We recently processed the Alumni Files, a large series in the Columbia School of Library Service records. Alumni here means former students who enrolled in a degree program (BS, MS, PhD), whether or not they completed their program, from 1926 to 1992. These files have often been requested by researchers so we are delighted to […]
Tag: Columbia University
Meet Flora Harpham
In researching Columbia’s history in our archives, one meets a number of interesting characters whose stories are often underrepresented in our sources. Florence Ellen Harpham is an excellent example. She has the distinction of being the first woman to receive a Trustee appointment as an Officer of Instruction, or simply, the first woman faculty member […]
Nikola Tesla and Seth Low
In May 1895, newspapers around the country reported that Columbia President and alumnus Seth Low (CC 1870) had donated $1 million for the construction of the library building on the future Morningside Heights campus. This was at the time the largest donation ever made by an individual to a college or university. Low received letters […]
From In Absentia to In Person
The Office of the Secretary recently sent out its yearly appeal asking members of the Columbia community to submit nominations for this year’s honorary degree and University Medal for Excellence recipients. The University aims to honor individuals “across all of the various areas of study and fields of academia.” The only restrictions are that honorees […]
A Change in Furniture
At the RBML, there are a couple of historical chairs in our reading rooms. One chair used to be in Benjamin Franklin’s library and is featured during presidential inaugurations. The other belonged to Columbia College Class of 1786 alum DeWitt Clinton. In fact, as the plaque on the chair notes, this is the chair “in […]