Delaware State University

"Delaware State" redirects here. For the U.S. state, see Delaware.

Not to be confused with University of Delaware.

Delaware State University

Former names	Delaware College for Colored Students (1891–1893) State College for Colored Students (1893–1947) Delaware State College (1947–1993) Wilmington Conference Academy (1873–1918) Wesley Collegiate Institute (1918–1941) Wesley Junior College (1941–1958) Wesley College (1958–2021)
Motto	"Enter to Learn, Go Forth and Serve"
Type	Privately governed, state-assisted historically black land-grant research university
Established	May 15, 1891;134 years ago (1891-05-15)
Accreditation	MSCHE
Academic affiliation	TMCF
Endowment	$43 million (2021) [1]
President	Tony Allen
Academic staff	600
Students	6,623 (2025) [2]
Location	Dover , Delaware , United States
Campus	Small city [3] , 706 acres (2.86 km2)
Other campuses	Georgetown Wilmington
Newspaper	The Hornet
Colors	Columbia blue and cherry red [4]
Nickname	Hornets
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FCS – MEAC NEC ASUN ECAC
Mascot	Too Fly
Website	desu.edu

Delaware State University (DSU or Del State) is a privately governed, state-assisted historically black land-grant research university in Dover, Delaware. DSU also has two satellite campuses: one in Wilmington and one in Georgetown. The university encompasses four colleges and a diverse population of undergraduate and advanced-degree students. Delaware State University is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". ^[5]

Delaware State University Riverfront building in Wilmington

History

19th century

The Delaware College for Colored Students was established on May 15, 1891, by the Delaware General Assembly. ^[6] The name was changed to the State College for Colored Students by state legislative action in 1893 to eliminate confusion with Delaware College, which was attended by whites in Newark, Delaware. ^[7] It first awarded degrees in 1898.

20th century

In 1945, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education awarded the college provisional accreditation. Three years later, the institution became Delaware State College by legislative action. Although its accreditation was revoked in 1949, it was regained in 1957.

On July 1, 1993, the institution changed its name yet again, this time to Delaware State University. ^[8] Delaware State University is one of the first historically black colleges and universities to have a no-smoking policy.

21st century

2007 shooting

Main article: 2007 Delaware State University shooting

On September 21, 2007, two 17-year-old Delaware State University freshmen were shot on campus. One died 32 days later on October 23, from critical injuries sustained in the attack. A freshman student from East Orange, New Jersey, Loyer D. Braden, was arrested and charged with murder.

Other events

In 2015, the university began phasing out smoking on campus by restricting it to four designated areas and providing educational resources on smoking cessation tools and programs. In August 2015 it implemented a completely tobacco-free policy.

In 2017, the university received the ACAS Health Leadership Award in recognition of its efforts. The award was jointly presented by the Public Health Service Officers Foundation for the Advancement of Public Health, the Truth Initiative, Arizonans Concerned About Smoking and the Arizona NAACP. ^[9]

In December 2020, MacKenzie Scott donated $20 million to Delaware State University. Her donation is the largest single gift in the university's history. ^[10]

On July 1, 2021, Delaware State University officially finalized its acquisition of Wesley College, a 157-year-old private institution founded by the Methodist Church in 1873. ^[11] This acquisition makes Delaware State the first historically Black university to acquire an institution that is not a historically Black college or university. ^[12]

The university has renamed the former Wesley campus "DSU Downtown", reflecting its close proximity to downtown Dover, Delaware, and has relocated most of its College of Health and Behavioral Science (Public and Allied Health, Psychology, and Social Work programs on that additional 41-acre site. That academic division has been renamed the Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences as a way to preserve the history of the former Wesley College. ^[13]

Campus

Delaware State University's Wellness and Recreation Center

The 400-acre (1.6 km²) main campus in Dover, the capital of Delaware, is approximately a two-hour drive from Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., and three hours from New York City. The university has two satellite campuses located in Wilmington and Georgetown.

The main campus in Dover contains thirty buildings, including:

• Administration Building
• Alumni Stadium
• Memorial Hall
• The Bank of America Building
• Delaware Hall
• The Education and Humanities Building & Theatre
• Loockerman Hall – listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. ^[14]
• The Mishoe Science Center
• Price Building
• Willam C. Jason Library
• The Wellness and Recreation Center
• The Optical Science Center for Applied Research

On the main campus there are five main campus traditional residential halls and three apartment-style residence halls for upperclassmen on campus. Off-campus there is an apartment complex and an residential hall. In addition, the university has activated two residential halls at DSU Downtown (the former Wesley College campus). The residential facilities include:

• Harriet Tubman-Lydia Laws Hall
• Jenkins Hall
• Medgar Evers Hall
• Wynder Towers
• The Living and Learning Commons (off campus)
• University Courtyard Apartments (off campus)
• University Village Complex
• Warren-Franklin Hall
• Malmberg Hall (DSU Downtown)
• Zimmerman Hall (DSU Downtown)

Two dining halls serve the more than 1,500 on-campus students.

As a part of the Internet2 initiative, the university maintains several research computer laboratories including a high-performance computational cluster in its DESAC center. Almost every building has a computer lab and each student has a dedicated data port for internet access, their own phone, a campus email address, and cable television access in all residence hall rooms. Most campus buildings also offer wireless connectivity.

DSU is one of 148 schools in the country to receive Tree Campus USA recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation. ^[15] The university owns two farms near Kenton and Smyrna, and has an Airway Science Program based at Delaware Air Park in Cheswold. ^[16]

Administration

Tony Allen became the 12th president of Delaware State University on January 1, 2020, after serving the previous two and a half years as the university's provost and executive vice president. Three months into his presidency, Allen ended in-person classes and residential operations on campus following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the faculty began offering curriculum online. The university raised $1.5 million for a Student Emergency Relief Fund to address student needs brought on by COVID-19 crisis. Although the COVID-19 crisis continued throughout the year, Allen and the university reopened its residential halls for the fall semester 2020, allowing more than 1,700 students to resume their residency on campus while almost all classes continued to be held virtually. ^{[17] [18] [19]}

The business and affairs of the university are governed by the board of trustees. The board of trustees has all the powers accorded it by Title 14, Chapter 65 of the Delaware Code. ^[20] The board consists of 15 members whose appointment or election is provided for in the Delaware Code and the governor of the state and the president of the university who are ex officio members with voting rights. ^[21]

Presidents

The following persons have served as president of Delaware State University: ^[22]

No.	Image	President	Term start	Term end	Ref.
President of Delaware College for Colored Students (1891–1893)
1		Wesley P. Webb	1891	1895
Presidents of the State College for Colored Students (1893–1947)
2		William C. Jason	1895	1923
3		Richard S. Grossley	1923	1942
4		Howard Gregg	1942	1949
Presidents of Delaware State College (1947–1993)
acting		Maurice E. Thomasson	1949	1950
5		Oscar J. Chapman	1950	1951
acting		Maurice E. Thomasson	1951	1953
6		Jerome H. Holland	July 1, 1953	1960 [A]
7		Luna I. Mishoe	October 1960	June 30, 1987
Presidents of Delaware State University (1993–present)
8		William B. DeLauder	July 1, 1987	June 30, 2003
9		Allen L. Sessoms	July 1, 2003	August 31, 2008 [B]
acting		Claibourne D. Smith	September 1, 2008	January 9, 2010
10		Harry Lee Williams	January 10, 2010	December 31, 2017 [C]	[23] [24]
acting		Wilma Mishoe [D]	January 2, 2018	June 30, 2018	[25]
11			July 1, 2018	December 31, 2019	[26] [27]
12		Tony Allen	January 1, 2020	present	[28]

Table notes:

1. Resigned to lead the Hampton Institute.
2. Resigned to lead the University of the District of Columbia.
3. Resigned to lead the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
4. Daughter of president Luna Mishoe.

Academics

Then U.S. vice president Joe Biden delivering the commencement speech in May 2016

The university consists of four colleges: ^[29]

• College of Agriculture, Science & Technology
• College of Humanities, Education & Social Sciences
• College of Business
• College of Health & Behavioral Sciences

DSU offers 46 undergraduate degrees, 21 graduate degrees, and six doctoral degrees (interdisciplinary applied mathematics and mathematical physics, applied chemistry, neuroscience and optics, integrative agriculture, food & environment, and educational leadership). ^[30] The university also offers several cooperative and dual degree programs. ^[31] Students receive instruction in classes with a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio. About 80 percent of first-year undergraduates receive need-based financial aid. ^[32] It has a traditional Honors Program and a Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Honors Program to increase the number of students in science interested in pursuing biomedical research and obtaining doctor of philosophy degrees in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, and biopsychology.

In addition to satisfying the requirements for the major or majors and any minor, all undergraduates are required to complete the General Education Program, which includes: seven core courses, twelve foundation courses (across the curriculum), and the Senior Capstone Experience.

Accreditations include the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the Accreditation Council for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA), the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetic Education (CCDE). ^{[33] [34]} The university's College of Business is accredited nationally and internationally by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). ^[35]

Aviation program

DSU's Aviation Program provides students with education and experience in preparation for careers in the aviation industry. Curricula in the program lead to a B.Sc. degree with concentrations in Aviation Management or Professional Pilot. Professional Pilot graduates will complete their Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for Private Pilot, Instrument, Commercial, Multi-Engine and Certified Flight Instructor ratings while earning their bachelor's degree. ^[36]

Delaware State operates the only full-service, university-based flight school in the mid-Atlantic area. The Aviation program is approved by the State of Delaware Education Department for Veterans Flight Training. ^{[37] [38]}

Research

The institution has greatly increased its research endeavors over the past several years, as it has developed the research infrastructure needed to attract federal grants for projects in the following DSU Research Centers and in the sciences and mathematics:

• Applied Mathematics Research Center
• Center for Applied Optics
• Center for Research and Education in Optical Sciences and Applications (CREOSA) (a National Science Foundation-Center for Research Excellence (NSF-CREST))
• Center for Applied Optics for Space Science (CAOSS) (a National Aeronautics and Space Administration University Research Center (NASA-URC)) ^[39]
• Delaware Center for Scientific and Applied Computation

Rankings

Academic rankings
Regional
U.S. News & World Report [40]	115 (north)
National
Washington Monthly [41]	342

DSU is ranked 8th among the Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the U.S. News & World Report (2023). ^[42]

In 2018, the College of Business at DSU was named to the Princeton Review's Best Business Schools for the tenth consecutive year (2009–2018). ^[43]

Global connections

The university has over thirty formal international partnerships with institutions in countries including China, Cuba, Egypt, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland and the UK which facilitate research and conference collaborations as well as student exchanges. ^[44]

Student life

Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023 ^[45]

Race and ethnicity	Total
Black	75%
Hispanic	8%
White	7%
Two or more races	6%
International student	2%
Asian	1%
Economic diversity
Low-income [a]	48%
Affluent [b]	52%

Athletics

Main article: Delaware State Hornets

See also: Delaware State Hornets men's basketball and Delaware State Hornets football

Delaware State University's Student Center

DSU athletic programs participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA)'s Division I (FCS for football). The Hornets compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as full members since the conference was founded in 1970.

The university's Department of Intramural Sports provides a wide variety of quality recreational programs for students, faculty and staff.

Student organizations

Delaware State has over 60 student organizations on campus including a Student Government Association (SGA), gospel choir, and The Approaching Storm Marching Band. ^{[46] [47]}

Notable alumni

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Reggie Barnes	1988	Canadian Football League running back, various teams, 1990–1996
Clyde Bishop	1964	U.S. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands, 2006–2009
Clifford Brown		trumpet virtuoso, composer, an influential and highly rated American jazz musician
Robin Christiansen		mayor of Dover since 2014, city councilman from 1983 to 2001, and council president and vice mayor from 1990 to 2001	[48]
Emanual Davis	1991	former NBA player for the Atlanta Hawks and Seattle SuperSonics
Wayne Gilchrest	1973	U.S. Representative for Maryland's 1st congressional district, 1990–2009
LaToya Nkongolo	2000	Maryland General Assembly delegate for District 31, 2025-present
Jamaal Jackson	2003	National Football League offensive lineman, Philadelphia Eagles, 2003–2010
Shaheer McBride	2008	National Football League wide receiver
Darnerien McCants	2001	National Football League wide receiver
Rod Milstead	1992	National Football League offensive lineman, Dallas Cowboys 1992, Cleveland Browns 1992–1993, San Francisco 49ers 1994–1997, Washington Redskins 1998–1999, Denver Broncos 2000
Sam Shepherd	1975	represented Venezuela in basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics	[49] [50]
John Taylor	1986	National Football League wide receiver, San Francisco 49ers, 1987–1995
Walter Tullis		National Football League wide receiver, Green Bay Packers
David G. Turner	1986	executive, Bank of America, recognized by Fortune magazine in 2002 as one of the "50 most powerful black executives in America"
Ralph Wesley	2003	public address announcer for the Washington Wizards	[51]
Kailyn Lowry	2017	16 and Pregnant , Teen Mom 2
SZA	2012	Grammy Award-winning R&B singer

Notes

1. The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
2. The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.

References

1. Delaware State University: Portfolio Review, Goldman Sachs Institutional Client Solutions, December 21, 2021, University Advancement archives
2. "DSU Hits New Enrollment Record - 6,623 Students!!!". Delaware State University. 2025. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
3. "College Navigator - Delaware State University". nces.ed.gov.
4. "Delaware State University Colors | NCAA Colors | U.S. Team Colors". US Team Colors.
5. "Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup". carnegieclassifications.iu.edu. Center for Postsecondary Education. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
6. "Chapter 119". Archived from the original on March 15, 2016.
7. "Chapter 635". Archived from the original on November 17, 2016.
8. "Delaware State University History". Delaware State University. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
9. "DSU one of few smoke-free HBCUs". delawareonline. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
10. "Del State receives historic $20MM donation from MacKenzie Scott". Delaware State University. December 15, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
11. Delaware State News, July 2, 2021, edition, pages 1 and 8.
12. "Delaware State University will acquire Wesley College, a first for HBCUs". insidehighered.com. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
13. "Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences". Delaware State University. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
14. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
15. "Tree Campus USA Schools". Arbor Day Foundation. 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
16. "History". Delaware State University. 2009. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
17. "COVID-19, updates-7/7 Reopening plan". Delaware State University.
18. Dsu-Admin (April 7, 2020). "Student Emergency Relief Fund\publisher=Delaware State University". Delaware State University.
19. "The Presidents of Delaware State University and the Highlights of their Tenures". Delaware State University. 2009. Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
20. "Chapter 65. Organization, Administration and Functions – Delaware State University". delcode.delaware.gov – the Online Delaware Code website. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
21. "Board of Trustees". Delaware State University. 2009. Archived from the original on February 2, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
22. "Presidents of Delaware State University". Delaware State University.
23. "DSU Board Selects Dr. Harry L. Williams as the 10th DSU President". Delaware State University. November 20, 2009. The Delaware State University Board of Trustees announced today the selection of Dr. Harry Lee Williams to be the 10th president in the history of the institution... Dr. Williams succeeds Dr. Allen L. Sessoms who resigned at the end of August 2008 to accept a president post at the University of the District of Columbia. Dr. Claibourne D. Smith, chairman of the Board of Trustees, has served as the acting president since Dr. Sessoms' departure.
24. Barrish, Cris; Polston, Nichelle (October 23, 2017). "Delaware State University President Harry Williams to head Thurgood Marshall Fund; leaves DSU in January". WHYY-FM .
25. "Dr. Mishoe begins chapter as interim president". Delaware State University. January 10, 2018. Dr. Mishoe took over the leadership of the University on Jan. 2 from Dr. Harry L. Williams, who ended his eight-year tenure as DSU President in December to become the CEO and president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
26. "Dr. Wilma Mishoe selected to be 11th permanent DSU president". Delaware State University. June 15, 2018. Earlier today, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Wilma Mishoe as the 11th President of Delaware State University, effective July 1, 2018.
27. "President Mishoe announces intention to retire from University". Delaware State University. September 5, 2019. Today, on her 70th birthday, Dr. Wilma Mishoe announced her intention to retire as President of Delaware State University, effective December 31, 2019, the capstone to a 40-year career in higher education that ends where it started: on the Dover campus of her beloved University.
28. "Tony Allen vows to keep DSU on course, engaged with stakeholders". Delaware State University. September 14, 2019. Provost Dr. Tony Allen will assume the presidency of Delaware State University on Jan. 1 following the departure of Wilma Mishoe, who announced Sept. 5 that she will retire after a 40-year career in education.
29. "Provost/Academic Affairs". Delaware State University. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
30. "About DSU". Delaware State University. 2009. Archived from the original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
31. "DTCC Dual Admission Program". Delaware State University. 2009. Archived from the original on February 2, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
32. "Here's How Much You'll Pay to Attend Delaware State University". www.usnews.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2025.
33. "NCATE Institution Report Overview". Delaware State University. 2009. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
34. "Graduate Catalog – Accreditations and Institutional Memberships" (PDF). Delaware State University. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
35. "Schools Accredited in Business". The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. 2011. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
36. "The Aviation Program". Delaware State University. 2009. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
37. "The Professional Pilot Program". Delaware State University. 2009. Archived from the original on February 2, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
38. "Delaware Flight Schools – Delaware State University". Best Aviation. 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
39. "DSU Receives $5 million NASA research grant". Delaware State University. September 30, 2009. Archived from the original on September 17, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
40. "2025-2026 Best Regional Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report . September 23, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
41. "2025 Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars". Washington Monthly . August 25, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
42. "Delaware State University Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
43. "Delaware State University – College of Business". The Princeton Review and Random House. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
44. "Faculty Research Abroad". Delaware State University. 2009. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
45. "College Scorecard: Delaware State University". College Scorecard. United States Department of Education . Retrieved August 17, 2025.
46. "Student Organizations". November 16, 2016.
47. "Musical Groups". November 17, 2016.
48. "Mayor". City of Dover, Delaware. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
49. Pucin, Diane (July 3, 1992). "Venezuelans Bring Some Of Their Own Magic To The Fray". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on December 18, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
50. "Sam Shepherd bio, stats, and results". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
51. "Delaware State Alum Ralph Wesley Named Washington Wizards' P.A. Announcer". HBCU Digest. September 17, 2010. Archived from the original on September 19, 2010.

Further reading

• "Delaware State University Accreditation (History)". Delaware State University. 2005. Archived from the original on February 6, 2006. Retrieved May 22, 2006.

External links

• Official website
• Delaware State Athletics website

39°11′10″N75°32′33″W / 39.1861°N 75.5426°W / 39.1861; -75.5426