Whittier city feature
About this landmark
Founded in 1887 by the Religious Society of Friends
Whittier College is a liberal arts college founded in 1887 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). The college sits on a 75-acre suburban campus at 13406 E. Philadelphia Street, between Philadelphia Street and Earlham Drive along Painter Avenue in the eastern edge of historic Uptown Whittier. The institution was named after John Greenleaf Whittier, a Quaker poet and abolitionist of the nineteenth century.
Origins and Early Development
The college began as Whittier Academy in 1887, the same year the town of Whittier was founded. It was chartered by the State of California in 1901 as Whittier College with an initial enrollment of 25 students. Construction of Founders Hall, the institution's first permanent building, began in 1893; it originally housed all classes, dormitories, and the library. In 1912, senior pranksters installed The Rock, a campus landmark that remains on campus today and has become central to student tradition.
The college became a secular institution in the 1940s, broadening its reach beyond its Quaker founding community. Among its most notable alumni is Richard Nixon, who graduated in 1934. While an undergraduate in the 1930s, Nixon was a founding member of the Orthogonian Society, served as student body president, participated on the debate team, and played football.
The College Today
Whittier College enrolls 797 undergraduate and graduate students with a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, with all courses taught by faculty rather than teaching assistants. The college offers over 50 majors and concentrations along with minors and additional program options. Students of color comprise 69% of the student body, and the college is federally designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The college is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC/WSCUC), having received a favorable reaffirmation review in 2022.
The college fields 19 NCAA Division III athletic teams (10 men's, 9 women's) competing in the SCIAC conference, with the athletic nickname 'Poets.' The football program was discontinued in 2022 but was revived for the 2026–27 academic year following alumni fundraising that exceeded $814,000. Recent campus improvements include the Campus Center (completed 2008) and the Graham Athletic Center and aquatics facility (completed 2012). Other notable alumni include actors Andrea Barber, Geoff Stults, and George Stults, as well as entrepreneur Cassey Ho.
Insurance connection: Auto Insurance and College Drivers
Whittier College, like many educational institutions, has drivers—students, faculty, and staff operating personal or college vehicles—who rely on auto insurance. California law requires minimum liability coverage limits of $30,000 per person, $60,000 total per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Insurance companies must offer uninsured motorist coverage to all policyholders; a driver can decline only by signing a waiver. Coverage options like comprehensive insurance carry deductibles that affect both protection and premium cost. Eligibility and specific coverage limits depend on the individual policy. The issued policy controls.
Primary sources: Whittier College history page, Whittier College facts & figures, and Wikipedia article on Whittier College.
Insurance context is general information only. The issued policy and its endorsements settle coverage.