American International College history

Women were admitted to the college for the first time in 1892, making AIC the first coeducational college in the region.

AIC led again with the establishment of a Model Congress in 1941, which continues as the longest running such event in the nation.

AIC has achieved notable growth since the end of World War II. The establishment of the Evening College and the Summer School provided a springboard for what was to be the rapidly escalating enrollment that started in 1946.

In 1953, after conferring with business executives in the area, the college began an evening offering known as the Executive Development Program.

In 1988, the E. Russell Sprague Endowed Chair for International Business and Economics was established to give further impetus to the international business program and aid in the development of global awareness.

An 11,958 square foot addition to the existing Schwartz Campus Center was opened in September 1992.

A new major in undergraduate physical therapy was introduced in February 1993, augmenting the college’s already strong programs in the sciences and in nursing.

The Tower portion of the building, which houses the clock tower, carillons, and the Great Hall, was formally dedicated on April 22, 1994, and named in honor of Joseph and Anna Sokolowski by their daughter Sylvia Falconer Lissa ’29.

The graduate professional program in physical therapy, leading to a Master of Physical Therapy degree, began in September 1996.

In 1998, AIC completed the first phase of the American International Communication Center, equipped with the latest digital television, audio, and video equipment.

The opening of the Edgewood Gardens Residence Suites in September 2004 provided students with apartment living.

Celebrations began during the summer of 2005 with a Founder’s Day (July 18) College Community Picnic, and AIC Day at the Big E on Charter Day, September 18, 2005.