Colgate University
Encyclopedia
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college
in Hamilton, New York
, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate
family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.
Colgate has 52 undergraduate concentrations that culminate in a Bachelor of Arts degree. The student body comes from 47 states and 42 countries. In its 2012 edition, U.S. News and World Report ranked Colgate as the 21st best liberal arts college in the country. Colgate ranked 37th in the 2011 edition of "America's Best Colleges" from Forbes.com. It is also listed as one of thirty Hidden Ivies
and as one of Newsweek
s "New Ivies".
Colgate is located on a rural 515 acre (2.08 km²) campus in Central New York
which was listed as the most beautiful in the country in the 2010 edition of the Princeton Review. Despite an undergraduate population of only 2,750, Colgate is a member of the Patriot League
conference of the NCAA
Division I.
was founded by thirteen men (six clergymen and seven laymen). Two years later, in 1819, the state granted the school's charter, and the school opened a year later, in 1820. The first classes were held in a building in the town of Hamilton. Three years later, in 1823, the Baptist Theological Seminary at New York City incorporated with the Baptist Education Society and subsequently changed its name to the Hamilton Literary & Theological Institution. Among the trustees was William Colgate
, founder of a soap company.
In 1826, the school's trustees bought farmland that later became the focal point of the campus, known as 'the Hill'. One year later, the current students and faculty of the school built West Hall, using stone taken from a quarry found on the land. Originally called West Edifice before being renamed to West Hall, it is the oldest structure on campus. In 1846, the school changed its name to Madison University. In 1850, the Baptist Education Society planned to move the university to Rochester
, but was halted by legal action. Dissenting trustees, faculty, and students founded the University of Rochester
.
In 1890, Madison University changed its name to Colgate University in recognition of the family and its gifts to the school. James B. Colgate
, one of William Colgate's sons, established a $1,000,000 endowment called the Dodge Memorial Fund. The theological side of Colgate merged with the Rochester Theological Seminary in 1928 to become the Colgate Rochester Divinity School
, leaving Colgate to become non-denominational. Colgate became coeducational in 1970.
Colgate University is located in the rural village of Hamilton, New York
. The campus itself is situated on 515 acres (2.1 km²) of land. The university owns an additional 1100 acres (4.5 km²) of undeveloped forested lands.
Colgate's first building, West Hall, was built by students and faculty from stones from Colgate's own rock quarry. Nearly all the buildings on campus are built of stone, and newer buildings are built with materials that fit the style. Probably the most distinctive building on campus is the Chapel (Colgate Memorial Chapel), which was built in 1918 and is used for lectures, performances, concerts, and religious services. Old Biology Hall
was built in 1884 and added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1973.
The university's campus was ranked as the most beautiful by The Princeton Review
in their 2010 edition. In July 2008, Colgate was named fifth on Forbes' list of Top Colleges for Getting Rich, the only non-Ivy League college in the top 5. Colgate is listed as one of America's 25 "new Ivies" by Newsweek
magazine. It is also on the list of "100 best campuses for LGBT students." In October 2006, Colgate was ranked as the second most fit college in America by Men's Fitness
. Colgate has been ranked third by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education for its success in integrating African-American students.
Most of the campus's heat is generated from a wood boiler which burns wood chips, a renewable resource. Since the heating facility is fueled by biomass, it produces zero net carbon emissions. Almost all of Colgate's electricity comes from a hydroelectric dam at Niagara Falls; the rest comes from nuclear sources. The campus also has a Green Bikes program with over two dozen bikes that are loaned out in an effort to encourage students to rely less on cars. Colgate Dining Services currently provides organic rice, beans, and other dry foods, and is working to offer more local foods options. Dining Services take-out containers are also made from natural materials, and are compostable. On the 2009 College Sustainability Report Card, Colgate earned a C, which was a great improvement from the previous year, when the school earned a D+. In 2010 Colgate improved to a B, and the administration continues to promote sustainability.
Colgate was an initial sponsor of Partnership for Community Development, a local nonprofit organization which seeks to support the community through revitalization of buildings and small business development.
Colgate offers 52 undergraduate concentration
s leading to a Bachelor of Arts
degree, all of which are registered officially with the New York State Department of Education. The university also has a small graduate (Master of Arts) program for Education, which graduates 3-7 students each year.
In addition to regular campus courses, the university offers 22 semester-long off-campus study groups each year, including programs in Australia
, China
, Japan
, India
, several Western European countries, Washington, DC, and the National Institutes of Health
. Approximately two-thirds of Colgate undergraduates study abroad, which is a high proportion considering other colleges and universities in the United States. About 95% of seniors graduate and most alumni proceed to graduate schools in law, administration, engineering, medicine, the arts and the sciences, as well as to financial, administrative or scientific occupations. There is hardly a walk of life where alumni of Colgate University are not represented. However, a significant clustering occurs in business, the media, and the life and earth sciences.
, Colgate competes most commonly with Cornell, Dartmouth
, Middlebury
, and Georgetown
for students.
For the class of 2015, 7,834 students applied, and 29% of applicants were admitted. Admitted students had an average GPA of 3.75 (out of 4.0) and an average SAT score of 1397 (out of 1600). Of those admitted, 80% were in the top 10% of their class, and 93% were in the top 20%. International students comprise 8% of the most recent entering class.
Colgate has ten residence halls located on its central campus, which is often referred to as "up the hill." Located near the academic buildings, freshmen live in six of these halls, whereas sophomores live in the other four, or in townhouses or one house on Broad Street. Juniors and seniors live down the hill in a number of residences, such as theme houses on Broad Street, apartment complexes or in "townhouses" located further away from campus. Themed houses are available for students who want to explore their interests. The Creative Arts house is geared towards creative students; Asia House is for students with interests in Asian culture. Although the university provides housing for students all four years, students can apply for off-campus housing, of which only 250 are granted the privilege through a lottery. Students involved in Greek life have the option of living in their organization's house, though they cannot do so until their junior year.
Colgate has three dining facilities on campus that are run by Colgate Dining Services, which in turn is run by Sodexho
. There is also a cafe located in Case Library that serves Starbucks coffee.
The O'Connor Campus Center, commonly referred to as the Coop, serves as the center for student life and programming. Renovations on it were completed in 2004, and it now houses the offices for student organizations, a cafeteria, post office, printing center, a computer facility, as well as the new Blackmore Media Center, home to WRCU
, Colgate's radio station.
Following a number of incidents related to Greek organizations on campus, in 2005, the university decided to purchase the Greek houses. All but one of the Greek organizations sold their houses. The hold-out, Delta Kappa Epsilon, was subsequently derecognized. Students were forbidden from living in the house or participating in the fraternity's activities.
, the a cappella
groups, The Colgate Resolutions, The Colgate Thirteen, The Swinging 'Gates, and The Dischords, and the improv group Charred Goosebeak, the latter of which was founded by the members of Broken Lizard
.
The number 13 is considered to be lucky to Colgate. It is said that Colgate was founded by thirteen men with thirteen dollars and thirteen prayers. This manifests itself in a number of ways, such as Colgate's address (13 Oak Drive); zip code, 13346, which begins with 13 and the last 3 numbers add up to 13. The number shows up in student organizations such as Konosioni, the senior honor society, which is composed of thirteen men and thirteen women. Alumni are asked to wear Colgate apparel on every Friday the 13th.
In 1936, the Colgate swim team made its first trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida
for spring break training at the Casino Pool. This became a regular tradition for Colgate that caught on with other schools across the country, and proved to be the genesis of the college spring break
trip.
Ellis Island
National Monument displays an anti-immigration statement by George Barton Cutten
, Colgate's eighth President, warning that "The danger the 'melting pot
' brings to the nation is the breeding out of the higher divisions of the white race...." The topic of how to come to grips with the legacy of a former university president who espoused such views, but also presided over a long period of expansion for the University, has been a topic of debate at Colgate in recent years.
Division I for all varsity sports.
The football
program competes within the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The athletic teams are nicknamed the "Raiders," and the traditional team colors are maroon and white, with a more recent addition of gray in the 1970s. Colgate is a member of the Patriot League
for all varsity sports except for hockey
, in which both its men's and women's teams are members of ECAC Hockey.
Starting in 1932, Colgate athletics teams were called the "Red Raiders" in reference to the new maroon uniforms of that season's "undefeated, untied, unscored upon, and uninvited" football team
, which was the first to use the moniker. Apocryphal explanations for the name include the team's ability to defeat its much larger rival, the Cornell University
Big Red
, or that a rainstorm caused one Colgate football team's maroon jerseys to blend into a reddish color. Regardless, after the adoption of a Native American mascot
, the school debated changing the name and mascot in the 1970s out of sensitivity to Native Americans
. At that time the nickname was retained, but the mascot was changed to a hand holding a torch. In 2001, the administration acknowledged concerns that the adjective "Red" still had an American Indian implication, and the school shortened the nickname to the "Raiders" starting in the 2001-02 school year. Some local TV outlets still use the logo with "Red Raiders" on it. A new mascot was introduced in 2006.
Colgate University's football was given a Division I first place ranking by Parke H. Davis
in 1916 and 1932, and appeared in the Associated Press
Division I polls in 1942 and 1977. The 1932 team
was "unbeaten, untied, unscored upon, and uninvited", as it registered shutouts against all nine opponents, but was not invited to the 1933 Rose Bowl. Colgate began playing in NCAA Division I-AA, now known as Division I FCS, in 1982, and made the Division I-AA (now FCS) football playoffs in 1982, 1983, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2008.
In the 2003 season, the Raiders made it to the NCAA I-AA championship game in football for the first time, where they lost to the University of Delaware
. At the end of the season, their record was 15-1. At the time, they had the longest winning streak in all of Division I football, including one win over a Division I-A (now Division I FBS) team, Buffalo
.
Cornell is a common rival in all sports; hockey games against Cornell are major events on campus, with students lining up for hours before the game in order to secure tickets. Colgate's teams (with the exception of football, golf, and men's hockey) also compete annually against Syracuse University
. Cornell and Syracuse are both within two hours of Colgate's campus. Colgate and Syracuse were once bitter rivals in football (there are some old traditions related to their games), but a variety of factors, including the splitting of Division I football into Division I FBS and Division I FCS in the late 1970s, helped end the annual game, with some exceptions (such as 2010) over the years. Their men's lacrosse rivalry remains fierce.
certification. Incoming first-year students are offered a week-long trip called Wilderness Adventure, where they spend a week backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, tree climbing, caving or rock climbing in the Adirondacks.
, Colgate University was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
, the Chief Political Correspondent of Newsweek
, Andy Rooney, Monica Crowley
, Chris Hedges
, and Bob Woodruff. In the entertainment industry, Colgate alumni include Ted Griffin
, writer of the 2001 version of Ocean's Eleven
, Chris Paine
, director of Who Killed the Electric Car?
, filmmakers Ralph Arlyck
and Joe Berlinger
, and all five members of Broken Lizard
, the comedy troupe behind Super Troopers
. Ed Werner and John Haney, the creators of Trivial Pursuit
, are also alumni. Colgate alumni in sports include Joe Castiglione
, radio announcer for the Boston Red Sox
, Adonal Foyle
, Greg Manusky
, Cory Murphy
, Mark H. Murphy, Andy McDonald
and Kyle Wilson
of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Liberal arts colleges in the United States
Liberal arts colleges in the United States are certain undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers a definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general...
in Hamilton, New York
Hamilton (village), New York
The Village of Hamilton is a village located within the town of Hamilton in Madison County, New York, USA.-Geography and climate:The village, located at , lies in the Chenango Valley, just south of the headwaters of the Chenango River. The village is approximately southeast of Syracuse and ...
, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate
William Colgate
William Colgate was an American manufacturer who founded what became the Colgate toothpaste company in 1806.- History :...
family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.
Colgate has 52 undergraduate concentrations that culminate in a Bachelor of Arts degree. The student body comes from 47 states and 42 countries. In its 2012 edition, U.S. News and World Report ranked Colgate as the 21st best liberal arts college in the country. Colgate ranked 37th in the 2011 edition of "America's Best Colleges" from Forbes.com. It is also listed as one of thirty Hidden Ivies
Hidden Ivies: Thirty Colleges of Excellence
Hidden Ivies: Thirty Colleges of Excellence is a college educational guide published in 2000. It concerns college admissions in the United States...
and as one of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
s "New Ivies".
Colgate is located on a rural 515 acre (2.08 km²) campus in Central New York
Central New York
Central New York is a term used to broadly describe the central region of New York State, roughly including the following counties and cities:...
which was listed as the most beautiful in the country in the 2010 edition of the Princeton Review. Despite an undergraduate population of only 2,750, Colgate is a member of the Patriot League
Patriot League
The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...
conference of the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I.
History
In 1817, the Baptist Education Society of the State of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
was founded by thirteen men (six clergymen and seven laymen). Two years later, in 1819, the state granted the school's charter, and the school opened a year later, in 1820. The first classes were held in a building in the town of Hamilton. Three years later, in 1823, the Baptist Theological Seminary at New York City incorporated with the Baptist Education Society and subsequently changed its name to the Hamilton Literary & Theological Institution. Among the trustees was William Colgate
William Colgate
William Colgate was an American manufacturer who founded what became the Colgate toothpaste company in 1806.- History :...
, founder of a soap company.
In 1826, the school's trustees bought farmland that later became the focal point of the campus, known as 'the Hill'. One year later, the current students and faculty of the school built West Hall, using stone taken from a quarry found on the land. Originally called West Edifice before being renamed to West Hall, it is the oldest structure on campus. In 1846, the school changed its name to Madison University. In 1850, the Baptist Education Society planned to move the university to 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...
, but was halted by legal action. Dissenting trustees, faculty, and students founded the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
.
In 1890, Madison University changed its name to Colgate University in recognition of the family and its gifts to the school. James B. Colgate
James Boorman Colgate
James Boorman Colgate , son of William Colgate, was an American financier. He was born in New York City and received his first training in the house of Boorman, Johnston, and Company...
, one of William Colgate's sons, established a $1,000,000 endowment called the Dodge Memorial Fund. The theological side of Colgate merged with the Rochester Theological Seminary in 1928 to become the Colgate Rochester Divinity School
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School is a theological college of Baptist origins. The present day school, which sits on the top of a hill in the beautiful setting of Highland Park in Rochester, New York is a product of several mergers....
, leaving Colgate to become non-denominational. Colgate became coeducational in 1970.
Campus
Hamilton (village), New York
The Village of Hamilton is a village located within the town of Hamilton in Madison County, New York, USA.-Geography and climate:The village, located at , lies in the Chenango Valley, just south of the headwaters of the Chenango River. The village is approximately southeast of Syracuse and ...
. The campus itself is situated on 515 acres (2.1 km²) of land. The university owns an additional 1100 acres (4.5 km²) of undeveloped forested lands.
Colgate's first building, West Hall, was built by students and faculty from stones from Colgate's own rock quarry. Nearly all the buildings on campus are built of stone, and newer buildings are built with materials that fit the style. Probably the most distinctive building on campus is the Chapel (Colgate Memorial Chapel), which was built in 1918 and is used for lectures, performances, concerts, and religious services. Old Biology Hall
Old Biology Hall
Old Biology Hall is a historic institutional building, renamed as Hascall Hall, located on the campus of Colgate University at Hamilton in Madison County, New York. It was built in 1884 and is a two story stone building with brick trim measuring 40 feet by 70 feet. An addition was completed in 1906...
was built in 1884 and added to 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...
in 1973.
The university's campus was ranked as the most beautiful by The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
in their 2010 edition. In July 2008, Colgate was named fifth on Forbes' list of Top Colleges for Getting Rich, the only non-Ivy League college in the top 5. Colgate is listed as one of America's 25 "new Ivies" by Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine. It is also on the list of "100 best campuses for LGBT students." In October 2006, Colgate was ranked as the second most fit college in America by Men's Fitness
Men's Fitness
Men's Fitness is a men's magazine published by American Media, Inc and founded in the United States in 1987. The premier issue featured Michael Pare from the television series The Greatest American Hero....
. Colgate has been ranked third by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education for its success in integrating African-American students.
Most of the campus's heat is generated from a wood boiler which burns wood chips, a renewable resource. Since the heating facility is fueled by biomass, it produces zero net carbon emissions. Almost all of Colgate's electricity comes from a hydroelectric dam at Niagara Falls; the rest comes from nuclear sources. The campus also has a Green Bikes program with over two dozen bikes that are loaned out in an effort to encourage students to rely less on cars. Colgate Dining Services currently provides organic rice, beans, and other dry foods, and is working to offer more local foods options. Dining Services take-out containers are also made from natural materials, and are compostable. On the 2009 College Sustainability Report Card, Colgate earned a C, which was a great improvement from the previous year, when the school earned a D+. In 2010 Colgate improved to a B, and the administration continues to promote sustainability.
Outreach
Colgate founded the Upstate Institute in 2003. The Institute was created to connect the Colgate community to its surrounding region, as well as to give back and help economically and socially sustain the area. Currently, they do research on counties in the area, as well as support outreach and volunteer organizations.Colgate was an initial sponsor of Partnership for Community Development, a local nonprofit organization which seeks to support the community through revitalization of buildings and small business development.
Academics and administration
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
s leading to a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree, all of which are registered officially with the New York State Department of Education. The university also has a small graduate (Master of Arts) program for Education, which graduates 3-7 students each year.
In addition to regular campus courses, the university offers 22 semester-long off-campus study groups each year, including programs in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, several Western European countries, Washington, DC, and the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
. Approximately two-thirds of Colgate undergraduates study abroad, which is a high proportion considering other colleges and universities in the United States. About 95% of seniors graduate and most alumni proceed to graduate schools in law, administration, engineering, medicine, the arts and the sciences, as well as to financial, administrative or scientific occupations. There is hardly a walk of life where alumni of Colgate University are not represented. However, a significant clustering occurs in business, the media, and the life and earth sciences.
Admissions
Students apply to Colgate from all over the world: most recently from 121 countries. According to NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, Colgate competes most commonly with Cornell, Dartmouth
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, Middlebury
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
, and Georgetown
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
for students.
For the class of 2015, 7,834 students applied, and 29% of applicants were admitted. Admitted students had an average GPA of 3.75 (out of 4.0) and an average SAT score of 1397 (out of 1600). Of those admitted, 80% were in the top 10% of their class, and 93% were in the top 20%. International students comprise 8% of the most recent entering class.
Board of Trustees
Colgate is governed by a Board of Trustees that is composed of 35 members: 31 are alumni of the university, 3 are parents of students, and the current president. As of March 2011, Colgate's endowment was $669.9 million.Housing and student life facilities
Colgate has three dining facilities on campus that are run by Colgate Dining Services, which in turn is run by Sodexho
Sodexho
Sodexo is a French multinational corporation headquartered in the Paris suburb of Issy-les-Moulineaux, France. Sodexo is one of the largest food services and facilities management companies in the world, with 380,000 employees, representing 130 nationalities, present on 34,000 sites in 80 countries...
. There is also a cafe located in Case Library that serves Starbucks coffee.
The O'Connor Campus Center, commonly referred to as the Coop, serves as the center for student life and programming. Renovations on it were completed in 2004, and it now houses the offices for student organizations, a cafeteria, post office, printing center, a computer facility, as well as the new Blackmore Media Center, home to WRCU
WRCU-FM
WRCU-FM is Colgate University's student-run radio station. It is located in Hamilton, New York, and broadcasts a wide variety of music to the central New York region.-Format:...
, Colgate's radio station.
Greek and social life
About forty-five percent of sophomores, juniors and seniors belong to the Greek system at Colgate. Students are not allowed to pledge until the fall semester of their sophomore year. As of 2009, there are nine Greek organizations that are active on campus: six fraternities and three sororities.Following a number of incidents related to Greek organizations on campus, in 2005, the university decided to purchase the Greek houses. All but one of the Greek organizations sold their houses. The hold-out, Delta Kappa Epsilon, was subsequently derecognized. Students were forbidden from living in the house or participating in the fraternity's activities.
Student groups
Colgate has more than 180 student groups and organizations. The groups cover a wide array of interests, including academic organizations, personal interests, student government, honor societies, and cultural and religious organizations. Among its more notable groups are The Colgate Maroon-News, the oldest college weekly in America, the radio station WRCU-FMWRCU-FM
WRCU-FM is Colgate University's student-run radio station. It is located in Hamilton, New York, and broadcasts a wide variety of music to the central New York region.-Format:...
, the a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
groups, The Colgate Resolutions, The Colgate Thirteen, The Swinging 'Gates, and The Dischords, and the improv group Charred Goosebeak, the latter of which was founded by the members of Broken Lizard
Broken Lizard
Broken Lizard is an American comedy troupe, consisting of five friends, best known for its films, including Super Troopers and Beerfest. Its five members are Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske. They collaborate on the screen-writing, acting and...
.
Traditions and legacies
In 1936, the Colgate swim team made its first trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
for spring break training at the Casino Pool. This became a regular tradition for Colgate that caught on with other schools across the country, and proved to be the genesis of the college spring break
Spring break
Spring break – also known as March break, Study week or Reading week in the United Kingdom and some parts of Canada – is a recess in early spring at universities and schools in the United States, Canada, mainland China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the United...
trip.
Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
National Monument displays an anti-immigration statement by George Barton Cutten
George Barton Cutten
George Barton Cutten was a Canadian-born psychologist, moral philosopher, historian and university administrator. He was president of Acadia University from 1910 to 1922 and Colgate University from 1922 to 1942.-Career:...
, Colgate's eighth President, warning that "The danger the 'melting pot
Melting pot
The melting pot is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" into a harmonious whole with a common culture...
' brings to the nation is the breeding out of the higher divisions of the white race...." The topic of how to come to grips with the legacy of a former university president who espoused such views, but also presided over a long period of expansion for the University, has been a topic of debate at Colgate in recent years.
Athletics
Approximately 25% of students are involved in a varsity sport, and 80% of students are involved in some form of varsity, club, or intramural athletics. There are 25 varsity teams, over 40 club sports teams, and 18 different intramural sports. Colgate is part of NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I for all varsity sports.
The football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
program competes within the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The athletic teams are nicknamed the "Raiders," and the traditional team colors are maroon and white, with a more recent addition of gray in the 1970s. Colgate is a member of the Patriot League
Patriot League
The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...
for all varsity sports except for hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, in which both its men's and women's teams are members of ECAC Hockey.
Starting in 1932, Colgate athletics teams were called the "Red Raiders" in reference to the new maroon uniforms of that season's "undefeated, untied, unscored upon, and uninvited" football team
1932 Colgate Red Raiders football team
The 1932 Colgate Red Raiders football team represented Colgate University in National Collegiate Athletic Association intercollegiate competition...
, which was the first to use the moniker. Apocryphal explanations for the name include the team's ability to defeat its much larger rival, the Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
Big Red
Cornell Big Red
The Cornell Big Red is the informal name of the sports teams, and other competitive teams, at Cornell University. The university sponsors 36 varsity sports, as well as numerous intramural and club teams. Cornell participates in NCAA Division I as part of the Ivy League.The men's and women's hockey...
, or that a rainstorm caused one Colgate football team's maroon jerseys to blend into a reddish color. Regardless, after the adoption of a Native American mascot
Native American mascot controversy
The propriety of using Native American mascots and images in sports has been a topic of debate in the United States and Canada since the 1960s.Americans have had a history of drawing inspiration from native peoples and "playing Indian" that dates back at least to the 18th century...
, the school debated changing the name and mascot in the 1970s out of sensitivity to Native Americans
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...
. At that time the nickname was retained, but the mascot was changed to a hand holding a torch. In 2001, the administration acknowledged concerns that the adjective "Red" still had an American Indian implication, and the school shortened the nickname to the "Raiders" starting in the 2001-02 school year. Some local TV outlets still use the logo with "Red Raiders" on it. A new mascot was introduced in 2006.
Colgate University's football was given a Division I first place ranking by Parke H. Davis
Parke H. Davis
Parke Hill Davis was an American football player, coach and historian who retroactively named the national championship teams in American college football from the 1869 through the 1932 seasons. He also named co-national champions at the conclusion of the 1933 season...
in 1916 and 1932, and appeared in the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
Division I polls in 1942 and 1977. The 1932 team
1932 Colgate Red Raiders football team
The 1932 Colgate Red Raiders football team represented Colgate University in National Collegiate Athletic Association intercollegiate competition...
was "unbeaten, untied, unscored upon, and uninvited", as it registered shutouts against all nine opponents, but was not invited to the 1933 Rose Bowl. Colgate began playing in NCAA Division I-AA, now known as Division I FCS, in 1982, and made the Division I-AA (now FCS) football playoffs in 1982, 1983, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2008.
In the 2003 season, the Raiders made it to the NCAA I-AA championship game in football for the first time, where they lost to the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
. At the end of the season, their record was 15-1. At the time, they had the longest winning streak in all of Division I football, including one win over a Division I-A (now Division I FBS) team, Buffalo
Buffalo Bulls
The Buffalo Bulls are the athletic teams representing the University at Buffalo in intercollegiate athletics. The Bulls currently play in Division I , and are a member of the Mid-American Conference for all sports except women's rowing who is in the Cononial Athletic Assocition . They have been a...
.
Cornell is a common rival in all sports; hockey games against Cornell are major events on campus, with students lining up for hours before the game in order to secure tickets. Colgate's teams (with the exception of football, golf, and men's hockey) also compete annually against Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
. Cornell and Syracuse are both within two hours of Colgate's campus. Colgate and Syracuse were once bitter rivals in football (there are some old traditions related to their games), but a variety of factors, including the splitting of Division I football into Division I FBS and Division I FCS in the late 1970s, helped end the annual game, with some exceptions (such as 2010) over the years. Their men's lacrosse rivalry remains fierce.
Outdoor education
Colgate makes use of its rural location by having a full outdoor education program. A Base Camp is located on campus and allows students to rent equipment for skiing, camping, and other outdoor events. Each year, twelve to fifteen students are selected to become staffers for Outdoor Education. The training takes more than six months and includes a Wilderness First ResponderWilderness First Responder
Wilderness First Responders are individuals who are trained to respond to emergency situations in remote settings. They are part of a wide variety of wilderness medical professionals who deal with medical emergencies that occur in wilderness settings....
certification. Incoming first-year students are offered a week-long trip called Wilderness Adventure, where they spend a week backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, tree climbing, caving or rock climbing in the Adirondacks.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Colgate University was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
Alumni
Colgate has more than 34,000 living alumni. Colgate alumni have a median starting salary of $48,700 and have a median mid-career salary of $119,000. Among small schools, Colgate is the 10th largest producer of alumni who go onto the Peace Corps. Alumni in journalism include Howard FinemanHoward Fineman
Howard Fineman is an American journalist who is senior politics editor at the Huffington Post. Prior to his move to Huffington Post in October 2010, he was Newsweek’s Chief Political Correspondent, Senior Editor and Deputy Washington Bureau Chief. An award-winning writer, Fineman also is an NBC...
, the Chief Political Correspondent of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, Andy Rooney, Monica Crowley
Monica Crowley
Monica Crowley is an American conservative radio and television commentator, and author based in New York City. She has her own radio show and is a regular commentator on The McLaughlin Group, a Fox News contributor, and Washington Times columnist.-Education:Crowley holds a B.A. in Political...
, Chris Hedges
Chris Hedges
Christopher Lynn Hedges is an American journalist, author, and war correspondent, specializing in American and Middle Eastern politics and societies...
, and Bob Woodruff. In the entertainment industry, Colgate alumni include Ted Griffin
Ted Griffin
Ted Griffin is an American screenwriter whose credits include Ravenous, Matchstick Men, and Ocean's Eleven.Born in Pasadena, California, Griffin graduated from Colgate University in 1993...
, writer of the 2001 version of Ocean's Eleven
Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)
Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
, Chris Paine
Chris Paine
Chris Paine is an American filmmaker. His most notable works to date as director are the documentaries Who Killed the Electric Car? and Revenge of the Electric Car.-Career:...
, director of Who Killed the Electric Car?
Who Killed the Electric Car?
Who Killed the Electric Car? is a 2006 documentary film that explores the creation, limited commercialization, and subsequent destruction of the battery electric vehicle in the United States, specifically the General Motors EV1 of the mid 1990s...
, filmmakers Ralph Arlyck
Ralph Arlyck
Ralph Arlyck is an American documentary filmmaker. He has won many awards for his films and has been shown at film festivals including Sundance, New York, London, and Cannes....
and Joe Berlinger
Joe Berlinger
Joseph "Joe" Berlinger is an American documentary film-maker who, in collaboration with Bruce Sinofsky, has created such films as Paradise Lost about the West Memphis 3, Brother's Keeper, Some Kind of Monster, and Crude....
, and all five members of Broken Lizard
Broken Lizard
Broken Lizard is an American comedy troupe, consisting of five friends, best known for its films, including Super Troopers and Beerfest. Its five members are Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske. They collaborate on the screen-writing, acting and...
, the comedy troupe behind Super Troopers
Super Troopers
Super Troopers is a 2001 crime-comedy film directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, written by and starring the Broken Lizard comedy group . Marisa Coughlan, Daniel von Bargen and Brian Cox co-star while Lynda Carter has a cameo appearance...
. Ed Werner and John Haney, the creators of Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit is a board game in which progress is determined by a player's ability to answer general knowledge and popular culture questions. The game was created in 1979 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, by Canadian Chris Haney, a photo editor for Montreal's The Gazette and Scott Abbott, a sports...
, are also alumni. Colgate alumni in sports include Joe Castiglione
Joe Castiglione
Joseph John Castiglione is an American radio announcer for the Boston Red Sox baseball team, an author and lecturer.-Early life and career:...
, radio announcer for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Adonal Foyle
Adonal Foyle
Adonal David Foyle is a retired Vincentian-American former professional basketball center. He was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the eighth overall selection of the 1997 NBA Draft. He played ten seasons with the team until the team bought out his contract on August 13, 2007. At the...
, Greg Manusky
Greg Manusky
Gregory Manusky is the current American football defensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He is also a former player, playing linebacker for three teams over twelve years...
, Cory Murphy
Cory Murphy (ice hockey)
Cory Murphy is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League A .-Playing career:...
, Mark H. Murphy, Andy McDonald
Andy McDonald
Andy McDonald is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and winger, an alternate captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and Kyle Wilson
Kyle Wilson (ice hockey)
Kyle Wilson is a Canadian professional Ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League...
of the Columbus Blue Jackets.