Colgate University history

Instruction began in 1820, and three years later the school became known as the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution.

The Colgate family connection was established in 1823 when Baptists in New York City — soap maker William Colgate among them — consolidated their seminary with the school in Hamilton to form the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution.

In 1826, the school's trustees bought farmland that later became the focal point of the campus, known as 'The Hill'. One year later, the current students and faculty of the school built West Hall, by using stone taken from a quarry found on the land.

The oldest building on the current campus, West Hall, was built three years later in 1827.

By 1834 the institution included preparatory, collegiate, and theological departments.

Spear House, built in 1835 by Joel Smith Bacon, Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy and Intellectual and Moral Philosophy, houses the Center for Career Services.

The first students “not having the ministry in view” were admitted in 1839.

The first student newspaper was the Hamilton Student, launched on November 2, 1846.

Another group of Baptist dissenters, calling for an end to racial and gender discrimination, had founded New-York Central College in 1849.

In 1850, the Baptist Education Society planned to move the university to Rochester, but was halted by legal action.

Since the first chartered chapter in 1856, fraternities and sororities have been part of a long-standing tradition at Colgate University.

Built in 1884, it stands as a distinctive example of the Romanesque Revival style of architecture and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1890, Madison University changed its name to Colgate University in recognition of the family and its gifts to the school.

Merrill House, built in 1899, was a gift of James B. Colgate.

Probably the most distinctive building on campus is the Chapel (Colgate Memorial Chapel), which was built in 1918 and is used for lectures, performances, concerts, and religious services.

When the theological school merged with the Rochester Divinity School in 1928, Colgate became a nonsectarian university.

Starting in 1932, Colgate athletics teams were called the "Red Raiders" in reference to the new maroon uniforms of that season's "undefeated, untied, unscored upon, and uninvited" football team, which was the first to use the moniker.

In 1936, the Colgate swim team made its first trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for spring break training at the Casino Pool.

Clark, an avid collector, took an active interest in expanding the holdings of the Association and in 1944 donated Fenimore House, one of his family's properties, to be used as a new headquarters and museum.

Dean attended Colgate University (Hamilton, New York) and then the College of Wooster (Ohio), where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1961.

The house, built in 1962 as a residence for the president of Colgate, was originally the gift of Mrs.

The Colgate University Press, founded in 1964 by seven members of the faculty, publishes at a modest, self-supporting rate.

He first joined a law firm in Washington, D.C., and then served in 1966–67 as chief minority (Republican) counsel to the House Judiciary Committee.

Since 1967, academically and economically disadvantaged students with strong potential have been recruited and admitted to Colgate under the auspices of the Office of Undergraduate Studies.

The collections and programs continued to expand and a separate library building was constructed in 1968.

The Picker Art Gallery is the Fine Arts museum that is housed in the Dana Arts Center at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. It was established in 1969, and named after Evelyn Picker, class of ’36 and trustee emeritus.

Women were first admitted in 1970.

Dean first came to national attention in 1972, when Nixon named him to head a special investigation into possible involvement of White House personnel in the Watergate case.

The Eric J. Ryan Studio building, connected to Little Hall, opened in 1974 and provides facilities for teaching studio art and theater.

Professor of anthropology and archeologist John M. Longyear III, who retired from Colgate University in 1978, suggested a Museum where students could study and interact with the collection.

Wynn Hall, the chemical sciences building, opened in 1979, is connected by tunnels to the other science buildings on campus.

Curtiss E. Frank Dining Hall, built in 1984, is open 24 hours/day seven days/week and serves students who live in residence halls and is open to all in the Colgate community.

The Center for Women’s Studies located on the ground floor of East Hall, was established in 1991 to extend education on issues of gender and women’s studies to the entire Colgate community.

The Michael Saperstein Jewish Center, built in 1993, provides a setting for weekly Shabbat services, Passover seders, and observance of Jewish holidays.

Persson Hall, built in 1994, houses the Departments of Economics, Educational Studies, and Political Science, as well as the Division of Social Sciences office.

In 1995 a new 18,000 square foot wing was added to Fenimore House to house the Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection which is one of the nation's premier collections of American Indian Art.

The Max Shacknai Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education (the COVE) was founded in 2001 and is Colgate’s center for service, citizenship, and community building.

Colgate founded the Upstate Institute in 2003.

Renovations on it were completed in 2004, and it now houses the offices for student organizations, a cafeteria, post office, printing center, a computer facility, as well as the new Blackmore Media Center, home to WRCU, Colgate's radio station.

Following a number of incidents related to fraternities and sororities on campus, in 2005, the university decided to purchase the Greek houses.

The university's campus was ranked as the most beautiful by The Princeton Review in their 2010 edition. It is also on the list of "100 best campuses for LGBT students." In October 2006, Colgate was ranked as the second most fit college in America by . Colgate has been ranked third by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education for its success in integrating African-American students.

The Case Library and Geyer Center for Information Technology opened in March 2007.

The university's campus was ranked as the most beautiful by The Princeton Review in their 2010 edition.

Raab House (formerly Watson House) was renamed in 2011 following a generous gift from trustee emeritus Kirk ‘59 P’12’12 and Maryann Raab to renovate the house.

Opened in fall 2012, the DLMC is a collaborative studio for digital media creation and manipulation.

In its 2013 edition, United States News and World Report ranked Colgate as the 18th best liberal arts college in the country.

As of December 31, 2014, Colgate's endowment was $856 million.

The Center for International Programs was established in 2015 and houses the Office of Off-Campus Study and the Lampert Institute for Civic and Global Affairs.

Colgate removed the Cutten name from a residential complex located between Whitnall Field and Huntington Gym in 2017.

Fully reaccredited effective June 2018 by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Colgate offers a curriculum established around four academic divisions — Arts and Humanities, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Social Sciences, and University Studies.