visit lafayette college

Opportunities to Engage

OPEN HOUSES Arts Open House Friday, September 27 Artistic creativity happens in so many places on campus! Join faculty and students from music, theater, art, film and media studies, and creative writing as you explore the spaces where creativity happens. This day includes lunch in the dining hall and opportunities to attend an optional general campus tour, plus arts shows in the evening. Fall Open House Saturday, September 28 There is no more perfect time to visit our beautiful campus than in the Fall! You'll have the opportunity to engage with students and faculty as you tour campus, participate in academic panels, have lunch in the dining hall and learn about life after Lafayette.   Engineering Open House Friday, November 1 Engineering at Lafayette not only provides an outstanding technical education, but also prepares students with the ability to think creatively, imagine broadly, communicate effectively, and influence change. Spend the day with our engineering faculty and students to learn what makes engineering at Lafayette College so distinctive!  November Half-Day Open House Thursday, November 7  8:30 am until 12:30 pm Thursday, November 7   1:00 pm until 5:00 pm You'll gain an understanding of how students maximize their experiences here and how a Lafayette education sets up students for success as they launch into the job market or continue their education. You'll have the opportunity to tour campus, interact with faculty and students, and learn more about how Lafayette embraces the Cur Non ("Why Not?") spirit. Senior Open House and Interview Event Friday, November 8 Join us in the morning for the open house and stay for an afternoon opportunity to interview with us! Check in for the open house kicks off at 8:00 am and the event gives seniors in high school and transfer students an opportunity to attend current classes with Lafayette students. Families will have other programming. In the afternoon, students can interview with us if they haven't already. While an interview is not required, it is a great way to enhance your application. No need to have applied to interview. This event is for seniors in high school and transfer students only.  

ON-CAMPUS VISITS Click on a link below or choose a date on the calendar, then click On-Campus Visit . Consult the On-Campus Visitation FAQs for more information about our current visitation policies. On-Campus Tour Weekdays at 10 am, 10:45 am, 1 pm, or 2:30 pm  Select Saturdays at 10 am Use the calendar to select the day you are interested in visiting. This 90-minute experience provides an introduction to the College with an admissions counselor followed by an in-person tour led by a current Lafayette student. You'll have time for questions during the tour and with an admissions counselor following the tour. On-Campus Interview Monday, Wednesday, & Friday at 9:15 am, 11:45 am, and 1:45 pm Tuesday and Thursday at 10 am and 1:45 pm Use the calendar to select the day you are interested in visiting. Rising seniors in high school and transfer students have the opportunity to interview! Join us for an in-person interview so we can hear your story. You are welcome to interview before you apply. In fact, this is a great way to learn more about the programs, academics, and features of Lafayette. Our interviews are evaluative and informative and can add another dimension to your application.  Note that we allow one interview (in-person, virtual, with an alumni or through a community organization) per admissions cycle. If you are visiting on a day that we do not have regularly scheduled interviews, you can request an interview with us.  Leopard for a Day Use the calendar to select the day you are interested in visiting. See firsthand what it's like to be a Lafayette student. You'll have the opportunity to attend class with current students. We attempt to match you with a class in your area of academic interest but this experience is meant to give you a flavor of the hands-on, interactive experience of a Lafayette class, so no worries if it's not an exact match. You'll also head to lunch in the dining hall with a current student. You must sign up two weeks ahead of time so we have time to contact professors and build your schedule. Engineering Center Tour Mondays at 10 am and select Saturdays at 11:30 am Use the calendar to select the day you are interested in visiting. Saturdays immediately following the campus tour at 11:30 am (except July 6 & 20) Join our engineering tour guides on an exploration of the Acopian Engineering Center. They'll show you where students crush, build, torque, measure, and put hands-on learning into action. Sustainability Tour Request a Sustainability Tour with us! At Lafayette, sustainability isn't just an initiative, it's a lifestyle. See the College through the lense of sustainability as you learn about our solar panels, pollinator gardens, the campus farm, and more. Head out with a sustainability fellow about campus to learn more. Exploring Engineering Information Session Fall dates coming soon! Join Lafayette's dean of engineering as she shares how engineering in a liberal arts setting can benefit you. As an alum who is now heading the entire engineering division, Dr. Lauren Anderson has seen Lafayette from a multitude if perspectives. She shares how our program, able to be completed in 4 years, gets our students ready to accept top-notch employment opportunities and graduate schools.

Have questions?  Contact us at 610-330-5100  to chat with an admissions representative. Or email [email protected] .   Monday - Friday from 8:45 am - 5:00 pm

Inspired by the desire to honor Marquis de Lafayette and his service to the cause of freedom during the American Revolution, Lafayette College was chartered in 1826 and established with an unwavering tradition of academic excellence and community spirit that has flourished for nearly 200 years.

More than 2,700 students from 44 U.S. states and territories and 60 countries come to Lafayette to experience intimate and transformative classes, labs, and field experiences. Lafayette offers a scenic, historic campus with state-of-the-art engineering, science, and performing and visual arts facilities and easy access to Easton, a picturesque river city abuzz with fine and casual dining, entertainment, and popular festivals. Lafayette’s pioneering roots and continued impact on Easton, the Lehigh Valley, and beyond will soon be celebrated as the College prepares for its bicentennial in 2026 .

We’re an undergraduate-only institution located in Easton, Pa., where a liberal arts education meshes seamlessly with our nationally recognized engineering program.

• Location: Easton is a small city with big charm . From food festivals and free live music events to bike races and dozens of foodie destinations, there’s always something happening in this Lehigh Valley city. Plus, we’re just 90 minutes away from New York City and Philadelphia, providing you with additional opportunities for internships, recreation, and more.
• Educational opportunities: With a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, students engage in cutting-edge research and hands-on learning experiences with globally recognized faculty that are often not possible at other institutions until graduate school. With 50+ majors , including interdisciplinary options, you’ll discover your passions at Lafayette.
• Division I athletics : We offer 23 athletic programs, and 20% of our undergraduates are student-athletes. Our community cheers for them, decked out in leopard print, maroon, and white school spirit.
• We believe in ands: We are liberal arts and engineering. Athletics and research. Academics and community engagement. Art and entrepreneurship. You don’t need to choose between your passions: You can do them all, and you can do them with the confidence that you have a team of professors, mentors, and classmates rooting for you.
• Career preparation: Our Gateway Program prepares students for life after Lafayette. We facilitate shadow opportunities with hundreds of alumni, help students start building their network, and more. Within six months of graduation, 98% of student respondents from the Class of 2022 graduates were employed, continuing their education, in internships, or completing volunteer work.
• The world is your classroom: No matter what your academic interests are, you can study abroad during your time at Lafaye tte. Even engineering majors are not only encouraged to study abroad, it’s actually built into the curriculum. Full semester study abroad programs are offered through numerous programs and countries. We also offer shorter programs in both January and May, and sometimes faculty-student research experiences can lead you abroad, too.
• Residential: Not only is housing guaranteed for all four years, but 93% of students live on campus. Your community is never more than a short walk away.

Will you find your people here? We know you will. Lafayette is the kind of place you can call home.

Class Profile

Life At Lafayette

We are an educational connected community – diverse, welcoming and active. Students live on campus and enjoy an amazing array of social, cultural, artistic, and athletic activities.

Additional resources, welcome to easton.

Learn more about Easton

Easton’s many charms include its stunning natural beauty of the valley, cultural offerings, and an abundance of retail, dining, and entertainment opportunities for all visitors. Learn more about Easton.

Downtown Easton is also home to many restaurants, art galleries, and antique shops. It hosts concerts, plays, musicals, stand-up comics, and dance performances. Learn about things to do in Easton.

Many of the Northeast’s major metropolitan markets are within easy reach of the Lehigh Valley by plane, train, bus, or car. Plan you visit. Transportation | Hotels/Shopping/Dining

Namesake and History

More than two centuries ago, a 19-year-old left home to follow a dream. He came to a new place far away, remade himself as a student and scholar and became a leader and a hero. His lifelong philosophy was so important to him he had its Latin translation emblazoned on his family crest. “Cur Non.” Today, at the college that bears his name, we embrace that philosophy daily.

Experience Lafayette College

Virtually explore Lafayette College in a fully immersive 360-degree experience.

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Holi Festival 2022

Cycle for Survival

Fall Fest 2022

Hot Air Balloon

Men’s Soccer

LGBTQIA+ Formal

Academics 2022

Life on Campus

Lafayette is much more than a college. We are an educational connected community – diverse, welcoming and active. Almost all students live on campus, where they enjoy an amazing array of social, cultural, artistic, and athletic activities.

Life at Lafayette

Form  personal connections, explore individual interests, develop leadership skills, and engage with a community that begins on campus and extends far past it. Make new friends, enjoy transformative experiences, and challenge yourself in an environment built on trust, respect, and opportunity.

Living on Campus

Lafayette is dedicated to providing a safe, comfortable, diverse and inclusive educational living community where academic success and personal growth are encouraged. We aspire to create communities in which students are able to reach their fullest potential.

Student voices

“My time at Lafayette has taught me patience and has allowed me to grow into the person I am . . . I was challenged here in both athletics and academics, and learned and grew from that. I also became more independent and more confident in myself, which I think is going to really help me in the future.”

“I’m forever grateful for the support system I’ve received. The Lafayette community has really embraced athletes, and my professors have been so gracious with their time and flexibility.”

Ways to get involved

Studies show that students who are involved in activities outside the classroom—in clubs, athletics, the arts, and volunteering—as well as engaged in the classroom, are happier and more successful in college. Lafayette boasts more than 200 opportunities to get involved and if you can’t find something that interests you, you can start your own club.

One of a kind moments

Lafayette has many traditions shaped by our students like you, our history, our city and by our community. You’ll see some of the unique moments and opportunities that awaits.

Community Engagement

Whether it’s tutoring local children in math or helping villagers in Honduras build a clean water system, Lafayette students are passionate about making a difference in the Easton community and around the globe.

Health & Wellness

Have fun, stay fit, be healthy. Check out our robust menu of more than 50 intramural sports and recreational activities - supplemented by health and counseling services - to find the one that’s right for you.

Lafayette wants every student to have meaningful experiences with artistic creation and expression. Performance and visual arts are infused throughout the curriculum and co-curricular activities, creating and enhancing programs in the arts, and strengthening our connections with artists and creative communities.

Additional Resources

“With research, you never know what to expect. But Prof. Ryan Van Horn taught me that it’s the process, and how you get to the end result, that really matters.” —Alex Ashley ‘22

Our curriculum is distinguished by its rare combination of degree programs in liberal arts and engineering. Search our majors and minors.

Discover our curriculum.

All of our students take an absorbing first-year seminar that brings you into the academic life and traditions of the College. Gain a broad base of knowledge through the Common Course of Study, but also create expertise by specializing in one of 59 areas of study.

Our Faculty

Work Alongside Distinguished Faculty

Lafayette's faculty are influential thinkers and leaders in their fields. As a student, you'll discover they're the College's greatest asset. They love teaching and mentoring. That's why we have one of the highest percentages of any college or university for students working with faculty on research.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Learning at Lafayette transcends the classroom. Through courses, community-based teams, service-learning programs, and trips to other regions and countries, our students are working hard to make a difference, both in Easton and around the globe.

Work in the Community

Through courses, community-based teams, service-learning programs, trips to other regions and countries, and Greek and athletic initiatives, Lafayette students are working hard to make a difference.

Engage in Research

Discover the richest educational experience you can have as a college student. Learn and work with a professor through independent studies, honors theses, paid research assistant positions, or even coauthoring a paper.

Study Off Campus

Explore fascinating places while earning course credit, research new topics, get hands on experience in your field. How? By spending a semester abroad, taking a short-term course led by faculty, or conducting research at Woods Hole in Massachusetts.

Get Real World Experience

Acquire new skills and discover new interests through internships and externships in a wide range of professions and industries. Connect with Lafayette alumni and other professionals who can provide friendly, useful advice drawn from their own experiences.

Compete with the Best

Scholarships and fellowships can fuel dreams; provide resources for study, research, and travel; all to help you become a leader in your field. This intellectual journey begins with a competitive application process that will prepare you for hard work and success.

Additional Resources

You CAN make a difference!

Your philanthropy helps Lafayette students succeed, enhances meaningful research and discovery, and positively impacts society.

How can you make an impact?

• Financial Aid

The goal of becoming more affordable is shared by America’s best colleges, and is viewed as essential to making Lafayette stronger in decades to come. In connection with this effort, providing opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds enriches the education for all and enhances the national reputation of the College. 

With additional support for financial aid, Lafayette will be better able to compete with aspirant peer institutions for the best students, offer a transformational education to students whom we could not otherwise enroll, and enrich the entire community by crafting a student body that is more diverse on a wide range of factors, including socio-economic status.

There are many ways in which you can support financial aid. Gifts options include:

• Named endowed scholarships
• Named annual scholarships
• Athletic scholarships, and more.

Support Financial aid

To learn more, contact Advancement at (610) 330-5037 or via email at [email protected].

Student Support

Being a student-ready college requires a commitment to evolving services to meet the needs of current and future generations. Students are arriving on-campus with higher needs in terms of mental and physical health. Beyond academic support, the College is aiming to increase support for health and wellness and emergency funds to assist students in need, which prevents a derailment of their progress toward achieving a Lafayette degree.

One such example is the James F. and Donna L. Krivoski Student Assistance Fund, which is available for students who experience a crisis and require financial assistance for basic needs such as food, clothing, or a plane ticket to visit a sick relative.

Support students in need

To learn more, contact Development and College Relations at (610) 330-5037 or via email at [email protected].

Lafayette’s Division I athletics program has far-reaching implications for students, faculty, and the community. It strengthens enrollment, heightens Lafayette’s profile and enhances brand recognition. Athletics is an incubator for leadership, which provides an opportunity for students to excel on many levels during their collegiate experience.

In 2018, Director of Athletics, Sherryta Freeman, launched a five-year athletics strategic plan titled Creating a Championship Culture. This plan will position Lafayette athletics as a major competitor among Patriot League peers. The strategic plan’s goals are straight-forward: achieve competitive excellence, strengthen academic excellence, provide the most positive student-athlete experience possible, build more community and spirit for Lafayette athletics, ensure integrity in everything we do and secure the funding necessary for success. 

Fundraising plays a major role in the success of the plan. The College is in the process of establishing a fundraising plan that supports athletics annually and secures major gifts for future sustainability. Gift options include:

• Athletic Scholarships
• Coach’s Endowment
• Leadership Training/Oaks Leadership Academy
• Maroon Club/Annual Support
• Program Support

A major component of athletics fundraising will be growing the existing Leopard Champions Fund , a general scholarship fund for student-athletes. While some sports are at their maximum number of scholarships, many are not. Gifts to the Leopard Champions Fund will aid in bridging this gap.

Support Athletics

To learn more about the ways in which you can support Lafayette Athletics, contact Advancement at (610) 330-5037 or via email at [email protected].

The Lafayette Fund

The Lafayette Fund provides annual resources that are critical to the College achieving its mission. Tuition and fees cover only 80 percent of the cost of a Lafayette education.  The remaining 20 percent is covered by the endowment and the Lafayette Fund. Support for the Lafayette Fund fills the gap between what the College can provide through its endowment and the full cost of a Lafayette education. Annual support is also a key factor used by many ranking and funding agencies in determining which schools will receive grants and recognition. Gifts to the Lafayette Fund support:

• Student/Faculty Research
• Academic Initiatives
• Athletics, and more.

Support the Lafayette Fund

For additional information on how you can support the Lafayette Fund, contact Benjamin Landis at (610) 330-5943 or via email at   [email protected].

Maroon Club

The Maroon Club enhances the student-athlete experience for all of Lafayette’s 23 Division I athletic programs. Gifts through the Maroon Club can be directed to the General Fund and/or to a specific athletic program. A gift to the General Fund supports the following four core elements of Lafayette’s 23 Division I athletic teams:

• Common Support Programs
• Athletic Training Services
• Strength and Conditioning
• Maroon Club Bus

For additional information on how you can enhance Lafayette Athletics through a Maroon Club gift, contact, Andrew Foster, senior associate director of Athletics Facilities Operations at (610) 330-5472 or via email at  [email protected].

Parents Fund

The Parents Fund provides annual resources that directly enhance the student experience. In fact, you can designate your Parents Fund gift to any area at the College. The Parents Fund supports outstanding academic and research opportunities, athletics, on-campus student experiences, career and networking experiences and more. 

For additional information on how you can support students through the Parents Fund or to learn more about the Marquis Parents Council, contact Valerie Downing, Associate Vice President for Individual Giving at (610) 330-5835 or via email at [email protected] .

Academic Planning Initiatives

Lafayette cultivates a faculty of leading scholars and researchers who are passionate about teaching. In December 2018, the faculty approved an academic plan that identifies six key areas of emphasis that will build on Lafayette’s ethos of integration across disciplines. The six areas respond to significant global concerns, capitalize on current strengths and investments, and help advance Lafayette’s distinctiveness and attraction for the most promising and committed scholars and students.

The areas of focus include:

• Data Science and Digital Scholarship
• Design, Media, and the Arts
• Environment and Sustainability
• Global Education
• Inclusive STEM Education
• Humanities Center

Fundraising initiatives connected to the above areas of focus range from the addition of courses with embedded travel that are available to all students, study abroad opportunities, and much more. 

Support academic initiatives

Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability

Also an area of focus among the College’s academic planning initiatives, Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability is a top priority at Lafayette. The College’s newly adopted Climate Action Plan is helping to promote more than Lafayette’s commitment to becoming carbon neutral; it will highlight other distinctions of work in environment and sustainability studies. Fundraising efforts connected to environmental stewardship and sustainability are focused on scaling up LaFarm, the College’s 3-acre organic garden, the addition of summer learning experiences, as well as adding solar arrays on campus, and more.

Support Sustainability initiativeS

Career Opportunities

The Gateway Career Center prepares students for success post graduation through educating, advising, and connecting students to opportunities for summer and interim career experiences. Through the combination of experienced Gateway counselors and innovative programming, paired with passionate alumni and parent volunteers who support the Center, students are “career ready” once they graduate. Not all students can afford to take low paying or unfunded internships that will help to advance their careers. Fundraising priorities include support for:

• Internship stipends
• Investments in the Career Tracks program and externships
• Career training and technology 
• Volunteer hosts for internships, externships, and career experiences

In addition, you can support alumni and current students through mentorship and career networking via Gatewaylink .

Support the Gateway Career Center

Lafayette Magazine

Summer 2024

Learn how students are experiencing hands-on opportunities on a remote island off the coast of Brazil in the latest issue of Lafayette magazine.

Lafayette's Greatest Strength is its Community

Summary of Giving

Thank you to the thousands of dedicated alumni, parents, and friends who supported Lafayette last fiscal year (July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023).

Elevating the Lafayette Experience

From supporting Lafayette’s academic and athletic programs, to funding scholarships and internships and everything in between, the generosity of many through time, talent, and treasure is helping to make a difference at Lafayette.

Celebrating Students

Meet Jada Peters '24, recipient of the First Women of Lafayette Scholarship

To say Jada Peters ’24 is busy is an understatement. Peters, who will be graduating this spring, is majoring in government and law with a minor in religious studies. She currently serves as president of NIA, Women of Purpose, a student-led organization for women of color on campus; is a member of the Prestigious Pardettes dance team and member of ABC; attends Lafayette African and Caribbean Students Association and Bohio Association meetings; is a tutor with America Reads and a cook for dining services. Peters’ positivity and desire to give back is reflected in everything she does.

With your support we CAN change lives

From news.lafayette.edu

Aug 15, 2024

Welcoming the class of 2028.

Nearly 400 incoming family members and students attended this summer’s Welcome Events held throughout the U.S.

Jun 6, 2024

Welcome home, pards.

Sunshine and blue skies mirrored the energy and excitement on Lafayette’s campus as nearly 1,000 alumni gathered May 31-June 2 for Reunion 2024.

May 23, 2024

Building student futures for nearly three decades.

Watching their daughter have a wonderful experience at Lafayette, and a conversation with then-president Arthur Rothkopf, inspired Gagnon and his wife…

Tax incentives

• With the recent passing of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARE) Act, additional tax incentives are now available related to charitable giving. Individuals who take the standard deduction may also claim a deduction up to $300 for contributions to non-profit organizations. For additional information or questions please consult your tax advisor.

Contact Information

Advancement.

610-330-5037

Engineering Studies

Engineering Studies embodies the Lafayette ideal of integrating engineering and the liberal arts.

Students with this interdisciplinary bachelor of arts degree are bridge builders between communities, translators across sectors, and future managers and leaders who understand engineering as a liberal art. Toward those ends, the program provides students with a technical background in engineering fundamentals paired with substantial coursework in humanities, social science, and the natural sciences that graduates often use for careers inside and beyond technical professions. Engineering Studies students develop expertise in navigating the complex cultural, political, economic, environmental, and technical dimensions of engineering and technologies. The curriculum encourages big-picture systems thinking combined with a sociotechnical perspective that teaches students to see problems through a multi-faceted lens as varied as their personal interests, from economics and finance to art, architecture, sustainability, and more.

Year-end Wrap-up

The Engineering Studies Program brings together the four divisions of campus—engineering, humanities, science, social sciences—for a truly liberal arts education.

Opportunities

From research, to study abroad, to community involvement and more, there are many ways to augment your education experience.

From news.lafayette.edu

May 8, 2024

Building a community, one idea at a time.

2024 Pepper Prize winner Remy Oktay ’24 shares his vision for a community-driven future.

Mar 5, 2024

Where are they now engineering grads.

Recent Lafayette alums provide just a small sample of the many rewarding career paths engineering grads can follow.

Engineering success story: Brynn Fuller-Becker ’19

Engineering studies grad Brynn Fuller-Becker ’19 shares how interdisciplinary education at Lafayette helped cement pursuit of a career fighting climate…

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Engineering Programs

The programs are grounded in Lafayette’s traditional strength in discipline-specific engineering and complemented by the College’s excellence in the liberal arts.

Explore the Engineering Programs

Civil engineering, electrical and computer engineering, chemical engineering, integrative engineering, mechanical engineering, contact information, benjamin r. cohen.

(610) 330-3058

[email protected]

Home > Lafayette’s Farewell Tour Bicentennial Celebration

Lafayette’s Farewell Tour Bicentennial Celebration

This year Annapolis celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s Farewell Tour of America in 1824 – 1825. Invited as a “Guest of the Nation” by President James Monroe, Lafayette was welcomed with much enthusiasm and celebration by Americans in all 24 states in the Union. As the last surviving general of the American Revolution, Lafayette inspired a patriotic retrospective for Americans in the post-Revolutionary War period.

The city of Annapolis has long held affection for the Marquis de Lafayette. From his early days as a young, idealistic solider to later in life as a seasoned statesman, Lafayette had a personal connection to the capital city of Maryland that is still honored today.

In December of 1824, after a 40-year absence, Lafayette made one last trip to Annapolis accompanied by his son, George Washington Lafayette. As part of his 13-month farewell “Grand Tour” of the United States, he spent four days in Annapolis in December 1824, allowing a new generation of townspeople a glimpse of one of the nation’s most revered heroes. Festivities included a military procession and exhibition, an official reception in the State House, and a dinner and ball at St. John’s College.  

In celebration of Lafayette’s return visit, his likeness appeared on everything from banners to gloves, plates, and pitchers such as this. These souvenirs provided tangible connections with an icon of the past. 

Saturday, November 9

• Lafayette’s Annapolis Walking Tour , led by historian Glenn Campbell Tours offered  11 am – 12:30 pm and 2 pm – 3:30 pm Click here for more info!

Tuesday, November 12

• Virtual Lecture with Dr. David Hildebrand – Lafayette’s Musical Reception: Annapolis, 1824 7 pm, Zoom Webinar Click here for more info!

Tuesday, December 10

• Virtual Lecture with Dr. Amy Rosenkrans – Maryland Women and Lafayette 7 pm, Zoom Webinar Click here for more info!

Friday, December 13 – Sunday, December 15

• Special pop-up exhibit at the Museum of Historic Annapolis : The Marquis de Lafayette Please check back for more info!

Saturday, December 14 

• Marquis de Lafayette Holiday Tea at Reynolds Tavern 3 pm – 5 pm Click here for more info!
• A Night of Splendour and Elegance: Lafayette Bicentennial Grand Ball at McDowell Hall  7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Please check back for more info!

For more information about the Lafayette Bicentennial Tour,  please click here , or contact us at  [email protected] . 

In 1777, the 19-year-old French officer Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, passed through Annapolis as he traveled to Philadelphia to volunteer for America’s revolutionary cause. Commissioned as a Major General by Congress, Lafayette soon joined George Washington’s staff and began a life-long friendship with him.   

Six months before the Yorktown campaign, in the spring of 1781, Continental Army troops under Lafayette’s command camped in Eastport on the banks of Spa Creek while he contemplated a campaign against the traitorous Benedict Arnold and the British in Virginia.  

Annapolis women were impressed with the dashing Frenchman.  Margaret Ogle wrote about Lafayette and his entourage: “The town is so dull it would be intolerable were it not for the officers. . . . I like the French better every hour. The divine Marquis de la Fayette is in town, and is quite the thing. We abound in French officers, and some of them are very clever . . . . I have seen one tolerable American among them, . . . one of the marquis’s family [staff]; perhaps that has polished him.”      

Lafayette continued to Virginia by himself, where he quickly learned enough to decide that he shouldn’t go ahead with the mission, then he returned to his men in Annapolis. Two British ships attempted to blockade him and his troops, but they managed to get away safely and sailed back north up the Chesapeake Bay. They then marched south again by an inland route.  

In September 1781, American and French troops passed through Annapolis on the way to Yorktown, but Lafayette was not with them, as he had already spent the summer months maneuvering against the British in Virginia.  Annapolitans warmly welcome the passing French troops.   

“No place in the Colonies was perhaps better adapted to give the French officers a sympathetic reception. Annapolis was in America what Paris was in France, the center of fashion, refinement and luxury. As the Abbé Robin, a chaplain in the French army, said after visiting it at this time:”   “That very inconsiderable town . . . out of the few buildings it contains, has at least three-fourths such as may be styled elegant and grand. Female luxury here exceeds what is known in the provinces of France; a French hairdresser is a man of importance among them, and it is said a certain dame here hires one of that craft at a thousand crowns a year salary. The State House is a very beautiful building, I think the most so of any I have seen in America. The peristyle is set off with pillars, and the edifice is topped with a dome.” ( Annapolis: Its Colonial and Naval Story • Chapter 11, n.d. )  

The city of Annapolis’s respect for all the French soldiers and sailors who fought in the American Revolution is symbolized by a granite monument that honors those who died and were buried here. A monument was erected in 1911 at St. John’s College, marking the burial site of a number of unknown French casualties.     

Lafayette went back to France after the victory at Yorktown but soon returned to the newly independent United States. In late 1784, he accompanied Washington to Annapolis, and while at the State House, Governor William Paca and the Maryland legislature praised and entertained the pair. Within days of their departure, Maryland’s government passed an act making “the Marquis de Lafayette, and his heirs male forever … natural born citizens of this State.”   

In response to this honor, “ With the ardor of a most zealous heart,” Lafayette wished Maryland “ will to the fullest extent improve her natural advantages, and in the Federal Union so necessary to all, attain the highest degree of particular happiness and prosperity. ” ( Lafayette Becomes “Quite the Thing” in Annapolis , n.d.)  

Lafayette and Washington would also have the pleasure of seeing their newly painted portrait, also featuring Tench Tilghman, by Charles Willson Peale hanging in the House of Delegates Chamber. ( Lafayette Becomes “Quite the Thing” in Annapolis , n.d. -comment Elaine Rice Bachmann June 26, 2014)   

Beyond his military success in the pivotal battle of Yorktown, the French general was an ardent advocate for human rights. He believed in racial equality and campaigned for the abolition of slavery. “ After the American Revolution, Lafayette returned to France where his popularity soared as he navigated the tenuous line between the angry subjects and the monarchy.” ( Marquis De Lafayette, n.d. )   

He helped write the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, a document which would advance the French Revolution. In his pursuit of social justice, Lafayette defended religious rights for “French Protestants and Jews, spoke out against capital punishment and solitary confinement, and supported women and their ideas and causes.” ( Lafayette College, 2022 )  

Lafayette fled from France when the revolution turned violent. He suffered imprisonment at Olmütz from 1792-1797 by the Austrians who considered him a dangerous radical. Lafayette’s fortune was confiscated by the French government and many of his wife’s family died by the guillotine. When Lafayette was finally able to return to France, he settled at La Grange, an estate near Paris.  

During the era of the Restoration of the monarchy, Lafayette returned to public life but most of his political activity took the form of direct communications including his thoughts on slavery in the United States. In a letter to Thomas Jefferson in 1822, Lafayette wrote: “While I feel an inexpressible delight in the progress of Every thing that is Noble minded, Honourable, and Useful throughout the United States, I find, in the Negros Slavery, a great draw-Back Upon My Enjoyments. … this Wide Blot On American Philantropy and Civilisation is Ever thrown in my face When I indulge my Patriotism in Encomiums, otherwise Undisputable. … I Would Like, Before I die, to be assured that progressive and Earnest Measures Have Been adopted to Attain, in due time, So desirable So necessary an object.”  

Lesson Plan_ Marquis de Lafayette_ Soldier, Statesman and Abolitionist

Assessment Rubric_ Marquis de Lafayette_ Soldier, Statesman and Abolitionist

Frederick Douglass Biography – Student Resource Sheet 1

Marquis de Lafayette Biography – Additional Background Info for Teacher

Marquis de Lafayette Biography 2

Marquis de Lafayette Biography 3

Marquis de Lafayette Biography 4

Student Worksheet 1 Lafayette

All resources are provided courtesy of The American Friends of Lafayette Education Committee .

The American Friends of Lafayette

Lafayette 200 – Bicentennial of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour 2024–2025: The Nation’s Guest  

The Lafayette Trail, Inc.  

Annapolis: Its Colonial and Naval Story • Chapter 11 . (n.d.)

Kloss, M. (n.d.). Washington, Lafayette & Tilghman at Yorktown by Charles Willson Peale

George Washington’s Mount Vernon. (n.d.). Marquis de Lafayette

Lafayette and Slavery – Lafayette Society . (2018, June 15). Lafayette Society

Lafayette becomes “Quite the Thing” in Annapolis . (n.d.)

Lafayette College. (2022, February 22). The Marquis de Lafayette – About

Marquis de Lafayette . (n.d.)

Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia . (n.d.). Monticello

Stepping into the new academic year

Photos by Adam Atkinson capture the energy of the first day of classes for new and returning Leopards

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Welcome, Class of 2028!

Photographs and a video document moments from Move-in, Orientation, and Convocation as Lafayette College welcomes the Class of 2028.

New academic building and student housing open for fall

William E. Simon Center for Economics and Business and McCartney II are among the campus enhancements greeting Lafayette community this fall.

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Welcome to Forge, the new home for department, office, and program websites.

Forge is home to the College’s department, office, and program websites. Websites hosted on Forge use the College’s latest web theme,  Hermione. 

Visit the Web Community of Practice to learn more about Web design and hosting at Lafayette College.

Upcoming Events

The Division of Student Life

Student life engages the whole student in a process of growth and self-discovery within an intentional, residential learning environment. Student life educators apply nationally recognized best practices to develop a culture of care and wellness, and foster belonging and inclusion to cultivate and empower responsible and engaged global citizens who are equipped to thrive in a diverse world.

Student life actively engages in the holistic development of Lafayette College students by building relationships that cultivate an environment of mutual respect, inclusion, and wellbeing. We do this by creating opportunities for leadership, learning, and dialogue, and by showing up for students in their struggles, successes, and joy. We aim to graduate alumni of strong moral and ethical character, better equipped to lead lives of meaning and purpose.

Health & Wellness

Counseling Center

Health Center

Fostering campus community.

Residence Life

Student Involvement

Intercultural Development

Religious & Spiritual Life

Student support.

Dean of Students

Gateway Career Center

Community standards.

Student Conduct

Education Equity & Title IX

Case Management

Student Advocacy & Prevention

Recent news, sep 4, 2024, dr. goldstein announces retirement.

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff, I am writing to share that after more than two decades of exemplary service to the College, Dr. Jeff Goldstein, our…

Aug 14, 2024

Announcing lafayette’s next dean of students.

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff, I am excited to share with you the news that Walter Snipes will be joining Lafayette as our new Dean of Students. Walter…

Feb 28, 2024

Congratulations to rob young ’14.

Dear Leopards, I write to you today to share the news that Rob Young ’14 has accepted a new position as the Executive Director of Development for the Peggy…

Additional Resources

Lafayette Today

How to excel at the Career Fair

Follow these tips to get employers' attention at the Career Fair.

Welcome, Class of 2028!

View photos and a video documenting scenes from Move-In, Convocation, and Orientation.

Recent News

Sep 5, 2024, try zumba, observe the moon, and rock the career fair: 5 things to do this week.

By: Abby Miles ’25 There’s lots of events this week! From professional development to community outreach and sporting events, the campus has something…

Sep 4, 2024

Participants needed: lehigh valley space fest.

The College will be hosting Lehigh Valley Space Fest  Sat., Oct. 12, and Sun., Oct. 13. Space Fest is a family-friendly festival with the singular mission…

Aug 29, 2024

Six sustainable tips for the start of the semester.

The Office of Sustainability welcomes you back to campus and encourages you to take advantage of sustainability programs Lafayette has to offer. Thrift…

Announcements

Kudos: prof. kristen sanford earns asce region 2 outstanding justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (jedi) award, celebration of life: paul deery, health, wellness & safety, emergency test at simon center and mccartney ii sept. 5, september workshops and trainings: retirement planning, medicare, and lvaic, academic resources, ncur 2025 information sessions, data associates drop-in sessions, parking & construction, easton street sweeper schedule – know when/where to move your car, how do i get where i need to go fall ’24 transportation schedules, planned power shutdown scheduled for sat., july 20, campus living & resources, marquis dining hall closed sept. 10, id holders available at the college store, dining events to check out this week: sept. 2-6, recreation & activities, beware of maps: a beginner’s guide to reading and making maps, this week in athletics: sept. 3-13, work life & business, proposals due sept. 28 for lafayette arts and technology grant, its september training opportunities, experience lafayette.

Discover music, theater, art, and film. Find schedules and more.

Support your team! Find schedules, recaps, and more .

Cur non? Check out the stories featured in our Newsroom.

Lafayette College welcomes all visitors to park on the Markle Parking Deck , which is centrally located on campus. It contains accessible parking spots, as well as EV charging stations. You will need an account and an app on your phone with the provider ChargePoint ( https://www.chargepoint.com/ ) to utilize an EV station. Parking is free and ticketing is not necessary, except during special events, such as football games .

When you enter the Markle Parking Deck, you will be on the second floor. Visitors should proceed straight, then turn left onto the ramp and travel all the way to the 3rd floor of the parking deck. At the top of the ramp, turn left and proceed past the elevator shaft and the double doors of Hugel Welcome Center to find marked visitor spots to the left of the Welcome Center. Visitors may park in any available spot (marked or unmarked) on the third floor.

During business hours, visitors may enter the campus via the Hugel Welcome Center at Markle Hall. It is handicap accessible and gender-neutral restrooms are available.

During non-business hours, those seeking accessible parking should consider parking in the second floor handicap parking spots as it will be easier to exit the parking deck to the campus.

ADDITIONAL PARKING

During extremely busy times the Markle Parking Deck may be full. Additional parking can be found on the Leopard Parking Deck . Additional smaller lots throughout the campus are posted with restrictions that are enforced. On-street parking in the areas surrounding the College has restrictions that are policed by the City of Easton.

Inclement Winter Weather Note

• Please be aware that during snow events, the third floor of the parking deck may be closed. Park on the second floor (entry level), then proceed around Markle Hall and through the red double doors to check in for visitation.

What We Look For

Admission to Lafayette is competitive. Like the education we offer, we strive for diversity and balance in our community, and the way in which we craft a class reflects that philosophy.

We seek students from across the country and around the world from varied backgrounds who are curious, passionate, and inventive. A Lafayette student possesses an unyielding desire to achieve great things. If this describes you, we’d love to get to know you.

Factors considered in evaluating each student’s application

• Academic performance in secondary school
• Grades relative to others in the class and the quality of courses taken
• Interactions through an admissions interview
• The candidate’s personal character such as motivation, social awareness, ambition, individualism, and potential for leadership as exhibited through involvement in community and extracurricular activities
• An understanding of what a student does with their non-academic time, including extracurricular activities, employment, personal responsibilities to family and community, etc.
• Submitting standardized test scores is optional. If you have taken the SAT or ACT (writing section not required) you are welcome to submit your scores by the admissions deadlines. Students may self-report standardized test scores; those who do must submit official score results at the time of enrollment. The results of SAT Subject Tests are not required for admission. Some academic departments do use scores from these tests for placement purposes.

Activities Section: Quality over Quantity

Lafayette has chosen to focus our review of an applicant’s activities to the top six activities listed in the Common App. Why six? Maintaining consistent engagement in 10 activities (the number of spaces on the Common App in the activities section) really well, in addition to maintaining a fine academic record and robust personal life is a challenge. Rather than focus on how many activities a student can list, we ask students to focus on those activities that have the most meaning . We always recommend students list their activities in order of what they are most passionate about and/or spend the most time on at the top of the list, rather than chronologically by when they began the activity.

What if a students doesn’t have six activities to list? That’s fine. We know dynamic students may have limited opportunities or may choose to put an enormous amount of effort into a single activity or two. No matter how many activities a student can list, they should be proud of what they as individuals accomplish inside and outside the classroom. Remember that part-time work and caring for your family and household are activities, too.

What if a student is able to juggle it all and has 10 activities to share? Fill in all of the activities spaces. We will read them, as we read every part of each application submitted to Lafayette College.

Supplement Essay Question

In addition to the Common App personal essay, students are required to submit one supplemental essay: Why Lafayette?

Why Lafayette?

• This is a required supplemental essay found within Lafayette’s Common Application Member Pages. Length: 20-200 words.    
• The Marquis de Lafayette live by the motto Cur Non or Why not? Your Cur Non spirit manifests our namesake who altered the course of world history. Your application moves you closer to releasing that same energy into life. Charge on!
• Students identify Lafayette as an excellent fit for countless reasons. In your response, be deliberate and specific about your motivation for applying to Lafayette. Why do you see yourself at Lafayette?

A Lafayette Leopard is curious, passionate, involved, and inclusive with a side of quirky. Each student brings their own unique experiences, talents, and values to the Lafayette community.

Lafayette students are hungry to learn and eager to use their voices. They are incredibly involved, innovative and introspective leaders that seek to leave a legacy on campus that makes our community better.

I was struck by the welcoming community and the diverse, interdisciplinary skillsets each staff member possessed. Lafayette’s core values align closely with my own, and I am impressed with the progressive scholarship and financial aid initiatives. It’s fantastic to see financial barriers removed for incoming members of the Lafayette community.

Lafayette students are smart, invested in their learning and actively engaged in the larger issues of society. They're involved in the campus community and always wanting to make a positive difference in whatever they choose to do whether on campus or off campus.

Additional Resources