80 things to love about Binghamton University
A salute to the people, places, history, and cornerstones that have made Binghamton special
On June 6, 1946, Triple Cities College of Syracuse University launched with a reception at the Arlington Hotel in downtown Binghamton. Classes began that September in modest facilities in nearby Endicott. By 1950, the school had joined the State University of New York, becoming Harpur College.
The institution has seen many changes in the 80 years since its original opening. It started with founding President Glenn G. Bartle’s vision of a college, modeled on Swarthmore College, that taught the liberal arts to returning World War II veterans. Harpur College would move from Endicott to a plot of farmland in Vestal by the early 1960s; launch graduate programs; become SUNY Binghamton and then Binghamton University; create schools for engineering, management, and pharmacy, among others; and advance to Division I athletics.
Today, the university that started with 876 students in Endicott classes is growing and thriving as a “Public Ivy” with nearly 19,000 students, more than 160,000 alumni, and a $1.79 billion yearly economic impact on New York state.
In honor of 80 years of excellence, Binghamton University Magazine presents “80 Things to Love About Binghamton University.” The following links will highlight (in no particular ranking) the people, places, history, and cornerstones that make the University so special.
Happy birthday to you, Binghamton!