Echoes of the Past in the Drexel Echo: The Origins of Student Publishing at Drexel

As The Triangle’s centennial year—and the accompanying exhibit, Celebrating a Century of The Triangle, Drexel's Student Newspaper: 1926 to 2026—comes to a close, staff from the Drexel University Archives are pleased to announce an exhibit that showcases Drexel's earliest, lesser-known student publication, the Drexel Echo.

Published monthly from 1907 through 1912, the Drexel Echo was Drexel's first student publication—part newspaper, part alumni publication, part literary magazine. Each issue began with a short story or poem, followed by more traditional newspaper style articles.

Part of what makes the Drexel Echo especially valuable today is the breadth of campus life it documents. Issues provide detailed reports on student organizations and social events. A recurring Calendar of Events section announced lectures, meetings, performances and social gatherings, while editorials reflected student perspectives on campus issues. Reports on “All School Meetings” documented important developments at Drexel (which was called the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry during this period), and a regular “Joke” section reminds modern readers that Drexel students a century ago appreciated humor as much as students do today (even if some of the jokes are baffling to today’s reader).

Articles also reveal how early Drexel students built community outside of the classroom, and many individuals are specifically named for their involvement in these activities. Among the groups featured in the newspaper, the Masqueraders, Drexel’s theatrical society, made the most appearances–-in fact, there is something about the Masqueraders in every issue. Drexel’s debate team, called Delta Delta Sigma, was also popular, and readers can follow debate topics that challenged students of the era. The publication even offers glimpses into some of Drexel's earliest secret student societies, documenting organizations that otherwise left little or no historical record behind.

Drexel athletics also received regular coverage. The Drexel Echo reported on games, teams and student athletes (bowling was a particularly popular pastime), illustrating the growth of organized sports at Drexel during the early twentieth century. These accounts preserve not only scores and schedules but also the names of students representing the Institute in competition.

One of the publication's most distinctive features is its extensive coverage of Drexel alumni. During its five-year run, the Drexel Echo served as the official publication of the Drexel Alumni Association, reporting on graduates' careers, promotions, professional achievements and even marriages. Issues included updates on when alumni started new jobs, when they joined fellow graduates' businesses or if they returned to Drexel as faculty members and coaches.

The Archives’ holdings of the Echo span from 1907 to 1912 and include 37 digitized issues with only three issues that have not been digitized (April 1907, June 1911, and May-June 1912). All digitized volumes are available to view online through the Drexel University Archives. University Archives staff are also creating a comprehensive index for the Drexel Echo that include names of students, alumni, faculty, staff, invited speakers, organizations, and institutions, plus geographic locations mentioned in the publication, making it easier for researchers to find the exact issues in which specific people and places are referenced.

This new exhibit, on display outside the University Archives Reading Room now through March 2027, includes a display of copies of the Drexel Echo, as well as related photographs and other archival materials from the same period.

Whether you're researching Drexel history, exploring your family's connection to the University, or simply curious about what student life was like more than a century ago, the Drexel Echo is a fascinating place to begin your research.

Browse the digitized collection through the Drexel University Archives and visit the exhibit this fall/winter to discover the stories that helped define Drexel's earliest generations!