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A mermaid sits atop Dickinson College's Old West.

Dickinson College is a private, moderately selective,[1]^{[citation needed]} liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly-recognized United States. Dickinson was founded by Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence from Philadelphia and named in honor of a signer of the Constitution, John Dickinson. The College's first building, West College (or, more affectionately, Old West), was built in 1803, burned, and reopened in 1805. It was designed by noted Architect of the Capitol Benjamin Latrobe and financed through gifts by President Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State James Madison, and Chief Justice John Marshall.

In the most recent edition of "America's Best Colleges" from U.S. News & World Report, Dickinson was ranked number 41 out of 217 national liberal arts colleges. With an enrollment of nearly 2,300 students, Dickinson is known for its innovative curriculum and outstanding international education programs, which have received national recognition from the American Council on Education and NAFSA: Association of International Educators.[2]^{[citation needed]}

In 2006, the college was ranked the most physically fit school in America by Men's Fitness.

Dickinson College is not to be confused with the Dickinson School of Law, which abuts the campus but has not been associated with the college since the late 19th century. The Law school merged with The Pennsylvania State University in 1997, and its students study at both the Carlisle and State College campuses. Dickinson is sometimes mistaken for, yet has no relation to, Fairleigh Dickinson University, a private university in the state of New Jersey.

For a complete list see List of Dickinson College alumni

• Roger Brooke Taney, 1795, Fifth Chief Justice of the United States
• James Buchanan, 1809, Fifteenth President of the United States
• Elijah Barrett Prettyman, second principal of Maryland State Normal School (Towson University)
• Alfred V. du Pont, 1818, Head of the du Pont Company
• William Perry Eveland, 1892, Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church
• John E. Jones III, 1977, U.S. District Judge who decided the Dover Intelligent Design Case
• Jennifer Ringley, 1997, Famous for the pioneering website JenniCam.org

• Dickinson College official website
• Points of Distinction about Dickinson College
• First in America Capital Campaign
• Extra Features (stories about students and faculty)
• The Compass (Dickinson College News and Events)
• The Dickinsonian (Dickinson College student newspaper)
• Dickinson College Student Senate
• The Voice of Dickinson College