H.S. Goldey opened the Wilmington Commercial and Shorthand College in 1886, which later became referred to as Goldey College.

When W.H. Beacom started in his own school in 1900, it was intially called the Wilmington Business School until 1925 when the name officially changed to Beacom College. 

The library holds one surviving college catalog for Salisbury College of Business, dating back to 1910. As a result, the institution has been established as its own distinct collection. Salisbury College of Business was part of the Beacom Business Colleges network. Researchers seeking additional college catalogs for Salisbury College of Business from 1900 to 1911 should consult the Beacom College Collection.

At the time, J.W. Hirons served as manager and principal of Salisbury College of Business, while W.H. Beacom, president of Beacom College in Wilmington, Delaware, oversaw its operations within the broader Beacom system.

Beacom Business Colleges comprised two campuses: Beacom College in Wilmington, Delaware, and Salisbury Business College in Salisbury, Maryland. The Wilmington institution operated under several names over time, including Beacom School and Beacom College. The Salisbury campus was located in the Masonic Temple and was managed as part of the broader Beacom Business Colleges network.

W.H. Beacom, founder and president, oversaw the Wilmington campus, while J.W. Hirons served as vice president and managed the Salisbury campus. In later years, Hirons succeeded Beacom as president, continuing the institution’s legacy across both locations.

Beacom College has gone by many names, including Wilmington Business School, Beacom Business Colleges (Beacom College and Salisbury Business College), and Beacom College. All catalogs from these names are listed in this collection. All the Colleges named were operated by W.H. Beacom. In 1925, the name was changed officially to Beacom College.

When Beacom College and Goldey College merged on June 25, 1951, to become Goldey Beacom School of Business. Later the school was referred to as Goldey Beacom Junior College. In 1972, a new charter was developed, and the College assumed the title it holds to this present day (2025): Goldey Beacom College. These college catalogs represent the college as it is currently formed since 1951.

This collection contains ephemera, including student life calendars, dance programs and cards, and more about student life from all the colleges. NB: it does not contain images.