10 Things You Might Not Know About Columbia University
Columbia University is world-renowned for it’s accomplished alumni, rich history and commitment to education and research. But there are many interesting facts that never made it to the headlines. Check them out below!
2. The State of New York gave Columbia the 14-acre land that became Rockefeller Center in 1929. In 1985 Columbia sold the land to the Rockefeller family for $400 Million, which doubled the University’s endowment.
4. Columbia’s medical college was the second medical school ever established in the colonies. In 1770 it became the first to award the M.D.
5. During the British occupation of New York City in 1776, Columbia was used as a British military hospital.
6. The first intercollegiate sporting event Columbia played was a baseball game against NYU in 1860.
8. The Student Homophile League, the country’s oldest student-run gay rights group, was founded at Columbia in 1966.
10. Dwight D. Eisenhower was Columbia’s 13th president but resigned in 1953 when he was elected president of the United States.
Treasures of New York: Columbia University premieres on Monday, September 22 at 9 p.m. Watch the preview: