Hamilton College

Hamilton College, private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Clinton, New York, U.S. It is a liberal arts college and offers a curriculum in the humanities, social sciences, life sciences, and physical sciences. It awards the bachelor’s degree. Students can choose to study abroad in a variety of countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, and Japan. Campus facilities include an art gallery, a nature preserve, and an observatory. Total enrollment is approximately 2,000.

History

Hamilton College, named for statesman Alexander Hamilton, traces its history to 1793, when missionary Samuel Kirkland founded the Hamilton-Oneida Academy. The academy was meant to bring the children of the Oneida people and of white settlers together in an environment of learning and cooperation. The school’s cornerstone was laid on July 1, 1794, by Baron von Steuben, a major general in Gen. George Washington’s Continental army. Although only a small number of Oneidas enrolled, the academy lasted for 18 years.

In 1812 the school was chartered as Hamilton College, the third institution of higher education established in the state of New York. An all-male school, Hamilton College opened a school for women, Kirkland College, in 1968. The two schools formally merged in 1978.

Notable alumni

Notable alumni include physician and sex researcher William Masters, statesman Elihu Root, The New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast (a 1975 graduate of Kirkland College), writer Sarah J. Maas, and poet Ezra Pound.

Learn More About Liberal Arts Colleges in New York

Sarah Lawrence College

Bard College

Colgate University

Barnard College