Located atop one of the rolling hills in central New York’s “City of Seven Valleys,” the State University of New York College at Cortland was founded in 1868 as the Cortland Normal School. Among its earliest students is inventor and industrialist Elmer A. Sperry of Sperry-Rand Corp. fame. The original campus, located in downtown Cortland, was destroyed by a fire in 1919. The present campus opened in 1923.
Over the decades, the campus expanded and in 1941, by an act of the legislature and the Board of Regents, the institution officially became a four-year college providing courses leading to the bachelor’s degree. In 1948, Cortland became a founding member of the State University of New York.
A complete overview of SUNY Cortland’s history is presented in Cortland College: An Illustrated History by Leonard F. Ralston, professor emeritus, history. The book is available in The Campus Store.
SUNY Cortland Timeline
1868
New York State Legislature authorizes appointment of Board of Trustees for Cortland Normal School; officers are elected; school organization gets underway.
1869
Classes begin at the Cortland Normal School, located off Church Street in Cortland, N.Y.
1872
The College Alumni Association is founded.
1891-92
An addition that includes a gymnasium is built.
1905
Two-year program of instruction beyond high school level is introduced.
1914
The College’s third principal, Harry DeWitt DeGroat, commissions composition of the Alma Mater, written by English professor Ulysses F Axtell.
1919
Fire destroys the original building.
1921
The teacher-training program is extended from two years to three years.
1923
Construction of Old Main is completed on the hill.
1933
The College adopts “Red Dragons” as the nickname for its athletic teams.
1938
The teacher-training program is extended to four years.
1941
Cortland Normal School becomes Cortland State Teachers College providing four-year programs leading to the bachelor’s degree.
1947
Master’s degree programs are authorized.
1948
Cortland becomes a charter member of the State University of New York.
Huntington Memorial Camp at Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks is presented to the College for development as an outdoor education center.
The Cortland State Teachers College Student Welfare Association, Inc., now called the Cortland College Foundation, is formed.
1951
Brockway Hall, Cheney Hall and DeGroat Hall open, the first new buildings since Old Main. Brockway Hall is the first student union in SUNY.
1953
The College Council is established.
Moffett Center is completed.
1956
George Breen becomes the College’s first Olympic star with two bronze and one silver medal in swimming.
1958
Cortland is one of eight charter members of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC).
1959
Bishop Hall and Shea Hall are completed.
First Cortaca Jug football game is played against Ithaca College.
1960
Neubig Hall is completed.
1961
The College is renamed SUNY College at Cortland and assumes a new role as a comprehensive college of arts and sciences.
Hayes Hall, Hendrick Hall and Memorial Library are completed.
1962
Randall Hall and Lusk Field House are completed.
1963
Liberal arts curriculum is introduced.
Tuition is charged for the first time beginning with the fall semester. The fee is $400 for the entire year.
Cornish Hall, Van Hoesen Hall, Bowers Hall and Fitzgerald Hall are completed.
1964
A study abroad program is initiated.
1966
The Hoxie Gorge Nature Preserve south of Cortland is acquired.
1967-68
The College observes its 100th anniversary.
Miller Building, Dowd Fine Arts Center, Sperry Center, Winchell Hall, Alger Hall, Clark Hall and Higgins Hall are completed.
1969
The Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame is established.
Corey Union is completed.
1971
The Interfaith Center is completed.
1972
Casey Tower and Smith Tower are completed.
Whitaker Hall is completed and serves as an infirmary until 1983 when it is converted to a residence hall.
1973
Park Center is completed.
1982
The Center for Educational Exchange is established to enhance teacher-preparation programs through networking with elementary and secondary schools in Central New York.
The Robert C. Brauer Memorial Education Center opens.
1983
The College-wide Honors Program is established.
The New York State Senior Games originate on the SUNY Cortland campus.
A major fire at the Raquette Lake Outdoor Education Center destroys the dining hall and several historic buildings.
1984
Classes resume at the Outdoor Education Center as facilities are rebuilt.
1985
Multidisciplinary Center for Minority and Women's Studies (now the Center for Gender and Intercultural Studies) is established.
1993-94
The College observes its 125th anniversary.
1997
Renovation of Old Main is completed.
College holds first Scholars’ Day, showcasing scholarly work by faculty and students.
1998
College celebrates 50th anniversary of the Outdoor Education Center at Raquette Lake.
1999
Renovation of Hendrick Hall is completed.
2001
Renovation of Clark Hall is completed.
2002
Stadium Complex opens; the Carl “Chugger” Davis Building is dedicated.
SUNY Cortland and the City of Cortland co-hosted with Syracuse the 25th Empire State Games.
Cortland’s Sport Technology Learning Center (STLC) opens in Studio West.
Renovation of Higgins Hall is completed.
2003
School of Education is established.
Renovation of Alger Hall is completed.
2004
The U.S. National Park Service designates SUNY Cortland’s Huntington Memorial Camp, the former Camp Pine Knot, as the first National Historic Landmark within SUNY.
The College receives accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) for its teacher-education programs, making Cortland home to the largest nationally accredited teacher-education program in New York state. Note: NCATE is now Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
Consumer's Digest ranks SUNY Cortland among its 50 best value public colleges and universities in the nation.
The SUNY Cortland Alumni Association opens the doors to its newly acquired alumni house on Tompkins Street.
Wendee Wallach-Levy ’70 names an asteroid after her alma mater.
Renovation of Hayes Hall is completed.
2005
College establishes the James M. Clark Center for International Education.
2006
The Main Street SUNY Cortland facility opens at 9 Main St. in the former Beard Building, giving the College a presence in downtown Cortland.
Glass Tower Hall, the first residence hall built on campus in 32 years and LEED certified, is completed.
Renovation of Brockway Hall is completed.
Renovation of Bishop Hall is completed.
2007
College establishes the bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.) degree.
Lynne Parks Hoffman ’68 becomes the College’s first $1 million donor. Her gift supports the newly named Lynne Parks ’68 SUNY Cortland Alumni House.
2008
U.S. Army General Ann E. Dunwoody ’75 becomes the nation’s first female four-star general.
U.S. News & World Report lists SUNY Cortland in its 2008 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.”
Renovation of Shea Hall is completed.
2009
Dr. Louise M. Conley (granddaughter of Francis J. Cheney) makes a $1 million gift to be the first to endow an academic chair — the Dr. Louise M. Conley Chair in Educational Leadership.
The Education Building is completed with state-of-the-art facilities for the Child Care Center.
The New York Jets of the National Football League hold their summer training camp at the College for the first time.
Cortland takes first place in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Commissioner’s Cup ranking for the sixth consecutive year and the 12th time since the ranking was established in the 1996-97 season.
Renovation of Fitzgerald Hall is completed.
2010
The College announces a $5.18 million bequest from John Fantauzzi ’58, the largest individual gift in its 140-year history, to support scholarships for children of immigrants and first-generation college students attending SUNY Cortland.
Michael J. O'Reilly '58 bequeaths $1.24 million to support future science educators.
Kiplinger’s names Cortland among its 100 Best Values in Public Colleges in the U.S. for the fourth consecutive year.
2011
Renovation and new construction at Studio West leads to renaming the building Professional Studies Building, home to the School of Professional Studies.
Renovation of Cheney Hall completed.
2012
SUNY Cortland is named to President Barack Obama’s 2012 Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. It is the sixth year the College earns national recognition for its civic engagement programs and the second time it receives the “with distinction” designation.
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education awards the College a silver rating for environmental sustainability efforts on campus. It is one of only 32 campuses nationwide to earn the silver designation.
2013
SUNY Cortland becomes a tobacco-free campus on Jan. 1.
Kiplinger’s names Cortland among its 100 Best Values in Public Colleges in the U.S.
Two new master's degree programs are added: Communication Sciences and Disorders and Sustainable Energy Systems, which is the country's 300th professional science master's (PSM) program.
The Auxiliary Services Corporation (ASC) transfers ownership of the Antlers property in Raquette Lake, N.Y., to the Cortland College Foundation. The College enters a 30-year lease agreement with the foundation to operate the facility.
The Cortland College Foundation receives ownership of Antlers and enters a 30-year lease agreement with the College to operate the facility.
With the installation of 700 new solar panels, SUNY Cortland becomes the first institution in the 64-campus SUNY system to operate all of its facilities using 100 percent renewable electrical energy.
Dragon Hall, the College's 18th residence hall, officially opens for fall semester, featuring rooftop solar panels, environmentally sensitive lighting and highly effective insulation.
SUNY Cortland is once again listed as one of the nation’s best colleges in U.S. News & World Report’s annual survey.
The Cortland College Foundation completes its five-year capital campaign with a record $27.5 million raised.
2014
Retired public school teacher Esther Hawthorne leaves more than $1 million to SUNY Cortland in her will, the largest realized bequest in College history.
Dragon Hall receives Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum level certification, the highest distinction for environmental design.
Phase I of the Bowers Hall renovation project is completed.
The College celebrates the largest Commencement in its history with nearly 1,500 undergraduate students in attendance at the two ceremonies, which are held in the Stadium Complex.
SUNY Cortland is listed among the nation’s best colleges in annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report and Money magazines.
Renovations to Dowd Fine Arts Center are completed.
Lynne Parks Hoffman ’68 makes her second $1 million gift to the College. This bequest honors her father and his family in support of the newly named William H. Parks Family Center for Environmental and Outdoor Education.