Blacks@Dartmouth 1775 to 1960

Swarthmore stood firm in its decision not to admit George Francis Arnold, brilliant West Philadelphia honor student, but Dartmouth College has come through splendidly with a one year scholarship for the youngster and he has gone up to Hanover, New Hampshire, to begin his year's work. The Dartmouth scholarship is in addition to a gift of three hundred dollars which was given any a man who did not want his name divulged.

In announcing the fact that his son had been given a scholarship at the New England college, Rev. Benjamin A. Arnold, 236 Morris st. said that he hoped that nothing would be said or done to embarrass either President Aydelotte of Swarthmore, or the new dean of men, Harold Edwin Speight, who were not, according to Rev. Arnold, opposed to his son's entering Swarthmore College. Rev. Arnold said that neither the faculty nor the student body resented the possible presence of young Arnold, and therefore whatever opposition there was came from the school's Board of Managers.

Dartmouth was founded one hundred and sixty-four years ago by some of the best American blood imaginable and was originally intended for the education of Indian children. Some of this good old Yankee stock must be still present. Swarthmore was founded in 1869, a hundred years later, by the 'liberal' or Hicksite body of the Society of Friends, and among the subjects now taught there is the 'Bible'.

Rev. Arnold said that he did not know anything about that approach made at Dartmouth, except that he received a letter from the school president saying that George had received a scholarship. In the meantime it is rumored that the Swarthmore objection rested largely in the fact that white girls attend the school. Dartmouth is not co-educational.