The institution we know today as Wilkes University began in 1933 when Bucknell University established its Junior College in Wilke -Barre, Pennsylvania. Bucknell University Junior College (BUJC) attracted eager, highly motivated, and able young persons, virtually all of whom were the first members of their families to benefit from higher education.

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Wilkes University further distinguished itself in 1996 when the eagerly anticipated School of Pharmacy opened. Three years later, through a generous gift from Mrs. Geraldine Nesbitt Orr, the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy at Wilkes University was established. In 2004, the Jay S. Sidhu School of Business & Leadership opened its doors with a unique program that emphasizes not only business skills, but also the value of cognitive and emotional intelligence.