The Jones Poundstone Society | Arcadia University

Building a Bold Future to Hold Arcadia's Past

The Arcadia University legacy began in 1853 with Sylvania Jones and Juliet A. Poundstone, two 19th century trailblazers who left their family homes to pursue an education and receive the first diplomas from Beaver Female Seminary. The Jones Poundstone Society recognizes donors who support Arcadia’s mission and enable the University to uphold its longstanding tradition of academic excellence, cutting-edge innovation, and groundbreaking initiatives.

Jones Poundstone Society Giving Circles

The giving circles within the Jones Poundstone Society are named in accordance with our treasured history.

Each of the first four circles represents unrestricted support for The Fund for Arcadia. The Presidents Circle entitles the donor to a named, current-use scholarship.

$1,000–$1,499 commemorates the University’s founding

$1,500 to $2,499 remembers Beaver Female Seminary’s first principal, Sheridan Baker.

$2,500–$4,999 acknowledges the University’s Jenkintown roots

$5,000–$7,499 celebrates the University’s Beaver College legacy

$7,500 to $9,999 represents the 94 years Beaver College existed before becoming Arcadia University.

$10,000–$24,999 moves boldly in the present to ensure a brighter future for the University

$25,000 – $49,999 honors University leaders past and present

$50,000+ enshrines our hope for Arcadia’s bold vision for the future

Choose your giving circle

JPS G.O.L.D. Circle: For Graduates of the Last Decade

Donors of the GOLD Circle of the Jones Poundstone Society give on an annual basis at a scale that coincides with the number of years since your graduation, growing to $1,000 with your 10-year reunion.

Inspiration for the Jones Poundstone Society

In 1853, 15-year-old Sylvania Jones and 17-year-old Juliet A. Poundstone left their family homes in Lafayette County, Pa., and accompanied Dr. Sheridan Baker, principal at the Brownsville School they had attended, to a newly chartered female seminary 26 miles northwest of Pittsburgh on the Ohio River’s north bank. Dr. Baker had accepted a position as principal of Beaver Female Seminary, and he and his two pupils would soon become an indelible part of its history.

At Beaver, Jones and Poundstone studied a daringly unconventional curriculum of arts and sciences during an era when few colleges for young women existed. Jones and Poundstone led the way for generations of intellectually curious students to enjoy the rewards of an Arcadia education. In September 1856, they became the first two graduates in the institution’s history.