PEIRCE COLLEGE – A RICH HISTORY OF SERVICE

Nearly five months after the Civil War ended, Thomas May Peirce founded the Union Business College. The school was established to provide a new kind of practical, business education in the post-Civil War years. When the Civil War armies disbanded, many soldiers needed special preparation in order to secure positions in mercantile houses. In 1865, its first year of operation, Peirce enrolled 550 students.

Women students were among the first graduating class. As the number of female students increased, Peirce created special programs to meet their employment needs. In 1910, Peirce announced its Secretarial Program with the tagline “designed particularly to prepare young women for secretarial positions, although it will be open to men.”

With the advent of World War I in 1917, special War Courses were taught to meet the demand for clerical workers in the public and draft-depleted private sectors. These courses were offered to the local Armed Forces Personnel at no charge. The American Red Cross and the Women’s Liberty Loan Committee utilized the Peirce College facilities for meetings. Students and faculty raised $230,000 for war bonds. Over 1,000 Peirce graduates and students actively served in the armed forces.

During and after World War I, the school performed useful service in conducting special training courses for those engaged in wartime activities and later for disabled service men. Largely because of the success of these programs, the school was again called upon by the government to participate in the training of Veterans before the close of World War II. Wacs, Waves, and women Marines, as well as men, were eligible for retraining.

In 1951, Peirce announced a special six-month accelerated Business Preparatory certificate program that provided suitable training for administrative duties in the armed services in order to supply the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard with men skilled in typewriting, accounting, office machine operation, correspondence and report writing. From the post-World War II era through today, Peirce has offered quality business, information technology, and specialized career programs, including one of the first Business Data Processing educational programs of the Eastern United States in 1959. Peirce continues to offer innovative concentrations, such as Application Programming with .NET technology, Network Security, and Business Law.

Peirce College is approved for Veteran and Vocational Rehabilitation training. Eligible veterans, members of the National Guard, and the survivors and dependents of deceased and disabled veterans may be eligible to use their G.I. benefits.

Today, as in 1865, Peirce remains committed to providing quality, career-oriented curricula to primarily adult learners. With the Protect and Serve Grant, you can earn an affordable, convenient, and quality degree in Business, Information Technology, or Paralegal Studies from Peirce College.

Apply for the Peirce Protect and Serve Grant Today!