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Hofstra University

Former names	Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of New York University (1935–1937) Hofstra College (1937–1963)
Motto	Je maintiendrai (French) (Motto of the House of Orange Nassau)
Motto in English	"I will uphold"
Type	Private university
Established	September 23, 1935; 89 years ago (September 23, 1935)
Accreditation	MSCHE
Endowment	$712.5 million (2020)
President	Susan Poser
Provost	Charles Riordan
Academic staff	2,429
Students	10,444 (2020)
Undergraduates	6,120
Postgraduates	4,324
Location	Hempstead and Uniondale , New York , United States 40°42′52.58″N 73°36′1.65″W / 40.7146056°N 73.6004583°W / 40.7146056; -73.6004583
Campus	Large Suburb, 244 acres (99 ha)
Newspaper	The Hofstra Chronicle
Colors	Blue, White, and Gold
Nickname	The Pride (formerly Flying Dutchmen)
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FCS – CAA EIWA
Mascot	Kate & Willie Pride

Hofstra's Mack Student Center

Hofstra University is a private university located in Hempstead, New York. It started in 1935 as a part of New York University and was first called Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial. It became its own school, Hofstra College, in 1939. In 1963, it officially became Hofstra University.

Hofstra has ten different schools, including a medical school and a law school. It has also been chosen to host several important United States presidential debates.

History of Hofstra University
- Dutch Heritage at Hofstra
Hofstra Campus
Academics and Learning
Hofstra Athletics
Hofstra Media
- Student Newspaper
- Student Radio Station
Notable People from Hofstra
Images for kids
See also

History of Hofstra University

Presidents of Hofstra University
President	Tenure
Truesdel Peck Calkins	1937–1942
Howard S. Brower (Acting)	1942–1944
John Cranford Adams	1944–1964
Clifford Lee Lord	1964–1972
James H. Marshall	1972–1973
Robert L. Payton	1973–1976
James M. Shuart	1976–2001
Stuart Rabinowitz	2001–2021
Susan Poser	2021–present

Hofstra University was founded in 1935. It was built on the large property of William S. Hofstra and his wife, Kate Mason. William Hofstra was a successful lumber businessman with Dutch family roots. Kate Mason wanted their property to be used for a good cause after they passed away.

A local school leader named Truesdel Peck Calkins suggested using the estate to start a college. He talked to New York University (NYU), and they were interested. So, the college began as an extension of NYU.

The first classes at Nassau-Hofstra Memorial College started on September 23, 1935. There were 150 students, with an equal number of boys and girls. The yearly tuition was $375. The school was officially renamed Hofstra College in 1937.

Hofstra College became fully independent from New York University on July 1, 1939. The first group of students graduated in 1939. They chose to receive their degrees from Hofstra, showing how much they cared about their new school.

In 1950, Hofstra began its Shakespeare Festival. Plays were performed on a stage that looked like the famous Globe Theatre. Today, the festival still uses a very accurate replica of the Globe Theatre.

On March 1, 1963, Hofstra officially became Hofstra University. It was the first private university on Long Island. In the same year, Hofstra decided to make all its buildings easy to access for students with physical disabilities. This was a new idea at the time and later became a federal law.

In 1963, the university also received 110 acres of land from the closed Mitchel Air Force Base. Some of the old runways from the base are now parking lots for Hofstra's North Campus. The Hofstra University Museum was also started that year.

In 1968, Hofstra Stadium became the first outdoor stadium in the East to use Astroturf. The New York Jets football team used Hofstra's North Campus for their summer training camp until 2008.

Dutch Heritage at Hofstra

Hofstra University celebrates its Dutch heritage, honoring its founder William S. Hofstra's roots. It is one of only a few major American universities named after people of Dutch descent.

Hofstra's first logo, created in 1937, was inspired by the official seal of the House of Orange-Nassau, the royal family of the Netherlands. The logo included the Dutch national motto, Je Maintiendrai, which means "I will uphold" in French.

Hofstra's logo flag

Hofstra's flag looks like the Netherlands' Prince's Flag. Its orange, white, and blue colors were changed to the school's colors: gold and navy blue. In 1939, the Dutch ambassador to the United States left a Dutch flag at Hofstra, which helped inspire the school's colors and symbols.

You can see Hofstra's Dutch heritage around campus. There's a small windmill near the admissions building. Every spring, thousands of colorful tulips are planted. In 1985, a special tulip hybrid was even named the "Hofstra University Tulip." This flower is a highlight of Hofstra's yearly Dutch Festival.

One of the on-campus housing areas is called "the Netherlands." Its dorms are named after Dutch cities like Delft, Groningen, Hague, and Amsterdam.

Until 2001, Hofstra's sports teams were known as the Flying Dutchmen.

Hofstra Campus

Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library

The Unispan and dormitory towers

John Cranford Adams Playhouse

Hofstra Hall

Hofstra University's campus has about 117 buildings spread across 244 acres. It is located in Uniondale, New York, near Hempstead. The campus has an Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary with many different trees. In the spring, you can see beautiful tulips, which connect to the university's Dutch origins.

The campus is about 7 miles from the Queens area of New York City. From the 10th floor of the library, you can see the entire New York City skyline. Hofstra also offers some classes in Manhattan.

Right across the street from the campus is the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This arena used to be home to the New York Islanders hockey team and other sports teams.

Academics and Learning

U.S. university rankings

THES World	501–600
USNWR National University	160
Washington Monthly National University	374
Forbes	292

Hofstra University offers many different study options. It has 185 programs for undergraduate students (those working on their first degree) and 170 programs for graduate students (those working on advanced degrees). The university is officially recognized in 28 academic areas.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Hofstra tied for 160th among national universities in 2020. It was also named the 92nd "best value school."

Hofstra has special programs for different types of students. The Stuart and Nancy Rabinowitz Honors College offers challenging courses for students who have achieved high grades. The School for University Studies helps students whose abilities might not be fully shown in standardized tests. There is also the New Opportunities at Hofstra (NOAH) program for students who have faced limited educational opportunities or economic challenges.

In 2011, Hofstra welcomed the first students to its new medical school, the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine. In 2017, after a large donation, it was renamed the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.

Hofstra and Presidential Debates

Hofstra University has hosted several important United States presidential debates. These debates are where candidates for president discuss their ideas and plans.

2008 Debate: Hofstra hosted the third and final presidential debate in 2008 between Barack Obama and John McCain. This was the first presidential debate in New York since 1960.
2012 Debate: In 2011, Hofstra was chosen to host the second presidential debate in 2012. This was a "town hall" style debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
2016 Debate: Hofstra hosted the first presidential debate of 2016 between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Hosting these debates brings a lot of attention to the university. It also allows students and the community to be part of a major national event.

Members of the press in Hofstra's filing center ahead the first presidential debate of 2016

How to Get Into Hofstra

Hofstra looks at many things when deciding who to admit. They believe that standardized tests are not the only way to predict if a student will do well. For students entering in 2023, about 35% chose to submit their test scores. The average SAT scores for these students were 1230-1410, and ACT scores were 27-33. Hofstra accepted 62% of applicants, and the students who enrolled had an average GPA of 3.7.

Schools and Colleges at Hofstra

Hofstra University has many different schools and colleges where students can focus on specific subjects:

Hofstra College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy, and International Affairs
School of Education
School of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Frank G. Zarb School of Business
Stuart and Nancy Rabinowitz Honors College
The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication
School of Health Professions and Human Services
Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science
Maurice A. Deane School of Law
Zucker School of Medicine
Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies

Hofstra Athletics

Hofstra University's sports teams were known as the Flying Dutchmen until 2001. In 2001, the official team name became "The Pride." This name refers to the two lion mascots, Kate and Willie Pride, that the school adopted in the late 1980s. The "Pride" nickname came from a campaign that started in 1987, when the university was recovering and growing after a financial challenge.

James M. Shuart Stadium, the main outdoor sports facility, is named after Dr. James M. Shuart. He was a former Hofstra football player who led the university from 1976 to 2001 and helped it recover.

From 1968 until 2008, the New York Jets football team held their summer training camp at Hofstra's North Campus. This area is now where the medical school building stands.

In 2009, the university decided to end its football program. The funds that were used for football were then used to create the medical school and improve other programs like science and engineering.

Hofstra Stadium was also home to the New York Lizards, a professional lacrosse team, until 2020.

On February 26, 2011, Hofstra honored basketball player Charles Jenkins by retiring his jersey number, 22. He was the school's all-time leading scorer in basketball. This was a very special honor because his number was retired while he was still playing his last games at Hofstra.

The Hofstra University Pride Wrestling team competes in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association.

Hofstra Media

Student Newspaper

The Hofstra Chronicle is the only student newspaper at Hofstra University. It started in 1935 and is published every Tuesday during the school year. You can also find more content online.

Student Radio Station

Hofstra operates Long Island's oldest public radio station, WRHU-FM (88.7). It began in 1950 and received its broadcast license in 1959. In 1983, it became WRHU, which stands for Radio Hofstra University. WRHU is the radio home for the Long Island Nets and the New York Islanders hockey team. It is the only student-run radio station to win four NAB Marconi Radio Awards.