Medical School Of Maine
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Bowdoin College ( ) is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capac ...
in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint engineering programs with
Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...
, Caltech, Dartmouth College, and the University of Maine. The college was a founding member of its athletic conference, the New England Small College Athletic Conference, and the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium, an athletic conference and inter-library exchange with Bates College and Colby College. Bowdoin has over 30 varsity teams, and the school mascot was selected as a
polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear specie ...
in 1913 to honor
Robert Peary Robert Edwin Peary Sr. (; May 6, 1856 – February 20, 1920) was an American explorer and officer in the United States Navy who made several expeditions to the Arctic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for, in Apri ...
, a Bowdoin
alumnus Alumni (singular: alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine)) are former students of a school, college, or university who have either attended or graduated in some fashion from the institution. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for grou ...
who led the first successful expedition to the North Pole. Between the years 1821 and 1921, Bowdoin operated a
medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...
called the Medical School of Maine. The main Bowdoin campus is located near Casco Bay and the Androscoggin River. In addition to its Brunswick campus, Bowdoin owns a coastal studies center on
Orr's Island Orr's Island is an island in Casco Bay and the Gulf of Maine, part of the Atlantic Ocean. The island is within the town of Harpswell, Maine, U.S., and forms an archipelago with Sebascodegan Island (also known as Great Island) to its north and B ...
and a scientific field station on Kent Island in the
Bay of Fundy The Bay of Fundy (french: Baie de Fundy) is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its extremely high tidal range is the hi ...
.


History


Founding and 19th century

Bowdoin College was chartered in 1794 by the Massachusetts State Legislature and was later redirected under the jurisdiction of the Maine Legislature. It was named for former Massachusetts governor
James Bowdoin James Bowdoin II (; August 7, 1726 – November 6, 1790) was an American political and intellectual leader from Boston, Massachusetts, during the American Revolution and the following decade. He initially gained fame and influence as a wealthy ...
, whose son
James Bowdoin III James Bowdoin III (September 22, 1752 – October 11, 1811) was an American philanthropist and statesman from Boston, Massachusetts. He has born to James Bowdoin in Boston, and graduated from Harvard College in 1771. James then studied law at O ...
was an early benefactor. At the time of its founding, it was the easternmost college in the United States, as it was located in Maine. Bowdoin began to develop in the 1820s, a decade in which Maine became an independent state as a result of the Missouri Compromise and graduated U.S. President
Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...
. The college also graduated two literary philosophers, the writers Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, both of whom graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1825. Pierce and Hawthorne began an official militia company called the 'Bowdoin Cadets'. From its founding, Bowdoin was known to educate the sons of the political elite and "catered very largely to the wealthy conservative from the state of Maine." During the first half of the 19th century, Bowdoin required of its students a certificate of "good moral character" as well as knowledge of Latin and Ancient Greek, geography, algebra, and the major works of Cicero, Xenophon, Virgil and Homer.
Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and became best known for her novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1852), which depicts the harsh ...
started writing her influential anti-slavery novel, '' Uncle Tom's Cabin'', in Brunswick while her husband was teaching at the college, and Brigadier General (and
Brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...
Major General) Joshua Chamberlain, a Bowdoin alumnus and professor, was present at the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at
Appomattox Court House Appomattox Court House could refer to: * The village of Appomattox Court House, now the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, in central Virginia (U.S.), where Confederate army commander Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union commander Ulyss ...
in 1865. Chamberlain, a Medal of Honor recipient who later served as governor of Maine, adjutant-general of Maine, and president of Bowdoin, fought at Gettysburg, where he was in command of the 20th Maine in defense of Little Round Top. Major General Oliver Otis Howard, class of 1850, led the
Freedmen's Bureau The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually referred to as simply the Freedmen's Bureau, was an agency of early Reconstruction, assisting freedmen in the South. It was established on March 3, 1865, and operated briefly as a ...
after the war and later founded Howard University; Massachusetts Governor John Andrew, class of 1837, was responsible for the formation of the
54th Massachusetts The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was the second African-American regiment, following the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry ...
; and
William P. Fessenden William Pitt Fessenden (October 16, 1806September 8, 1869) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. Fessenden was a Whig (later a Republican) and member of the Fessenden political family. He served in the United States House o ...
(1823) and
Hugh McCulloch Hugh McCulloch (December 7, 1808 – May 24, 1895) was an American financier who played a central role in financing the American Civil War. He served two non-consecutive terms as U.S. Treasury Secretary under three presidents. He was originally ...
(1827) both served as Secretary of the Treasury during the Lincoln Administration. However, the college's involvement in the Civil War was mixed, as Bowdoin had many ties to slave labor and the
Confederacy Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...
. With strained slave-relations between political parties, President Franklin Pierce appointed
Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
as his Secretary of War, and the college awarded the soon-to-be
President of the Confederacy The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and was the commander-in-chief of the Confederate Army and the Confe ...
an honorary degree. The Jefferson Davis Award was given to a student who excelled in legal studies after a donation was given to the college by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The award, however, was discontinued in 2015, with the current college president citing it as inappropriate because it was named after someone "whose mission was to preserve and institutionalize slavery". President Ulysses S. Grant, too, was given an honorary degree from the college in 1865. Seventeen Bowdoin alumni attained the rank of brigadier general during the Civil War, including
James Deering Fessenden James Deering Fessenden (September 28, 1833 – November 18, 1882) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier from the state of Maine who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Primarily a staff officer and ...
and Francis Fessenden;
Ellis Spear Ellis Spear (October 15, 1834 – April 3, 1917) was an officer in the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War. On April 10, 1866, the United States Senate confirmed President Andrew Johnson's Februar ...
, class of 1858, who served as Chamberlain's second-in-command at Gettysburg; and Charles Hamlin, class of 1857, son of Vice President Hannibal Hamlin.


20th century

Although Bowdoin's Medical School of Maine closed its doors in 1921, it produced Dr. Augustus Stinchfield, who received his M.D. in 1868 and became one of the co-founders of the
Mayo Clinic The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff, ...
in
Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic. Acco ...
. In 1877, the college would go on to graduate the infamous Charles Morse, the American banker who established a near-monopoly of the ice business in New York, which directly led to the financial Panic of 1907. Another scientific alumnus is the controversial entomologist-turned-sexologist Alfred Kinsey, class of 1916. The college went on to educate and eventually graduate Arctic explorers Robert E. Peary, class of 1877, and
Donald B. MacMillan Donald Baxter MacMillan (November 10, 1874 – September 7, 1970) was an American explorer, sailor, researcher and lecturer who made over 30 expeditions to the Arctic during his 46-year career. He pioneered the use of radios, airplanes, an ...
, class of 1898. Robert Peary named Bowdoin Fjord and
Bowdoin Glacier Bowdoin Glacier ( da, Bowdoin Gletscher or ''Bowdoin Brae''), is a glacier in northwestern Greenland. Administratively it belongs to the Avannaata municipality. Like the fjord further south, this glacier was named by Robert Peary after Bowdoin C ...
after his alma mater. Peary led the first successful expedition to the North Pole in 1908, and MacMillan, a member of Peary's crew, explored Greenland,
Baffin Island Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is , slightly larger than Spain; its population was 13,039 as of the 2021 Canadia ...
, and Labrador in the schooner ''Bowdoin'' between 1908 and 1954. Bowdoin's Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum honors the two explorers, and the college's mascot, the
polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear specie ...
, was chosen in 1913 to honor MacMillan, who donated a statue of a polar bear to his alma mater in 1917. Wallace H. White, Jr., class of 1899, served as Senate Minority Leader from 1944 to 1947 and Senate Majority Leader from 1947 to 1949; George J. Mitchell, class of 1954, served as Senate Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995 before assuming an active role in the Northern Ireland peace process; and William Cohen, class of 1962, spent twenty-five years in the House and Senate before being appointed
Secretary of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
in the
Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...
Administration. In 1970, the college became one of a very limited number of liberal arts colleges to make the SAT optional in the admissions process, and in 1971, after nearly 180 years as a small men's college, Bowdoin admitted its first class of women. Bowdoin also phased out fraternities in 1997, replacing them with a system of college-owned social houses. In 1970, Bowdoin began competing in the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium, with Bates and Colby. The consortium became both an athletic rivalry and an academic exchange program. The three schools have produced numerous athletic competitions, most notably a football championship game and the Chase Regatta.


21st century

In 2001, Barry Mills, class of 1972, was appointed as the fifth alumnus president of the college. On January 18, 2008, Bowdoin announced that it would eliminate loans for all new and current students receiving financial aid, replacing those loans with grants beginning with the 2008–2009 academic year. President Mills stated, "Some see a calling in such vital but often low paying fields such as teaching or social work. With significant debt at graduation, some students will undoubtedly be forced to make career or education choices not based on their talents, interests, and promise in a particular field but rather on their capacity to repay student loans. As an institution devoted to the common good, Bowdoin must consider the fairness of such a result." In February 2009, following a US$10 million donation (equivalent to $ million in ) by
Subway Sandwiches Subway is an American multinational fast food restaurant franchise that specializes in submarine sandwiches (subs), wraps, salads and drinks. Subway was founded by 17-year-old Fred DeLuca and financed by Peter Buck in 1965 as Pete's S ...
co-founder and alumnus Peter Buck, class of 1952, the college completed a $250-million capital campaign. Additionally, the college has also recently completed major construction projects on the campus, including a renovation of the college's art museum and a new fitness center named after Peter Buck. On July 1, 2015, Clayton Rose succeeded Mills as president.


Admissions

The acceptance rate for the class of 2023 was 8.9 percent. The applicant pool consisted of 9,332 candidates, up from 9,081 for the class of 2022. '' U.S. News & World Report'' classifies Bowdoin as "most selective." Of enrolling students, 89% are in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. Although Bowdoin does not require the SAT in admissions, all students must submit a score upon matriculation. The middle 50% SAT range for the verbal and math sections of the SAT is 660–750 and 660–750, respectively—numbers of only those submitting scores during the admissions process. The middle 50% ACT range is 30–33. The April 17, 2008, edition of '' The Economist'' noted Bowdoin in an article on university admissions: "So-called 'almost-Ivies' such as Bowdoin and Middlebury also saw record low admission rates this year (18% each). It is now as hard to get into Bowdoin, says the college's admissions director, as it was to get into Princeton in the 1970s." Many students apply for financial aid, and around 85% of those who apply to receive aid. Bowdoin is a need-blind and no-loans institution. While a significant portion of the student body hails from New England—including nearly 25% from Massachusetts and 10% from Maine—recent classes have drawn from an increasingly national and international pool. The median family income of Bowdoin students is $195,900, with 57% of students coming from the top 10% of highest-earning families and 17.5% from the bottom 60%. Although Bowdoin once had a reputation for homogeneity (both ethnically and socioeconomically), a diversity campaign has increased the percentage of students of color in recent classes to more than 31%. In fact, admission of minorities goes back at least as far as John Brown Russwurm 1826, Bowdoin's first African-American college graduate and the third African-American graduate of any American college.


Academics

Course distribution requirements were abolished in the 1970s but were reinstated by a faculty majority vote in 1981 due to an initiative by oral communication and film professor Barbara Kaster. She insisted that distribution requirements would ensure students a more well-rounded education in a diversity of fields and therefore present them with more career possibilities. The requirements of at least two courses in each of the categories of natural sciences/
mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
,
social and behavioral sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of socie ...
, humanities/
fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...
, and foreign studies (including languages) took effect for the class of 1987 and have been gradually amended since then. Current requirements require one course each in natural sciences, quantitative reasoning, visual and performing arts, international perspectives, and exploring social differences. A small writing-intensive course, called a first-year seminar, is also required. In 1990, the Bowdoin faculty voted to change the four-level grading system to the traditional A, B, C, D, and F system. The previous system, consisting of high honors, honors, pass, and fail, was devised primarily to de-emphasize the importance of grades and to reduce competition. In 2002, the faculty decided to change the grading system so that it incorporated plus and minus grades. In 2006, Bowdoin was named a "Top Producer of Fulbright Awards for American Students" by the Institute of International Education. Other notable Bowdoin faculty include (or have included):
Edville Gerhardt Abbott Edville Gerhardt Abbott (November 6, 1871 – August 27, 1938) was an American orthopedic surgeon, orthotist and inventor. Abbott was recognized for pioneering a new treatment of lateral curvature of the spine (scoliosis), creating the first m ...
, Charles Beitz, John Bisbee, Paul Chadbourne, Thomas Cornell, Kristen R. Ghodsee, Eddie Glaude, Joseph E. Johnson, Richard Morgan, Elliott Schwartz, Kenneth Chenault, and Scott Sehon.


Rankings

In the 2021 edition of the '' U.S. News & World Report'' rankings, Bowdoin was ranked tied for 6th best overall among liberal arts colleges in the United States, tied at 11th for "Best Undergraduate Teaching", 12th in "Best Value Schools", and tied at 29th for "Most Innovative". In the 2019 '' Forbes'' college rankings, Bowdoin was ranked 26th overall among 650 universities, liberal arts colleges, and service academies and 6th among private liberal arts colleges. Bowdoin College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Bowdoin was ranked first among 1,204 small colleges in the U.S. by Niche in 2017. Based on students' SAT scores, Bowdoin is tied with Williams for 5th in Business Insider's smartest liberal arts colleges, with an average score of 1435 for math and critical reading combined. Among all colleges, it is tied with Brown, Carnegie Mellon, and Williams for 22nd. The college was ranked 5th in the country by '' Washington Monthly'' in 2019 based on its contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service. In 2006, '' Newsweek'' described Bowdoin as a " New Ivy", one of a number of liberal arts colleges and universities outside of the Ivy League, and it has also been dubbed a " Hidden Ivy".


Student life

Bowdoin's dining services have been ranked #1 among all universities and colleges nationally by '' Princeton Review'' in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2016, with '' The New York Times'' reporting: "If it weren't for the trays, and for the fact that most diners are under 25, you'd think it was a restaurant." Bowdoin uses food from its organic garden in its two major dining halls, and every academic year begins with a lobster bake outside Farley Fieldhouse. Recalling his days at Bowdoin in a recent interview, Professor Richard E. Morgan (class of 1959) described student life at the then-all-male school as "monastic" and noted that "the only things to do were either work or drink". This is corroborated by the ''
Official Preppy Handbook ''The Official Preppy Handbook'' (1980) is a tongue-in-cheek humor reference guide edited by Lisa Birnbach and written by Jonathan Roberts, Carol McD. Wallace, Mason Wiley, and Birnbach. It discusses an aspect of North American culture describe ...
,'' which in 1980 ranked Bowdoin the number two drinking school in the country, behind
Dartmouth Dartmouth may refer to: Places * Dartmouth, Devon, England ** Dartmouth Harbour * Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States * Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada * Dartmouth, Victoria, Australia Institutions * Dartmouth College, Ivy League university i ...
. These days, Morgan observed, the college offers a far broader array of recreational opportunities: "If we could have looked forward in time to Bowdoin's standard of living today, we would have been astounded." Since abolishing Greek fraternities in the late 1990s, Bowdoin has switched to a system in which entering students are assigned a "college house" affiliation correlating with their first-year dormitory. While six houses were originally established following the construction of two new dorms, two were added effective in the fall of 2007, bringing the total to eight: Ladd, Baxter, Quinby, MacMillan, Howell, Helmreich, Reed, and Burnett. The college houses are physical buildings around campus that host parties and other events throughout the year. Those students who choose not to live in their affiliated house retain their affiliation and are considered members throughout their Bowdoin career. Before the fraternity system was abolished in the 1990s, all the Bowdoin fraternities were co-educational (except for one unrecognized sorority and two unrecognized all-male fraternities). Bowdoin's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1825. Those who have been inducted to the Maine chapter as undergraduates include Nathaniel Hawthorne (1825), Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1825), Robert E. Peary (1877), Owen Brewster (1909), Harold Hitz Burton (1909), Paul Douglas (1913), Alfred Kinsey (1916), Thomas R. Pickering (1953), and
Lawrence B. Lindsey Lawrence B. Lindsey (born July 18, 1954) is an American economist and author. He was director of the National Economic Council (2001–2002), and the assistant to the president on economic policy for George W. Bush. Lindsey previously served as ...
(1976).


Clubs

The largest student group on campus is the Outing Club, which leads canoeing, kayaking, rafting, camping, and backpacking trips throughout Maine. One of the school's two historic rival literary societies, The Peucinian Society, has recently been revitalized from its previous form. The Peucinian Society was founded in 1805. This organization counts such people as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain amongst its former members. The other, the now-defunct Athenian Society, included Nathaniel Hawthorne and
Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...
as members. These literary and intellectual societies were the dominant groups on campus before they declined in popularity after the rise of Greek fraternities. Bowdoin competes in the Standard Platform League of
RoboCup RoboCup is an annual international robotics competition founded in 1996 by a group of university professors (including Hiroaki Kitano, Manuela M. Veloso, and Minoru Asada). The aim of the competition is to promote robotics and AI research by offer ...
as the Northern Bites, where teams compete with five autonomous Aldebaran Nao robots. Bowdoin won the world championship in RoboCup 2007, beating
Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...
, and finished 2nd in the 2015 US Open.


Media and publications

Bowdoin's student newspaper, '' The Bowdoin Orient'', is the oldest continuously published college weekly in the United States. The Orient was named the second-best tabloid-sized college weekly at a Collegiate Associated Press conference in March 2007 and the best college newspaper in New England by the New England Society of News Editors in 2018. The school's literary magazine, '' The Quill'', was published between 1897 and 2015. ''The Bowdoin Globalist'', an international news, culture, and politics magazine affiliated with the Global21 organization of college magazines, has been publishing since 2012. ''The Bowdoin Globalist'' transitioned to a digital-only platform in 2015 and changed its name to ''The Bowdoin Review''. The college's radio station,
WBOR WBOR (91.1 FM) is a radio station licensed to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, United States. The station broadcasts from the basement of the Dudley Coe Building on the Bowdoin College campus. Programming consists of an eclectic mix of indie ...
, has been operating since the early 1940s. In 1999, ''The Bowdoin Cable Network'' was formed, producing a weekly newscast and several student-created shows per semester.


A cappella

Six
a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
groups are on campus. The Meddiebempsters and the Longfellows are all-male, Miscellania is all-female, BOKA and Ursus Verses are co-ed, and Bear Tones's singers are "female and treble voices". The Longfellows are the newest all-male group. Founded in 2004, they trace their roots to the historic class of 1825 at Bowdoin, which graduated Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In 2011, they won their quarterfinal of the International Collegiate Championship of A Cappella, advancing them to the semifinals as the only all-male group. The same year, they were in the final round of selection to be on NBC's "The Sing Off". In 2010 and again in 2013, they sang the national anthem at a Boston Celtics game. They have performed all over Maine and the Northeast. The Meddiebempsters are the oldest of Bowdoin's six
a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
groups. Founded in the spring of 1937, the Meddies performed in USO shows after World War II. Miscellania is the oldest all-female a cappella group at Bowdoin College. Miscellania was founded in 1972 as the female counterpart to the Meddiebempsters, shortly after women were admitted to Bowdoin. Since then, Miscellania has grown to be a part of the tradition of a cappella at Bowdoin College. Distinguishable by their black dresses, Miscellania has performed all over Maine and the Northeast, as well as down the East Coast on longer tours, and Aruba. Bear Tones, founded in 2016, is Bowdoin's most-recently formed a cappella group, and is open to male and female singers of all treble voices.


Environmental record

Bowdoin College signed onto the American College and University President's Climate Commitment in 2007. The college followed through with a carbon neutrality plan released in 2009, with 2020 as the target year for carbon neutrality. According to the plan, general improvements to Maine's electricity grid will account for 7% of carbon reductions, commuting improvements will account for 1%, and the purchase of renewable energy credits will account for 41%. The college intends to reduce its carbon emissions 28% by 2020, leaving the remaining 23% for new technologies and more renewable energy credits. The plan includes the construction of a solar thermal system, part of the "Thorne Solar Hot Water Project"; cogeneration in the central heating plant (for which Bowdoin received $400,000 in federal grants); lighting upgrades to all campus buildings; and modern monitoring systems of energy usage on campus. In 2017 the college was on track to meet the 28% own source reduction target, and efforts have continued in the areas of energy conservation, efficiency upgrades and transitioning to lower carbon fuel sources. Bowdoin's facilities are heated by an on-campus heating plant that burns natural gas. In February 2013, the college announced that 1.4% of its endowment is invested in the fossil fuel industry. The disclosure was in response to students' calls to divest these holdings. Between 2002 and 2008, Bowdoin College decreased its CO2 emissions by 40%. It achieved that reduction by switching from #6 to #2 oil in its heating plant, reducing the campus set heating point from 72 to 68 degrees, and by adhering to its own Green Design Standards in renovations. In addition, Bowdoin runs a single stream recycling program, and its dining services department has begun composting food waste and unbleached paper napkins. Bowdoin received an overall "B−" grade for its sustainability efforts on the College Sustainability Report Card 2009 published by the Sustainable Endowments Institute. In 2003, Bowdoin committed to achieving
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...
-certification for all new campus buildings. The college has since completed construction on Osher and West residency halls, the Peter Buck Center for Health & Fitness, the Sidney J. Watson Arena, 216 Maine Street, and 52 Harpswell all of which have attained LEED, Silver LEED or Gold LEED certification. The new dorms partially use collected rainwater as part of an advanced flushing system.


Campus


Brunswick main campus

Bowdoin College's main campus in Brunswick ranges over an area of and includes 120 buildings, some of which date back to the
18th century The 18th century lasted from January 1, 1701 ( MDCCI) to December 31, 1800 ( MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the American, French, and Haitian Revolutions. During the century, slave trad ...
. Prominent buildings on the campus include the college's oldest building, Massachusetts Hall, the
Parker Cleaveland House The Parker Cleaveland House is a historic house at 75 Federal Street in Brunswick, Maine. It was the home, from 1806 to 1858, of Parker Cleaveland (1780–1858), a mineralogist and a professor at nearby Bowdoin College. While he was a professo ...
, and the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. The campus has two museums. The
Bowdoin College Museum of Art The Bowdoin College Museum of Art is an art museum located in Brunswick, Maine. Included on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum is located in a building on the campus of Bowdoin College designed by the architectural firm McKim, Me ...
is located in the Walker Art Building, while the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum is situated in Hubbard Hall.


Other properties

The Schiller Coastal Studies Center is located south of
Orr's Island Orr's Island is an island in Casco Bay and the Gulf of Maine, part of the Atlantic Ocean. The island is within the town of Harpswell, Maine, U.S., and forms an archipelago with Sebascodegan Island (also known as Great Island) to its north and B ...
in Harpswell, Maine. Bowdoin College operates the Bowdoin Scientific Station on Kent Island in the
Bay of Fundy The Bay of Fundy (french: Baie de Fundy) is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its extremely high tidal range is the hi ...
in New Brunswick.


Athletics

Organized athletics at Bowdoin began in 1828 with a gymnastics program established by the "father of athletics in Maine," John Neal. In the proceeding years, Neal agitated for more programs, and himself taught bowling, boxing, and other sports. Bowdoin College teams are known as the Polar Bears. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III level, primarily competing in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), of which they were a founding member in 1971. The mascot for all Bowdoin College athletic teams is the
Polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear specie ...
, generally referred to in the plural, i.e., "The Polar Bears." The school colors are black and white. The fight song, ''Forward The White'', was composed by Kenneth A. Robinson, class of 1914. The college's rowing club competes in the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Chase Regatta annually. The field hockey team are four-time NCAA Division III National Champions; winning the title in 2007 (defeating
Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...
), 2008 (defeating Tufts University), 2010 (defeating Messiah College), and 2013 (defeating Salisbury University). The men's tennis team won the 2016 NCAA Division III Championship after defeating Emory University in
Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...
. Principal athletic facilities include Whittier Field (capacity: 9,000), Morrell Gymnasium (1,500), Sidney J. Watson Arena (2,300), Pickard Fields, and the Buck Center for Health and Wellness. Bowdoin students compete in 30 varsity sports and several club and intramural teams.


Notable alumni

File:Mathew Brady - Franklin Pierce - alternate crop.jpg,
Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...
, 14th President of the United States File:Nathaniel Hawthorne by Brady, 1860-64.jpg, Nathaniel Hawthorne, novelist File:Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, photographed by Julia Margaret Cameron in 1868.jpg, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet File:Robert Peary self-portrait, 1909.jpg,
Robert Peary Robert Edwin Peary Sr. (; May 6, 1856 – February 20, 1920) was an American explorer and officer in the United States Navy who made several expeditions to the Arctic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for, in Apri ...
, explorer, who claims to be the first person to reach the North Pole File:Re publica 2015 - Tag 1 (17195424118) (cropped).jpg, Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix File:Hon. William P. Fessenden, Maine - NARA - 529980.jpg,
William P. Fessenden William Pitt Fessenden (October 16, 1806September 8, 1869) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. Fessenden was a Whig (later a Republican) and member of the Fessenden political family. He served in the United States House o ...
, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasuery File:Paul Adelstein 2008.jpg, Paul Adelstein, actor File:William Cohen, official portrait (cropped).jpg, William Cohen, 20th
U.S. Secretary of Defense The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The se ...
and former
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
File:Joshua Chamberlain - Brady-Handy.jpg, Joshua Chamberlain, Brigadier general in the Union Army File:Oliver Otis Howard.jpg, Oliver Otis Howard, Major General in the Union Army File:CJ Fuller.tif, Melville Fuller, 8th Chief Justice of the United States File:Pat Meehan, Official Portrait, 112th Congress.jpg, Pat Meehan, former U.S. Representative File:Governor Lawrence B Lindsey 140501.jpg,
Lawrence B. Lindsey Lawrence B. Lindsey (born July 18, 1954) is an American economist and author. He was director of the National Economic Council (2001–2002), and the assistant to the president on economic policy for George W. Bush. Lindsey previously served as ...
, Member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors File:George Mitchell in Tel Aviv July 26, 2009.jpg, George J. Mitchell, former Senate Majority Leader File:Mayor Ed Lee Headshot Closeup.jpg, Ed Lee, former Mayor of San Francisco File:Harold Burton.jpg, Harold Hitz Burton, former
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 18 ...
File:Thomas Brackett Reed - Brady-Handy.jpg, Thomas Brackett Reed, former
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the U. ...
File:Picture of Augustus Stinchfield.jpg, Augustus Stinchfield, co-founder of
Mayo Clinic The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff, ...
File:Alfred Kinsey 1955.jpg, Alfred Kinsey, biologist and sexologist
Notable Bowdoin alumni include (by year of graduation): * U.S. Secretary of Treasury, U.S. Representative, & U.S. Senator from Maine
William Pitt Fessenden William Pitt Fessenden (October 16, 1806September 8, 1869) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. Fessenden was a Whig (later a Republican) and member of the Fessenden political family. He served in the United States House o ...
(1824) * U.S. President
Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...
(1824) * Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1825) * Novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne (1825) * Journalist and Republic of Maryland governor John Brown Russwurm (1826) * Medical missionary to the Batticotta Seminary,
Nathan Ward Nathan Ward (born December 8, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Career Ward's senior level career began with his move into the NCAA for Lake Superior State University (LSSU). Ward established himself quickly, and in hi ...
* Mayor of Oakland, California (1867–1869) and founding Regent of the University of California (1868–1874), Samuel Merritt (1844) * Joshua Young, Unitarian minister, presided over funeral of
John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...
(1845) * Civil War general Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (1852) * Philosopher, minister, and academic
Charles Carroll Everett Charles Carroll Everett (June 19, 1829 – October 16, 1900) was an American divine and philosopher. Early life and education Charles was born on June 19, 1829, in Brunswick, Maine, to Ebenezer Everett and Joanna Batchedler Prince. His father was ...
(1850) * Civil War general Oliver Otis Howard (1850) * Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Melville Fuller (1853) * U.S. Speaker of the House Thomas Brackett Reed (1860) * Civil War general
Thomas W. Hyde Thomas Worcester Hyde (January 16, 1841 – December 14, 1899) was an American Union Army colonel, a state senator from Maine, and the founder of the Bath Iron Works, one of the major shipyards in the United States. He wrote two books about his ...
, Medal of Honor recipient, author, founder of Bath Iron Works (1861) * Mayo Clinic co-founder Dr. Augustus Stinchfield (1868) * Physicist Edwin Hall (1875) * Freelan Oscar Stanley, inventor of the Stanley Steamer, and builder of the
Stanley Hotel The Stanley Hotel is a 140-room Colonial Revival hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, United States, about five miles from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. It was built by Freelan Oscar Stanley, Co-founder of the Stanley Motor Carriage ...
(1877) * Arctic explorer Admiral
Robert Peary Robert Edwin Peary Sr. (; May 6, 1856 – February 20, 1920) was an American explorer and officer in the United States Navy who made several expeditions to the Arctic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for, in Apri ...
(1877) * Cravath, Swaine & Moore Presiding Partner Hoyt Augustus Moore (1895) * Gold mine owner, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist Sir Harry Oakes (1896) * Chairman and, later, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal Council,
Stirling Fessenden Stirling Fessenden (29 September 1875 – 1 February 1944), an American lawyer who practised in Shanghai, was the chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council from 1923 to 1929 and then Secretary-General of the Council from 1929 to 1939. Early lif ...
(1896) * Arctic explorer
Donald B. MacMillan Donald Baxter MacMillan (November 10, 1874 – September 7, 1970) was an American explorer, sailor, researcher and lecturer who made over 30 expeditions to the Arctic during his 46-year career. He pioneered the use of radios, airplanes, an ...
(1898) * Business leader and President, Manufacturers Trust Company Harvey Dow Gibson (1902) * US Senator
Paul H. Douglas Paul Howard Douglas (March 26, 1892 – September 24, 1976) was an American politician and Georgist economist. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senate, U.S. Senator from Illinois ...
(1913) * Pulitzer Prize–winning poet
Robert P. T. Coffin Robert Peter Tristram Coffin (March 18, 1892 – January 20, 1955) was an American poet, educator, writer, editor and literary critic. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1936, he was the Poetry editor for ''Yankee'' magazine. Early life ...
(1915) * Sex researcher Alfred Kinsey (1916) * Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist
Hodding Carter William Hodding Carter, II (February 3, 1907 – April 4, 1972), was a Southern U.S. progressive journalist and author. Among other distinctions in his career, Carter was a Nieman Fellow and Pulitzer Prize winner. He died in Greenville, Missis ...
(1927) * Film and television actor Gary Merrill (1937) * Congressional Medal of Honor recipient
Everett P. Pope Major Everett Parker Pope (July 16, 1919 – July 16, 2009) was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his conspicuous gallantry on Peleliu in September 1944 while leading his men in an assault on a strategic hill, and for hold ...
, who displayed conspicuous gallantry during the Battle of Peleliu (1941) * Recipient of two
Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...
s, Andrew Haldane, who was killed in action during the Battle of Peleliu (1941) * ''M*A*S*H'' creator
H. Richard Hornberger Hiester Richard Hornberger Jr. (February 1, 1924 – November 4, 1997) was an American writer and surgeon who wrote under the pseudonym Richard Hooker. Hornberger's best-known work is his novel '' MASH'' (1968), based on his experiences as a war ...
(1945) * Businessman and philanthropist Bernard Osher (1948) * Businessman and independent financial consultant
Raymond S. Troubh Raymond S. Troubh (May 3, 1926 – August 24, 2020) was an independent financial consultant who served as a general partner at Lazard from 1961 to 1974 and as interim chairman at Enron from 2002 to 2004. Career Troubh graduated from Bowdo ...
(1950) * Co-founder of the
Subway Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to: Transportation * Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems * Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle * Subway (George Bush Interconti ...
sandwich chain Peter Buck (1952) * U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Thomas R. Pickering (1953) * U.S. Senator George Mitchell (1954) * President and chairman of the board of L.L. Bean, Leon Gorman (1956) * Chairman and CEO of Ted Bates Worldwide, Donald M. ZuckertDonald M. Zuckert
(1956)
* U.S. Senator and Secretary of Defense William Cohen (1962) * Award-winning photographer Abelardo Morell (1971) * Senior judge of the US District Court for the District of Maine
John A. Woodcock Jr. John Alden Woodcock Jr. (born July 6, 1950) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maine. Education and career Born in Bangor, Maine, Woodcock received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bow ...
(1972) * American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault (1973) *
Harlem Children's Zone The Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) is a nonprofit organization for poverty-stricken children and families living in Harlem, providing free support in the form of parenting workshops, a preschool program, three charter schools, and child-oriented ...
President and CEO Geoffrey Canada (1974) * Alvin Hall, financial adviser, author, and media personality (1974) * San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee (1974) * Investor
Stanley Druckenmiller Stanley Freeman Druckenmiller (born June 14, 1953) is an American investor, hedge fund manager and philanthropist. He is the former chairman and president of Duquesne Capital, which he founded in 1981. He closed the fund in August 2010.
(1975) * Economist and former Governor of the Federal Reserve
Lawrence B. Lindsey Lawrence B. Lindsey (born July 18, 1954) is an American economist and author. He was director of the National Economic Council (2001–2002), and the assistant to the president on economic policy for George W. Bush. Lindsey previously served as ...
(1975) * NBC News Senior Legal and Investigative Correspondent Cynthia McFadden (1978) * Senior Managing Director of The Blackstone Group John Studzinski (1978) * Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson (1979) * Barclays CEO
Jes Staley James Edward "Jes" Staley (born December 27, 1956) is an American banker, and the former group chief executive (CEO) of Barclays. He stood down as CEO on November 1, 2021, and was succeeded by C. S. Venkatakrishnan. Staley has nearly four decades ...
(1979) * Yahoo! Finance Editor-in-Chief Andrew E. Serwer (1981) * Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings (1983) * HBO Academy Award-winning producer Kary Antholis (1984) * Fashion designer and entrepreneur
Ruthie Davis Ruthie Davis is the founder, designer, and president of luxury shoe brand Ruthie Davis. Her shoes are worn by celebrities, including Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. She was named American Apparel and Footwear Association's 2014 Footwear Designer of the Y ...
(1984) * ''Prison Break'' and ''Private Practice'' actor Paul Adelstein (1991) * Composer, writer, and musician DJ Spooky (1992) * Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anthony Doerr (1995) * ''New York Times'' Justice Department reporter
Katie Benner Katie Benner is an American reporter for ''The New York Times'' covering the United States Department of Justice. Early life and education Benner grew up in Vermont and was an English major at Bowdoin College, in Maine. After graduating in 1999 ...
(1999) * Poet, critic, and performer
Claudia La Rocco Claudia La Rocco is a poet, critic, and performer who works as a columnist for Artforum and writes about books and theater for ''The New York Times.'' Education La Rocco graduated from Bowdoin College in 2000 with a degree in English. Career La Ro ...
(2000) * General Manager, New York Mets
Jared Porter Jared Douglas Porter (born November 26, 1979) is a former American baseball executive. As an executive, he has won four World Series Championships (Boston Red Sox - 2004, 2007, 2013; Chicago Cubs - 2016). He served as the Executive Vice President ...
(2003) * Comedian Hari Kondabolu (2004) * Civil rights activist
DeRay Mckesson DeRay Mckesson (born July 9, 1985) is an American civil rights activist, podcaster, and former school administrator. An early supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, he has been active in the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, ...
(2007) * New York State Assembly Member
Zohran Mamdani Zohran Kwame Mamdani (born October 18, 1991) is a Ugandan-born American politician. He is the assembly member for the 36th district of the New York State Assembly, in Queens. Mamdani was elected after defeating incumbent Democrat Aravella Simot ...
(2014) Bowdoin graduates have led all three branches of the American federal government, including both houses of Congress.
Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...
(1824) was America's fourteenth President;
Melville Weston Fuller Melville Weston Fuller (February 11, 1833 – July 4, 1910) was an American politician, attorney, and jurist who served as the eighth chief justice of the United States from 1888 until his death in 1910. Staunch conservatism marked his ...
(1853) served as Chief Justice of the United States; Thomas Brackett Reed (1860) was twice elected Speaker of the House of Representatives; and Wallace H. White, Jr. (1899) and George J. Mitchell (1954) both served as Majority Leader of the United States Senate.


References


External links

*
Official athletics website
{{authority control 1794 establishments in Massachusetts Education in Brunswick, Maine Educational institutions established in 1794 Liberal arts colleges in Maine Private universities and colleges in Maine Tourist attractions in Brunswick, Maine Universities and colleges in Cumberland County, Maine