City College of New York
City College of New York
Motto:
Respice, Adspice, Prospice
(Look back, look at, and
look ahead)
Established:
1847
Type:
Public
Endowment:
$260 million
President:
Dr. Gregory H. Williams
Provost:
Dr. Zeev Dagan
Faculty:
508 (full time)
Staff:
401
Undergraduates: 11,314
Postgraduates:
3,222
Location:
New York City, NY, USA
Campus:
Urban
Athletics:
16 sports teams
Colors:
Lavender
and Black
Mascot:
Beaver
Affiliations:
City University of New
York
Website:
www.ccny.cuny.edu
The City College of the City University of
New York (known more commonly as the
City College of New York or simply City
College, CCNY, or colloquially as City) is a
senior college of the City University of New
York (CUNY), in New York City. It is also the
oldest of the City University’s twenty-three
institutions of higher learning.[1] City Col-
lege’s thirty-five acre Manhattan campus
along Convent Avenue from 130th Street to
141st Street[2] is on a hill overlooking Har-
lem; its neo-Gothic campus was mostly de-
signed by George Browne Post, and many of
its buildings are landmarks.
CCNY was the first free public institution
of higher education in the United States[3]
and also for many years has been considered
the flagship campus of the CUNY public uni-
versity system.[4]
History
Early history - 19th century
The City College of New York was originally
founded as the Free Academy of the City of
New York in 1847 by wealthy businessman
and president of the Board of Education
Townsend Harris.[5] A combination prep
school and college, it would provide children
of immigrants and the poor access to free
higher education based on academic merit
alone.
The Free Academy was the first of what
would become a system of municipally-sup-
ported colleges. Hunter College, the second,
was founded as a women’s institution in
1870. Brooklyn College, the third, was estab-
lished as a coeducational institution in 1930.
In 1847, New York State Governor John
Young had given permission to the Board of
Education to found the Free Academy, which
was