Girard College

The history of Girard College, a boarding school for children from poor families headed by single parents or guardians, reflects the history of Philadelphia and the nation. Opened in 1848, Girard College was established under a bequest from wealthy philanthropist Stephen Girard (1750-1831), whose will specified a school for “poor white male orphans.” Girard College offered educations that otherwise would have been unattainable, but only for white boys. By the mid-twentieth century the expansion of Philadelphia’s black population and the quest for civil rights led to campaigns to desegregate the school. In 1968, mass protests and litigation succeeded in opening the doors to African American children, and by the twenty-first century Girard College enrolled students of diverse races, cultures, and ethnicities.