Quaker Tradition at Swarthmore

Swarthmore College was founded in 1864 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (the Quakers). Although it has been nonsectarian in control since 1908 and Friends now compose a small minority of the student body, the faculty, and the administration, the College still values highly many of the principles of that society. Foremost among these principles is the individual's responsibility for seeking and applying truth and for testing whatever truth one believes one has found. As a way of life, Quakerism emphasizes hard work, simple living, and generous giving as well as personal integrity, social justice, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. The College does not seek to impose on its students this Quaker view of life or any other specific set of convictions about the nature of things and the duties of human beings. It does, however, encourage ethical and religious concern about such matters and continuing examination of any view that may be held regarding them.

Swarthmore Friends Meeting, established in 1893, is located on the Swarthmore College campus and is a diverse and welcoming religious community centered around worship, fellowship, and action on social concerns. For more information, visit the Swarthmore Friends Meeting website.