Something I take for granted as a student at this university is the beauty of the campus. I didn’t stop and start to really take it in until my friend, who attends DSU, remarked on how extravagant the campus was in comparison to their university. The University of Delaware is a PWI whereas DSU is a HBCU, and one thing that is a very noticeable difference in each campus size and landscaping. Historically, white spaces have been granted the ability and resources to have nice spaces; which is something that has stuck with me especially since I had learned that UD had previously run into issues due to not accepting black people in the 1950’s. This led to me looking into who was responsible for creating the beauty that is UD campus. The beauty of UD’s landscape, on the North and South green can be attributed to Marian Coffin. 

Marian was an American landscape architect who created a campus that was both alluring to look at and functional, and her ideas still act as the foundation for campus landscaping. She attended Massachusetts institution of technology, and  was only one of four women in architecture and landscape design. She was one of the first women in this country to work as a professional landscape architect and is said to have worked on over 130 commissioned projects. Her work on the campus plan of the University of Delaware is one of her most notable creations. 

- Alexa Bryant
 

Cassman, V. (2014, October 17). 100th anniversary of the Women’s College. 100th Anniversary of the Womens College. https://sites.udel.edu/women100yrs/2014/10/17/marian-coffin-and-the-campus-landscape/

 Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, February 2). Marian Cruger coffin. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_Cruger_Coffin