Senate Resolution No. 2589

BY: Senator PARKER

COMMEMORATING the 175th Anniversary of The City
University of New York (CUNY)

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
those institutions that have acted as pioneering forces in the pursuit
of expanding educational opportunities for all within the City of New
York and contributed to the expansion of key, affordable university
infrastructure, to the benefit of millions of New Yorkers; and

WHEREAS, The City University of New York's journey began on May 7,
1847, with the Free Academy's receipt of its charter from the New York
State Legislature, the Free Academy would later go on to be renamed The
City College of New York, becoming the first free public institution of
higher education within the United States; and

WHEREAS, In 1870, The City University of New York founded The Female
Normal and High School with the goal of creating more teachers to meet
the growing need for educators in the city of New York; the
institutions' guidelines for acceptance were unprecedented at the time
in allowing all qualified women, irrespective of race and creed, to
attend; and

WHEREAS, Fast forward 60 years to 1930, The City University of New
York's annexes for City College and Hunter College were combined to
create New York City's first coeducational public liberal arts college,
Brooklyn College; and

WHEREAS, By 1960, the seven existing colleges, City College, Hunter,
Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island Community College, Bronx Community
College and Queensborough were officially brought together under The
City University of New York system created by the New York City
Legislature: and

WHEREAS, Between 1968 and 1970, Baruch College was formed, and
Hunter-in-the-Bronx became Lehman College; meanwhile, Hostos College and
Medgar Evers College were created to expand educational opportunities
for communities of color through rallying and local organizing; and

WHEREAS, Throughout these 175 years CUNY has impacted millions of
students and produced countless alumni whose post-graduate endeavors
have lent themselves to, groundbreaking contributions in a wide array of
fields from business to government to the fine arts; and

WHEREAS, Today, CUNY is the largest urban public university system
in the United States, comprised of 25 colleges in service to over
260,000 students, with the help of 40,000 essential faculty and staff
and their dedication to equality has transitioned more low-income
students into middle class college graduates than all of the Ivy
League's combined; and

WHEREAS, In this spirit it is imperative to acknowledge The City
University of New York's capacity to spur social and economic mobility,

while fostering a continued mission to increase diversity, cultural
awareness and civic engagement; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is now moved to commemorate the 175th
Anniversary of The City University of New York and its transformative
efforts in creating equitable and accessible avenues to pursuing higher
education and to support them as they continue to do so for many more
years to come; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 175th Anniversary of The City University of New York
(CUNY); and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Felix V. Matos Rodriguez, Chancellor of The City
University of New York, and The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the
State of New York.