Union College facts for kids
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| Motto | Sous les lois de Minerve nous devenons tous frères et soeurs (French) |
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Motto in English
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Under the laws of Minerva, we all become brothers and sisters |
| Type | Private liberal arts college |
| Established | February 25, 1795 |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | $530 million (2023) |
| President | David R. Harris |
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Academic staff
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211 |
| Undergraduates | 2,200 |
| Location |
,
U.S.
42°49′02″N 73°55′48″W / 42.81722°N 73.93000°W |
| Campus | Urban: 120 acres (49 ha), including 8 acres (3.2 ha) of formal gardens |
| Colors | Union garnet |
| Nickname | Garnet Chargers |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Div I – ECAC Hockey Div III – Liberty League |
Union College is a private college in Schenectady, New York. It was founded in 1795. This makes it the first college in New York State to get its official charter. It was also the second oldest college in the state, after Columbia University.
In the 1800s, Union College became known as the "Mother of Fraternities". This is because three of the very first Greek letter societies (fraternities) started there. Union College began accepting women students in 1970. Before that, for 175 years, only men could attend.
The college offers many different subjects across 21 departments. Students can also create their own unique study plans. Union College has special degrees in engineering fields like computer, bioengineering, electrical, and mechanical engineering. About 60% of students at Union College get to study in other countries.
College History
How Union College Started
Union College received its official charter in 1795. It was the first college in the United States that was not linked to a specific religion. It was also the second college to be started in the State of New York.
Before 1769, only nine colleges were permanently founded in America. Most of these were connected to British religious groups. They were created to help spread their Christian beliefs. Union College was different because it welcomed people from all backgrounds.
Only Columbia University, founded in 1754, was older than Union in New York. Later, people wanted another college. As new ideas about democracy grew, old ways of teaching began to change.
Schenectady was a city founded by people from the Netherlands. It was the third largest city in New York at the time. A local church became interested in starting a school there. In 1778, they invited a minister named Rev. Dirck Romeyn. He wrote a plan for a school in 1782.
The Schenectady Academy opened in 1785. It was the city's first organized school. It quickly became popular, with about 100 students in its first year. By 1792, it offered a full four-year college program. It also taught basic subjects, mainly to girls.
At first, requests to make the academy a college were turned down. But in 1794, the school tried again. They chose the name "Union College." This name showed that the founders wanted the school to be free of any single religious group. The college officially received its charter on February 25, 1795. This day is still celebrated as "Founders' Day."
The 1800s at Union College
In 1836, students at Union College formed an Anti-Slavery Society. It had 51 members. They wrote a statement asking students everywhere to join the fight against slavery.
During this time, Union College was sometimes called Schenectady College.
College Symbols and Nickname
Union College chose the modern language French for its motto. This was different from other colleges that used Latin. This choice showed a modern way of thinking.
The college's seal features the head of the Roman goddess Minerva. She was known for arts, crafts, and wisdom. By the late 1700s, Minerva represented qualities like being smart, fair, and wise.
The motto around her head in French was "Under the laws of Minerva, we all become brothers." In 2015, "and sisters" was added to the motto.
In 2023, the college changed its sports nickname. It went from "Dutchmen" and "Dutchwomen" to "Garnet Chargers." Garnet has been the school's color for 150 years. "Chargers" refers to Schenectady's history in electrical technology.
College Presidents
Union College has had nineteen presidents since 1795. One of them, Eliphalet Nott, served for 62 years. This is the longest time any college president has served in U.S. history.
The current president is David R. Harris. He started in 2018.
Changes in What Students Study
In the early 1800s, students at American colleges studied similar subjects. These were mostly traditional liberal arts. But by the 1820s, things started to change.
While Latin and Greek were still taught, new subjects were added. These new subjects were more useful for the growing business world. For example, French was slowly added to the college's courses. Sometimes it replaced Greek or Hebrew.
Union College also started a "parallel course of study" in 1828. This meant students could choose a science-focused path. This path included modern languages, math, and science. It was just as respected as the traditional studies.
In 1845, Union College started a civil engineering program. This was the first of its kind at a liberal arts college in America. Union's changes were very successful. By 1839, the college had one of the largest teaching staffs in the country. Only Yale had more students.
College Campus
Campus Design
After Union College got its charter in 1795, classes began in a rented building. A grammar school was on the lower floor. Soon, it was clear that this space was too small. Construction started on a new three-story building. It was ready in 1804. Two dorms were built nearby.
Eliphalet Nott became president that year. He wanted the campus to grow. In 1806, the college bought a large piece of land. It was east of Downtown Schenectady, on a hill overlooking the Mohawk River. In 1812, a French architect named Joseph-Jacques Ramée was hired. He created a full plan for the new campus. Two college buildings were built quickly. They were ready in 1814. Union College became the first college in the U.S. with a fully planned campus.
Important Buildings and Places
Nott Memorial: This unique building was designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter. It was probably meant to be a chapel at first. But when it was built, its main purpose was to be beautiful. It was the library until 1961. Its design looks a bit like the Radcliffe Camera at Oxford University. The Nott Memorial is a very important historical building. It was restored between 1993 and 1995. Today, it is the main center of the campus.
North and South College: These were the first buildings built using Ramée's plans. They started in 1812 and were ready in 1814. They served as dorms. Teachers also lived in these buildings until the 1900s.
Memorial Chapel: This chapel was built between 1924 and 1925. It serves as the main college chapel. It also honors Union graduates who died serving in wars. The names of alumni who died in World War I and World War II are on its south wall.
Schaffer Library: Schaffer Library opened in 1961. It was the first building at Union built just for the college library. A trustee named Henry Schaffer gave most of the money for its construction. He also funded an expansion in the 1970s. The library was renovated and expanded again in the late 1990s. This renovation added space for media services, a writing center, and a language lab.
Jackson's Garden: Professor Isaac Jackson started this garden in the 1830s. It covers 8 acres of formal gardens and woodlands. It was originally planned to be a garden by Ramée. It first had vegetables, shrubs, and flowers. Some seeds came from botanists around the world. By 1844, famous visitors like John James Audubon admired it. It became a beautiful place for students and teachers.
How Union College is Run
Board of Trustees
"The Trustees of Union College" is a group that owns the college. They are the college's legal representatives. The Board includes alumni, teachers, students, and the college president. The governor of New York State is also a member. This Board chooses the college president when the position is open.
The Student Forum
The Student Forum is the main student government at Union College. Its goal is to make rules for students. Students are represented by a president and several vice-presidents. There are also two student trustees and 12 class representatives.
College Groups and Connections
Union College belongs to several groups. These include the Liberty League, ECAC Hockey, and the Annapolis Group. Union is also part of Union University. This larger group includes Albany Medical College and Albany Law School.
Student Media
Union College has a radio station, WRUC 89.7. It started as a student project in 1910. It began broadcasting regularly in 1912. It was one of the first radio stations in the country to do so. The weekly newspaper, Concordiensis, has been published since 1877. It is one of the oldest student newspapers in the U.S. It is also the oldest continuously published newspaper in Schenectady.
Academics at Union College
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Most students need to complete at least 36 courses. Engineering students might need up to 40 courses. Students in the Leadership in Medicine program need around 45–50 courses. In 2022, the most popular majors were:
- Economics (82 graduates)
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences (46 graduates)
- Mechanical Engineering (40 graduates)
- Political Science and Government (40 graduates)
- Research and Experimental Psychology (36 graduates)
- Neuroscience (31 graduates)
Getting into Union College
| USNWR Liberal Arts College | 45 0f 186 |
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| Washington Monthly Liberal Arts | 85 of 199 |
| Forbes | 148 of 500 |
For the class entering in fall 2023, Union College received 9,484 applications. They accepted 4,175 students, which is about 44%. The middle range of SAT scores for enrolled freshmen was 1300-1470 (math + reading). The middle range for the ACT score was 30-33. The average high school grade point average (GPA) was 3.40.
Student Research Opportunities
Student research at Union College began in the early 1900s. A chemistry professor, Charles Hurd, involved students in his studies. Since then, student research has become a key part of education at the college. By the mid-1960s, many subjects required a senior research paper. In 1978, the college started funding student research with teachers. In 1986, they began offering funded summer research chances for students.
Study Abroad Programs
Union College offers many chances to study outside the United States. The most popular are the Terms Abroad Programs. These programs let students live and study on almost every continent. Some programs are even done with other colleges. In the 2009–2010 school year, programs were offered in 22 countries.
Every year, Union College also has "mini-terms." These are three-week programs during winter break or early summer. In 2009–2010, mini-terms were offered in 11 different places.
Schaffer Library
Schaffer Library opened in 1961. It has about 750,000 books, both print and electronic. The library has strong collections of books from the 1700s and 1800s. It also has many books about the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment. A special part of the library is the almost complete collection of the college's first books from 1795 to 1799.
Union College is part of several groups that help students get books and materials not owned by the college.
Student Life
Fraternities and Sororities
The modern system of fraternities at American colleges is thought to have started at Union College. This was with the founding of Kappa Alpha (1825), Sigma Phi (1827), and Delta Phi (1827). Three other national fraternities – Psi Upsilon (1833), Chi Psi (1841), and Theta Delta Chi (1847) – also started at Union. Because so many fraternities began there, Union was called "The Mother of Fraternities."
In fall 2021, 33% of female students were in a sorority. Also, 24% of male students were in a fraternity. In 2010, about half of Union's sophomores, juniors, and seniors were members of its twelve Greek letter groups.
Union has eight fraternities. They are part of the North American Interfraternity Conference. These include Alpha Delta Phi, Chi Psi, Kappa Alpha, Sigma Chi, Sigma Phi, and Theta Delta Chi. There is also a co-ed community service fraternity called Alpha Phi Omega.
There are four sororities at Union: Delta Phi Epsilon, Gamma Phi Beta, Sigma Delta Tau, and Alpha Delta Lambda. There are also multicultural Greek organizations. These include Alpha Phi Alpha, Phi Iota Alpha, Iota Phi Theta, Lambda Pi Chi, and Omega Phi Beta.
Minerva System
Before 2004, Union College started a new system. It was meant to offer a different social option from fraternities and sororities. The college created "Minerva Houses." These buildings serve as places for learning, social events, and cultural activities. All new students are randomly placed into one of the seven Minerva Houses. An office was created to manage these activities.
Arts and Culture
Art Galleries
The Mandeville Gallery holds an annual Art Installation Series. Artists visit the campus and create special art pieces for the library.
The Wikoff Student Gallery is on the third floor of the Nott Memorial. It shows art made by current Union College students.
The college owns over 3,000 pieces of art and historical items. These are used by teachers and students for learning and research.
Performances and Shows
The Music Department hosts talks, concerts, and workshops by visiting artists. These happen at places like the Taylor Music Center and Memorial Chapel. Union College has jazz, choral, and orchestral groups. There is also a taiko drum group and three student a cappella groups. They perform regularly.
The Theater and Dance Department puts on several major plays each year. They also have readings, student performances, and guest shows.
Athletics and Sports
Union College believes that sports should fit with the main goal of education. Athletes, like all students in activities, must do well in their studies.
The college offers 26 sports for competition. For men, these include baseball, basketball, crew, cross-country, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track. For women, sports include basketball, crew, cross-country, field hockey, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, and volleyball.
Union College is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Men's and women's ice hockey teams play at the NCAA Division I level. All other sports play at the NCAA Division III level.
Club sports are managed by the student activities office. Popular clubs include baseball, bowling, fencing, golf, ice hockey, karate, rugby, skiing, and volleyball. The college also offers many intramural sports and physical education classes.
Sports facilities include the Frank L. Messa Rink, the David Breazzano Fitness Center, and Frank Bailey Field.
Union has hosted the two longest games in NCAA Men's Hockey History. They lost both games 3-2. The longest game was on March 12, 2010. Quinnipiac University won after 90 minutes of overtime. The second longest was on March 5, 2006. Yale University won after 81 minutes of overtime.
The Union football team had a perfect season in 1989, winning all 10 games. They lost to Dayton in the championship game, 17-7.
Famous Alumni
- Chester A. Arthur (1848), the 21st president of the United States
- William H. Seward (1820), Secretary of State for Abraham Lincoln, and responsible for the Alaska Purchase
- George Westinghouse, a famous engineer, inventor, and business leader
- Martin Jay (1965), an important historian and professor
- Andrea Barrett (1974), a writer who won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize
- Baruch Samuel Blumberg (1946), who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, studied nuclear physics at the Graduate School
- Alan F. Horn (1964), former chairman of Walt Disney Studios
- Fitz Hugh Ludlow (1856), an author, journalist, and explorer
- Howard Simons (1951), managing editor of The Washington Post during the Watergate time
- Rich Templeton (1980), former CEO of Texas Instruments
- Nikki Stone (1995), who won a gold medal in the 1998 Winter Olympics for aerial skiing
- Jake Fishman (2018), a baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins and Team Israel in the 2020 Olympics
Images for kids
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Chester A. Arthur (1848), the 21st president of the United States
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William H. Seward (1820), Secretary of State under Lincoln
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Gordon Gould (1941), physicist credited with the invention of the laser
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Nobel Laureate Baruch Samuel Blumberg (1946)
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Neil Abercrombie (1959), seventh governor of Hawaii
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See also
- Union College Men's Glee Club
- List of colleges and universities in New York
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Schenectady County, New York
- List of Union College alumni
