SUNY Schenectady County Community College 50th Anniversary Collection

SUNY Schenectady County Community College

Collection Facts

Extent:

Dates of Original:

1930-2019

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Historical Context

SUNY Schenectady County Community College (SUNY Schenectady), located in upstate New York, is a two-year college and was established in 1967. The college is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. SUNY Schenectady is well-known for its School of Music which is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music and its School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism which is accredited by the American Culinary Federation. In addition, the College's Division of Liberal Arts, Division of Math, Science, Technology and Health, and Division of Business, Criminal Justice and Law provide for both career development and transfer opportunities.

Scope of Collection

In 1967 the Schenectady County Board of Representatives adopted a resolution which provided for the establishment of a community college in Schenectady County. The resolution was the result of a recommendation from the Community College Study Committee, appointed in 1965, that was composed of local citizens from a variety of backgrounds. In the Study Committee's 1966 report, they stated that "the most important benefit brought by a college of this nature is the greater opportunity for education for both young and old throughout all sections and strata of the community." In 1968 the first College Board of Trustees was approved by then Governor Nelson Rockefeller. Their initial activities were to hire a College president and to receive approval of a $3 million capital budget for the purchase and renovation of the former Hotel Van Curler as the permanent site of the College. Renovations took place through 1969 and were completed in time for the official opening of the College in September 1969. This collection contains images that represent significant individuals, building expansions, and programs that represent a curriculum that is student oriented with a focus on quality education. These images span the timeframe of the 1930s through 2019 and have been mostly taken from SUNY Schenectady's Special Collections.