Sarah Lawrence College facts for kids
 |
|
| Motto | Wisdom with understanding |
|---|---|
| Type | Private liberal arts college |
| Established | 1926 |
|
Academic affiliation
|
|
| Endowment | $110.2 million (2020) |
| President | Cristle Collins Judd (2017–present) |
| Students | 1,675 |
| Undergraduates | 1,377 |
| Postgraduates | 298 |
| Location |
,
,
United States
40°56′06″N 73°50′42″W / 40.935°N 73.845°W |
| Campus | Suburban, 44 acres (18 ha) |
| Colors | Green and white |
|
Sporting affiliations
|
|
| Mascot | Gryphons |
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college located in Yonkers, New York. A liberal arts college focuses on general knowledge and developing thinking skills. It started as a college just for women. In 1968, it became a coeducational school, meaning both men and women could attend.
Contents
Discovering Sarah Lawrence College's History
How Sarah Lawrence College Began
Sarah Lawrence College was founded in 1926. A wealthy real estate developer named William Van Duzer Lawrence started it. He built the college on his own estate in Westchester County. The college was named after his wife, Sarah Bates Lawrence.
The school was first created to teach arts and humanities to women. An important part of the early lessons was "productive leisure." This meant students had to work for eight hours a week. They learned skills like modeling, typing, applying makeup, and gardening.
The college's teaching style was unique. Students did independent research projects. Teachers worked closely with individual students. They also had small group classes called seminars. This teaching method is still used today. Sarah Lawrence was the first liberal arts college to combine arts with a new way of teaching. It focused on helping each student learn in their own way.
Harold Taylor was the college president from 1945 to 1959. He had a big impact on the school. Taylor became president when he was only 30 years old. He was friends with the famous educator John Dewey. Taylor worked to use Dewey's teaching ideas at Sarah Lawrence. He believed in a personalized and modern approach to learning.
In 1968, Sarah Lawrence College started accepting male students. Before this, there were talks about moving the school. There was even an idea to combine it with Princeton University. But the college decided to stay independent.
Leaders of Sarah Lawrence College
The first president was Marion Coats. She led the college from 1924 to 1929. She was friends with William Van Duzer Lawrence. The current president, Cristle Collins Judd, started in 2017.
Understanding College Rankings
| USNWR Liberal Arts College | 72 |
|---|---|
| Washington Monthly Liberal Arts | 155 |
| Forbes | 467 |
In 2007, people started talking more about college rankings. Michele Tolela Myers, a former president of Sarah Lawrence, wrote an article about it. She discussed how rankings affect the college application process.
Sarah Lawrence College stopped requiring SAT test scores in 2003. This meant students didn't have to send their scores to apply. Myers said SAT scores didn't help predict how well a student would do at Sarah Lawrence. She felt they favored students who could pay for expensive test prep.
At one point, Sarah Lawrence was the only American college that completely ignored SAT scores. Because of this, U.S. News & World Report said they would "make up a number" for the college's ranking. Sarah Lawrence College now has a "test-optional" policy. This means students can choose whether or not to submit their scores. Usually, more than half of applicants still send their scores.
In 2007, Sarah Lawrence joined other colleges. They asked presidents not to take part in the "reputation survey" for U.S. News & World Report. This survey makes up 25% of the ranking. Even so, in 2019, Sarah Lawrence was ranked as the 65th best liberal arts college.
In 2022, Forbes magazine ranked Sarah Lawrence 467th overall. This ranking includes many types of colleges. Washington Monthly ranked it 155th among liberal arts colleges that same year.
Student Life and Activism
Being involved in important causes has always been a part of Sarah Lawrence. Students have been active since the college's early years.
In 1938, students volunteered in Yonkers. They helped people in poor and minority communities. During World War II, students formed the War Board in 1942. They helped support troops fighting in the war.
During the "McCarthy Years" in the 1950s, some teachers were accused of being communists. Students and faculty have continued to fight for civil rights and against the Vietnam War in the 1960s. They also pushed for more diversity in the 1980s.
Students also created programs to help others. For example, they started an Upward Bound program. This program helps students from lower-income areas get ready for college. Sarah Lawrence is known for supporting movements like gay rights and other progressive causes.
Exploring the Campus
The Sarah Lawrence campus is about 44 acres (18 ha). Much of it was once part of founder William Van Duzer Lawrence's estate. The college has grown a lot since 1926. The campus has rocky hills and large oak and elm trees. Many older buildings look like Tudor Revival architecture homes. Newer buildings often use a similar style.
The campus has two main parts: the "Old Campus" and the "New Campus." The Old Campus is where Lawrence's original estate was. The New Campus was added later as the college grew.
The newer parts of the campus have modern facilities. You can also find old Tudor-style mansions there. These include Andrews, Tweed, Lynd, Marshall Field, and Slonim House. They were once private homes bought by the college. Smaller Tudor houses along Mead Way are now student dorms. "Slonim Woods" is a group of newer, townhouse-style dorms.
The Campbell Sports Center was built in 1998. It has an indoor pool, gym, track, squash courts, and weight rooms. In 2004, the college finished a new visual arts building. It's called the Monika A. and Charles A. Heimbold Visual Arts Center. This building has modern design and is environmentally friendly.
Key Campus Buildings
Places to Learn and Study
- The Barbara Walters Campus Center is the newest building. It opened in 2019 and is named after famous alumna Barbara Walters. It has a large space for events and a reading room. The building uses green energy features.
- Bates Center for Student Life is one of the original buildings. It's a large English Tudor-style building. It has held offices, classrooms, dining halls, and art facilities. It still has the college's main dining hall.
- The Esther Raushenbush Library was designed in 1974. It has over 300,000 books.
- The Alice Stone Ilchman Science and Mathematics Center opened in 1994. It has science labs, classrooms, and faculty offices.
- The Marshall Field Music Building was bought by the college in 1960. It houses the music department.
- The Monica A. and Charles A. Heimbold Visual Arts Center was finished in 2004. It's known for its 'green' design. It won awards for being environmentally friendly.
- The Campbell Sports Center was completed in 1997. It has a swimming pool, gym, track, and courts for sports.
- The Charles DeCarlo Performing Arts Center was updated in 1974. It has several theaters for plays and dance. The college bookstore is also here.
- The Ruth Leff Siegel Center, also called "The Pub," was once a gardener's cottage. Now it's a café and lounge for students.
- The Tea House was originally a gazebo. It's now a café selling teas and baked goods.
College Offices
- Westlands is the oldest building on campus, built in 1917. It was the home of the Lawrence family. Now it holds many important offices. These include the president's office, admissions, financial aid, and career counseling. It also has some student living spaces.
Student Homes
- Andrews House was a manor house bought in 1935. It has high ceilings and fireplaces. Most of the building is student housing.
- Andrews Court has twelve cottage-style buildings. They were built in 1974 and have apartments with kitchens and living rooms.
- Hill House is a seven-story apartment building bought in the late 1990s. Most apartments are for students. Some apartments on higher floors have a view of the Empire State Building.
- Slonim Woods is a group of 10 modern dorms built in 1977. Each has eight single rooms around a shared living space.
Older Dorms
The "Old dorms" are four original student housing buildings. They are north of Westlands. They were built in the Neo-Tudor style.
- Dudley Lawrence has classrooms and living spaces.
- OSilas is known for being a quiet dorm.
- MacCracken has been a library and bookstore. It now has dance studios and offices, along with dorm rooms.
- Titsworth is an all-girls dorm. It also has a lecture hall.
Newer Dorms
The "New Dorms" were designed by famous architect Philip Johnson in 1960. They are connected by glass walkways. These dorms usually house first-year students.
- Rothschild has apartment-style dorms with kitchens and living rooms.
- Garrison is a traditional dorm with shared bathrooms.
- Taylor is similar in design to Garrison.
Mead Way Houses
The Mead Way Houses are eight former private homes. Six of these houses are now used for student living.
Sports and Athletics
Sarah Lawrence College is part of the Skyline Conference in NCAA Division III. This means they compete against other colleges in sports. The college has teams for:
- Crew (rowing)
- Men's and women's cross country
- Equestrian (horse riding)
- Men's basketball
- Men's and women's tennis
- Men's and women's volleyball
- Men's and women's soccer
- Women's softball
- Men's and women's swimming
The college became a full member of NCAA Division III in the 2015–16 school year. They joined the Skyline Conference in 2014–15.
The official mascot for Sarah Lawrence College is a Gryphon named Godric. It was chosen in the 1990s. Before that, students unofficially used the 'Black Squirrels' that live on campus as a mascot. The college even sold items with the Black Squirrel image. Recently, the college has worked to make the Gryphon the main symbol.
Famous People from Sarah Lawrence College
-
Barbara Walters, journalist
-
Yoko Ono, artist and activist
-
Sigourney Weaver, actress
-
Carrie Fisher, actress and writer
-
J. J. Abrams, filmmaker
-
Carly Simon, musician
-
Linda McCartney, photographer, activist and businesswoman
-
Vera Wang, fashion designer
-
Julianna Margulies, actress
-
Rahm Emanuel, diplomat and politician
-
Cary Elwes, actor
-
Win Butler, musician (Arcade Fire)
-
Ira Kaplan, musical artist (Yo La Tengo)
-
Louise Gluck, poet and Nobel laureate
.jpg)
.jpg)
Many famous people have studied or taught at Sarah Lawrence College.
Well-Known Teachers
Some notable teachers have included:
- Joel Sternfeld, a fine art photographer.
- Suzanne Gardinier, a poet.
- Joseph Campbell, a famous professor who taught from 1934 to 1972.
- Grace Paley, a well-known author.
Entertainment and Arts
Many Sarah Lawrence alumni have become successful in the entertainment industry:
- Filmmakers: J. J. Abrams, Brian De Palma, Jordan Peele.
- News: Barbara Walters.
- Actors: Sigourney Weaver, Julianna Margulies, Téa Leoni, Carrie Fisher (who left before graduating to film Star Wars).
- Musicians: Yoko Ono, Carly Simon, Linda McCartney, Win Butler (from Arcade Fire), Ira Kaplan (from Yo La Tengo).
- Artists: Janine Antoni, Yoko Ono.
- Dancers: Meredith Monk, John Jasperse.
Politics and Public Service
Alumni involved in politics include:
- Amanda Burden, a city planning director.
- Rahm Emanuel, a former White House Chief of Staff and Mayor of Chicago.
- Sue W. Kelly, a former Congresswoman.
Fashion World
- Vera Wang, a famous fashion designer.
Authors and Writers
Many alumni have become successful writers:
- Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple.
- Ann Patchett, author of Bel Canto.
- Louise Glück, a poet who won the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize in Literature.
- Deborah Feldman, author of Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots.
- David Lindsay-Abaire, a playwright who won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
See also
In Spanish: Sarah Lawrence College para niños
