How do alumni stay connected to their Alma Mater? In the case of the School of Mines (later known as the School of Mines, Engineering and Chemistry) the efforts to maintain those connections depended on two key personalities, who were dear to generations of alumni. From 1902 to 1935, Professors Ralph E. Mayer and Thomas […]
Category: Columbia University Archives
Neighborhood Vendors
Local neighborhood vendors, located both on campus and just off campus, have been a part of a Columbian’s daily life since the move to Morningside Heights in 1897. Two vendors in particular had lengthy relationships with those on campus and were fondly remembered by those who interacted with them. […]
Juneteenth: Now a University Holiday
The University Senate recently passed a resolution designating Juneteenth as an official University Holiday. After two years observing the day, Juneteenth has now been added to the University holiday calendar for this year and moving forward. The University calendar is always changing and evolving, but some holidays have a longer history than others. […]
Now Available | Columbia Bicentennial Anniversary Records
In 1954, Columbia marked its first 200 years with a year-long celebration. There were conferences, convocations, a weekly radio show, a commemorative US postage stamp, and a very special reception dedicated to the long-term Morningside Heights neighborhood businesses. From Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, attending the Charter Day Dinner to John Courtsounis, the peanut vendor […]
Transatlantic’s Varian Fry
The Netflix limited series Transatlantic tells the story behind a rescue operation to help artists, intellectuals, writers and other blacklisted individuals escape from Nazi-occupied Europe. This fictionalized account, inspired by the historical novel The Flight Portfolio by Julie Orringer, focuses on the work by the real Emergency Rescue Committee and its agent in Marseilles (also […]