History

In 1896, Rabbi Joseph Krauskopf, D.D., purchased a 100-acre farm, arranged for the construction of a small classroom building, employed a faculty of two, and enrolled six students. Delaware Valley College, then called the National Farm School, provided a three-year program combining academics and work experience that continued through World War II.

In 1945, the school was reorganized to strengthen its academic program and was renamed The National Farm School and Junior College. Before the program had completed a full cycle, the college realized advances in the pure and applied sciences mandated further expansion of the program to the senior-college level.

In 1948, after approval by the State Council of Education, our college name was changed to the National Agricultural College. The growth of the college and its programs following World War II, undertaken under the leadership of Dr. James Work, a 1913 graduate of The National Farm School, included the addition of new programs in Food Industry (1951), Biology and Chemistry (1958) and Business Administration (1965).

To reflect these additions to its program, the college’s name was changed to Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture in 1960. The college has continued to enhance its program offerings, with additions including a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English,and the Bachelor of Science degrees in Mathematics, Criminal Justice Administration and Secondary Education. In 1989, the Board of Trustees approved an abbreviation of the college’s name to Delaware Valley College. In 1998, the college embarked on graduate education with its first Master of Science Degree in Educational Leadership, later followed by a Master of Business Administration in General Business and a Master of Business Administration in Food & Agribusiness.