Brooklyn College

Brooklyn College
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Name	Brooklyn College
Established	1930
Type	Public liberal arts college
Parent	City University of New York
President	Michelle J. Anderson
City	Brooklyn
State	New York
Country	United States
Campus	Urban, 35 acres
Students	17,735
Faculty	1,086
Colors	Brown & gold
Nickname	Bulldogs
Website	http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu

Brooklyn College. It is a senior college of the City University of New York system, founded in 1930 through the merger of branches from Hunter College and City College of New York. Located in the Midwood neighborhood, the college is renowned for its core liberal arts curriculum and its historic commitment to accessible, high-quality public higher education. It has been consistently ranked among the nation's best values in college education by publications like Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.

History

The institution was formally created by the New York City Board of Higher Education, consolidating the downtown Brooklyn extensions of Hunter College and City College of New York. Its first classes were held in various buildings across Brooklyn Heights and Downtown Brooklyn before the construction of its current campus. Under the leadership of early presidents like Harry D. Gideonse, the college developed a rigorous core curriculum known as the Brooklyn College Core, a model later studied by institutions like Stanford University. During the mid-20th century, it became a focal point during the Red Scare, with the Rapp-Coudert Committee investigating alleged communist influence among faculty. The college later became a founding member of the City University of New York system in 1961.

Campus

The main 35-acre campus is situated in the residential Midwood neighborhood, centered around a large grassy quadrangle. Its historic core consists of eleven original Georgian-style buildings constructed in the 1930s under the Public Works Administration, including Roosevelt Hall and James Hall, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Modern facilities include the Leon M. Goldstein Performing Arts Center, the West Quad Center, and the Brooklyn College Library, which houses the Brooklyniana Collection and archives related to Coney Island. The campus also features the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts and is adjacent to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Prospect Park.

Academics

The college is organized into the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Murray Koppelman School of Business, alongside the School of Education. It is particularly noted for its foundational liberal arts Core Curriculum, which requires all undergraduates to complete a sequence in classics, philosophy, and scientific inquiry. Notable academic programs include the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, the first public graduate film school in New York, located at Steiner Studios. The college also hosts prestigious research centers such as the Center for the Study of Brooklyn and the Institute for Irish-American Studies. It consistently receives high marks from Forbes and the Princeton Review for academic value and student outcomes.

Student life

Student life is centered around over 180 clubs and organizations, including a robust student government and media outlets like the Kingsman newspaper and WBCR radio. The college's athletic teams, known as the Brooklyn Bulldogs, compete in NCAA Division III as part of the City University of New York Athletic Conference. Major annual events include the Brooklyn College Film Festival and performances at the Leon M. Goldstein Performing Arts Center. The campus is served by the New York City Subway, with access via the IRT Nostrand Avenue Line and the BMT Brighton Line, connecting students to cultural institutions across New York City like the Brooklyn Museum and Barclays Center.

Notable alumni and faculty

Distinguished alumni span numerous fields, including Nobel laureate Stanley Cohen in Physiology or Medicine, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Harvey Fierstein, and former United States Attorney General John Ashcroft. In entertainment, notable graduates include actors Jimmy Smits and Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to the United States Congress, also taught here. The faculty has included influential figures such as poet John Ashbery, sociologist Philip Selznick, and philosopher John J. McDermott. Other prominent alumni are filmmaker Paul Mazursky, journalist William Taubman, and mathematician Joseph J. Kohn.

Category:City University of New York Category:Universities and colleges in Brooklyn Category:Educational institutions established in 1930