First Hundred Years

Collection Owner:
Cover Image:
First Hundred Years
Russell Sage College Student using Apparatus in Science Lab - Image Source

Collection Facts

Extent:
292
Dates of Original:
c. 1880 - 2020

Historical Context

Russell Sage College was founded in Troy, New York, in 1916 by Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage and named in honor of her late husband, who had left her his considerable fortune. With Eliza Kellas, head of the Emma Willard School, Mrs. Sage was active in the women's suffrage movement; in founding the new College, they proposed to offer women the means of independence through the combination of broad education in the liberal arts with preparation for specific professional careers. In 1995, the Sage Graduate School became authorized to grant degrees independently, the Sage Evening College became recognized as a separate administrative unit, and the institution was re-chartered by the Board of Regents of the state of New York as The Sage Colleges, often referred to for the sake of convenience as "Sage." The words "Russell Sage College" now refer only to the college for women. In 2001, the Sage Junior College of Albany and Sage Evening College were replaced by a single entity, Sage College of Albany.

Scope of Collection

The First Hundred Years collection documents the history of Russell Sage College primarily through photographs. It contains images of students, faculty, staff, campus buildings, classes and events held on and off campus. Many of Russell Sage’s traditions are featured including Rally, Class Day, Class Dinners, and Winter Formal. The majority of the items in the collection date from 1916 to the 1950s.