History of Union

A Brief History of Union College

Union College archives and special collections

Union College can trace its beginnings to 1779. Several hundred residents of northern New York began the first popular demand for higher education in America. These and other residents pursued that dream for sixteen years until, in 1795, Union became the first college chartered by the Regents of the State of New York. The first trustees consciously attempted to bring their new college into the mainstream of their world. The very name, Union, carried echoes of the new national union. More immediately and directly, it recognized the fact that the College was an outgrowth of a willingness to cooperate among the several religious and national groups in the local population. Union's founders were determined to avoid the narrow sectarianism characteristic of earlier American colleges; today, Union is one of the oldest nondenominational colleges in the country.

Union did not share the heavily classical bias of most colleges of the day. Its motto is ('Sous les lois de Minerve nous devenons tous freres,' or 'We all become brothers under the laws of Minerva'). Union was among the first to introduce French on an equal level with Greek and Latin. In the 1820s, when the classical curriculum was the most widely accepted field of study, Union introduced a bachelor's degree with greater emphasis on history, science, modern languages, and mathematics. This liberality of educational vision characterized Union during the early years of the term of Eliphalet Nott, president from 1804 to 1866. Science and technology became important concerns; chemistry was taught before 1809, a degree in scientific studies was added, and in 1845 Union became the first liberal arts college to offer engineering. The College was one of the first to offer work in American history and constitutional government and did pioneer work in the elective system of study.

By about 1830, Union was graduating as many students as any other college in America, ranking with Harvard, Yale and Princeton. Students came from the South and West as well as the East. Among them were the father of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the grandfather of Winston Churchill, a president of the United States (Chester A. Arthur, Class of 1848), seven cabinet secretaries, fifteen United States senators, ninety-one members of the House of Representatives, thirteen governors, fifty important diplomats, more than 200 judges, forty missionaries, sixteen generals, and ninety college presidents, including the first presidents of the University of Illinois, the University of Iowa, the University of Michigan, Vassar College, Smith College, and Elmira College.

Nott's ingenious schemes for financing higher education, including a statewide lottery, also were instrumental in building Union's reputation. Scandal touched his later years, however, as a result of his questionable handling of some of the lottery proceeds. Nott's failure to relinquish control of the College during his final years was one of the factors in a decline that accelerated in the quarter century after the president's death. At its low point in 1888, Union had fewer students in all four classes than it had graduated as seniors a half century earlier.

The revival of the College began in the late nineteenth-century under the leadership of Andrew Van Vranken Raymond, president from 1894 to 1907. Among his most important innovations was the establishment of a Department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, headed by the 'electrical wizard' of the General Electric Company, Charles P. Steinmetz. The new department gave impetus to the development of strong programs in science and technology and attracted attention and applications to the College.

The twentieth century has brought other changes to Union's academic program and to its campus as the College has regained a position of prominence in American higher education. The College has done important experimental work in interdepartmental studies, which is reflected in the existence of a number of programs that cut across the lines of academic disciplines. Organized interdepartmental majors are offered in numerous areas, and the College has also developed programs that enable students to work toward both a bachelor's degree and an advanced degree. The General Education Curriculum has received national recognition, and the College has an innovative program of Writing Across the Curriculum. Efforts to renew and enhance the College's academic programs and curricula continue to be supported by major foundations. For example, the College is one of a cluster of six institutions awarded a grant from the Pew Memorial Trusts to develop better ways of teaching science, mathematics, and computer science to undergraduates.

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About Union Mission Statement History of Union Presidents of Union College Board of Trustees Union Notables Exhibit Traditions of Union What to do AroundU? The Union Campus Did U Know? When New York City filmmakers were scouting locations for a true murder mystery set during the winter in 1970s-era Madison, Wis., attorney Murray Schwartz ’69 pointed them north to Union. Parts of “The Winter of Frozen Dreams,” an independent movie starring Keith Carradine and Thora Birch (set for release in 2008), were filmed on campus in 2007.	A Brief History of Union College Union College archives and special collections Email archives & special collections Union College can trace its beginnings to 1779. Several hundred residents of northern New York began the first popular demand for higher education in America. These and other residents pursued that dream for sixteen years until, in 1795, Union became the first college chartered by the Regents of the State of New York. The first trustees consciously attempted to bring their new college into the mainstream of their world. The very name, Union, carried echoes of the new national union. More immediately and directly, it recognized the fact that the College was an outgrowth of a willingness to cooperate among the several religious and national groups in the local population. Union's founders were determined to avoid the narrow sectarianism characteristic of earlier American colleges; today, Union is one of the oldest nondenominational colleges in the country. Union did not share the heavily classical bias of most colleges of the day. Its motto is ('Sous les lois de Minerve nous devenons tous freres,' or 'We all become brothers under the laws of Minerva'). Union was among the first to introduce French on an equal level with Greek and Latin. In the 1820s, when the classical curriculum was the most widely accepted field of study, Union introduced a bachelor's degree with greater emphasis on history, science, modern languages, and mathematics. This liberality of educational vision characterized Union during the early years of the term of Eliphalet Nott, president from 1804 to 1866. Science and technology became important concerns; chemistry was taught before 1809, a degree in scientific studies was added, and in 1845 Union became the first liberal arts college to offer engineering. The College was one of the first to offer work in American history and constitutional government and did pioneer work in the elective system of study. By about 1830, Union was graduating as many students as any other college in America, ranking with Harvard, Yale and Princeton. Students came from the South and West as well as the East. Among them were the father of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the grandfather of Winston Churchill, a president of the United States (Chester A. Arthur, Class of 1848), seven cabinet secretaries, fifteen United States senators, ninety-one members of the House of Representatives, thirteen governors, fifty important diplomats, more than 200 judges, forty missionaries, sixteen generals, and ninety college presidents, including the first presidents of the University of Illinois, the University of Iowa, the University of Michigan, Vassar College, Smith College, and Elmira College. Nott's ingenious schemes for financing higher education, including a statewide lottery, also were instrumental in building Union's reputation. Scandal touched his later years, however, as a result of his questionable handling of some of the lottery proceeds. Nott's failure to relinquish control of the College during his final years was one of the factors in a decline that accelerated in the quarter century after the president's death. At its low point in 1888, Union had fewer students in all four classes than it had graduated as seniors a half century earlier. The revival of the College began in the late nineteenth-century under the leadership of Andrew Van Vranken Raymond, president from 1894 to 1907. Among his most important innovations was the establishment of a Department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, headed by the 'electrical wizard' of the General Electric Company, Charles P. Steinmetz. The new department gave impetus to the development of strong programs in science and technology and attracted attention and applications to the College. The twentieth century has brought other changes to Union's academic program and to its campus as the College has regained a position of prominence in American higher education. The College has done important experimental work in interdepartmental studies, which is reflected in the existence of a number of programs that cut across the lines of academic disciplines. Organized interdepartmental majors are offered in numerous areas, and the College has also developed programs that enable students to work toward both a bachelor's degree and an advanced degree. The General Education Curriculum has received national recognition, and the College has an innovative program of Writing Across the Curriculum. Efforts to renew and enhance the College's academic programs and curricula continue to be supported by major foundations. For example, the College is one of a cluster of six institutions awarded a grant from the Pew Memorial Trusts to develop better ways of teaching science, mathematics, and computer science to undergraduates.
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A Brief History of Union College