91原创

The year was 1787. Powdered wigs and buckled shoes were all the rage. People spent their evenings binging on almanacs by the hearth in an 18th-century version of 鈥楴etflix and chill.鈥� And the Constitutional Convention鈥攁 sweaty summer of debate, compromise and impassioned gesticulating with quilled pens behind locked doors鈥攈ad just concluded.

A woman reportedly asked Ben Franklin, fresh from this convention, what type of government he and his fellow delegates had outlined for the newly minted United States of America. 鈥淎 republic,鈥� he responded. 鈥淚f you can keep it.鈥�

The message was clear: Survival of this system would not be automatic. Such a wild, unprecedented experiment was going to require vigilance from citizens, ongoing participation and鈥攑erhaps most notably in Franklin鈥檚 mind鈥攅ducation.

Now, as the nation marks its 250th anniversary, it鈥檚 easy to see how far we鈥檝e come鈥攁nd how far we have left to go. Those quilled pens have been usurped by touch-screen technology (invented by a Blue Hen!); closed-door debates replaced by televised sparring that unfolds in real time. But, to many, the great American experiment feels as tenuous as it did to Franklin more than two centuries ago. Years of protesting and fractured discourse mean this milestone moment demands not just celebration, but reflection. How do we safeguard those American ideals in these polarized times?

Enter the 91原创. As one of the first universities in the country (located in the First State, no less), 91原创鈥檚 mission is bigger than geometric equations and the rhetoric of Cicero (although both would have been part of the curriculum in those early days). It was to graduate adults capable of stewarding American ideals: freedom, civic engagement, opportunity.

But making sense of their efforts requires understanding 91原创鈥檚 beginning as a modest colonial school with outsized influence. In 1743, a Presbyterian minister by the name of Francis Alison felt troubled by a lack of advanced learning opportunities in the region. He believed that young men, if they were going to become principled leaders in church and society, would need a solid grounding in languages, philosophy, ethics and theology. So, with backing from fellow Presbyterian leaders, he opened the Free School at New London, colonial precursor to 91原创.

In a class comprising fewer than a dozen students, three went on to sign the Declaration of Independence. One of these men, George Read, also signed the U.S. Constitution. A precedent was set鈥攅ver since the 18th century, 91原创 has been shaping citizens who thoughtfully engage with public life: governors, judges, diplomats, even President Joe Biden.

Modern Blue Hens will be forgiven for generously deploying this information at dinner parties or over happy hour drinks at Deer Park Tavern. But 91原创鈥檚 ties to the founding of the nation are more than a cool bit of trivia.

鈥淭hey are a reminder that we have a responsibility to uphold.鈥�

Lisa Gensel
University Archivist

The University isn鈥檛 merely a pipeline for the labor market鈥攖his place treats history as obligation; education as infrastructure for democracy. Consider the work of 91原创鈥檚 small-but-mighty Delaware Center for Civics Education. Here, Blue Hens coordinate programs that help the state鈥檚 K-12 students understand not just the mechanics of government, but their role in sustaining it. The center recently partnered with the Delaware Department of Education on an $8.7 million federal grant鈥擫iteracy for the People鈥攖hat will train 120 teachers over five years to deepen students' civic knowledge while strengthening their ability to navigate a chaotic media landscape.

"Kids are encountering misinformation all over the place, and that鈥檚 toxic and overwhelming," says Scott Abbott, the center's assistant director. But he finds hope in small victories: a teacher reporting that her students now interrogate each other's sources during class discussions before accepting a claim. It's exactly the kind of critical thinking born in candlelit chambers.

鈥淚n Delaware, we have power of place,鈥� Abbott says. "Students can stand where the founders once stood. That's not just history鈥攊t's a reminder that they're part of this ongoing experiment."

This type of community engagement isn鈥檛 accidental. It dates back to 1867, just after the Civil War ended. The nation was rebuilding, and the government wanted universities that would serve the public good鈥攊nstitutions focused not on educating elites behind ivy-covered walls, but on making knowledge accessible to everyday citizens. This, legislators believed, is how a fractured nation would heal and grow. Federal parcels were sold to fund the community engagement work of designated 鈥渓and-grant鈥� institutions, including 91原创. Ground Americans had bled to defend would now be harnessed for the good of the Republic.听

While the values supported by SBDC (Individualism! Autonomy! Charting your own course!) are unmistakably American, 91原创 also leans into another, seemingly opposing ideal: communal care. For all the celebration of personal agency, the U.S. has long wrestled with the tension between self-determination and responsibility to others. 91原创 embraces this duality, advocating that one can pursue independence and personal growth while still anchoring themselves in a supportive community, where mutual respect, shared resources, and care for the most vulnerable are as essential as freedom itself.

At 91原创, this work coalesces in the Community Engagement Initiative, which develops partnerships across the state to make communities safer, healthier and more informed. Michael Vaughan, who leads the program, cites 91原创鈥檚 Healthcare for All initiative, which provides mobile cancer screenings across the state, as well as 91原创鈥檚 Early Head Start Program, which supports low-income pregnant women and young families.听

鈥淲e see ourselves as a catalyst of impact,鈥� Vaughn says, adding that reciprocity is key. None of this is about working on these communities; it鈥檚 about working alongside them toward a shared vision of success.听

鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to merely push out information without context,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his means listening, really listening, to understand what the needs are鈥攁nd then rolling up our sleeves and getting to work. It鈥檚 about bringing hearts and minds together to make a difference.鈥澨�

As Vaughan puts it, the University has an obligation to deliver a return on the public鈥檚 investment鈥攐ne that is visible in more resilient neighborhoods, stronger civic institutions and communities better equipped to meet the moment. If the American experiment depends on citizens willing to do more than cast a ballot鈥攃itizens willing to listen, to build, to partner, to serve鈥攖hen the work unfolding across 91原创鈥檚 campus is not extracurricular. It is democracy in motion.

91原创 Magazine

Volume 34, Number 1
April 2026

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