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Hofstra University - 75th Anniversary
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Timeline Project

Start with the 75th anniversary and work your way backwards in history and experience the changes that took place on a yearly basis through this exciting display. Mounted on the walls of the Clifford Lord Unispan, the original pedestrian bridge connecting the North and the South Campus, the timeline features moments in Hofstra’s history using photographs and text.

The Timeline will be mounted the week of September 21. A visual display of the timeline will be found here, as well, for those who cannot see the timeline in person.

timeline 2010: Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine at Hofstra University announced that it began accepting applications for its inaugural class. 2010: Hofstra celebrates its 75th anniversary. 2009: CNN's Anderson Cooper discussed 'A 360-Degree Look at World Events' at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse as part of Define '09: New Challenges, New Solutions, a yearlong series of politically and socially engaging programs. He also met with student leaders and broadcast his evening program from outside Hofstra Hall on March 19. 2008: The third and final presidential debate between then Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain was held at Hofstra on October 15. The Chemistry/Physics Building was named for Hofstra Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Herman A. Berliner through a generous donation by Hofstra alumnus and trustee Alan J. Bernon '76. 2007: The Hofstra cheerleaders placed first at the UCA National Competition on January 16. The Center for Civic Engagement debuted at Hofstra on January 24. Fourteen Hofstra students and two professors spent 10 weeks of the spring semester on a 'European Odyssey,' traveling through 12 countries. Plans for a school of medicine in partnership with North Shore-LIJ Health System were announced by Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz, with the first entering class set for 2011. 2006: The New Academic Building was dedicated on October 16. The Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency and the Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies were established. 2005: Hofstra University accepted visiting students who were displaced from colleges and universities because of Hurricane Katrina. The Hofstra Cultural Center presented the 11th presidential conference, William Jefferson Clinton: The 'New Democrat' From Hope, and the former president addressed a standing-room-only crowd at the Hofstra Arena. 2004: The 'My Hofstra' portal was launched in September. Hofstra's new logo was introduced. 2003: Pulitzer Prize winner and Hofstra alumnus Stephen Dunn returned to Hofstra for a poetry reading. U.S. Senator and Hofstra alumnus Norman Coleman (Class of 1971) returned to Hofstra to accept an honorary degree. 2002: Hofstra sponsored a day of remembrance on the first anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Hagedorn Hall, home to the School of Education, Health and Human Services, was dedicated in October. 2001: Stuart Rabinowitz began his term as the eighth president of Hofstra University on June 24. 2000: The Hofstra Labyrinth and Softball Stadium were completed. President Bill Clinton visited in October, while First Lady Hillary Clinton, Alec Baldwin and U.S. Senator Charles Schumer visited campus in November. Construction of a second pedestrian bridge (near Hagedorn Hall) began. 1999: Hofstra celebrated 50 years of its Shakespeare Festival with a performance of King Lear. The Hofstra Arena (now the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex) was completed. The Chemistry/Physics Building (now known as Berliner Hall) and C.V. Starr Hall were constructed. 1998: Hofstra held its first Irish Experience Festival. The Howdy Myers Pavilion at Hofstra's stadium was dedicated. Robert O. Muller, class of 1968 and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize visited the campus. 1997: The Hofstra Cultural Center's 10th presidential conference, George Bush: Leading in a New World, was held in April; attendees included Mikhail Gorbachev, George and Barbara Bush, and Dan Quayle. Billy Joel received an honorary degree. Both the Legal Clinic and The Career Center opened on the Hofstra campus. 1996: School for University Studies was established. 1995: Hofstra's School of Communication was established. 1994: The School of Business was named for Hofstra alumnus Frank G. Zarb. 1993: A bird sanctuary was created on Hofstra's north campus. Hofstra students placed first in the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest sponsored by the professional engineering fraternity Theta Tau. 1992: Hofstra's first Italian Festival took place on September 20. Timeline 1991: Princess Margriet of the Netherlands visited Hofstra on November 4. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia visited the campus. Hofstra began implementation of an on-campus recycling program. Ann Mallouk was selected as the first woman chair of Hofstra's Board of Trustees. 1990: Professor Oscar Hijuelos won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his book The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love. First Axinn Library Lecture Series featured Hofstra alumnus George Vecsey. The Center for Teaching and Scholarly Excellence opened. 1989: The first 'Hands Across Hofstra' took place. U.S. President Gerald Ford visited Hofstra on April 7. 1988: Upright Motive No. 9, a Henry Moore sculpture, was installed on south campus. The Hofstra seal was updated to include one lion and one lioness, representing the equality of women and men in University life. 1987: The Student Government Association welcomed its first African-American president. 1986: Hofstra's Television Institute was established. 1985: Hofstra University celebrated its 50th anniversary. The campus became a registered member of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. Rochelle Lowenfeld became Hofstra's first female vice president. A tulip was named for the University. 1984: The first Stessin Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Publication was awarded. Hofstra hosted the International Games for the Disabled. The first Dutch Festival was held on Hofstra's campus. 1983: The first issue of the student humor publication, Nonsense, was published. Hofstra's radio station changed its name to WRHU and began broadcasting with those call letters on July 26. 1982: The first Hofstra Cultural Center presidential conference, Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The Man, The Myth, The Era, was held. 1981: Betty Ford visited Hofstra on June 3. 1980: Hofstra Hall Preservation Fund was created. The Unispan was dedicated to former Hofstra President Clifford Lee Lord. The Satellite distributed its first paper. 1979: The Trotsky-Stalin Conference was held in February. WRHU aired its 1978: Honors Program was established. 1977: The Disabled Students Organization was founded. The New Voice was established. PEIR program was started. 1976: James M. Shuart was appointed Hofstra's seventh president. The first homecoming king was crowned. Jimmy Carter spoke at the Physical Fitness Center on October 28, five days before being elected the 39th president of the United States. 1975: The School of Law's newspaper, Conscience, was recognized by the ABA Law Student Division as one of the four best college law newspapers. James Taylor performed at Hofstra in May. 1974: The Gray Wig (an alumni theater group) was founded on May 21. The Playhouse was dedicated to former Hofstra President John Cranford Adams. 1973: Robert L. Payton became Hofstra's president. Hofstra became a charter member of the nationally recognized honor society Phi Beta Kappa. The Hofstra Law Review rolled out its first publication in May. HUG, which stood for Hofstra United Gays, was founded. Cheech and Chong, Melanie and Stevie Wonder all performed on campus. 1972: James H. Marshall was named president of Hofstra. The Ambassador Program began in November. The West End Theatre opened on December 1. Timeline 1971: The Chemistry Department received accreditation from the American Chemical Society in May. Muhammad Ali spoke to student groups on March 26. Organizations such as the OBC (Organization of Black Collegians) and the Student Senate demanded changes to the curriculum. A student strike halted classes. In the spring, the Allman Brothers Band played on campus. Edward Kennedy visited Hofstra as part of a Senate Health Subcommittee meeting on April 16. 1970: Hofstra established its School of Law on September 1. April 22 marked the celebration of the first Earth Day on Hofstra's campus. Hofstra's first doctoral degree recipient, Lenore Sandel, earned her degree from the School of Education. Students attended a rally for Black Panthers founder Bobby Seale; Jerry Rubin, co-founder of the Youth International Party, spoke at the event. 1969: Abbie Hoffman and Allen Ginsberg spoke at a drug seminar in February. A series of lectures and speeches titled 'Vietnam Moratorium' were offered to students. 1968: Hofstra's School of Business became the first on Long Island to receive accreditation from the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business, for its undergraduate program. Hubert Humphrey spoke on campus on October 2. Hofstra became a summer training center for the New York Jets football team. 1967: First African-American homecoming queen, Beverly Forrest, was crowned. 1966: The first two residence towers on the north campus were completed, and four more were under construction, as well as the Library and Unispan. Burgher Guards were used for the first time. 1965: Scapulars were utilized for the first time at President Lord's inauguration on April 28. The School of Business was established on September 1. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., received an honorary degree. General Electric sponsored 'The College Bowl' with Bob Earle as host; Hofstra competed against Lycoming College of Pennsylvania. Former Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella visited campus to see the improvements for students with disabilities. 1964: Clifford Lee Lord was appointed president of Hofstra. Projects NOAH and PHED were initiated. Robert F. Kennedy, New York state senatorial candidate, gave a campaign speech on campus on September 24. 1963: Hofstra College officially became Hofstra University on March 1. Emily Lowe Gallery became the first university-sponsored art gallery on Long Island. The Board of Trustees passed a resolution to create a barrier-free campus for individuals with disabilities. Nassau County Executive Eugene Nickerson was the grand marshal for the Spring Day parade. 1962: Weller Hall and Hofstra Stadium construction was completed. 1961: Adlai Stevenson received an honorary degree at December commencement exercises. The first Estabrook Award (award for outstanding alumni achievement) was given. 1960: Annual Founders Day awards were presented by President John Cranford Adams at a special Founders Day ceremony. The first Alumnus of the Year, Bernard Fixler '41, was announced. Marcel Duchamp attended the Contemporary Arts Festival. 1959: Hofstra's radio station acquired an FM license in September, and it became known as WVHC. A debate between Hofstra and Cambridge took place in November. 1958: The Playhouse was constructed. Evening Forum (newspaper catering to night students) was founded. 1957: On February 15, 12 English-speaking Chilean students arrived at Hofstra as part of the Experiment in International Living, an international program that placed students in more than 28 countries worldwide. Hofstra was the only commuter college the students attended during their stay in the United States. 1956: The first television show filmed at Hofstra, 'The Arts Around Us,' with Dr. Malcolm Preston, aired on Channel 9, with its premiere on January 7. A coed social club known as HoCoSo was founded; dance instruction was included with membership. 1955: Hauser Hall was built. The 20th anniversary celebration of Hofstra College was held. The Fifty for Hofstra Club was established. 1954: Hofstra was invited to participate in the American Music Festival of the New York City radio station WNYC. Hofstra was featured on February 15, and the program included compositions by two faculty members from Hofstra's Music Department. Timeline 1953: Phillips Hall was completed. The first homecoming queen was crowned. 1952: Jackie Robinson, former second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, spoke at a brotherhood rally on campus. The Wing-Ding Campaign, a student drive to raise funds for an addition to Memorial Hall, was held. 1951: ROTC was introduced at Hofstra in January. Heger Hall was completed. The Hofstra cheerleading team welcomed its first male cheerleader. Hofstra's radio station debuted with the call letters WHCH and could only be heard on the Hofstra campus. 1950: Dwight D. Eisenhower received an honorary degree. The first Hofstra Shakespeare Festival was held. 1949: Memorial Hall was built and named to honor World War II veterans. 1948: First honorary degrees awarded on May 28 to Robert Moses, New York state parks commissioner, and Robert Gannon, president of Fordham University. 1947: For the first time, cheerleaders organized as a club; previously, self-appointed cheerleaders led cheers at select games. 1946: Wrestling was introduced as a new sport. 1945: As the war ended, enrollment increased by more than 50 percent and included 47 veterans, including a former WAVE. 1944: Hofstra President John Cranford Adams was inaugurated. 1943: An Air Force pilot crashed into Barnard Hall during takeoff from Mitchel Field in March. 1942: Howard S. Brower was selected president of Hofstra. The Classes of 1942 and 1943 printed a combined yearbook, as the student population plummeted due to the war. 1941: Hofstra joined the American Association of Colleges. 1940: Hofstra was granted an absolute charter in February. Glenn Miller and his orchestra played at the senior prom held at the Garden City Hotel. Middle States accreditation was awarded in November. 1939: Hofstra officially separated from New York University. Dr. Alexander Loudon, Netherlands minister to the United States, presented Hofstra with a silk flag that included the University seal in its center. 1938: Calkins Hall was completed and functioned as a gymnasium. 1937: Dr. Truesdel Peck Calkins became the first president of the college. The Hofstra seal and flag were designed by Hofstra Art Professor Constant van de Wall and Dr. Rufus D. Smith, representing the Board of Trustees. 1936: Brower Hall was built. The students held a Poverty Ball for the first time on November 22. The name was given in deference to the Great Depression; students received prizes for the 'saddest' looking costume. Alpha Theta Beta organized as a sorority. 1935: Hofstra University was initially named Nassau College– Hofstra Memorial of New York University at Hempstead, Long Island. Hofstra hired Eleanor Blodgett as its first faculty member. The first day of classes was September 23. The first class consisted of 159 day students and 621 evening students. Tuition for the year was $375. The student newspaper, Nassau Chronicle, debuted October 1. Rugby was the main sport on campus. 1932-33: William Hofstra died on May 11, 1932, leaving his estate and fortune to Kate Mason Hofstra. Kate Hofstra died on September 15, 1933, leaving the estate and a large portion of the fortune to be used for charitable or public use as a memorial to her husband.
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