International House of New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
International House New York

Founded	1924
Founders	John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Cleveland Hoadley Dodge, Harry Edmonds
Focus	Educational and cross cultural collaboration and leadership training
Location	500 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10027, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Members	Current 700 residents, 65,000 alumni
Key people	Brian Polovoy - Interim President Frank G. Wisner - Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Endowment	$34 million
Employees	75
Website	http://www.ihouse-nyc.org
International House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in New York City Show map of New York City Location in New York Show map of New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	500 Riverside Drive, New York, New York
Area	1.5 acres (0.61 ha)
Built	1924
Architect	Louis E. Jallade; Marc Eidlitz and Sons
Architectural style	Italianite
NRHP reference No.	99001129
Added to NRHP	September 10, 1999

International House New York, often called I-House, is a special place in New York City. It's a home and learning center for students and scholars from all over the world. It's located at 500 Riverside Drive in the Morningside Heights area of Manhattan.

Each year, over 700 students and scholars live at I-House. They come from more than 100 different countries. About one-third of these residents are from the United States. Living at I-House helps them learn to respect each other. It also helps them build friendships and develop leadership skills across different cultures.

Many famous people have visited I-House to speak. These include Eleanor Roosevelt, Sandra Day O'Connor, and even Nelson Mandela. Students living here attend many different universities and schools in New York City. Some of these are Columbia University, New York University, and the Juilliard School.

The main entrance of International House has a special message. It says, "That Brotherhood May Prevail." This motto was written by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.. The area outside the entrance, called The Abby O'Neill Patio, looks out onto Sakura Park. This park is where Japan gave cherry trees to New York City in 1912.

The building at 500 Riverside Drive was built in 1924. It was designed in the Italianite style by architects Louis E. Jallade and Marc Eidlitz and Sons. In 1999, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

History of International House New York

The idea for I-House started in 1909. A man named Harry Edmonds, who worked for the YMCA, met a Chinese student alone at Columbia University. This made him want to create a place where students from different countries could connect.

International House first opened its doors in 1924. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. helped pay for it. He also helped fund similar houses at the University of Chicago and the University of California at Berkeley. The Cleveland Hoadley Dodge family also gave money to help build I-House.

I-House was one of the first places of its kind. It was part of a worldwide effort to create diverse homes for international students. These students wanted to continue their education. Other cities around the world also have international houses. These include Paris, London, and cities in Australia and Canada.

Today, the chairman of the Board of Trustees is Ambassador Frank G. Wisner. He is a well-known diplomat and businessman. In 2020, Brian Polovoy became the interim president of I-House.

Notable Alumni of I-House

The auditorium inside I-House

Around 65,000 people from all over the world have lived at I-House. Many of them have become very famous. Here are some examples: