CUL - Main Content

The following is only a selection of websites and documents available online which can help you learn about the history of the University. You can find the original paper copies and additional resources by searching in the library's online catalog CLIO.

• The Dean's Table
  Fredrick Harris, Dean of Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, hosts a podcast series featuring the scholarship, lives, and imagination of the social scientists at Columbia University. Guests have included History Professor Frank Guridy, Economics Professor Miguel Urquiola, and Sociology Professor Jennifer Lee.
• Walking Tour of Campus
  Take a tour of the campus with Andrew Dolkart, professor of architectural history at Columbia's School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and the author of an award-winning history of Morningside Heights, Morningside Heights: A History of Its Architecture and Development. Prof. Dolkart starts the tour from the Visitors Center in Low Library and leads you around the main campus buildings: Low Library, Lewisohn, Earl, Mathematics, Havermeyer, Avery, Uris, etc. He shares both the history of the University and the architectural features of the buildings.
• The Ear
  From the University’s student newspaper’s magazine, The Eye, catch up on their podcasts, The Ear, dedicated to documenting, detailing, and excavating Columbia’s history. Episodes have covered the history of Fall Break, former campus features such as The Grove, and a beloved campus mascot, Matilda the Harlem Goat.
  
• The Bowery Boys
  This podcast covers the history of New York City and devoted an episode to the history of the University, Movin’ on Up: From King’s College to Columbia University. The University is also featured in other related content on their site.
• Gatecrashers
  This podcast about "the hidden history of Jews and the Ivy League, from Unorthodox co-host Mark Oppenheimer," features an episode on the short-lived Seth Low Junior College and former SLJC student Isaac Asimov. Listen to Columbia and Its Forgotten Jewish Campus. 

• Columbians Ahead of their Time
  Created during Columbia's 250th Anniversary, this website features profiles of former students, professors and many others associated with Columbia. Columbia 250 celebrated the people and ideas associated with Columbia that have shaped the world and how we see it.
• Notable Columbians 
  The Columbia Celebrate Black History and Culture site includes a set of profiles of Notable Columbians. The list of "Great Columbians Who Made a Difference" includes WPA artist Charles H. Ashton (CC 1929, TC 1931), first African American U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (CC 1973, Law 1976) and first African American woman licensed to practice architecture in New York City Norma Sklarek (Arch 1950) among others.
   

The Columbia Center for Oral History (CCOH) was founded by History professor and journalist Allan Nevins in 1948 and is credited with launching the establishment of oral history archives internationally. At over 15,000 interviews, the Oral History Archives is one of the largest oral history collections in the United States. It includes many interviews with Columbia alumni, faculty and staff. You can find lists of Columbia University-related oral histories in their research guide or use the library catalogue CLIO to search their collections.

• About Columbia College: Undergraduate Liberal Arts College for Men. Columbia University, 1958.
• 80 years of education for adults : Columbia University--School of General Studies. New York : The School, [1984?]. (Access catalog record)
  
• A guide to Columbia University, with some account of its history and traditions, edited by John William Robson. New York, Columbia University Press, 1937.
• A history of Columbia University, 1754-1904: published in commemoration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding of King's College. New York: The Columbia University Press, The Macmillan Company, agents; London, Macmillan & Co., Ltd., 1904.
• An historical sketch of Columbia College in the City of New York 1754-1876. New York: Printed for the College, MacGowan & Slipper, Press, 1876.
• The rise of a university, volume I : The later days of old Columbia College. New York: Columbia University Press, 1937.
• The rise of a university, volume II : The university in action. New York:Columbia University Press, 1937.
  
• Bicentennial History of Columbia University. New York: Columbia University Press, 1954. A multi-volume history of the University edited by History Professor Dwight Miner. Drafts and unpublished materials are available in the Dwight D. Miner papers on the history of Columbia University, 1938-1978. 
  • A history of adult education at Columbia University; University Extension and the School of General Studies
  • A history of Barnard College
  • A history of Columbia College on Morningside 
  • A history of Teachers College, Columbia University
  • A history of the College of Pharmacy, Columbia University
  • A history of the Faculty of Philosophy, Columbia University
  • A history of the Faculty of Political Science, Columbia University
  • A history of the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University
  • A history of the Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University
  • A history of the New York School of Social Work
  • A history of the School of Architecture, Columbia University
  • A history of the School of Engineering, Columbia University
  • A history of the School of International Affairs and associated area institutes, Columbia University
  • A history of the School of Law, Columbia University
  • A history of the School of Library Service, Columbia University
• Crisis at Columbia: an inside report on the rebellion at Columbia from the pages of the Columbia Daily Spectator. New York: Columbia Spectator, 1968.

By author:

• Arrowsmith, Robert. Columbia of yesterday 1754-1897. Reprinted from the 1926 Columbian.
• Avron, Jerry et al. Up against the Ivy Wall: a history of the Columbia crisis, by Jerry L. Avorn, with Andrew Crane [and others] of the staff of the Columbia Daily Spectator. Edited with an introduction by Robert Friedman. New York, Atheneum Press, 1969 [c1968].
  
• Bergdoll, Barry. Mastering McKim's plan: Columbia's first century on Morningside Heights. New York: Columbia University, Miriam and Ira Wallach Art Gallery, 1997.
  
• Columbia Global Center in Rio de Janeiro. 
  • Columbia-Brazil History. Thomas J. Trebat and Laura Nora, editors, 2020.
  • Columbia-Brazil History, Volume II. Through the Eyes of the Prize: Brazilian Journalism and the Maria Moors Cabot Prizes at Columbia University. Thomas J. Trebat, Editor-in-Chief, and Maria Eduarda Vaz, Editor, 2023.
• Coon, Horace. Columbia: Colossus on the Hudson. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co. 1947.
• Cross, Timothy P. An oasis of order: the core curriculum at Columbia College. New York, NY: Columbia University, Columbia College, 1995.
• Dolkart, Andrew. Morningside Heights: a history of its architecture & development. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998.
  
• Finch, James Kip. The School of Engineering, in commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the establishment of engineering education at Columbia University, 1864-1939. New York: Columbia University Press, 1940.
• Humphrey, David C. From King's College to Columbia, 1746-1800. New York: Columbia University Press, 1976.
  
• Keppel, Frederick Paul. Columbia. New York: Oxford University Press, 1914.
• McCaughey, Robert A. Stand, Columbia: a history of Columbia University in the City of New York, 1754-2004. New York: Columbia University Press, c2003.
• McCaughey, Robert A. A lever long enough: a history of Columbia's School of Engineering and Applied Science since 1864. New York: Columbia University Press, [2014].
• Moore, Clement Clarke. The early history of Columbia College; an address delivered before the alumni on May 4, 1825. New York, Columbia University Press, 1940.
• Moore, George Henry. Collegium regale Novi Eboraci: The origin and early history of Columbia College. New York: Printed for the author, 1890.
• Moore, N.F. An historical sketch of Columbia College, in the City of New-York. New York: Printed for Columbia College, 1846.
• Nelson, Charles Alexander. Columbiana: a bibliography of manuscripts, pamphlets and books relating to the history of King's College, Columbia College, Columbia University. Lancaster, PA: The New Era Printing Company, 1904.
• Pine, John Buckley. King's College and the early days of Columbia College: A Paper Read at the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the New York State Historical Association, October 3, 1917. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Pine, John Buckley. King's College, now Columbia University 1754-1897. New York: J. J. Little & co, c1896.
• Rosenberg, Rosalind. Changing the subject: how the women of Columbia shaped the way we think about sex and politics. New York: Columbia University Press, c2004.
• Sherwood, Sidney. The University of the State of New York ; history of higher education in the State of New York. Washington, Govt. print. off., 1900.
• van Amringe, John Howard. "Columbia" in Universities and their Sons: history, influence and characteristics of American universities, with biographical sketches and portraits of alumni and recipients of honorary degrees. Boston, R. Herndon company, 1898-1900.
• Wechsler, Harold S. The qualified student : a history of selective college admission in America. New Brunswick : Transaction Publishers, 2014.