History and Early Development of Yale University
- Yale University is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1701.
- It was originally established as the Collegiate School by Congregationalist clergy of the Connecticut Colony.
- The school's curriculum expanded over time to include humanities and sciences.
- Yale College traces its beginnings to An Act for Liberty to Erect a Collegiate School passed in 1701.
- The group of ten Congregational ministers who founded the school is known as The Founders.
- Yale College was initially established to train ministers and lay leadership for Connecticut.
- The school moved to Saybrook in 1703 and then to New Haven in 1716.
- In 1718, Elihu Yale, a successful businessman, donated funds to construct a new building for the college.
- The school changed its name to Yale College in honor of Elihu Yale.
Curriculum and Notable Achievements of Yale University
- Yale College follows a liberal arts curriculum with departmental majors.
- It is organized into a social system of residential colleges.
- The curriculum was influenced by the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment.
- Yale University has had numerous notable alumni, including U.S. presidents and Supreme Court Justices.
- Many Nobel laureates, Fields medalists, and Turing Award winners have been affiliated with Yale.
- The university's endowment was valued at $42.3 billion as of 2021.
- The Yale University Library is the third-largest academic library in the United States.
- The current faculty includes members of prestigious academies such as the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Expansion and Development of Yale University
- Yale expanded with the addition of the Yale School of Medicine in 1810.
- Yale established the Yale Divinity School in 1822 and the Yale Law School in 1822.
- The Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences was established in 1847.
- The Sheffield Scientific School was established in 1847.
- The Yale School of Fine Arts was established in 1869.
- Yale School of Music established in 1894.
- Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies established in 1900.
- Yale School of Public Health established in 1915.
- Yale School of Architecture established in 1916.
- Yale School of Nursing established in 1923.
Controversies and Partnerships of Yale University
- Yale's involvement in the slave trade during Elihu Yale's tenure as president of Fort St George.
- Controversies surrounding Yale's ties to the slave trade and criticism of its scholarships and endowments.
- Partnerships and collaborations with University College London, National University of Singapore, and others.
- Renaming of Calhoun College to Hopper College in 2017.
- Lawsuit by the US Justice Department alleging discrimination in admission policies (later withdrawn).
Yale's Influence in Politics and Governance
- Yale alumni have been represented on the Democratic or Republican ticket in every US presidential election between 1972 and 2004.
- Yale-educated presidents include Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.
- Factors contributing to Yale's political influence, including its focus on creating future leaders and networking opportunities.
- The President and Fellows of Yale College, also known as the Yale Corporation, is the governing body of the university.
Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution.
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| Latin: Universitas Yalensis | |
Former names | Collegiate School (1701–1718) Yale College (1718–1887) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Lux et veritas (Latin) אורים ותמים (Hebrew) |
Motto in English | "Light and truth" |
| Type | Private research university |
| Established | October 9, 1701 |
| Accreditation | NECHE |
Academic affiliations | |
| Endowment | $40.7 billion (2023) |
| President | Peter Salovey |
| Provost | Scott Strobel |
Academic staff | 5,118 (Fall 2021) |
| Students | 12,060 (Fall 2020) |
| Undergraduates | 4,703 (Fall 2020) |
| Postgraduates | 7,357 (Fall 2020) |
| Location | , , United States 41°18′59″N 72°55′20″W / 41.31639°N 72.92222°W |
| Campus | Midsize city, 1,015 acres (411 ha) |
| Newspaper | Yale Daily News |
| Colors | Yale blue |
| Nickname | Bulldogs |
Sporting affiliations | |
| Mascot | Handsome Dan |
| Website | yale |
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The Collegiate School (Yale's original name) was established in 1701 by Congregationalist clergy of the Connecticut Colony. Originally restricted to instructing ministers in theology and sacred languages, the school's curriculum expanded, incorporating humanities and sciences by the time of the American Revolution. In the 19th century, the college expanded into graduate and professional instruction, awarding the first PhD in the United States in 1861 and organizing as a university in 1887. Yale's faculty and student populations grew rapidly after 1890 due to the expansion of the physical campus and its scientific research programs.
Today, Yale is organized into fourteen constituent schools, including the original undergraduate college, the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Yale Law School. While the university is governed by the Yale Corporation, each school's faculty oversees its curriculum and degree programs. In addition to a central campus in downtown New Haven, the university owns athletic facilities in western New Haven, a campus in West Haven, and forests and nature preserves throughout New England. As of 2021[update], the university's endowment was valued at $42.3 billion, the third largest of any educational institution. The Yale University Library, serving all constituent schools, holds more than 15 million volumes and is the third-largest academic library in the United States. Student athletes compete in intercollegiate sports as the Yale Bulldogs in the NCAA Division I Ivy League conference.
As of October 2020[update], 65 Nobel laureates, five Fields medalists, four Abel Prize laureates, and three Turing Award winners have been affiliated with Yale University. In addition, Yale has graduated many notable alumni, including five U.S. presidents, 10 Founding Fathers, 19 U.S. Supreme Court Justices, 31 living billionaires, 54 college founders and presidents, many heads of state, cabinet members and governors. Hundreds of members of Congress and many U.S. diplomats, 78 MacArthur Fellows, 263 Rhodes Scholars, 123 Marshall Scholars, 81 Gates Cambridge Scholars, 102 Guggenheim Fellows and nine Mitchell Scholars have been affiliated with the university. Yale's current faculty include 67 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 55 members of the National Academy of Medicine, 8 members of the National Academy of Engineering, and 187 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
