Cornell University facts for kids
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Latin: Universitas Cornelliana | |
Motto | “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study” |
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Type | Private land-grant research university |
Established | April 28, 1864 |
Founder | |
Accreditation | MSCHE |
Academic affiliations
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Endowment | $10.0 billion (2023) |
Budget | $5.4 billion (2023) |
President | Martha E. Pollack |
Provost | Michael Kotlikoff |
Academic staff
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1,639 – Ithaca, New York 1,235 – NYC, New York 34 – Doha, Qatar |
Students | 26,284 (Fall 2023) |
Undergraduates | 16,071 (Fall 2023) |
Postgraduates | 10,207 (Fall 2023) |
Location |
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United States
42°27′13″N 76°28′26″W / 42.45361°N 76.47389°W |
Campus | Small city, 745 acres (301 ha) |
Other campuses | |
Newspaper |
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Colors | Carnelian Red and White |
Nickname | Big Red |
Sporting affiliations
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Mascot | Touchdown the Bear (unofficial) |
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Cornell University is a special kind of private university in the Ivy League. It's also a "land-grant" university, which means it gets support from the state to teach things like agriculture and engineering. Cornell is located in Ithaca, New York.
The university was started in 1865 by two important people: Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White. From the very beginning, Cornell welcomed both boys and girls, and it wasn't tied to any specific religion. As of fall 2023, more than 16,000 undergraduate students and 10,000 graduate students attend Cornell. They come from all 50 U.S. states and 130 different countries!
Cornell has many different schools and colleges on its main campus in Ithaca. Each one has its own rules for getting in and its own study programs. Besides the main campus, Cornell also has two campuses in New York City and one in Doha, Qatar.
Cornell is one of the few private land-grant universities in the United States. This means some of its colleges, like the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, get support from the state of New York. The main campus in Ithaca is huge, covering about 745 acres.
Many famous people have been part of Cornell. As of October 2023, 62 Nobel Prize winners, 4 Turing Award winners, and 1 Fields Medalist have been connected to the university. Over 250,000 people have graduated from Cornell, including many successful leaders, scholars, and even Olympic medalists.
Contents
Cornell University's History
How Cornell University Started
Cornell University officially began on April 27, 1865. It was founded by Ezra Cornell, a businessman and New York State Senator, and Andrew Dickson White, an educator and also a New York State Senator. The state government chose Cornell to be its land-grant university.
Ezra Cornell gave his farm in Ithaca, New York as the first location for the university. He also donated $500,000 of his own money to help start it. Andrew Dickson White became Cornell University's first president.
In the first three years, President White worked hard. He oversaw the building of the first two campus buildings. He also traveled to find talented students and teachers. The university officially opened on October 7, 1868. The next day, 412 male students enrolled.
Cornell's Innovations and Growth
Cornell quickly became known for using new technology. In 1883, it was one of the first universities to use electricity. This power came from a water-powered dynamo to light the campus.
Since 1894, some of Cornell's colleges have been supported by the state. They also do research and outreach programs. These are funded by both New York state and the U.S. federal government.
Cornell's former students, called alumni, have always been very involved. In 1872, Cornell was one of the first universities to let alumni help choose people for its board of trustees.
Cornell University is home to Cornell University Press, which started in 1869. It's the oldest university publishing company in the country. The student newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, began in 1880. It's one of the oldest student newspapers that has been published continuously.
Cornell in the 20th and 21st Centuries
In 1995, a national group ranked Cornell's advanced degree programs very highly. Many of its Ph.D. programs were among the top ten in the nation. This included subjects like computer science, engineering, and physics.
Since 2000, Cornell has grown its international programs. In 2004, it opened a medical school in Doha, Qatar. It has also partnered with universities in India, China, and Singapore.
In 2017, Cornell opened Cornell Tech. This is a special campus in New York City for graduate students and research. It's located on Roosevelt Island. This campus was created to help new technology businesses grow in New York City.
Cornell University Campuses
Ithaca Campus: Main Location

Cornell University's main campus is in Ithaca, New York. It sits on East Hill, giving amazing views of the city and Cayuga Lake. The campus covers about 745 acres. It has many academic buildings, labs, sports centers, and places for students to live.
In 2011, Travel + Leisure magazine called the Ithaca Campus one of the most beautiful in the United States. They liked its mix of old and new buildings and its pretty surroundings. The campus has a unique layout with different building styles. Older buildings are more decorative, while newer ones have a modern look.
Many Cornell buildings are considered important historical places. Ten of them are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Campus Areas: Central, North, and West
Most of the classrooms and offices are on Central Campus. Here, you'll see buildings with styles like Collegiate Gothic and modern.
North Campus is mostly for student housing. It has ten dorms for first and second-year students. The buildings here are more modern.
The West Campus House System has a mix of styles. It includes five main dorms and some beautiful Gothic-style buildings. These older buildings add a historical feel to the campus.
Near the campus, the Collegetown neighborhood has a lively mix of buildings. It includes the Schwartz Performing Arts Center, dorms, restaurants, and shops.
Natural Beauty and Sustainability
The Ithaca campus is in the Finger Lakes region. It offers beautiful views of the city, Cayuga Lake, and nearby valleys. The campus is also bordered by two gorges, Fall Creek Gorge and Cascadilla Gorge. These gorges are part of the university's natural landscape.
Next to the main campus is the 2,800-acre Cornell Botanic Gardens. It has many plants, trees, and ponds. Trails let visitors explore the natural beauty.
Cornell University is very focused on being environmentally friendly. It has projects like a power plant that uses natural gas and a hydroelectric plant. It also uses a system that cools buildings with water from the lake. Cornell aims to have zero carbon emissions by 2035. As of 2020, six solar farms power the university. Cornell was the first U.S. university to promise to reduce its emissions like the Kyoto Protocol.
New York City Campuses
Weill Cornell Medical Center
Cornell has a medical campus in New York City, called Weill Cornell. It's located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. This campus has two Cornell divisions: Weill Cornell Medical College and Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. It works closely with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Many doctors and researchers here also work at other famous medical centers nearby.
Cornell Tech Campus

In 2011, Cornell and another university won a competition to build a new engineering campus in New York City. This campus, called Cornell Tech, is on Roosevelt Island. It was created to help technology businesses grow in the city. Classes started in 2012 in a temporary spot. The first buildings on Roosevelt Island were finished in 2017.
Other NYC Programs
Besides the main campuses, Cornell has other offices and programs in New York City. These programs help students get experience in public service, work with communities, and learn about business and engineering. For example, the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning has a facility in the Financial District.
Qatar Campus
Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar is located in Education City, near Doha. It opened in 2004 and was the first American medical school outside the U.S. This campus helps Cornell connect with other countries. It's a joint effort with the Qatar government to improve medical care and education there. The college offers a full medical degree program and a two-year pre-medical program.
The Qatar government helps fund this medical college. The main building was designed by a famous Japanese architect.
Other Cornell Facilities
Cornell University also owns and runs other research places away from its main campuses. It also offers programs for students to study abroad.
Research Facilities

One of Cornell's off-campus research sites is the Shoals Marine Laboratory. It's a marine research station on an island off the coast of Maine and New Hampshire. Until 2011, Cornell also ran the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. This observatory had the world's largest single-dish radio telescope.
Cornell also has facilities for studying nature and conservation. These include the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, which studies birds.
Study Abroad and Other Programs
Cornell offers many ways for students to study in other countries. For example, the "Capital Semester" program lets students intern in the New York State government. The Cornell in Washington program allows students to spend a semester in Washington, D.C.. The Cornell in Rome program is for students to study architecture and art in Rome, Italy.
Cornell also has a cooperative extension service. It has 56 offices across New York state. These offices help communities with things like agriculture, health, and family programs.
How Cornell University is Organized
Cornell University is a non-profit organization. It has a unique structure where its different colleges and schools have a lot of freedom. They can set their own rules for admissions, classes, and degrees.
Cornell has nine private colleges and four public colleges. These offer programs for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Cornell also has online programs and participates in special "grant" programs for sea, space, and sun research.
College/school founding | |
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College/school | Year founded |
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Agriculture and Life Sciences | 1874 |
Architecture, Art, and Planning | 1871 |
Arts and Sciences | 1865 |
Business | 1946 |
Computing and Information Science | 2020 |
Engineering | 1870 |
Graduate School | 1909 |
Hotel Administration | 1922 |
Human Ecology | 1925 |
Industrial and Labor Relations | 1945 |
Law | 1887 |
Medical Sciences | 1952 |
Medicine | 1898 |
Public Policy | 2021 |
Tech | 2011 |
Veterinary Medicine | 1894 |
Who Runs Cornell University?
Cornell University is managed by a group called the Cornell University Board of Trustees. This board has 64 members. Some are chosen by the Governor of New York, and others are elected by alumni, teachers, students, and staff.
The board chooses a President to lead the university. Martha E. Pollack became Cornell's fourteenth president in 2017. She will retire in 2024.
Cornell's Colleges and Schools
Cornell has many colleges and schools that offer different study programs. There are seven colleges for undergraduate students and seven schools for graduate and professional students. All academic departments belong to at least one college.
Some of Cornell's colleges are supported by New York state. These are called "statutory colleges." They include the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Human Ecology. New York residents who attend these colleges pay less tuition.
Cornell also has nine private colleges. These colleges do not get state funding. They have more freedom to decide their own programs and admissions. Examples include the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering.
The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest, with about 30% of undergraduate students. The College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are also very popular. To get a bachelor's degree, all students must pass a swimming test and take two physical education courses.
Money and Support for Cornell
Cornell University is very good at raising money. In 2018, it was third among U.S. universities for private donations. Each college and program has its own fundraising team.
Many large donations have helped Cornell grow. For example, Charles Feeney gave a billion dollars to the university. This helped fund Cornell Tech in New York City. Other big gifts have created new schools and research centers.
Academics at Cornell
Cornell is a large research university where most students are undergraduates. It is approved by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The school year runs from late August to early December, with a short winter break, and then late January to early May.
Cornell is one of the few universities that is a "land-grant" university and also part of three other special "grant" programs: sea grant, space grant, and sun grant. This means it gets federal support for research in these areas. Cornell is the only private university with all four of these grants.
Getting into Cornell
year = 2022 | ref = | admit rate = 6.9% | admit rate change = | yield rate = 69% | yield rate change = | SAT EBRW = 700–760 | SAT EBRW change = | SAT Math = 750–800 | SAT Math change = | ACT = 33–35 | ACT change = | top decile = 83.7% | top decile change = | top quarter = 97.7% | top quarter change = | top half = 99.9% | top half change = | GPA = | GPA change = |
It is very competitive to get into Cornell University. In 2022, over 71,000 students applied, but only about 7% were accepted. Most accepted students had very high test scores on the SAT and ACT.
Cornell tries to attract a diverse group of students. The number of students from underrepresented groups has been increasing. Many first-generation college students are also admitted. Cornell does not consider a student's financial need when deciding who to admit from the U.S.
Financial Help for Students

Cornell's original rules say that students should be admitted no matter their background or wealth. It also promised free education for one student from each area in New York state.
Cornell works with other Ivy League schools to offer financial aid based on need, not athletic ability. In 2010, Cornell promised to match financial aid offers from other top universities.
In 2008, Cornell started a plan to replace student loans with scholarships for students from lower-income families. Even when the university's money decreased, they continued this plan. By 2010, Cornell met the full financial needs of 40% of new students.
Programs Around the World
Cornell University works with many international partners. It is part of the United Nations Academic Impact, which helps universities work together globally.
Study Abroad and Global Focus
Cornell offers many majors that focus on different parts of the world. Students can study abroad on any of the six continents.
For students interested in Asia, there are programs like Asian Studies and the Southeast Asia Program. Cornell has an agreement with Peking University in China, allowing students to study in Beijing. The engineering school also exchanges students and teachers with Tsinghua University.
In the Middle East, Cornell focuses on biology and medicine. The Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar trains new doctors for that region. Cornell is also helping to build a "Library of Life" on the border of Israel and Jordan.
Cornell also has agreements with universities worldwide for student and teacher exchange programs.
Joint Degree Programs
Cornell offers special programs where students can earn degrees from both Cornell and an international university. For example, it's the only U.S. school in the Global Alliance in Management Education. This allows students to study at one of 34 partner universities. Cornell also has a joint MBA program with Queen's University in Canada.
University Rankings
ARWU World | 12 |
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THES World | 20 |
USNWR National University | 12 |
Washington Monthly National University | 10 |
Forbes | 12 |
Cornell University is often ranked among the top universities in the U.S. and the world. For example, it has been ranked among the top 20 globally by different groups. It is praised for its research, community service, and environmental efforts. In 2017, it was ranked 7th among "Top 50 Green Colleges."
Cornell's architecture program is often ranked as the best in the nation. Its business school, the Johnson School of Management, is also highly ranked. In 2019, Forbes ranked it the ninth-best business school.
Cornell's international relations program is also considered one of the best in the world.
Cornell University Library
The Cornell University Library is one of the largest academic libraries in the United States. As of 2005, it had 7.5 million printed books and many other resources. It was the first U.S. university library to let undergraduate students borrow books. In 2009, it was ranked the sixth-best college library.
The library also helps with online archives for scientific and historical documents. For example, it runs arXiv, an online collection of research papers that helps scientists share new findings quickly.
Publications and Journals
Cornell University Press, started in 1869, was the first university publishing company in the U.S. Today, it's one of the largest university presses. It publishes about 150 non-fiction books each year on many different subjects.
Cornell's academic groups and student organizations also publish scholarly journals. These include the Administrative Science Quarterly and the Industrial and Labor Relations Review. Students also run publications like the Law Review.
Research at Cornell



Cornell University is a top research institution. In 2021, it spent $1.18 billion on research and development. The U.S. government is a major supporter of Cornell's research. Cornell is also ranked high for producing graduates who go on to earn PhDs in science and engineering.
Science and Engineering Research
Cornell has a long history of important discoveries in science, technology, and engineering. The university has helped with nuclear physics, space exploration, car safety, and computer technology. Cornell is also known for getting many patents and starting new companies.
Cornell has been involved in missions to Mars since 1962. Its researchers discovered the rings around the planet Uranus.
The Automotive Crash Injury Research Center, started in 1952, was a pioneer in crash testing. Its work greatly improved car safety.
Cornell has also been a leader in computing technology. In the 1980s, it used powerful computers to study parallel computing. The Cornell University Center for Advanced Computing was founded as part of a national effort to create supercomputer centers.
In high-energy physics, Cornell scientists have studied tiny particles for over 75 years. Cornell played a key role in the Manhattan Project. In the 1930s, Cornell built the second cyclotron in the U.S. The Cornell Electron Storage Ring was once the world's most powerful electron-positron collider.
Philosophy Research
The Sage School of Philosophy at Cornell started in the late 1800s. It was funded by Henry W. Sage. The school's main publication, the Philosophical Review, began in 1891. It was the first real philosophy journal in the United States.
Many famous philosophers have taught or studied at the Sage School. These include George H. Sabine, Max Black, and John Rawls. The school is known for its work in Value theory, which includes topics like ethics and the history of philosophy.
Student Life at Cornell
Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
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White | 35% | ||
Asian | 21% | ||
Hispanic | 15% | ||
Other | 13% | ||
Foreign national | 10% | ||
Black | 7% | ||
Economic diversity | |||
Low-income | 16% | ||
Affluent | 84% |
Student Activities and Clubs

As of 2016–2017, Cornell had over 1,000 student organizations! These clubs cover everything from kayaking to singing groups, sports, and theater. There are political clubs, publications, and groups for chess or video games.
The Cornell International Affairs Society sends students to Model United Nations conferences. They also host their own conference for high school students. The Cornell University Mock Trial Association often competes in national championships.
Cornell United Religious Work helps students find spiritual support. The Cornell Catholic Community is the largest Catholic student group. Students can also join a symphony orchestra, concert bands, and singing groups like the Cornell University Glee Club. The Big Red Marching Band performs at football games.
The oldest student organization at Cornell is the Cornell University Glee Club, started in 1868. Cornell also has a lively outdoor community. This includes Cornell Outdoor Education, which offers trips and classes like backpacking and rock climbing. The Cornell Astronomical Society hosts public stargazing nights at the Fuertes Observatory.
Cornell is home to three secret honor societies: Sphinx Head, Der Hexenkreis, and Quill and Dagger. These groups have been around for over 120 years. Student clubs are mostly funded by the Student Assembly, which has a budget of $3 million per year.
Fraternities and Sororities
Cornell has a large system of fraternities and sororities. There are 70 chapters, and about one-third of male and one-fourth of female undergraduate students are involved. The first fraternity at Cornell, Zeta Psi, was started in the university's first year.
Alpha Phi Alpha, the first Greek organization for African Americans, was founded at Cornell in 1906. Alpha Zeta, the first Greek-letter organization for Latin Americans in the U.S., also started at Cornell in 1890.
Many Cornell chapters are among the oldest of their national organizations. The Alpha Delta Phi chapter house, built in 1877, is thought to be the first building made just for a fraternity. Greek organizations also do a lot of charity work. In one year, they contributed over 21,000 hours of community service and raised over $176,000 for charity.
Student Media
Cornell students produce several newspapers and radio shows. The Cornell Daily Sun is an independent daily newspaper run by students. The Cornell Review is a conservative newspaper published every two weeks.
Other student publications include The Cornell Lunatic, a humor magazine, and Kitsch Magazine. The Cornellian is a student-run organization that publishes the university yearbook. It has won awards for journalism and design. Students also run WVBR-FM, an independent commercial radio station.
Student Housing

Cornell's student housing is divided into three main areas: North Campus, West Campus, and Collegetown. Since 1997, North Campus is mostly for first-year and second-year students, along with sorority and fraternity houses. West Campus is for transfer and returning students.
North Campus has special "program houses" and co-op houses. These include Risley Residential College and the Ecology House. On West Campus, there are also university-affiliated cooperatives. In 2018, Cornell started a big project to add 2,000 new beds on North Campus. This project was finished in 2022.
Some housing options are apartment-style, and some even allow families. Many houses near the university have been turned into apartments for students. About 9% of undergraduate students live in fraternity and sorority houses.
As of 2023[update], Cornell's dining system was ranked second in the nation. The university has 29 dining locations on campus, including 10 "All You Care to Eat" cafeterias.
Sports at Cornell
Cornell University has 35 varsity sports teams, known as the Cornell Big Red. Cornell is part of NCAA Division I and competes in the Ivy League. Cornell's teams often do well in national championships, especially in wrestling, lacrosse, men's ice hockey, and rowing. As an Ivy League member, Cornell cannot offer sports scholarships.
Cornell's football team won national championships four times before 1940. They have also won the Ivy League championship three times.
In 2010, the men's basketball team made it to the "Sweet 16" in the NCAA tournament. This was the first Ivy League team to do so since 1979.
Outdoor Education
Cornell has one of the largest outdoor education programs for college students. It serves over 20,000 people each year. The program offers more than 130 different courses. These include backpacking, mountain biking, caving, rock climbing, and even tree climbing. Most classes are taught by student instructors.
A key part of Cornell Outdoor Education is the Lindseth Climbing Wall. It was updated in 2016 and now has 8,000 square feet of climbing space.
Cornell Traditions (Cornelliana)

"Cornelliana" is a term for Cornell's special traditions and stories. One popular tradition is Slope Day, a celebration on the last day of spring classes. Another is Dragon Day, where architecture students build a huge dragon and parade it through campus. Dragon Day has been celebrated every year since 1901.
There are also fun legends. One says that if a virgin crosses the Arts Quad at midnight, the statues of Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White will meet and shake hands. Another myth says that if a couple crosses the suspension bridge on North Campus and the girl doesn't accept a kiss, the bridge will fall!
Students also play pranks. Once, a 60-pound pumpkin appeared on top of the 173-foot McGraw clock tower. No one knows how it got there! The clock tower lights change color for holidays like Halloween (orange) and St. Patrick's Day (green).
Cornell's school colors are carnelian (a shade of red) and white. The unofficial mascot is a bear named Touchdown. The university's song is "Far Above Cayuga's Waters," and its fight song is "Give My Regards to Davy." People connected to the university are called "Cornellians."
Health and Safety
Cornell offers health services and counseling for students. Cornell Health provides on-campus medical care. For emergencies, students can go to Cayuga Medical Center. The university also has a student-run Emergency Medical Service (EMS) that responds to emergencies on campus.
The Cornell University Police protect the campus. They are peace officers with the same authority as city police. They patrol the university 24 hours a day, every day of the year. They respond to calls, prevent crime, and enforce laws and campus rules.
Notable People from Cornell
Many famous people have taught, researched, or studied at Cornell University. As of October 2023, 62 Nobel Prize winners have been connected to Cornell.
Famous Teachers (Faculty)
As of 2009, Cornell had over 1,600 full-time and part-time teachers on its main campus. Many of them have won major awards, including Nobel Prizes and Pulitzer Prizes.
Kurt Lewin, considered the "father of social psychology," taught at Cornell. Norman Borlaug, known as the "father of the Green Revolution" and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, also taught here. Frances Perkins, the first woman in a U.S. Cabinet position, joined the Cornell faculty in 1952. She helped create important laws like the Social Security Act.
John Cleese, a famous actor from Monty Python, has taught at Cornell since 1999. Charles Evans Hughes, who became a U.S. Secretary of State and Chief Justice, taught law at Cornell. Georgios Papanikolaou, who taught at Cornell's medical school, invented the Pap test for cancer.
Robert C. Baker, who invented the chicken nugget, taught at Cornell. Carl Sagan, the famous astronomer and host of Cosmos, was a professor at Cornell. Vladimir Nabokov, the author of Lolita, taught Russian literature.
Famous Graduates (Alumni)

As of 2008, Cornell University had over 245,000 living graduates. Many have won prestigious scholarships like the Marshall Scholarship and Rhodes Scholarship. Cornell is the only university with four female Nobel Prize winners among its graduates: Pearl S. Buck, Barbara McClintock, Toni Morrison, and Claudia Goldin.
Cornell graduates have achieved great things in public service, business, and many other fields. Lee Teng-hui and Tsai Ing-wen were presidents of Taiwan. Janet Reno was the first female United States Attorney General. Ruth Bader Ginsburg served on the U.S. Supreme Court.
In business, Cornell alumni include CEOs of major companies like Citigroup (Sanford Weill), Kraft Foods (Irene Rosenfeld), and Verizon (Lowell McAdam). Founders of companies like Burger King (James McLamore) and Priceline.com (Jay Walker) also graduated from Cornell.
In medicine, Robert Atkins developed the Atkins Diet. Henry Heimlich invented the Heimlich maneuver. Wilson Greatbatch invented the pacemaker. Anthony Fauci served as the U.S.'s Chief Medical Adviser during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many Cornellians are innovators. Thomas Midgley Jr. invented Freon. Jon Rubinstein helped develop the iPod. Robert Tappan Morris created the first computer worm on the Internet. Bill Nye ('77) is known as "The Science Guy."
In literature, Toni Morrison (Nobel laureate) wrote Beloved. Pearl S. Buck (Nobel laureate) authored The Good Earth. E. B. White wrote Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. Kurt Vonnegut, author of Slaughterhouse-Five, wrote for the student newspaper.
In entertainment, Christopher Reeve ('74) played Superman. Frank Morgan was The Wizard of Oz. Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary wrote Puff, the Magic Dragon. Howard Hawks is a legendary Hollywood filmmaker.
In architecture, Richmond Shreve designed the Empire State Building. In sports, graduates include football coach Glenn "Pop" Warner and Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred.