History of the Bronx Community College
Bronx Community College is a two-year public college that is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system. The college emerged from a grassroots drive in the 1940s and early 1950s to improve higher education in The Bronx. The Bronx Community College has evolved from a small technical school to a liberal arts institution since its creation in 1957. The CUNY campus has grown through strong presidential leadership and strategic partnerships with other schools.
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Creating Bronx Community College
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Bronx residents lobbied city and state officials for a new community college after World War II to meet rising educational demands. The Bronx Community College was established in 1957 and the first classes convened on February 2, 1959. The school enrolled 125 students during its inaugural spring semester with Dr. Morris Meister overseeing curriculum development. Meister and other staff worked out of temporary facilities at Hunter College and the Bronx High School of Science until the school moved in 1973.
Harlem River Campus
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Bronx Community College found a permanent campus with the availability of New York University's University Heights campus in 1973. The New York State Dormitory Authority purchased the University Heights campus from New York University and maintained the land for Bronx Community College. President James Colston administered the transfer of students, staff and assets to the campus prior to the fall semester in 1973. The college's 53-acre campus overlooks the Harlem River and Roberto Clemente State Park.
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Hall of Fame for Great Americans
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The Hall of Fame for Great Americans was created in 1900 as part of New York University's University Heights campus. Once the campus was acquired by Bronx Community College in 1973, the hall's ownership reverted to the college. The Hall of Fame honored American luminaries like Horace Mann, Henry Clay, Ulysses Grant and Robert Fulton every five years between 1900 and 1970. The 1973 class inducted John Phillip Sousa, Franklin Roosevelt, George Washington Carver and Louis Brandeis.
Presidents of Bronx Community College
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The college's first president, Dr. Morris Meister, helped expand the Bronx Community College curriculum between 1957 and his resignation in 1966. Dr. James Colston oversaw the transfer of Bronx Community College from its temporary location to its Harlem River campus before leaving office in 1976. Dr. Roscoe Brown developed partnerships with other CUNY campuses between 1977 and 1993. Dr. Carolyn Williams created partnerships with schools in Austria and South Africa during her tenure as college president from 1996 to 2006.
Bronx Community College Centers
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Bronx Community College has established several centers to further its educational mission in the 21st century. The college's Center for Sustainable Energy was created in 2003 to further research into sustainable energy production. The Center for Tolerance and Understanding was founded in September 2005 to teach students how to use mediation and cultural history to deal with conflict. The National Center for Educational Alliances was created under President Carolyn Williams to facilitate academic partnerships with schools worldwide.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Picture by trontnort (Flickr)
