Union College - Definition and Overview

This article is about the college in New York; there are also Union Colleges in Barbourville, Kentucky and Lincoln, Nebraska and a Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. Many other colleges that use the word "union" in their name.

Union College of Schenectady, New York is a non-denominational, independent, liberal arts college in the Mohawk Valley. It was chartered in 1795 and was the second college chartered by the state and the first outside of New York City. Plans for its establishment date back to 1784. The name "Union" refers to its formation by the cooperative effort of several religious denominations. Troubled times during the third quarter of the 19th century led to a loss of prestige and a large decrease in student enrollment. Union College had to rebuild and redefine itself after that period.

Today, Union College offers many programs encompassing the liberal arts and sciences as well as engineering. Nearly fifty percent of the students are enrolled in science or engineering. The current student body is about 2200, almost evenly split between males and females.

Notable alumni and former students

• William H. Seward, U.S. Secretary of State, Lincoln Administration
• William L. Greenly and Austin Blair, 19th century governors of Michigan
• Robert Toombs, 19th century politician
• Lewis H. Morgan, father of American anthropology
• George Westinghouse, founder of Westinghouse Electric Corporation
• Clare W. Graves, Notable 20th century psychology theorist
• Chester A. Arthur, former President of the United States
• Neil Abercrombie, congressman from Hawaii
• Mark Walsh, 21st century entrepreneur and venture capitalist
• Fitz Hugh Ludlow, 19th century author and explorer

External link

• Union College home page (http://www.union.edu/)