New School

New School. Founded in 1919 as a bastion of free intellectual inquiry, it is a private research university in Greenwich Village, New York City. Originally named The New School for Social Research, its establishment was driven by progressive Columbia University professors protesting wartime censorship. The institution has evolved into a distinctive university comprising multiple colleges, renowned for its critical social thought, avant-garde arts, and progressive design education.

History

The university was founded by a group of prominent scholars including historians Charles A. Beard and James Harvey Robinson, philosopher John Dewey, and economist Thorstein Veblen, who left Columbia University in protest. Its early mission was to provide adult education grounded in modern social sciences to an engaged public. A defining moment came in 1933 with the creation of the University in Exile, a graduate division formed by director Alvin Johnson to rescue scholars threatened by the rise of Nazism in Europe; this later became the core of its renowned Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science. Throughout the mid-20th century, it became a central hub for European intellectual refugees, significantly influencing American thought. The institution expanded its scope in 1970 by merging with the Parsons School of Design, and later established divisions like the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts and the Mannes School of Music.

Academics

The university is organized into several constituent colleges, each with a distinct focus. The Parsons School of Design is internationally celebrated for its programs in fashion design, graphic design, and architecture. The College of Performing Arts, which includes the Mannes School of Music, the School of Drama, and the School of Jazz, trains accomplished artists. The Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts offers a seminar-based undergraduate education, while the legacy of critical theory continues within The New School for Social Research. Other notable divisions include the Schools of Public Engagement and the Parsons Paris campus. Its academic approach consistently emphasizes interdisciplinary study, social justice, and combining theoretical rigor with creative practice.

Campus

The university's urban campus is primarily located in Greenwich Village and the adjacent Union Square area, with facilities spread across numerous buildings. Key structures include the modernist University Center on Fifth Avenue, the historic Arnold Hall on 13th Street, and the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center. The campus integrates seamlessly into the fabric of downtown Manhattan, leveraging the city's cultural resources like the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Additional facilities include the Tishman Auditorium and the Kellen Gallery, with a global presence maintained through its campus in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district of Paris.

Notable people

The university's community includes a vast array of influential faculty, alumni, and associated figures. Notable faculty have included economists Robert Heilbroner and Robert Lekachman, philosopher Hannah Arendt, anthropologist Margaret Mead, and sociologist Peter Berger. In the arts, faculty and alumni encompass designer Donna Karan, painter Jackson Pollock, composer John Cage, musician Burt Bacharach, and actor Bradley Cooper. Other distinguished individuals associated with the institution are writer James Baldwin, journalist Bill Moyers, and political scientist Aristide Zolberg. Its legacy of hosting notable figures extends to lectures by public intellectuals like W.E.B. Du Bois and Albert Einstein.

In popular culture

The university and its iconic urban setting have appeared in numerous films, television series, and literary works. Its facade and locations have been featured in movies such as *The Adjustment Bureau* and episodes of the television series *Gossip Girl*. The intellectual and artistic atmosphere of Greenwich Village, intrinsically linked to the campus, has been depicted in films like *Next Stop, Greenwich Village* and novels by authors such as Paul Auster. Furthermore, the avant-garde performances and fashion shows held at its venues, including those by alumni like designer Marc Jacobs, regularly attract media coverage from outlets like *Vogue* and *The New York Times*.

Category:Universities and colleges in New York City Category:Educational institutions established in 1919