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Washington's Birthday was celebrated at Wesleyan University from about 1863 through the 1920s. At first a patriotic event, it eventually became more of a homecoming event for Wesleyan alumni. Grand banquets, toasts, and speeches were a frequent element during the weekend festivities, along with hotly contested "cannon scraps" between the freshmen and sophomore classes. The tradition phased out during the 1920s, and was briefly revitalized in 1941 by a group of New York alumni, complete with mock cannon scrap.

The Wesleyan Spirits are an all-male a capella vocal group at Wesleyan.

The Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) was formed in 1978. It is the legislative and deliberative student body at Wesleyan University.

Wesleyan Clinic Escorts is a group that trains and organizes students to escort patients past anti-abortion protesters at women's clinics in Connecticut.

WESU was founded in 1939 as a student radio station. From 1967 until 1990, it operated under the purview of the Wesleyan Broadcast Association, independent from Wesleyan University, broadcasting on the FM band at 88.1 megahertz. In 2003, Wesleyan University acquired the license to broadcast at 88.1 megahertz, and WESU became a subsidiary thereof.

During the 1980s, a Wesleyan faculty member was asked to deliver an address to the incoming freshman class each year. These addesses contained advice and wisdom about the students' upcoming lives at Wesleyan University. These addresses were transcribed and printed by Wesleyan.

Moses Clark White (1819-1900) was a graduate of the Wesleyan University class of 1845. White worked as a preacher, a doctor and a missionary, and lived in Fuh Chau, China, from 1847-1853, returning to live in New Haven, Conn. and practice medicine.

John Cecil Rushworth Whiteley (1904-1959) was a member of the Wesleyan Class of 1925. He was also the recipient of a Rhodes Scholarship and attended Waldham College in Oxford.

Beatrice Witkin (1917-1990) was an accomplished composer and one of the first women to produce electronic music compositions.

During World War I, Wesleyan had a brief period when it adopted several programs to train students to become soldiers and officers. Wesleyan had a total of 1,169 men involved in the war effort, of whom 26 died. The majority of Wesleyan men were involved in the Army, S.A.T.C., and Navy.