Hartwick College

History & Overview

Hartwick College is a nationally ranked, selective, private four year liberal arts and sciences college located in Oneonta, New York. The college was founded in 1797 through the will of John Christopher Hartwick, a Lutheran minister from Germany who lead several mission congregations of early settlers along the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers in what is now upstate New York. Shortly after his death, his dream of establishing an institution of higher learning became a reality with the founding of Hartwick Seminary in 1797. The New York State Legislature in 1816 incorporated the new school--the first Lutheran seminary in America--as a classical academy and theological seminary, in the Town of Hartwick. The school moved to its present location in 1928, when it was incorporated as a four year college. Its ties with the Lutheran Church ended in the 1960s.

Hartwick is non-denominational and offers 31 courses of study leading to a Bachelors of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. The College's location in the Leatherstocking Region of New York offers many opportunities for cultural and outdoor recreational activities. In addition to its beautiful main campus overlooking the Susquehanna River Valley, the college also owns a 920 acre (3.7 km²) environmental campus for ecological research, teaching and recreation 8 miles away. Hartwick has about 1480 students from 36 states and 30 countries and 140 faculty members. The student-faculty ratio is 12-1.

Hartwick's Academics

Hartwick offers just over 30 courses of study leading to a bachelor of arts (B.A.) or bachelor of science (B.S.) degree; four pre-professional programs (pre-law, pre-engineering, pre-med, and pre-allied health professions); five cooperative programs (business, engineering, law, occupational and physical thereapy, and nursing); and a series of interesting minors and other options, including certification in education.

Below is a list of areas of study. Majors, minors and certification programs are noted in parentheses:

Accounting (major & minor) Anthropology (major & minor) Art (major & minor) Art History (major & minor) Biochemistry (majors) Biology (major & minor) Chemistry (majors & minor) Computer Science (major & minor) Cognitive Science (minor) Documentary Photography (minor) Economics (major & minor) Education (certification) English (major) English Literature (minor) Environmental Chemistry (major) Environmental Science and Policy (minor) Finance (minor) French (major & minor) Geological and Environmental Sciences (major & minor) German (major & minor) Graphic Communications (minor) History (major & minor) Information Science (major & minor) Latin American and Caribbean Studies (minor) Management (major & minor) Mathematics (major & minor) Medical Technology (major) Museum Studies (minor) Music (major & minor) Music Education (major & minor) Nursing (major) Philosophy (major & minor) Physics (major & minor) Political Science (major & minor) Psychology (major & minor) Religious Studies (major & minor) Sociology (major & minor) Spanish (major & minor) Theatre Arts (major & minor) U.S. Ethnic Studies (minor) Women's & Gender Studies (minor) Writing (minor)

Pre-professional studies include: Pre-Engineering Pre-Med & Pre-Allied Health Professions and Pre-Law.

Study Abroad

Hartwick College is ranked 18th among small colleges nationwide for the percentage of students who study abroad, according to a recent report on international education published by the Institute of International Education with funding from the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Approximately 69.8 percent of Hartwick students participate in study abroad programs during their four years at Hartwick, with 198 students participating in study abroad programs in 2002-03. Hartwick is the only college in New York to make the top 20.

Athletics

Hartwick sponsors 24 intercollegiate teams, 11 for men and 13 for women. Hartwick maintains an NCAA multi-division status with its men’s soccer and women’s water polo teams competing at the NCAA Division I level. All other sports compete at the NCAA Division III level. Many of Hartwick’s Division III teams participate in the Empire 8 conference. Hartwick’s Division I men’s soccer team is a member of the Atlantic Soccer Conference (ASC). Hartwick’s Division I women’s water polo team participates in the 24-member Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA).

Facilities

Stevens-German Library: The library has about 350,000 paper volumes, 11,260 microforms, 2,700 electronic journals, 3,600 electronic books, on-line search stations, and wireless networking.

Johnstone Science Center: Made possible, in part, by federal and state grants, Hartwick’s new 88,500 square-foot complex houses three centers—biotechnology, environmental policy and science, and science communication—as well as classrooms for Hartwick’s biology, biochemistry, chemistry, computer and information sciences, geology, mathematics, nursing, and physics courses. It also enables Hartwick students to learn about research by doing it—alongside faculty researchers. Wired for high-speed access at every desk, research station, and seating area, the center is a technology-rich interdisciplinary facility. Some high-tech equipment includes: a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, a multi-channel analyzer for students studying atomic and nuclear physics, and a fiber optics experiments kit.

The Ernest B. Wright Observatory: Consisting of a 4-meter (13-foot) diameter domed building and an adjacent astronomy classroom building, the observatory provides astronomy students with great tools for observation.

Pine Lake Environmental Campus: Hartwick’s 920 acre (3.7 km²) nature area includes an environmental field station with two well-equipped labs, computer workstations, living space, and library.

Binder Physical Education Center: The hub for all indoor athletics, featuring two gyms, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a fitness center, and much more.

Yager Museum of Art and Culture: The museum features more than 20,000 items and 11 gallery spaces for exhibitions, including the museum's excellent anthropological and fine arts collections.

Anderson Center for the Arts: Anderson offers art and music facilities, including studios and classrooms, soundproof practice rooms, a record and music library, a theatre/recital hall, and the Foreman Gallery (part of the Yager Museum of Art and Culture) and frequently exhibits student work.

Dewar Union: Dewar Union is the center of student activity on campus. It houses the dining hall, known as The Commons, as well as Table Rock Café, Laura's Coffeehouse, Stack Lounge, mailroom, student organization and government offices, and the Offices of Student Life.

Notable People in Hartwick History

Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg was one of the executors of John Christopher Hartwick's will...and also the first elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. William Cooper was John Christopher Hartwick's land agent...as well as the founder of Cooperstown, N.Y. and father of James Fenimore Cooper. John Christopher Hartwick died at the home of Robert R. Livingston...the negotiator of the Louisiana Purchase. Jeremiah Van Rensselaer was one of the executors of John Christopher Hartwick's will...and also a lieutenant governor of New York. Aaron Burr was the lawyer retained by the executors to study the will...and also a vice-president of the United States. George Miller Sternberg (Class of 1853) was a teacher at Hartwick Seminary...as well as a brigadier general and surgeon general of the U.S. Army. Samuel Nelson was a member of the Board of Trustees of Hartwick Seminary...and a U.S. Supreme Court justice. William C. Bouck was a member of the Board of Trustees of Hartwick Seminary...and a governor of New York. Herman Russell Branson was a member of the College Board of Trustees... and a consultant to the Atomic Energy Commission. John A. Quitman was the first assistant teacher at Hartwick Seminary...and a major general during the Mexican War, as well as a governor and U.S. Senator in Mississippi. Arnulfo Arias was a student at Hartwick Seminary...and a president of Panama. Marion Stephenson was a chair of the College Board of Trustees...and a president of NBC Radio. Scott Adams, creator of the famed "Dilbert" comic strip series, and author, graduated from Hartwick in 1979...with an Economics degree.

Fraternities/Sororities:

Fraternities: Alpha Chi Rho Alpha Delta Omega Alpha Sigma Phi Delta Beta Rho Tau Kappa Epsilon

Sororities: Alpha Omicron Pi Gamma Phi Delta Phi Sigma Phi

External link

Sources: Sources for the writing of this article were the Hartwick College website, as well as public domain sources.