Clarkson University facts for kids
Seal of Clarkson University
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Former names
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Thomas S. Clarkson Memorial School of Technology (1896–1913) Thomas S. Clarkson Memorial College of Technology (1913–1984) |
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| Motto | A Workman That Needeth Not to be Ashamed |
| Type | Private research university |
| Established | 1896 |
| Accreditation | MSCHE |
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Academic affiliations
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Space-grant |
| Endowment | $216.6 million (2022) |
| President | Marc P. Christensen |
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Academic staff
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750 |
| Students | 4,600 |
| Location |
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U.S.
44°39′50″N 74°59′53″W / 44.664°N 74.998°W |
| Campus | Village, 640 acres (2.6 km2) |
| Other campuses | |
| Colors | Green & gold |
| Nickname | Golden Knights |
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Sporting affiliations
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20 varsity teams NCAA Division I – ECAC Hockey (women's & men's) NCAA Division III – Liberty League |
| Mascot | The Golden Knight |
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Clarkson University is a private university in Potsdam, New York. It also has campuses in Schenectady, New York and Beacon, New York. The university was started in 1896. About 4,600 students go to Clarkson. They study for different degrees like bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. Clarkson has several schools, including ones for engineering, business, and health sciences. It is known as a research university.
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A Look at Clarkson University's History
Clarkson University was founded in 1896. It was started with money from the sisters of Thomas S. Clarkson. He was a local businessman from Potsdam. Thomas Clarkson was accidentally killed while working in his sandstone quarry. He risked his own life to save a worker. The Clarkson family was very wealthy from their quarries. Potsdam sandstone was popular for buildings in New York City. The family helped the Potsdam area a lot. The school was first called the Thomas S. Clarkson Memorial School of Technology.
In 1913, the school's name changed to Thomas S. Clarkson Memorial College of Technology. People often called it Clarkson College of Technology or CCT. For many years, most of the campus was "downtown" in Potsdam. Slowly, the campus grew to an area called the "Hill". This area is on the southwest side of Potsdam village. By 2001, almost all classes and student housing were on the Hill campus. The university still uses some downtown buildings for offices. In 2022, the Hill campus was named "The Collins Hill Campus". This was to honor former President Anthony G. Collins.
On February 24, 1984, the school officially became Clarkson University. Even today, the pep band at hockey games still cheers, "Let's Go Tech!". The school and its hockey team have used the nickname "Tech" since 1896. You can still see "CCT" on older school items.
In 2016, another college, Union Graduate College, joined Clarkson University. It became the Clarkson University Capital Region Campus in Schenectady.
What Can You Study at Clarkson?
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Clarkson University offers many different study programs. Students can choose from over 50 main subjects and smaller subjects. The university also has programs for master's and doctoral degrees. These programs are offered through various schools. These include the School of Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering. There are also schools for business, health sciences, and a special Institute for a Sustainable Environment.
Clarkson University has a special place called the Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP). CAMP helps Clarkson with its research in high-tech materials. It works on new ideas for materials and shares this technology with businesses. CAMP gets support from New York State and other groups. This helps them do important research.
Clarkson also has 15 Student Projects for Engineering Experience and Design (SPEED) teams. These teams let students from all majors work on fun, hands-on projects outside of class. Students can also join exchange programs. These programs let them study at schools in Europe and Australia.
How Does Clarkson Rank?
Clarkson University is often listed among the top schools. U.S. News & World Report has placed Clarkson among the top universities in the nation. It is also on their "Great Schools, Great Prices" list. Clarkson's program for managing supply chains is ranked very high. The university is also seen as a good choice for students with B grades. It is also listed as one of the "Best Colleges for Veterans".
Clarkson's Entrepreneurship Program is one of the top 15 in the country. This is according to the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine. Money magazine ranked Clarkson #8 for "Top Salary-Boosting Colleges" in 2015. This means graduates often earn good salaries.
Clarkson is also known for being environmentally friendly. The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges includes Clarkson. U.S. News & World Report also ranks Clarkson's Environmental Engineering program highly.
The Clarkson School: An Early Start to College
The Clarkson School is a special part of Clarkson University. It started in 1978. This school lets students start college early. Instead of a typical senior year of high school, students can take college classes. It is one of the few programs where students live and learn on a college campus early.
The Clarkson School's "Bridging Year" helps students move from high school to college. Each year, 50 to 80 high school students join The Clarkson School. They can work towards a GED or finish their high school diploma. They take college classes with other university students. They usually take 15 to 18 college credits each semester. After the program, they can join Clarkson University with all their college credits. Or, they can transfer to another school.
Students in The Clarkson School are full college students. They live in special dorms called Newell House and Ormsby House. Other Clarkson students sometimes call them "Schoolies".
Clarkson's Campuses
Clarkson has two campuses in Potsdam: the "downtown" campus and the Collins Hill Campus. It also has the Capital Region Campus in Schenectady, New York. Another campus is the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries in Beacon, New York.
Some health science departments are on the downtown campus. These include Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy. The university bookstore is also downtown. Most student housing moved to the Hill campus by 2006. Today, the downtown campus has administrative offices and health science buildings. Some buildings are leased to businesses.
Sports and Fun at Clarkson
Clarkson's sports teams are called the Golden Knights. There are 20 different varsity sports teams. Most teams compete in the NCAA.
Ice Hockey: A Big Deal
Clarkson is an NCAA Division III school for most sports. But both the men's and women's ice hockey teams play in NCAA Division I. They play in the ECAC Hockey league. The men's team has won 6 ECAC Tournament Championships. Their most recent win was in 2019.
The women's team is very strong. They have been in many NCAA tournaments. They won the NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Tournament three times: in 2014, 2017, and 2018. These were the first NCAA titles ever won by the school. They were also the first Division I NCAA championships for a school in the North Country.
Other Sports Teams
Other Division III teams compete in the Liberty League conference. These include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, and volleyball.
Clarkson also has men's and women's alpine and nordic skiing teams. They compete in the USCSA (United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association). They often do very well and go to the National Championships. In 2019, the Women's Nordic Team won the USCSA National Championship. The Men's team came in second.
There are also many non-varsity sports clubs. These include men's and women's ice hockey, rugby union, and ultimate frisbee. The university's hockey mascot is "The Golden Knight". You can see him waving the Clarkson flag at hockey games. The nickname "Golden Knights" started in 1950.
Student Clubs and Activities
Clarkson University has over 130 student clubs and groups. These are all run by students. Both undergraduate and graduate students can join. Some of the biggest clubs are the Outing Club, Ski Club, and the Clarkson Pep Band.
Clarkson Union Board (CUB)
The Clarkson Union Board (CUB) plans events on campus. They host concerts like SpringFest and FallFest. Past performers include Yung Gravy and Panic! at the Disco. CUB also helps other groups with sound and video for their events.
Amateur Radio Club (K2CC)
The Amateur Radio Club (K2CC) started in 1922. It is the oldest active club at Clarkson. The club helps students get radio licenses. They also work with the local community. K2CC has special radios for talking to people far away and even satellites.
WTSC Radio
WTSC 91.1 FM The Source is Clarkson's student-run radio station. Students can host their own shows. They play many types of music, from Rap to Classic rock. The station has a huge collection of music. It also has a fully equipped studio for broadcasting and recording.
Golden Knotes
The Clarkson Golden Knotes is a co-ed a cappella group. They sing without instruments. They perform at events on campus. Each semester, they have a big final performance. Music students from a nearby school help direct the group.
FIRST Robotics
Clarkson Robotics brings university students together with local high school students. They design, build, and test a robot every year. This robot competes in the FIRST Robotics Competition.
Applied Computer Science Labs
The Applied Computer Science Labs are mostly run by students. They include the Clarkson Open Source Institute and the Internet Teaching Lab. These labs give students experience managing projects. They also host a mirror for open source software. This means they help distribute programs like Blender (software) and Ubuntu.
Clarkson Pep Band
The Clarkson University Pep Band is a student group that supports the Golden Knights ice hockey teams. About 75 students are in the band. They play at home games for the men's and women's hockey teams. The band also travels to some away games and tournaments. The Pep Band started in 1964.
Clarkson Theatre Company (CTC)
The Clarkson Theatre Company (CTC) is a student-run theater group. They put on plays and musicals. They provide a way for students to express themselves through theater. Students and faculty from Clarkson and other nearby colleges can join.
Every fall, CTC puts on a musical. They also have a One Act Festival. This festival features short plays chosen and directed by students. Sometimes students even write the plays. This festival is often a fundraiser for charity.
Did you know that Wes Craven, who created the A Nightmare on Elm Street movies, was a professor at Clarkson in 1968? He was also an adviser for the Clarkson Drama Club, which was the old name for CTC. Some students made a short horror film in one of his classes. They filmed parts of it in Old Snell Hall, which is CTC's home. Many people believe this early filmmaking experience helped inspire A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Student Publications
- The Integrator is a weekly newspaper run by students. It is given out on campus and in Potsdam.
- WCKN Television is a student-run TV station. It shows programs made by students, like hockey games, news, and comedy shows.
- WTSC Clarkson Radio is a student-run radio station. Students can create their own weekly radio shows. They provide entertainment, news, and weather to the community.
- The Clarksonian is a student group that creates the university's yearbook.
ROTC Programs
Clarkson University hosts both Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC programs. ROTC helps students become military officers after they graduate. The ROTC program at Clarkson started in 1936. Over 1,150 officers have come from Clarkson's ROTC program.
Army ROTC
The Clarkson Army ROTC Battalion is called the "Golden Knight Battalion". It is one of many Army ROTC battalions in the United States. About 100 students are usually in the Golden Knight Battalion. Most of them are Clarkson students.
Notable Alumni
Clarkson University has many successful graduates. You can find a list of them in the main article: List of Clarkson University alumni.
Images for kids
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Clarkson University Capital Region Campus in Schenectady, New York, 2016
