The Free Academy Founded
In 1847, the New York City merchant Townsend Harris founded the Free Academy of the City of New York.
City College is Named
The Free Academy becomes "The College of the City of New York".
Night Classes
City College starts offering evening classes - an entirely new concept in eduction at the time.
Einstein Visits CCNY
On April 14, 1921, Albert Einstein gave a lecture in the Great Hall following a series of lectures in Baskerville Hall during his first visit to the United States. Einstein is seen here under the umbrella held by City College President Sidney E. Mezes, Rheinhard A. Wetzel is to their left, and on the far left is Morris Cohen.
Mark Zemansky Graduates
An undergraduate name Mark Zemanksy graduates in the spring of 1921. Four years later, while stlll a PhD student at Columbia, he joins the faculty at City College where he will remain for over 40 years.
Name Change, again
in 1929, the college became known as "The City College of New York"
Robert Hofstadter Graduates
Robert Hofstadter graduates magna cum laude with a BS degree. His research on the structure of the atomic nucleus would later earn him a Nobel Prize in physics, in 1961
Leon Lederman Graduates
Leon Lederman receives a Bachelors Degree from City College. Lederman shared the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physics for work on neutrinos.
Univeristy Physics is Published
Faculty member Mark Zemanksy, together with Francis Sears, publish University Physics - an introductory physics textbook that would become the standard text for thousands of physics courses around the globe.
Harry Lustig joins the Faculty
Harry Lustig joins the City College physics faculty after finishing his PhD in physics from U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Arno Penzias Graduates
After switching from Chemistry to Physics, Arno Penzias graduates from City College with a BS in Physics. Penzias, along with Robert Wilson, will later go on to win the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.
CUNY is created
City College merges with other public educational institutions in NYC as the City University of New York (CUNY) is founded.
PhD Program started
CUNY offers PhDs in Physics
Myriam Sarachik joins the faculty
Center of Excellence
Shortly after becoming the department chair, Harry Lustig wins a large grant from the NSF to establish a center of excellence in physics. This would be a pivotal moment for City College physics - ushering in a new era of research and academic excellence for the college.
An exciting year
1969 was an eventful year for the nation as a whole, as well as City College. Astronauts landed on the moon, The Woodstock Festival changed pop culture, and protests at City College and around the country led our society in new directions.
Robert Marshak - President of CCNY
Physicist (and former student of CCNY) Robert E. Marshak begins a 9 year term as President of City College.
Melvin Lax joins the faculty
New Science Hall Opens
Robert Alfano joins the faculty
Joseph Birman joins the faculty
Herman Cummins joins the faculty
IUSL founded
The IUSL was established in 1982 with strong support from the administration of the City College of New York to serve as a steeple of excellence for research and education in modern laser optics and spectroscopy.
Faculty in 2014
CDI Buidling Opens
The City College Center for Discovery and Innovation opened in 2015 and features approximately 200,000 square feet of space for advanced research in key interdisciplinary fields. The facility is a magnet for regional, national and international researchers and an academic hub of learning for students and faculty. The new research center and pedestrian plaza serve as a gateway to the south campus of City College, which also features the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center.
