is equivalent to about thirteen million dollars today. As a result, the name of the school was changed to DePauw University. Mr. DePauw’s family was originally from Ghent in Flanders, Belgium, where DePauw translates to “the peacock.”
5. We stole The Bell from ourselves
The Monon Bell, the famous rivalry game between DePauw and Wabash College, has a history full of pranks and robberies of The Bell. At one point DePauw students were afraid Wabash was preparing to steal The Bell, so DePauw stole from itself and buried it in the northern end zone of the football field.
6. Our buildings have served many purposes
Some buildings on campus haven’t always had the same function as they did a couple decades ago. Phi Kappa Psi’s house used to be the President’s House. Every one of the bricks on the exterior of this house came from the quarry in the Nature Park. Also, College Street Hall used to be the house for the Lambda Chi fraternity.
7. Our alumni are everywhere
DePauw is known for its influential web of alumni. If you graduate from DePauw, you are among the ranks of people like Dan Quayle, the Vice President of the United States under George H. W. Bush, Bill and Scott Rasmussen, the co-founders of ESPN, Percy Julian, an African American chemist who laid the foundation for research involving cortisone and Joseph Allen, an American physicist and astronaut. This list only names a few of the great people who all tie back to an even greater school.