Editing Drexel University (section)

== History ==

Anthony J. Drexel, partner of J.P. Morgan and one of the nineteenth century's most successful financiers, founded the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry in 1891 to provide practical education for working-class Philadelphians. The institution opened in the Main Building, whose Victorian Gothic architecture still anchors campus, offering programs in commerce, engineering, library science, and domestic arts. Drexel's vision combined technical training with broader education, preparing graduates for productive careers while developing their full capacities as citizens.<ref name="gallery">{{cite book |last=Gallery |first=John Andrew |title=Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City |year=2016 |publisher=Paul Dry Books |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

The institute evolved through the twentieth century, gaining university status in 1970 and expanding into fields beyond its technical origins. Mergers with MCP Hahnemann University (2002) and the Academy of Natural Sciences (2011) added medical education and natural history collections that diversified Drexel's portfolio. The university's growth transformed it from regional technical institute to comprehensive research university while maintaining cooperative education traditions that distinguish it from peer institutions.<ref name="drexel"/>