Adelphi College

Adelphi University is a private university in Garden City, New York, United States. Adelphi also has centers in Downtown Brooklyn, Hudson Valley, and Suffolk County in addition to a virtual, online campus for remote students. As of 2019, it had about 7,859 undergraduate and graduate students.

History

Adelphi College

Adelphi University began with the Adelphi Academy, founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1863. The academy was a private preparatory school located at 412 Adelphi Street, in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, but later moved to Clinton Hill. It was formally chartered in 1869 by the board of trustees of the City of Brooklyn for establishing "a first class institution for the broadest and most thorough training, and to make its advantages as accessible as possible to the largest numbers of our population." One of the teachers at the Adelphi Academy was Harlan Fiske Stone, who later served as the Chief Justice of the United States.

In 1893, Charles Herbert Levermore was appointed as the head of Adelphi Academy. Seeking to establish a liberal arts college for the City of Brooklyn, Levermore received a charter from the Board of Regents of the State of New York, officially establishing Adelphi College on June 24, 1896. The college received its charter through the efforts of Timothy Woodruff, former Lieutenant Governor of New York and future first president of the board of trustees. Adelphi was one of the first coeducational institutions to receive a charter from the State of New York. At the time of its foundation, the college numbered only 57 students and 16 instructors. The Adelphi Academy continued to exist as a separate but nonetheless connected entity to the college. The new college was located in a building behind the Adelphi Academy, on the corner of St. James's Place and Clifton Place, in Brooklyn. The building that originally housed Adelphi is now used by Pratt Institute for their School of Architecture.

In 1912, Adelphi became a women's college. In 1922, the school raised over one million dollars to expand the overcrowded facilities in Brooklyn. In 1925, Adelphi College severed its ties with the Adelphi Academy, the latter closing in 1930. In 1929, the college moved from its founding location in Brooklyn to the current location of its main campus in Garden City, New York. The original "academy" continues to function as a P–12 school in Brooklyn. The original three buildings of the Garden City campus, Levermore Hall, Blodgett Hall and Woodruff Hall, were designed by McKim, Mead and White.
In 1938, the Dance Program was founded by the world-famous dancer Ruth St. Denis. In 1943, the School of Nursing was established in response to the need for nurses due to American involvement in World War II. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt presided over the opening of two federally funded residence halls on campus, in a speech entitled "The Challenge of Nursing for Young Women Today."

In 1946, after World War II ended, Adelphi reverted to a coeducational college and started admitting new students on the federal GI Bill. New sports teams were created following the readmission of men to the school. In 1952, the first program for clinical psychology was established at the school; it was the forerunner to the Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies, now the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology.

Adelphi University

In 1963, the New York State Board of Regents granted the college university status, and the name was changed to Adelphi University. In 1964, the School of Business was founded. In 1966, the Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies was founded. In 1973, the university established ABLE (Adult Baccalaureate Learning Experience) for the education of adults. Now known as the College of Professional and Continuing Studies, it was one of the earliest programs created for nontraditional students. In 1984, the Institute for Teaching and Educational Studies was founded; it became the School of Education in 1990. In 1993, the Society of Mentors was established, giving students faculty advisors that they could consult on an as-needed basis to assist them in their studies. In 1995, the Honors College was founded.

In January 1963, Adelphi Suffolk College (which had started out in 1955 offering extension courses in Suffolk County, New York) purchased the former W.K. Vanderbilt estate in Oakdale, New York. In 1968, it was spun off to Dowling College after its chief benefactor, Robert Dowling.

Adelphi faced a serious scandal in 1996, as the school celebrated its 100th anniversary. University president Peter Diamandopoulos and the board of trustees were accused of neglect of duty, misconduct and failure to carry out the educational purposes of Adelphi. The New York State Board of Regents was called in to investigate; Diamandopoulos, along with all but one of the board of trustees, was dismissed from office. The university was in dire financial straits until Robert A. Scott was installed in the position of President in 2000. Scott saved the school by decreasing tuition, increasing scholarships offered for the students, and launching an advertising campaign to increase enrollment.

Since that time, the school has surpassed many of its previous gains, and is said to be undergoing a new renaissance. Adelphi University has been ranked as a "Best Buy" college by the Fiske Guide to Colleges for the last ten years for its quality education offered at a comparatively affordable price. Adelphi University also participates in the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities's (NAICU) University and College Accountability Network (U-CAN). In 2023, the Princeton Review ranked Adelphi University a "Green College" making the list of environmentally responsible colleges and universities across the country. Adelphi is frequently listed amongst the U.S.' most liberal colleges.

In August 2023, Adelphi relocated the Manhattan Center location to Downtown Brooklyn at 179 Livingston Street. Adelphi - Brooklyn Center, located on the 5th through 7th floors, is adjacent to Macy's Brooklyn store and shared with St. Francis College. Adelphi has announced their return to Manhattan with a Graduate and Professional Center opening in early 2026. The Adelphi NYC location is under construction within 529 Fifth Avenue at East 44th Street.

Breast cancer support program

The university's School of Social Work is home to the Adelphi New York Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support Program The program began in 1980 as the Woman-to-Woman Hotline, a free and confidential service to help women with breast cancer. It is the second oldest breast cancer hotline in the United States; over 100 trained volunteers offer information and emotional support for people with breast cancer. There are professional social workers, bilingual Spanish-speaking staff and support staff, along with support groups, educational programs and individual counseling.

Academics

Rankings

In 2015, Adelphi University was ranked #17 in New York State by average professor salaries.

In 2025 Adelphi University was ranked tie for No. 189 in National Universities by '' U.S. News & World Report''.

Colleges, schools and degrees

* College of Arts and Sciences: B.A., B.S., B.F.A., M.A., M.S., M.F.A.,
* College of Professional and Continuing Studies: A.A., A.S., A.A.S., B.A., B.S., Post-baccalaureate Certificate, M.S.
* Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology: B.A., M.A., M.S., Ph.D., Psy.D.
* Ruth S. Ammon School of Education: B.A., B.S., M.A., Advanced Certificates, Au.D., Ph.D.
* Robert B Willumstad School of Business: B.S., B.A., B.B.A., M.S., M.B.A., M.S./M.B.A. (with School of Nursing).
* College of Nursing and Public Health: B.S., M.S., M.S./M.B.A. (with School of Business), Ph.D.
* School of Social Work: B.S.W., M.S.W., D.S.W., Ph.D.
* Honors College

On February 27, 2012, president Robert A. Scott announced a gift of $9.5 million from Adelphi Board of Trustees Chairman Robert B. Willumstad '05 (Hon.). The Adelphi University School of Business, established in 1964, was renamed the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business in his honor.

Joint degree programs

* Dentistry: New York University College of Dentistry (3–4 B.S./D.D.S.)
* Engineering: Columbia University,(3–2 B.A./B.S.)
* Environmental Studies: Columbia University (3–2 B.A./B.S. or 4–2 B.A./M.S.)
* Optometry: SUNY State College of Optometry (3–4 B.S./ O.D.)
* Osteopathic Medicine: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (3–4 B.S./D.O.)
* Physical Therapy: New York Medical College (4–3 B.S./D.P.T.)

International programs

Adelphi has partnerships with outside providers who offer study abroad opportunities to students in approximately 120 countries.

For semester and academic year direct exchanges with Adelphi partners, students may use 100% of their federal and institutional aid. For programs which are not directly associated with Adelphi (from accredited institutions and are approved by the Center for International Education), students may use all their federal aid, and 75% of their Adelphi institutional aid — while remaining enrolled on campus. Adelphi faculty-led programs, including theater, art, art history, literature, history, counseling, chemistry and speech-pathology, are held in Italy, Kenya, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, England, Jamaica, Kosovo and Poland.

Main campus buildings

Many of the buildings on the Garden City campus are symmetrical in nature. This is likely because garden cities are typically planned symmetrically. For example, Woodruff Hall has a second chimney solely to preserve the symmetry of the building.

Student life

Student organizations

Adelphi student activities include academic interests, cultural and language clubs, sports and recreation, religious / Interfaith Center, arts organizations, volunteer opportunities, fraternities, and sororities.

LGBTQ community

The Campus Pride Index awarded Adelphi five out of five stars for LGBTQ-friendly campuses. Student resources include the Multicultural Center, SafeZones and SafeZone training, Gender-inclusive housing options, availability of designated all-gender restrooms, organizations and events (including Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Coming Out Day, Pride Week, Transgender Awareness Week), an Alumni Affinity group, mentoring, support and counseling.

Athletics

The Adelphi Panthers are the athletic teams of Adelphi University. The Panthers compete at the NCAA Division II level for all sports and have been a member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009.

Since transitioning to the Northeast-10, the Adelphi Panthers have become a powerhouse in the East Region. In 2013, just their fourth year in the conference, the Panthers were awarded the 2013 Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup. The Presidents' Cup is presented annually to signify overall athletic excellence in the Northeast-10. The honor is awarded to the institution that compiles the most total points from all of its programs competing in league championships.

Notable alumni and faculty

Notable alumni of the university include entertainers such as Chuck D and Flavor Flav of rap group Public Enemy, authors like MacArthur Fellow Jacqueline Woodson, athletes including captain of the 1990 United States World Cup team Mike Windischmann, and politicians such as Prime Minister of Sint Maarten Leona Marlin-Romeo. Notable faculty have included sex educator and Holocaust surivosr Dr. Ruth, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec, and US Labor Secretary Frances Perkins.

References

External links

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Athletic website

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Private universities and colleges in New York (state)
Universities and colleges established in 1896
McKim, Mead & White buildings
Universities and colleges in Nassau County, New York
1896 establishments in New York (state)