Pace School history

Within two years of realizing this long sought goal, the affiliation with New York Law School was terminated, by mutual consent, and in 1976 Pace University opened its own law school on the campus of The College of White Plains, which a year earlier had consolidated with the university.

In 1977, Pace acquired the assets of Briarcliff College.

New programs such as the Doctor of Philosophy in School/Community Psychology, the first of its kind in New York State in 1979 when it was established, and the Masters in Publishing attracted students.

The Lower School classroom building was built as an addition to the Randall House in 1983.

Founded in 1985, by Vicki Burke, the first Pace Center launched with ten girls in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 1990, Doctor Patricia O'Donnell Ewers was inaugurated as Pace's fifth President and first female Chief Executive Officer.

Peter Cobb became headmaster in 1994, the same year the Castle was officially named Kirkpatrick Hall, in honor of Headmaster Kirkpatrick, who had led Pace through two decades of extraordinary growth.

Another important development was the establishment of the Pforzheimer Honors College on both the New York and Pleasantville campuses in 2003.

The 57,000-square-foot Garcia Family Middle School was completed in August 2004 and included 25 classrooms and labs, a 200-seat natatorium, faculty offices, an assembly hall, and art, music and computer facilities.

In 2006 the School of Computer Science and Information systems was renamed the Seidenberg School for alumnus and trustee Ivan G. Seidenberg whose $15 million donation to Pace was the largest gift in the University’s history.

During the administration of Stephen J. Friedman, who succeeded Doctor David A. Caputo in 2007, a new University Center for Excellence on the Environment was established.

In 2008 the Lienhard School created a new Center of Excellence: Advancing Leadership, Partnership and Scholarship.

In the area of curriculum development, in 2009, as it embarked upon a search for a new Dean, the School of Education, at the behest of the Smithsonian Institution, developed a curriculum relating to the quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s voyage to New York.

In addition, the 2011-12 year marked the 40th anniversary of Pace’s successful debate and service learning programs.

In 2012, the school launched Aim High, a $32 million campaign to build a new Upper School.

Both facilities opened in August 2014.

In 2015, the White House Council on Women and Girls recognized Pace as a prevention model for girls that should be expanded nationally.