Syracuse University

Did You Know?

Since its founding in 1870, Syracuse University has had an illustrious history of educational excellence. Among SU's milestones are:

  • 1870  Promotes equal education for men and women.
  • 1874  Offers the nation's first bachelor of arts degree.
  • 1924  Creates the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, one of the few schools in the nation to combine the social sciences and public administration education.
  • 1934  Pioneers one of the nation's first schools of journalism, now the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
  • 1946  Welcomes returning World War II veterans under the G.I. Bill of Rights and enrollment triples overnight.
  • 1961  Celebrates the selection of Ernie Davis '62 as the first SU football player and first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.
  • 1971  Establishes an intercollegiate athletics program for women.
  • 1980  Builds the Carrier Dome, the only domed stadium in the Northeast and the largest structure of its kind on a college campus in the country.
  • 1996  Receives the Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for best demonstrating successful innovative faculty development programs to enhance undergraduate education.
  • 2002  Becomes the site of the New York State Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems.
  • 2003  Wins the NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Championship.
  • 2004 Inaugurates Nancy Cantor as the University's 11th Chancellor and President.
  • 2005  Earns recognition as one of the nation's "Colleges with a Conscience."
  • 2007  Launches The Campaign for Syracuse University, the most ambitious fund-raising effort in the University's history.
  • 2008  Presents a major exhibition of original drawings and  writings by Renaissance master Michelangelo Buonarroti at the SUArt Galleries on campus and the Joseph I. Lubin House in New York City.
  • 2008  Hosts the Syracuse premiere of Universal Picture's The Express—a feature film about the life and times of football legend Ernie Davis '62.
To learn more about the bold history of Syracuse University, take a spin on our interactive timeline here.