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Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York.

Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as branches of Hunter College (then a women's college) and the City College of New York (then a men-only college). With the merger of these branches, Brooklyn College became the first public coeducational liberal arts college in New York City. The 26-acre campus is known for its great beauty.

The College ranked in the top 10 nationally for the second consecutive year in Princeton Review’s 2006 guidebook, America’s Best Value Colleges. Emblematic of its students’ possibilities is Eugene Shenderov, who received a 2005 Rhodes Scholarship, before graduating from the B.A.-M.D. program in June 2005.

Campus history

In 1934, an architect named Randolph Evans, drafted a plan for the college's campus on a large plot of land his employer owned in the Midwood section of Brooklyn. He sketched out a Georgian-style campus facing a central quadrangle, and anchored by a library building with a tall tower. Evans presented the sketches to the President of the college at the time, Dr. William A. Boylan. Boylan was pleased with the plans, and the lot of land was bought for $1.6 million. Construction of the new campus began in 1935, with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by then Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and Brooklyn Borough President Raymond Ingersoll. In 1936, then-President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt went to Brooklyn College to lay the cornerstone of the Brooklyn College Gymnasium. President Boylan, Borough President Ingersoll, and President Roosevelt all had buildings on Brooklyn College's campus named after them. The campus located in Midwood became the only Brooklyn College campus after the school's Downtown Brooklyn campus was shut down during the 1975 budget emergency.

Modern campus history

Brooklyn College's campus today still looks much as it did when it was originally constructed, but with extensions of Ingersoll Hall and Roosevelt Hall. The most recent construction to take place on the campus was the demolition of the Plaza Building, due to its inefficient use of space, poor ventilation, and significant maintenance cost. To replace the Plaza Building, the college is currently constructing a new West Quad. To keep with the academic style of the campus, the new grounds will contain a newly landscaped quadrangle with grassy areas and trees. Also, new façades will be constructed on the Roosevelt and James Hall buildings where they once connected with the Plaza Building. In addition to these changes, a new building will be built that will house classroom space, offices, and the Department of Physical Education and Exercise Science. The building will also contain new gymnasiums, a swimming pool, and indoor track. This follows a major library renovation that saw the library moved to a temporary home while construction took place.

Quality education requires excellent teachers, and Brooklyn College has a faculty distinguished by master teaching and scholarly achievement. Ninety percent of the Brooklyn College faculty hold the highest degree in their field. Among them are Fulbright and Guggenheim fellows, a National Book Award finalist, an Obie Award-winning playwright, 3 Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, and award-winning scientists and musicians.

Perhaps the best measure of an excellent college is the success of its graduates. The College ranks 19th nationally in the number of its undergraduates who have gone on to receive Ph.D. degrees.

Divisions

Brooklyn College is made up of three academic divisions:

• College of Liberal Sciences
• School of General Studies
• Division of Graduate Studies

Division of Graduate Studies

About

The Division of Graduate Studies draws on this record of achievement. For almost 70 years, the division has enabled qualified students of diverse backgrounds to acquire an advanced education of superior quality at a comparatively modest tuition. Today students from almost every state and more than 30 countries are working toward their master's or doctoral degrees at Brooklyn College. The Division of Graduate Studies offers more than 60 master's degree and advanced certificate programs in the arts, education, humanities, social sciences, sciences, and professional studies. Each year hundreds of graduate students embark on professional careers with the assistance of the Center for Career Development and Internships. Fostering a strong sense of community are the Graduate Student Organization, a number of student clubs, a graduate student newsletter, a series of graduate student lectures, and lively social events.

Today, under the administraion of its eighth president, Dr. Christopher M. Kimmich, Brooklyn College is building on traditions that have given it a place among the nation's most respected institutions of higher education.

Mission

Brooklyn College is a comprehensive, state-supported institution of higher learning in the borough of Brooklyn, a culturally and ethnically diverse community of two-and-one-half million people. As one of the 11 senior colleges of the City University of New York, it shares the mission of the university, whose commitment is to access and excellence.

The College seeks to extend its educational mission to graduate students through advanced programs offered by the Division of Graduate Studies. The academic goals of the division build on the College's tradition of academic excellence in the liberal arts and in teacher education programs. The division offers studies in specialized areas to serve the growing number of adults who seek to continue their intellectual pursuits and broaden their professional goals. In addition, in order to meet the changing needs of society, Brooklyn College continually develops new degree and advanced certificate programs as well as new concentrations of courses in existing programs. The College participates in a range of doctoral programs offered by the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York, including campus-based programs in the sciences.

B.A.-M.D. Program

The Brooklyn College B.A.-M.D. program is an 8-year program affiliated with SUNY Downstate Medical Center. The Program follows a rigorous selection process, with a maximum of 17 students selected every year. Each student selected to the program receives a Brooklyn College Presidential Scholarship. B.A.-M.D. students must engage in community service for three years, beginning in their lower sophomore semester. During one summer of their undergraduate studies, students are required to volunteer in a clinical setting where they are involved in direct patient care. B.A.-M.D. students are encouraged to major in the humanities or social sciences. A student who majors in a science must choose a minor in the humanities or social sciences. All students meet the pre-med science requirements by taking cell and molecular biology, botany, physiology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and general physics. B.A.-M.D. students must maintain at Brooklyn College an overall grade point average of 3.5, and a pre-med science GPA of 3.5.

Notable alumni

• Richard Bellman (B.A. 1941), applied mathematician and inventor of dynamic programming
• Donald Berman (B.A. 1974), producer/director, Entertainment Tonight
• David Betesh (B.A. 2006), founder of the Sephardic Pizmonim Project.
• Barbara Aronstein Black (B.A. 1953), Dean, Columbia University School of Law
• Perry J. Bohmstein (B.A. 1978) Administrative Law Judge at NYC's ECB
• Barbara Boxer (B.A. 1962) United States Representative and United States Senator (D - California)
• Oscar Brand (B.S. 1942), folk singer, radio host, musicologist
• Shirley Chisholm (B.A. 1946), first African American U.S. Congresswoman, 1968—82
• Bruce Chizen (B.S. 1978), President & CEO, Adobe Systems
• Manuel F. Cohen (B.S. 1933), Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission, 1964—69.
• Paul Cohen (B.A. 1953), mathematician, winner of Fields Medal
• Stanley Cohen (B.A. 1943), biochemist and Nobel laureate (Physiology or Medicine, 1986)
• Jerry Della Femina (1957), Chairman & CEO, Della Femina, Jeary and Partners
• Alan Dershowitz (B.A. 1959), Harvard Law School professor and author
• Bob Dole (Army Special Training Program 1943, 1944), United States Senator from Kansas and Republican Presidential nominee in 1996
• R. Bruce Donoff (B.A. 1964), Dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine
• Yaffa Eliach (1967), Professor of Judaic Studies and pioneer scholar in Holocaust Studies
• Delia McQuade Emmons (B.A. 1973), Senior Vice President, American Stock Exchange
• Edith Brenner Everett ( 1949), Vice President, Gruntal & Co; co-founder, Everett Public Service Internship Program
• Sandra Abramowitz Feldman ( 1960), President, American Federation of Teachers
• Frank Field (meteorologist) (B.S. 1947), meteorologist and science editor
• Nikki Franke ( ), Olympic fencer 1976, Pan American Games (silver 1975, bronze 1979)
• Nathan (Nat) Frankel ( ), NBA basketball player 1946-47
• George Friedman (B.A. 1956), Chairman & CEO, Parallel Communications, Inc.
• Allan Gibofsky (B.A. 1969), Professor, Hospital for Special Surgery Weill Medical College of Cornell University
• Leon M. Goldstein (B.A. 1958), former Chancellor of the City University of New York and President of Kingsborough Community College
• Beverly Hall ( B.A. 1970), State District Superintendent, Newark, New Jersey Schools
• Oscar Handlin (B.A. 1934), Carl M. Loeb University Professor Emeritus, Harvard University; winner of the Pulitzer Prize in history, author
• Melvin (Mel) Hirsch ( ), NBA basketball player for the Boston Celtics 1946-47
• Lionel Hurst (B.A. 1980), Ambassador, Antigua and Barbuda Mission to the United States
• Myron Kandel (B.A. 1952), reporter, CNN
• Donald Kagan (B.A. 1954), historian; former Dean at Yale University
• Vera Pistrak Katz ( 1955), Mayor, Portland, Oregon
• Israel Kirzner (B.A. 1954), economist
• Barbara E. Klein (B.A. 1965), Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin
• Edward Korman (B.A. 1963), Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
• Victor Lasky (1940), Pulitzer Prize—winning writer and syndicated newspaper columnist
• Sam Levenson (B.A. 1934), humorist, author
• Mitchel Levitas (B.A. 1951), Editor, New York Times Op-Ed Page
• Harvey Lichtenstein, (B.A. 1951), President & Executive Producer of the Brooklyn Academy of Music
• Jackson Mac Low (B.A. 1958), poet
• Michael Lynne (B.A. 1961), President & COO, New Line Cinema
• Marty Markowitz (B.A. 1970), Senator in the New York State Legislature; Brooklyn Borough President (2001, present)
• Paul Mazursky (B.A. 1951), Film Director, best known for Down and Out in Beverly Hills; producer; actor
• Frank McCourt (M.A. 1967), Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis
• Dariusz Mikolajczak ( ), Judo, alternate in the 2004 Olympics, bronze medal in 2005 Pan American Games
• Paul Moses (B.A.) 197?, Journalist and former city editor at Newsday (current journalism professor).
• Barry Munitz (B.A. 1963), Chancellor of the California State University System
• Gloria Naylor (B.A. 1981), novelist; Winner American Book Award
• Peter Nero (B.A. 1956), Grammy Award winning pianist; conductor; composer
• Harold Norse (B.A. 1938), poet & novelist
• William Paul (B.A. 1956), Head of the U.S. National Aids Program
• Robert Phillips (M.A. 1982), Classical guitarist, composer, educator, and Head of Performing Arts at All Saints Academy
• Harvey Pitt (B.A. 1965), former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
• Rosemary S. Pooler (B.A. 1959), Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
• Deborah Poritz (B.A. 1958), first female Chief Justice, New Jersey State Supreme Court; first female New Jersey Attorney General, 1994—96.
• Ellen Friedman Prince (B.A. 1964), Professor of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania
• Gerald Prince (B.A. 1963), Professor of Romance Languanges, University of Pennsylvania
• Stuart A. Rice (B.S. 1952), physical chemist at The University of Chicago
• Stephen Riggio (B.A. 1975), CFO, Barnes & Noble, Inc.
• Marius Russo ( ), Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees 1939-43, 1946); All-Star in 1941
• David Salzman (B.A. 1965), President, Quincy Jones David Salzman Entertainment Company
• Suzanne Scherer (M.F.A. 1989), painter; first woman admitted to the Russian Academy of Art
• Irwin Shaw (B.A. 1934), playwright, screenwriter, and author ("Rich Man, Poor Man"; winner of two O. Henry Awards
• Allie Sherman, (1943), President, OTB; Coach of the New York Giants, 1961—68
• Jimmy Smits (B.A. 1980), actor, NYPD Blue and L.A. Law; won an Emmy Award in 1990
• Zachary Solomon (B.A. 1957), President & CEO, Associated Merchandising Corporation
• Thomas Tizzio (B.A. 1962), President & Director, American International Group
• Leonard Tow (B.A. 1950), Chairman, CEO, CFO, Citizens Utilities Corporation
• David Trinidad (M.F.A. 1980), poet
• Rochelle Udell (B.A. 1966), Editor-in-Chief, Self Magazine
• Nari Ward (M.F.A. 1991), mixed-media sculptor, Guggenheim Fellow, featured in Venice Biennale
• Jack Weinstein (B.A. 1943), Columbia Law School professor and Senior Judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
• Jack Wiener (B.A. 1979), Deputy General Counsel & Managing Director, Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation
• Joel Zwick (B.A. 1962), Theater and Television Producer, Family Matters, director of My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

In a National Research Council study of baccalaureate origins of Ph.D. recipients between 1920 and 1995, Brooklyn College ranked 19th in the nation.

Notable Faculty

• F. Murray Abraham - Actor of stage and screen, as well as a professor of theater
• Edwin G. Burrows - Historian; Pulitzer Prize winner for co-writing Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 with Mike Wallace.
• Michael Cunningham - Writer/novelist, 1999 Pulitzer Prize winner for The Hours; professor for the MFA Writing Program
• Allen Ginsberg - Beat poet, taught at Brooklyn College until his death
• David Grubbs - musician, composer, recording artist
• Agnieszka Holland - Film director best-known for Europa, Europa (1992).
• John Hospers - First presidential candidate of the United States Libertarian Party, professor from 1956-66.
• Abraham Maslow - Psychologist in the school of humanistic psychology, best known for his theory of human motivation which led to a therapeutic technique known as self-actualization; taught from 1937-51
• Michel Sebastiani - Olympic fencer
• Mark Rothko, Philip Pearlstein, Ad Reinhardt, Elizabeth Murray, Vito Acconci, William T. Williams - Artists (1950's to present)

Alumni Lost in 9/11

• Ernest Alikakos, '89
• Ezra Aviles, M.A., '87
• Eustace "Rudy" Bacchus, '83
• Steven H. Berger, '79
• Andre Cox, '01
• Peter L. Freund, '84
• John Giordano, '80
• Paul Lisson, '80
• Gregory T. Saucedo, '92
• Ian Schneider, '78
• Robert Twomey, '78
• Paul T. Zois, '78

External links

• Brooklyn College Web Site
• Brooklyn College Library
• Brooklyn College CLAS Student Government Assembly
• Brooklyn College Excelsior (newspaper)
• Brooklyn College Kingsman (newspaper)
• Brooklyn College Computer Science Society
• Brooklyn College Orchestra
• SUNY Downstate

• City University of New York
• Brooklyn