Last Hope University
Last Hope University was founded in 19 DC by the Founders of the Bailey, built on pre-fall ruins in Bahlsmore that no one has fully explained. What started as an academic institution on questionable foundations grew into both the premier university and the primary hospital of Dominus Columbia, operating six colleges that cover the breadth of knowledge the post-fall world considers worth preserving.
The six colleges each carry the stamp of their leadership. The College of Engineering under Dean Edison. The College of Philosophy under Dean Nolan, a Baywalker. The College of Chemistry under Professor Folger, a Semper Mort chef. The College of Medical Arts under Dean Perkins, a Lascarian. The College of Law under Captain Janus Peppier, a one-eyed retired airship Captain and International who served during the Three Year Horde. And the College of War under Dean Northrop, a former Warship Captain, established during the Iron Harbor War as an extension of the Anna Polis Naval College. Chancellor Chevalier presides over the whole enterprise.
The College of Law holds a distinction worth noting: it grants the only qualification recognized to practice law anywhere within the Bailey. Every lawyer in Dominus Columbia traces their credentials back to this single institution. The practical and political implications of that monopoly are considerable.
The university's operations extend beyond its campus. Professors deploy to the field with students to staff satellite hospitals, bringing medical care to communities that cannot reach Bahlsmore. Clinical trials and an annual open science fair round out a program that treats knowledge as a commodity to be produced, tested, and distributed rather than hoarded.
At the center of the campus sits The Quad, and at the center of The Quad stands a pre-fall tree that whispers to students. No one has explained why. No one has cut it down. The university's relationship with the inexplicable is evidently more practical than fearful: if the tree has not harmed anyone and the students keep coming, the whispering is a feature rather than a problem.
The six colleges each carry the stamp of their leadership. The College of Engineering under Dean Edison. The College of Philosophy under Dean Nolan, a Baywalker. The College of Chemistry under Professor Folger, a Semper Mort chef. The College of Medical Arts under Dean Perkins, a Lascarian. The College of Law under Captain Janus Peppier, a one-eyed retired airship Captain and International who served during the Three Year Horde. And the College of War under Dean Northrop, a former Warship Captain, established during the Iron Harbor War as an extension of the Anna Polis Naval College. Chancellor Chevalier presides over the whole enterprise.
The College of Law holds a distinction worth noting: it grants the only qualification recognized to practice law anywhere within the Bailey. Every lawyer in Dominus Columbia traces their credentials back to this single institution. The practical and political implications of that monopoly are considerable.
The university's operations extend beyond its campus. Professors deploy to the field with students to staff satellite hospitals, bringing medical care to communities that cannot reach Bahlsmore. Clinical trials and an annual open science fair round out a program that treats knowledge as a commodity to be produced, tested, and distributed rather than hoarded.
At the center of the campus sits The Quad, and at the center of The Quad stands a pre-fall tree that whispers to students. No one has explained why. No one has cut it down. The university's relationship with the inexplicable is evidently more practical than fearful: if the tree has not harmed anyone and the students keep coming, the whispering is a feature rather than a problem.
Structure
Last Hope University operated under Chancellor Chevalier and comprised six colleges, each led by a dean or senior professor. The College of Engineering was led by Dean Edison. The College of Philosophy was led by Dean Nolan, a Baywalker. The College of Chemistry was led by Professor Folger, a Semper Mort chef. The College of Medical Arts was led by Dean Perkins, a Lascarian. The College of Law was led by Dean Captain Janus Peppier, a one-eyed retired airship Captain and International who served during the Three Year Horde; this college granted the only qualification recognized to practice law anywhere within the Bailey. The College of War was led by Dean Northrop, a former Warship Captain; this college was established during the Iron Harbor War as an extension of the Anna Polis Naval College.
Public Agenda
Last Hope University existed to preserve and advance knowledge in a world that had lost most of it. Its six colleges covered engineering, philosophy, chemistry, medical arts, law, and war, a curriculum that addressed both the intellectual and practical needs of a civilization rebuilding itself from ruin. The College of Law held particular significance: it granted the only qualification recognized to practice law anywhere within the Bailey, giving the university a monopoly on legal credentialing that carried political weight well beyond its campus.
History
Last Hope University was founded in 19 DC by the Founders of the Bailey, built on pre-fall ruins in Bahlsmore. From those ruins the Founders raised an institution that would become one of the most significant centers of learning in the wasteland. The six colleges grew over time, with the College of War added during the Iron Harbor War as an extension of the pre-existing Anna Polis Naval College.
The university's programs extended beyond its campus walls. Professors deployed to the field with students to run satellite hospitals, an annual open science fair drew visitors and scholars, and clinical trials pushed the boundaries of wasteland medicine. The Quad, the central campus area, contained a mysterious pre-fall tree that whispered to students. No one could explain the whispering. No one cut the tree down, either.
The university's programs extended beyond its campus walls. Professors deployed to the field with students to run satellite hospitals, an annual open science fair drew visitors and scholars, and clinical trials pushed the boundaries of wasteland medicine. The Quad, the central campus area, contained a mysterious pre-fall tree that whispered to students. No one could explain the whispering. No one cut the tree down, either.
Bahlsmore's six-college university and hospital; sole legal qualification in the Bailey.
Type
Academic institution, hospital
Location
Bahlsmore, Dominus Columbia
Founded
19 DC
Chancellor
Chevalier
Colleges
Engineering, Philosophy, Chemistry, Medical Arts, Law, War
Notable Feature
The Quad (whispering pre-fall tree)
