The New School

The New School
The New School · Public domain · source
Name	The New School
Established	1919
Founder	Charles A. Beard, John Dewey, James Harvey Robinson, Thorstein Veblen
Type	Private research university
President	Donna E. Shalala
City	New York City
State	New York
Country	United States
Campus	Urban
Affiliations	Association of American Universities

The New School. Founded in 1919 as a bastion of free intellectual inquiry, it is a private research university in New York City renowned for its progressive approach to education, the arts, and social research. Its evolution from a single adult education school into a multi-college university has been marked by a consistent commitment to challenging academic conventions and engaging with the pressing issues of the day. The institution's history is deeply intertwined with the arrival of The University in Exile, which brought eminent scholars fleeing Nazi Germany and cemented its reputation as a haven for critical thought.

History

The institution was established in 1919 by a group of prominent American scholars and intellectuals, including historians Charles A. Beard and James Harvey Robinson, philosopher John Dewey, and economist Thorstein Veblen. Their vision was to create an adult education center dedicated to open discussion of contemporary issues, free from the constraints of traditional academia. A pivotal moment occurred in 1933 with the creation of The University in Exile, later renamed the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science, which provided sanctuary to scholars escaping fascism in Europe, such as Hannah Arendt, Erich Fromm, and Claude Lévi-Strauss. Throughout the 20th century, it expanded its mission, establishing the Dramatic Workshop under Erwin Piscator, which influenced a generation of American theater artists. Subsequent decades saw the incorporation of distinguished schools like the Parsons School of Design (1970) and the Mannes School of Music (1989), transforming it into a comprehensive university.

Academics

The university is organized into several distinct colleges, each with a specialized focus. The core undergraduate liberal arts program is offered through the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, known for its seminar-style learning. The Parsons School of Design is a world leader in art and design education, with notable programs in fashion design, fine arts, and strategic design and management. The College of Performing Arts houses the Mannes School of Music, the School of Drama, and the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music. For graduate studies, the Schools of Public Engagement includes the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment and the Creative Writing MFA program. The legacy of The University in Exile continues through the New School for Social Research, which offers advanced degrees in disciplines like philosophy, economics, and psychology, maintaining a strong critical theory tradition.

Campus

Its urban campus is primarily located in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, with additional facilities in the surrounding neighborhoods. The architectural centerpiece is the University Center on Fifth Avenue, a 16-story facility designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill that houses classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and a 600-seat auditorium. The campus includes the historic Arnold Hall and facilities spread throughout the West Village, such as the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center. The Parsons School of Design maintains significant facilities, including studios in the Tishman Auditorium building. This decentralized, integrated model embeds the university within the cultural fabric of New York City, providing students direct access to the city's vast artistic and professional resources.

Notable people

The university's community includes a vast array of influential alumni, faculty, and associated figures. Notable alumni span diverse fields, including artists Jasper Johns and Ai Weiwei, fashion designers Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford, actors Bradley Cooper and Annette Bening, and musicians Burt Bacharach and John Zorn. Influential faculty have included philosopher Hannah Arendt, sociologist Erich Fromm, composer John Cage, painter Willem de Kooning, and theater director Elia Kazan. Other distinguished affiliates include economist Robert Heilbroner, political theorist Judith Butler, and anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, whose work was foundational to the institution's intellectual legacy.

In popular culture

The university and its iconic urban setting have served as a backdrop and subject in numerous films, television series, and literary works. Its campus and the surrounding Greenwich Village have been featured in movies such as *Sweet Smell of Success* and *Inside Llewyn Davis*, which capture the area's bohemian history. Television shows like *Gossip Girl* and *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel* have utilized its location or referenced its design school. Furthermore, the intellectual and political debates fostered there have influenced broader cultural discourse, reflected in the works of alumni and faculty who have shaped contemporary art, design, and critical theory.

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