Columbia University

The tale of Columbia University, one of the oldest institutes of higher learning in the United States, began in 1704, when Colonel Lewis Morris wrote about the need for a college in New York City. Yet, the plans didn't quite take off until 1746, when the founding of the College of New Jersey made the city's leaders realize what they were missing. If New Jersey could have a college, why couldn't New York?

In 1751, a dedicated group of ten New Yorkers was put together to organize the funds to form a new college. Finally, by July 1754, the first class was held under the guidance of the college's first president, Samuel Johnson. There were only eight students in the class, and their place of learning was a humble schoolhouse attached to Trinity Church in Manhattan. October 31, 1754, was a momentous day. It was the day King's College, the precursor to Columbia, was officially established, making it the oldest institution of higher education in New York and the fifth oldest in the United States.

Fast forward to 1763, Myles Cooper, an Oxford graduate, took over as president. Among his students was none other than Alexander Hamilton, champion of the American revolution. The outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in 1776, however, brought hard times. Instruction was suspended, the college's library was plundered, and even the college building was seized for use as a military hospital.

After the war, the college needed resuscitation and turned to New York State for help. A new identity was created for the college in 1784; it was renamed Columbia College, a name reflecting pride in the newfound American nation. In 1787, a revised constitution was adopted, giving power to a 24-member board of trustees. In that very year, William Samuel Johnson, son of the first president, was elected president of the college. He played a key role in reviving the institution whose students had fought in the revolution.

Columbia experienced significant growth in the 19th century. In 1813, the college incorporated its medical school with the College of Physicians and Surgeons, forming the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. However, academics and structure weren't greatly improved until the leadership of President F.A.P Barnard. During Barnard's presidency, the college transformed into a modern university. In fact, to honor him, Barnard College was founded in 1889 for women who were initially not admitted to Columbia.

University President Seth Low, who succeeded Barnard, shifted the campus to a bigger location in Morningside Heights in 1896. This move marked the beginning of Columbia's journey toward becoming a hub of research and innovating the multiversity model as we know it. Then president Nicholas Murray Butler took this change forward and established Teachers College with philanthropist Grace Hoadley Dodge, a breakthrough development in the field of education.

The mid-20th century brought a wave of innovation at Columbia. In the aftermath of World War II, the School of International and Public Affairs was founded in 1946. The 1960s saw student activism on such a large scale that it led to the resignation of then president Grayson Kirk. Fast-forward to 1983, after failed negotiations for merging with Barnard College, Columbia College started admitting women.

The last decades of the 20th century saw Columbia University developing into a major research university. Changes were made to their academic, structural, and administrative policies. Several faculties specializing in different fields were merged into the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 1979 and 1991. And finally, in 2010, the School of International and Public Affairs became an independent faculty. Columbia University's journey, from being an idea in the minds of New York's prominent figures to becoming an esteemed educational institution, showcases its resilience and dedication towards advancing and empowering education.