Alfred University
Encyclopedia
Alfred University is a small, comprehensive university in the Village of Alfred
in Western
New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester
and two hours southeast of Buffalo
. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students. Though the institution has five separate schools and colleges, the institution's reputation is grounded in the arts and engineering.
s as a non-sectarian institution. Unusual for the time, the school was co-educational. It was also racially integrated, and enrolled its first African-American student and two Native American
students in the 1850s, becoming the second college in the nation to do so.
The origin of the name "Alfred" is uncertain. Residents of the town and students at the two schools believe that the town received its name in honor of Alfred the Great
, king of the Saxons, although the first documented occurrence of this connection was in 1881, 73 years after the first record of the name being used. State records which might have verified the connection between the Saxon king and the university were lost in a fire in 1911. Regardless of whether the connection is historically accurate, Alfred University has embraced King Alfred as a symbol
of the school's values, and a statue of the king stands in the center of the campus quad.
Since its founding, Alfred University has hosted guest lecturers, artists and musicians from Ralph Waldo Emerson
to Ghostface Killah
.
Alfred University, together with Corning Incorporated and the State of New York created the Ceramic Corridor, a high-tech incubator project designed to take advantage of the emerging ceramics industry and to create new jobs. This unique industrial development program is the only one in the United States concentrating on one single aspect of technology – high-tech ceramics – and it is the only major industrial development project centered in a rural area in the U.S.
Extending to the 20th and 21st centuries, Alfred has continued its progressive history of defending equal rights for members of the community. In 1971, Alfred became only the 4th municipality in the U.S. to ban employment discrimination based on sexuality. In the mid 1990s, the university became one of the first to strip credit for ROTC programs, which exhibit prejudice on basis of sexual orientation. However, students attending Alfred University are still free to receive an Army ROTC contract with full tuition paid and attend military science classes through St. Bonaventure University. Amidst the dissolution of the AU Greek System, the Lambda Chi Alpha
fraternity chapter at Alfred University led an overwhelmingly successful effort to ban discrimination based on religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation in the constitution of the 210 chapter international fraternity in 2002. That action triggered several other national fraternities and sororities to follow suit.
Alfred University is not to be confused with the SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
. Although completely autonomous, both institutions have their origins in the Alfred Select School, and were heavily shaped by Boothe C. Davis. In 1908 Davis petitioned the NY State legislature to fund the NY State College of Agriculture at Alfred University.
In 1941 Alfred State College became an autonomous Junior College due to increased enrollment and increasing needs, which Alfred University could not accommodate, and in 1948 became a member of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Students of both schools still share a few Alfred peculiarities including: a physical education requirement for most programs, a short break in October dubbed "minibreak", sharing of clubs and organizations (excluding Greek lettered organizations), and cross-registration of classes not offered at the other institution.
The school's mascot is the Saxon, a knight
in shining armor. Since the year 871 is when King Alfred the Great succeeded his brother, Ethelred I as King of Wessex
and Mercia
(see Alfred the Great's childhood), the phone exchange of Alfred University is 871 (i.e., all AU phone numbers take the form 1-607-871-xxxx).
Hot Dog Day
is held in early April of each year since 1972 at Alfred to raise money for local charities and community-based civic organizations. It is a joint project with Alfred State College
coordinated by students and staff from both schools. Typical events include a carnival, small amusement park rides, mud olympics, concerts, a parade, and the consumption of hot dogs. In recent years approximately $7,000 to $8,000 has been raised for charities including the local fire departments, public library, and day care centers.
Alfred's Davis Memorial Carillon, erected in 1937 as a tribute to longtime president Boothe C. Davis, can often be heard while on campus. The bells of the carillon
, purchased from Antwerp, were thought to be the oldest bells in the western hemisphere. Research later (2004) showed that the bells were of a more recent vintage, and that Alfred had been the victim of a fraud. On the brighter side, the non-historic nature of the bells allows the university to replace those that have poor tonal quality. Concerts continue four times a week when school is in session (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 12:30 pm and Saturday at 4 pm), and during the summer months at least once a week. Besides the resident carilloneur, guest carilloneurs have in the past frequently visited and played during the summer.
The Black Knight has been a part of Alfred University folklore for a long time. The relic was originally part of a parlor stove in a classroom in Kanakadea Hall. When the stove was discarded, the figure was claimed by the Class of 1908 as their mascot. They passed it on to the Class of 1910, thus causing a "war of possession" between the even and odd numbered classes. Many times over the years it disappeared and re-appeared on campus. After a particularly long time away it was returned in 1977 and placed in the University Archives. In 2005 it was transferred to a glass case in the Powell Campus Center along with a plaque describing its history. Many students had heard of the Black Knight during their freshmen orientation and were delighted to have him on display. However, after only a few months, the glass enclosure was destroyed in the middle of the night and the Black Knight stolen.
Alfred University was mentioned on Saturday Night Live
once in 1975 by host, and Alfred University alumnus, Robert Klein When Klein hosted SNL again in 1977, he talked at length about Alfred University in his monologue.
Alfred is especially well-known for its programs in ceramic art, ceramic engineering, glass engineering, and has a strong astronomy program due in part to the presence on campus of the 7-telescope Stull Observatory
, which has one of the largest optical telescope in New York state. Asteroid 31113 Stull
was named for John Stull, founder and caretaker of the observatory.
There are two libraries on Alfred's campus, the Herrick Memorial Library, which primarily serves the private colleges, and the Scholes Library, which primarily serves the New York State College of Ceramics. The Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art
has a collection of 8,000 ceramic objects, including both ancient and modern ceramic art and craft.
The Bromley-Daggett Equestrian Center, located at the Maris Cuneo Equine Park, was constructed in 2005. It hosts equine classes, an intramural equestrian club, varsity and JV teams for both English
and Western
disciplines, clinics, and horse shows. Stalls are available for boarding by university students. The facility has an indoor arena of 16000 ft² and lighted outdoor arenas of 28800 sq ft (2,675.6 m²) and 10800 sq ft (1,003.4 m²); the entire property consists of 400 acres (1.6 km²) of land.
The Miller Performing Arts Center was dedicated in 1995.
Now used primarily to house the Admissions Department, Alumni Hall
has a place on the National Register of Historic Places
. The former University academy building, with cathedral ceilings, and offices far up into the cupola is a beautiful example of 19th-century American architecture in Alfred. In the 1990s, Alumni Hall was saved through a restoration effort. Alfred University was once associated with the Seventh Day Baptist Church, and included a school of theology. While the religious connection no longer exists, the architecture of Alumni Hall and other buildings on campus reflect this heritage.
The New York State College of Ceramics (NYSCC) consists of the School of Art and Design, with its own dean, and four state-supported materials programs cross-organized within Alfred University's School of Engineering. The College of Ceramics is functioning technically as a "holding entity" (currently with an interim unit head) for the fiscal support of the state programs and the NYSCC mission. The unit head assists with budget preparation for the two aforementioned AU schools and the NYSCC-affiliated Scholes Library of Ceramics (part of the campuswide, unified AU library system), and acts in a liaison role to SUNY.
The School of Art and Design, technically a subunit of the College of Ceramics but autonomously-run with its own dean, is further subdivided into divisions. A visit to the school in 2009 led media historian Siegfried Zielinski to state that Alfred is "the center of alchemy for the 21st century." Alfred's School of Engineering (also autonomously-run with its own dean) currently has four state-supported programs and two privately-endowed programs.
On April 14, 2005, the University announced it had received a gift of $35 million from alumnus Marlin Miller '54, and his wife, Ginger, to further support arts education. The gift is the largest ever in the university's history and is one of the largest endowment gifts made to a U.S. institution to support arts education. Ten million dollars is earmarked for a new theatre at the Miller Performing Arts Center, previously funded by the Millers, and $25 million will go towards the endowment.
(ZBT) fraternity member Benjamin Klein under suspicious circumstances and charges of gross negligence on behalf of the fraternity.
Prior to Klein's death, in 1978, student Chuck Stenzel
died in a hazing-related incident at Alfred's Klan Alpine fraternity. After Stenzel's death, his mother, Eileen Stevens, created a lobbying organization to increase awareness of hazing
and promote anti-hazing laws, as documented in Hank Nuwer's book "Broken Pledges" and a later TV movie of the same name (in which Alfred was not named for legal reasons). Stevens later served as an advisor to Alfred on hazing-related issues, and received an honorary doctorate from the school in 1999.
During the summer of 2002, all Greek social organizations
lost recognition after an in-depth analysis of the Alfred University Greek system by an eight-member task force appointed by the Board of Trustees. More than 50% of the task force were themselves members of a fraternity or sorority while in college, and 82% of the Board of Trustees are Alfred University alumni.
At the time of closing in 2002, the Greek system at Alfred University included national and international fraternities Lambda Chi Alpha
, since 1909, Sigma Alpha Mu
, Kappa Sigma
, Alpha Chi Rho
, Delta Sigma Phi
, and Zeta Beta Tau
; as well as local fraternities Kappa Psi Upsilon, and Klan Alpine. The sororities included Delta Zeta
, Theta Theta Chi, Alpha Kappa Omicron, and Sigma Chi Nu. The overall Greek community made significant contributions to Alfred University, Alfred, NY, and the surrounding communities, such as annual food drives that raised more than 2000 lb (907.2 kg) of food each fall for the Hornell food bank. Many of the societies have highly active alumni associations, some of which gather at Alfred University reunions, or at independent functions.
is still recognized, as are academic fraternities, because they do not fall under the same category of restrictions as social fraternities. , Alfred has over 90 student organizations and clubs. Student media include: AU TV, the Kanakadea Yearbook, and WALF 89.7FM.
AU has been granted chapters of a number of honor societies
, including Phi Beta Kappa
(the Alpha Gamma chapter of New York, granted in 2004), Phi Kappa Phi
, and Alpha Lambda Delta
; Alfred also has chapters of the service societies Alpha Phi Omega
and Omicron Delta Kappa
. Other honor societies include Alpha Iota Delta, Beta Gamma Sigma
, Delta Mu Delta
, Omicron Delta Epsilon
, Pi Gamma Mu
, Pi Mu Epsilon
(the Alpha Iota chapter of New York, chartered in 2002), Pi Sigma Alpha
, Sigma Tau Delta
, Tau Beta Pi
, Phi Alpha Theta
, Phi Sigma Iota
, Psi Chi
, Keramos, and the Financial Management Association
.
In business:
Notable faculty and staff include:
Alfred (village), New York
Alfred is a village located in the Town of Alfred in Allegany County, New York, USA. The population was 3,954 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Alfred the Great....
in Western
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
and two hours southeast of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students. Though the institution has five separate schools and colleges, the institution's reputation is grounded in the arts and engineering.
Background
Alfred was founded in 1836 as the Select School by Seventh Day BaptistSeventh Day Baptist
Seventh Day Baptists are Christian Baptists who observe Sabbath on the seventh-day of the week in accord with their understanding of the Biblical Sabbath for the Judeo-Christian tradition...
s as a non-sectarian institution. Unusual for the time, the school was co-educational. It was also racially integrated, and enrolled its first African-American student and two Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
students in the 1850s, becoming the second college in the nation to do so.
The origin of the name "Alfred" is uncertain. Residents of the town and students at the two schools believe that the town received its name in honor of Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
, king of the Saxons, although the first documented occurrence of this connection was in 1881, 73 years after the first record of the name being used. State records which might have verified the connection between the Saxon king and the university were lost in a fire in 1911. Regardless of whether the connection is historically accurate, Alfred University has embraced King Alfred as a symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
of the school's values, and a statue of the king stands in the center of the campus quad.
Since its founding, Alfred University has hosted guest lecturers, artists and musicians from Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
to Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
.
Alfred University, together with Corning Incorporated and the State of New York created the Ceramic Corridor, a high-tech incubator project designed to take advantage of the emerging ceramics industry and to create new jobs. This unique industrial development program is the only one in the United States concentrating on one single aspect of technology – high-tech ceramics – and it is the only major industrial development project centered in a rural area in the U.S.
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
fraternity chapter at Alfred University led an overwhelmingly successful effort to ban discrimination based on religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation in the constitution of the 210 chapter international fraternity in 2002. That action triggered several other national fraternities and sororities to follow suit.
History
Alfred State College
Alfred State College is a State University of New York College of Technology located in Alfred, New York in Allegany County. This college, formerly the Agricultural and Technical College at Alfred, now grants baccalaureate degrees in 18 areas, associate degrees in nearly 60 areas, as well as a...
. Although completely autonomous, both institutions have their origins in the Alfred Select School, and were heavily shaped by Boothe C. Davis. In 1908 Davis petitioned the NY State legislature to fund the NY State College of Agriculture at Alfred University.
In 1941 Alfred State College became an autonomous Junior College due to increased enrollment and increasing needs, which Alfred University could not accommodate, and in 1948 became a member of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Students of both schools still share a few Alfred peculiarities including: a physical education requirement for most programs, a short break in October dubbed "minibreak", sharing of clubs and organizations (excluding Greek lettered organizations), and cross-registration of classes not offered at the other institution.
The school's mascot is the Saxon, a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
in shining armor. Since the year 871 is when King Alfred the Great succeeded his brother, Ethelred I as King of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
and Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
(see Alfred the Great's childhood), the phone exchange of Alfred University is 871 (i.e., all AU phone numbers take the form 1-607-871-xxxx).
Hot Dog Day
Hot dog day
Hot Dog Days are informal events that are celebrated in communities throughout the hotdog-eating world, including the USA, Canada, Great Britain and Australia. Their origin is obscure. As the name suggests the festivals revolve around eating hot dogs, but usually there are many other activities...
is held in early April of each year since 1972 at Alfred to raise money for local charities and community-based civic organizations. It is a joint project with Alfred State College
Alfred State College
Alfred State College is a State University of New York College of Technology located in Alfred, New York in Allegany County. This college, formerly the Agricultural and Technical College at Alfred, now grants baccalaureate degrees in 18 areas, associate degrees in nearly 60 areas, as well as a...
coordinated by students and staff from both schools. Typical events include a carnival, small amusement park rides, mud olympics, concerts, a parade, and the consumption of hot dogs. In recent years approximately $7,000 to $8,000 has been raised for charities including the local fire departments, public library, and day care centers.
Alfred's Davis Memorial Carillon, erected in 1937 as a tribute to longtime president Boothe C. Davis, can often be heard while on campus. The bells of the carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
, purchased from Antwerp, were thought to be the oldest bells in the western hemisphere. Research later (2004) showed that the bells were of a more recent vintage, and that Alfred had been the victim of a fraud. On the brighter side, the non-historic nature of the bells allows the university to replace those that have poor tonal quality. Concerts continue four times a week when school is in session (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 12:30 pm and Saturday at 4 pm), and during the summer months at least once a week. Besides the resident carilloneur, guest carilloneurs have in the past frequently visited and played during the summer.
The Black Knight has been a part of Alfred University folklore for a long time. The relic was originally part of a parlor stove in a classroom in Kanakadea Hall. When the stove was discarded, the figure was claimed by the Class of 1908 as their mascot. They passed it on to the Class of 1910, thus causing a "war of possession" between the even and odd numbered classes. Many times over the years it disappeared and re-appeared on campus. After a particularly long time away it was returned in 1977 and placed in the University Archives. In 2005 it was transferred to a glass case in the Powell Campus Center along with a plaque describing its history. Many students had heard of the Black Knight during their freshmen orientation and were delighted to have him on display. However, after only a few months, the glass enclosure was destroyed in the middle of the night and the Black Knight stolen.
Alfred University was mentioned on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
once in 1975 by host, and Alfred University alumnus, Robert Klein When Klein hosted SNL again in 1977, he talked at length about Alfred University in his monologue.
Campus
Stull Observatory
Stull Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Alfred University. Named after Dr. John Stull, who helped establish the observatory in 1966, it is located in Alfred, New York . It is notable for housing 7 independently housed telescopes ranging in size from 8 to 32 inches...
, which has one of the largest optical telescope in New York state. Asteroid 31113 Stull
31113 Stull
31113 Stull is a main-belt asteroid discovered on August 19, 1997 by D. R. DeGraff and J. S. Weaver at Alfred University's Stull Observatory, Alfred, New York.- External links :*...
was named for John Stull, founder and caretaker of the observatory.
There are two libraries on Alfred's campus, the Herrick Memorial Library, which primarily serves the private colleges, and the Scholes Library, which primarily serves the New York State College of Ceramics. The Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art
Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art
The Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art at Alfred University in Alfred, New York, United States houses nearly 8,000 ceramic and glass objects. Its collection includes ancient ceramics of anthropological interest, examples of historical and contemporary ceramic art and craft, and...
has a collection of 8,000 ceramic objects, including both ancient and modern ceramic art and craft.
The Bromley-Daggett Equestrian Center, located at the Maris Cuneo Equine Park, was constructed in 2005. It hosts equine classes, an intramural equestrian club, varsity and JV teams for both English
English riding
English riding is a term used to describe a form of horse riding that is seen throughout the world. There are many variations in English riding, but all feature a flat English saddle without the deep seat, high cantle or saddle horn seen on a Western saddle nor the knee pads seen on an Australian...
and Western
Western riding
Western riding is a style of horseback riding which evolved from the ranching and warfare traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, and both equipment and riding style evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy in the American West...
disciplines, clinics, and horse shows. Stalls are available for boarding by university students. The facility has an indoor arena of 16000 ft² and lighted outdoor arenas of 28800 sq ft (2,675.6 m²) and 10800 sq ft (1,003.4 m²); the entire property consists of 400 acres (1.6 km²) of land.
The Miller Performing Arts Center was dedicated in 1995.
Alumni Hall
Alumni Hall (Alfred, New York)
Alumni Hall, also known as Chapel Hall, is a historic multipurpose building located on the campus of Alfred University at Alfred in Allegany County, New York. It is a large frame structure built in 1851-1852 with Greek Revival features. The three-story, by rectangular structure has a red terra...
has a place on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The former University academy building, with cathedral ceilings, and offices far up into the cupola is a beautiful example of 19th-century American architecture in Alfred. In the 1990s, Alumni Hall was saved through a restoration effort. Alfred University was once associated with the Seventh Day Baptist Church, and included a school of theology. While the religious connection no longer exists, the architecture of Alumni Hall and other buildings on campus reflect this heritage.
Colleges and schools
Alfred University offers over 60 majors and areas of concentration at its four colleges and schools. Alfred's four private colleges are The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, The College of Business, The Inamori School of Engineering, and The Graduate School.The New York State College of Ceramics (NYSCC) consists of the School of Art and Design, with its own dean, and four state-supported materials programs cross-organized within Alfred University's School of Engineering. The College of Ceramics is functioning technically as a "holding entity" (currently with an interim unit head) for the fiscal support of the state programs and the NYSCC mission. The unit head assists with budget preparation for the two aforementioned AU schools and the NYSCC-affiliated Scholes Library of Ceramics (part of the campuswide, unified AU library system), and acts in a liaison role to SUNY.
The School of Art and Design, technically a subunit of the College of Ceramics but autonomously-run with its own dean, is further subdivided into divisions. A visit to the school in 2009 led media historian Siegfried Zielinski to state that Alfred is "the center of alchemy for the 21st century." Alfred's School of Engineering (also autonomously-run with its own dean) currently has four state-supported programs and two privately-endowed programs.
On April 14, 2005, the University announced it had received a gift of $35 million from alumnus Marlin Miller '54, and his wife, Ginger, to further support arts education. The gift is the largest ever in the university's history and is one of the largest endowment gifts made to a U.S. institution to support arts education. Ten million dollars is earmarked for a new theatre at the Miller Performing Arts Center, previously funded by the Millers, and $25 million will go towards the endowment.
Greek social organizations
Fraternities and sororities were established at Alfred University for nearly 100 years prior to 2002, when they were discontinued, partially in response to the death of Zeta Beta TauZeta Beta Tau
Zeta Beta Tau was founded in 1898 as the nation's first Jewish fraternity, although it is no longer sectarian. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is one of the largest, numbering over 140,000 initiated Brothers, and over 90 chapter locations.-Founding:The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was...
(ZBT) fraternity member Benjamin Klein under suspicious circumstances and charges of gross negligence on behalf of the fraternity.
Prior to Klein's death, in 1978, student Chuck Stenzel
Chuck Stenzel
Chuck Stenzel was a student who died in a fraternity hazing incident at Alfred University in 1978. Chuck aspirated vomit while passed out following an evening of drinking at Klan Alpine fraternity, now defunct...
died in a hazing-related incident at Alfred's Klan Alpine fraternity. After Stenzel's death, his mother, Eileen Stevens, created a lobbying organization to increase awareness of hazing
Hazing
Hazing is a term used to describe various ritual and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group....
and promote anti-hazing laws, as documented in Hank Nuwer's book "Broken Pledges" and a later TV movie of the same name (in which Alfred was not named for legal reasons). Stevens later served as an advisor to Alfred on hazing-related issues, and received an honorary doctorate from the school in 1999.
During the summer of 2002, all Greek social organizations
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
lost recognition after an in-depth analysis of the Alfred University Greek system by an eight-member task force appointed by the Board of Trustees. More than 50% of the task force were themselves members of a fraternity or sorority while in college, and 82% of the Board of Trustees are Alfred University alumni.
At the time of closing in 2002, the Greek system at Alfred University included national and international fraternities Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
, since 1909, Sigma Alpha Mu
Sigma Alpha Mu
Sigma Alpha Mu , also known as "Sammy", is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Originally only for Jewish men, Sigma Alpha Mu remained so until 1953, when members from all backgrounds were accepted. Originally headquartered in New York, Sigma Alpha Mu has...
, Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
, Alpha Chi Rho
Alpha Chi Rho
Alpha Chi Rho is a men's collegiate fraternity founded on June 4, 1895 at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut by the Reverend Paul Ziegler, his son Carl Ziegler, and Carl's friends William Rouse, Herbert T. Sherriff and William A.D. Eardeley. It is a charter member of the North-American...
, Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi is a fraternity established at the City College of New York in 1899 and is a charter member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The headquarters of the fraternity is the Taggart Mansion located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, and Zeta Beta Tau
Zeta Beta Tau
Zeta Beta Tau was founded in 1898 as the nation's first Jewish fraternity, although it is no longer sectarian. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is one of the largest, numbering over 140,000 initiated Brothers, and over 90 chapter locations.-Founding:The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was...
; as well as local fraternities Kappa Psi Upsilon, and Klan Alpine. The sororities included Delta Zeta
Delta Zeta
Delta Zeta is an international college sorority founded on October 24, 1902, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Today, Delta Zeta has 158 collegiate chapters in the United States and over 200 alumnae chapters in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada...
, Theta Theta Chi, Alpha Kappa Omicron, and Sigma Chi Nu. The overall Greek community made significant contributions to Alfred University, Alfred, NY, and the surrounding communities, such as annual food drives that raised more than 2000 lb (907.2 kg) of food each fall for the Hornell food bank. Many of the societies have highly active alumni associations, some of which gather at Alfred University reunions, or at independent functions.
Other organizations
Alpha Phi OmegaAlpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
is still recognized, as are academic fraternities, because they do not fall under the same category of restrictions as social fraternities. , Alfred has over 90 student organizations and clubs. Student media include: AU TV, the Kanakadea Yearbook, and WALF 89.7FM.
AU has been granted chapters of a number of honor societies
Honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...
, including Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
(the Alpha Gamma chapter of New York, granted in 2004), Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
, and Alpha Lambda Delta
Alpha Lambda Delta
Alpha Lambda Delta is an honor society for students who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher and are in the top 20% of their class during their first year or term of higher education.-History:...
; Alfred also has chapters of the service societies Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
and Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa, or ΟΔΚ, also known as The Circle, or more commonly ODK, is a national leadership honor society. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, by 15 student and faculty leaders. Chapters, known as Circles, are located on over 300...
. Other honor societies include Alpha Iota Delta, Beta Gamma Sigma
Beta Gamma Sigma
Beta Gamma Sigma or ΒΓΣ is an honor society for business students and scholars. Founded in 1913 at the University of Wisconsin, it has over 650,000 members, selected from over 500 chapters in AACSB-accredited business schools...
, Delta Mu Delta
Delta Mu Delta
Delta Mu Delta is an international honor society that recognizes academic excellence in Baccalaureate, Master's, and Doctorate degree business administration programs at Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs -accredited schools...
, Omicron Delta Epsilon
Omicron Delta Epsilon
Omicron Delta Epsilon is an international honor society in the field of economics. Resulting from the merger of Omicron Delta Gamma and Omicron Chi Epsilon, ODE was founded in 1963 . Its board of trustees includes well-known economists such as Robert Lucas, Kenneth Arrow, and Robert Solow...
, Pi Gamma Mu
Pi Gamma Mu
Pi Gamma Mu or ΠΓΜ is the oldest and preeminent honor society in the social sciences. It is also the only interdisciplinary social science honor society. It serves the various social science disciplines which seek to understand and explain human behavior and social relationships as well as their...
, Pi Mu Epsilon
Pi Mu Epsilon
Pi Mu Epsilon is the U.S. honorary national mathematics society.The society was founded at Syracuse University on May 25, 1914, by Professor Edward Drake Roe, Jr, and currently has chapters at 337 institutions across the nation.-Goals:...
(the Alpha Iota chapter of New York, chartered in 2002), Pi Sigma Alpha
Pi sigma alpha
Pi Sigma Alpha , the National Political Science Honor Society, is the only honor society for college and university students of political science in the United States. Its purpose is to recognize and promote high academic achievement in the field of political science...
, Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta is an international collegiate honor society for students of English. It presently has over 800 active chapters located in Europe, the Caribbean, the United States, and 1 chapter in the Middle East , with more than 1,000 faculty sponsors...
, Tau Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi
The Tau Beta Pi Association is the oldest engineering honor society in the United States and the second oldest collegiate honor society in America. It honors engineering students who have shown a history of academic achievement as well as a commitment to personal and professional integrity...
, Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta is an American honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and professors of history.The society is a charter member of the Association of College Honor Societies and has over 350,000 members, with about 9,500 new members joining each year through 860 local chapters.-...
, Phi Sigma Iota
Phi Sigma Iota
Phi Sigma Iota, or ΦΣΙ, is an honor society whose members are elected from among outstanding advanced and graduate students of foreign languages and literatures including Classics, Comparative Literature, Philology, Bilingual Education, and Applied Linguistics...
, Psi Chi
Psi Chi
Psi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. With over 1,050 chapters, Psi Chi is one of the largest honor societies in the United States...
, Keramos, and the Financial Management Association
Financial Management Association
Financial Management Association is an organization for finance and economics students and professionals. Its primary objective is to encourage and recognize academic and professional excellence in the finance field. FMA promotes the study and practice of financial education...
.
Athletics
The teams have the nickname "Saxons." They compete in alpine skiing, basketball, cross country, football which have the most recent champions, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and track and field, women's volleyball, and women's softball. Alfred also has an extensive co-educational equestrian program.Notable alumni and faculty
Notable alumni include:- Award-winning ceramic artist Robert ArchambeauRobert ArchambeauFor the poet and critic, see Robert Archambeau Robert Archambeau is a Canadian ceramic artist. Born in Toledo, Ohio, United States in 1933, he immigrated to Canada in 1968. His work, heavily influenced by Japanese ceramics, has been exhibited internationally and is held in many major public and...
- Cathy BissoonCathy BissoonCathy Bissoon is an American lawyer and judge who serves on the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.-Early life and education:...
, United States magistrate judgeUnited States magistrate judgeIn the United States federal courts, magistrate judges are appointed to assist United States district court judges in the performance of their duties...
, District Court for the Western District of PennsylvaniaUnited States District Court for the Western District of PennsylvaniaThe United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania sits in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is composed of ten judges as authorized by federal law. The Honorable Judge Gary L. Lancaster is currently Chief Judge of the Western Pennsylvania District... - David ChesnoffDavid ChesnoffDavid Z. Chesnoff is a criminal defense attorney based out of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Chesnoff was a law partner with Las Vegas Mayor, Oscar B. Goodman. Chesnoff has represented celebrities as well as crime figures.The crossing of paths between Oscar B. Goodman and David Z...
, Criminal Defense Attorney - American writer and political activist Ward ChurchillWard ChurchillWard LeRoy Churchill is an author and political activist. He was a professor of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1990 to 2007. The primary focus of his work is on the historical treatment of political dissenters and Native Americans by the United States government...
received an honorary doctorate in 1992. - George P. DarrowGeorge P. DarrowGeorge Potter Darrow was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.George Darrow was born in Waterford, Connecticut. He graduated from Alfred University in Alfred, NY in 1880. He moved to Philadelphia, PA in 1888 and engaged in banking, in the manufacture of...
, United States Congressman from PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... - Librarian Melvil DeweyMelvil DeweyMelville Louis Kossuth Dewey was an American librarian and educator, inventor of the Dewey Decimal system of library classification, and a founder of the Lake Placid Club....
, creator of the Dewey Decimal System, who attended in 1870 but did not graduate - Author Richard Dolan, whose works include UFOs and the National Security State.
- Biomedical engineer Samuel Hulbert, pioneer in ceramic devices and president of Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyRose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyRose–Hulman Institute of Technology , formerly Rose Polytechnic Institute, is a small private college specializing in teaching engineering, mathematics, and science. RHIT is highly regarded for its undergraduate engineering program, which US News and World Reports ranked in 2011 as No...
- Author Peter JenkinsPeter Jenkins (travel author)Peter Jenkins describes his experiences over nearly six years that he spent walking from New York to Oregon.Peter was born on July 8 of 1951He is a graduate of Alfred University, with a BFA in Sculpture/Ceramics , as well as an honorary doctorate ....
, whose book "A Walk Across America" begins in Alfred - Bob KeeshanBob KeeshanRobert James "Bob" Keeshan was an American television producer and actor. He is most notable as the title character of the children's television program Captain Kangaroo, which became an icon for millions of people during its 30-year run from 1955 to 1984.Keeshan also played the original...
, better known as Captain KangarooCaptain KangarooCaptain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
, received an honorary doctorate from Alfred in 1969. - Actor and comedian Robert KleinRobert KleinRobert Klein is an American stand-up comedian, singer and actor.-Early life:Klein was born in the Bronx, the son of Frieda and Benjamin Klein, and was raised in a "prototypical 1950s Bronx Jewish" environment. After graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School, Klein planned to study medicine...
- Katja Lindenberg, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, University of California, San DiegoUniversity of California, San DiegoThe University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
- Spy Novelist Robert LittellRobert Littell (author)Robert Littell is an American novelist and journalist residing part of the time in France. He specializes in spy novels that often concern the CIA and the Soviet Union....
- Nathan LyonsNathan LyonsNathan Lyons is an American artist and photographer who currently lives and works in New York. The artist's body of work consists primarily of photographs which focus on American culture...
, founder, Director Emeritus of Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY - Nancy NadelNancy NadelNancy Nadel is a U.S. politician, businesswoman, and member of the Oakland City Council serving her fourth consecutive term. After two terms on the Board of the East Bay Municipal Utility District, Nadel was elected to the District Three Downtown-West Oakland City Council seat in 1996. In 2006,...
, City Councilmember, Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, CaliforniaOakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724... - Siona ShimshiSiona ShimshiSiona Shimshi is an Israeli painter, sculptor, ceramist, and textile designer.-Early life:Shimshi was born in Tel Aviv, to Haya Rivka and Avraham Shimshi, who had immigrated to Palestine from Lithuania in 1933...
, Israeli painter, sculptor, ceramist, and textile designer - Inventor and businessman Clarence W. SpicerClarence W. SpicerClarence W. Spicer is known for inventing the Spicer joint, a type of universal joint.Dr. Spicer attended Alfred University from 1891 to 1894. He received the patent for his joint in 1903 while studying at Cornell University, and began manufacturing his invention as Spicer Manufacturing Company in...
, student 1891–1894, invented a type of Universal jointUniversal jointA universal joint, universal coupling, U joint, Cardan joint, Hardy-Spicer joint, or Hooke's joint is a joint or coupling in a rigid rod that allows the rod to 'bend' in any direction, and is commonly used in shafts that transmit rotary motion...
and founded Spicer Manufacturing Company, now the Dana Corporation. - Arnold ZimmermanArnold ZimmermanArnold Zimmerman, also known as Arnie Zimmerman, is an American ceramic artist who was born December 13, 1954 in Poughkeepsie, New York. He received a bachelor's degree from the Kansas City Art Institute and a master’s degree from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He...
, modern sculptor
In business:
- Bob Benmosche '66, CEO, American International GroupAmerican International GroupAmerican International Group, Inc. or AIG is an American multinational insurance corporation. Its corporate headquarters is located in the American International Building in New York City. The British headquarters office is on Fenchurch Street in London, continental Europe operations are based in...
; Chairman, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Metropolitan Life Insurance CompanyMetropolitan Life Insurance CompanyMetLife, Inc. is the holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, or MetLife, for short, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, annuities, and employee benefit programs, with 90 million customers in over 60 countries... - Peter CuneoPeter CuneoPeter Cuneo was born during WWII at Alameda Naval Air Station in California where his father was a Navy pilot. His family followed his father through numerous military assignments associated with World War II and the Korean War...
'67, Chairman of Cuneo and Co., and Marvel Enterprises, Inc - Jeffery S. Maurer '69, CEO, Lehman BrothersLehman BrothersLehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was a global financial services firm. Before declaring bankruptcy in 2008, Lehman was the fourth largest investment bank in the USA , doing business in investment banking, equity and fixed-income sales and trading Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (former NYSE ticker...
Trust Company - Robert R. McComsey '66, Founding Shareholder, Neuberger BermanNeuberger BermanNeuberger Berman Group LLC, through its subsidiaries is an investment management firm that provides financial services for high net worth individuals and institutional investors. With approximately $200 billion in asset under management, it is among the largest private employee-controlled asset...
, LLC - Joel P. Moskowitz '61, President & Chairman of the Board, Ceradyne, Inc.CeradyneCeradyne, Incorporated, is a Costa Mesa, California, USA, manufacturer of ceramics products traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market.In addition to producing ceramic components for industrial processes such as silicon foundries and ceramic fuel pellets for nuclear reactors, Ceradyne researches and...
Notable faculty and staff include:
- Artist Robert C. TurnerRobert C. TurnerRobert Chapman Turner was an American potter known for his functional pottery, sculptural vessels and inspired teaching....
, an influential ceramics artist and teacher who founded the ceramics program at Black Mountain CollegeBlack Mountain CollegeBlack Mountain College, a school founded in 1933 in Black Mountain, North Carolina, was a new kind of college in the United States in which the study of art was seen to be central to a liberal arts education, and in which John Dewey's principles of education played a major role...
. Along with Val Cushing, Wayne Higby, and Daniel Rhodes, Turner was a key member of the Alfred ceramics faculty in the 50's-70's, which is considered by some to be the "golden age" of the Alfred ceramics program. - Artist Wayne HigbyWayne HigbyD. Wayne Higby is an American artist working in ceramics.Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Higby received a B.F.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder, in 1966, and anM.F.A. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1968...
, considered to be one of the defining ceramic artists of the 80's. Known for his work in Raku ceramics, Higby attained considerable attention with his large bowl forms that toyed with the notion of vessel and landscape imagery. - Poet Ben Howard, author of six books of poetry.
- Graphic Designer Rudolph de HarakRudolph de HarakRudolph de Harak, also Rudy de Harak , was an American graphic designer. De Harak was notable as a designer who covered a broad spectrum of applications with a distinctly modernist aesthetic. He was also influential as a professor of design.-Career:De Harak was born in Culver City, California...
, 1992 AIGA Medealist - Coach Alexander (Alex) Joseph Yunevich, head football coach from 1937–1941 and 1946–1976, posting a 177-85-12 record with six undefeated seasons.
External links
- Alfred University – official website
- Image slideshow, Alfred, NY