History of Bard College in Timeline

Bard College is a private liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Its campus, which overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, is situated within the Hudson River Historic District, a designated National Historic Landmark. Known for its distinctive academic programs and scenic location, Bard offers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate studies.

1914: Louis Hamersley Purchases Ward Manor/Almont Estate

In 1914, Louis Hamersley purchased the fire-damaged Ward Manor/Almont estate and erected a Tudor style mansion and gatehouse, known today as Ward Manor, marking a change in the estate's ownership and structure.

1919: Bernard Iddings Bell Becomes President

In 1919, Bernard Iddings Bell became Bard College's youngest president at the age of 34, marking a significant leadership change at the institution.

1926: Hamersley expands estate and Ward Manor is donated to charity

In 1926, Louis Hamersley expanded his estate by acquiring the abandoned Cruger's Island estate. In that same year, William Ward purchased Hamersley's combined estate, which was then donated to charity and served as a retirement home for almost four decades.

1928: Bard Merges with Columbia University

In 1928, Bard College merged with Columbia University, operating as an undergraduate school similar to Barnard College. Bard maintained affiliation with the Episcopal Church and retained control of its finances under the agreement.

1928: De La Salle Brothers Acquire Barrytown Property

In 1928, the De La Salle Brothers acquired the property in Barrytown, which was later purchased by Bard, and constructed a large seminary and normal institute there by 1931.

1931: Seminary and Normal Institute Completed

In 1931, the De La Salle Brothers completed a large seminary and normal institute on the Barrytown property, which Bard College later acquired in 2023.

1932: Financial Crisis and Roosevelt's Plea

In 1932, Bard College faced a dire financial situation due to the Great Depression. Franklin D. Roosevelt, then-Governor of New York and a college trustee, sent a telegram to prominent figures such as John D. Rockefeller Jr., George Eastman, and Frederick William Vanderbilt requesting donations for the college, highlighting the severity of the institution's financial difficulties.

May 26, 1933: Donald Tewksbury Appointed Dean

On May 26, 1933, Donald Tewksbury, a Columbia professor, was appointed dean of Bard College. During his four-year tenure, Tewksbury steered the college into a more secular direction and renamed it from St. Stephen's to Bard, while also emphasizing the arts and establishing foundations for Bard's Moderation and Senior Project requirement.

1933: Bernard Iddings Bell Resigns

In 1933, Bernard Iddings Bell resigned from his position as president due to conflicts between his adherence to classical education and the school's move towards Deweyism and secularization, marking the end of his leadership at Bard.

1934: Name Change to Bard College

In 1934, the school officially changed its name to Bard College in honor of its founder. This marked a significant moment in the institution's history, solidifying its identity under a new name.

1943: Bard College Featured in Study of Progressive Colleges

In 1943, Louis T. Benezet used Bard College as one of his three case studies in his study of early progressive colleges, titled "General Education in the Progressive College", recognizing Bard as an early adopter of progressive education.

1944: Bard Becomes Co-Educational and Independent

In 1944, due to the impact of World War II causing a significant drop in enrollment, Bard College became co-educational and severed all ties with Columbia University to increase enrollment. As a result, the college became an independent, secular institution.

1947: Enrollment Increases

By 1947, Bard College's enrollment more than doubled to 293 students from 137 students in 1944 as a result of becoming co-educational.

1947: WXBC College Radio Station Founded

In 1947, college radio station WXBC was founded.

1951: Blithewood Estate Donated

In 1951, the Blithewood estate was donated to Bard College, contributing to the expansion of the campus.

1963: Bard Purchases Part of Ward Manor Estate

In 1963, Bard College purchased 90 acres of the Ward Manor estate, including the main manor house, expanding the college's campus. The remaining portion of the estate became the Tivoli Bays nature preserve.

1969: Drug bust at Bard

In 1969, there was a drug bust at Bard College in which the college administration colluded, an event that would later inspire the Steely Dan song "My Old School".

1973: Steely Dan releases "My Old School"

In 1973, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, inspired by their experiences at Bard College, wrote the song "My Old School" for their rock group, Steely Dan. The song was based on the 1969 drug bust at Bard.

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1974: Unification Church Purchases Property

In 1974, the Unification Church acquired the Barrytown property from the De La Salle Brothers, before Bard College later purchased the property in 2023.

1990: Bard College acquires Marieluise Hessel's art collection

In 1990, Bard College acquired art collector Marieluise Hessel's substantial collection of contemporary artwork on permanent loan.

1990: Center for Curatorial Studies Established

In 1990, the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College (CCS Bard) was established as a museum and research center dedicated to the study of contemporary art and exhibition practices.

1993: Bard Graduate Center Established

In 1993, the Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture was established in New York City as a graduate research institute and gallery.

1994: Master of Arts Program Launched at CCS Bard

In 1994, CCS Bard launched its Master of Arts in Curatorial Studies program, expanding the center's academic offerings.

1994: Federal funding for prison education programs eliminated

In 1994, federal funding for prison education programs was eliminated, affecting the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI).

1998: PhD Program Launched

In 1998, the Bard Graduate Center launched its PhD program, expanding its academic offerings.

2003: Bard Free Press wins Best Campus Publication

In 2003, the Bard Free Press won Best Campus Publication in SPIN Magazine's first annual Campus Awards.

2006: Hessel contributes to Center for Curatorial Studies building

In 2006, Marieluise Hessel contributed $8 million (USD) for the construction of a 17,000-square-foot addition to Bard's Center for Curatorial Studies building.

2006: WXBC Nominated for CMJ College Radio Awards

In 2006, WXBC was nominated for "Station of the Year" and "Biggest Improvement" in the CMJ College Radio Awards.

February 2009: Bard announces dual degree program with Al-Quds University

In February 2009, Bard announced the first dual degree program between a Palestinian university and an American institution of higher education, collaborating with Al-Quds University.

June 2011: Bard acquires Longy School of Music

In June 2011, Bard acquired the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

November 2011: Bard takes ownership of European College of Liberal Arts

In November 2011, Bard took ownership of the European College of Liberal Arts in Berlin, Germany, which became Bard College Berlin.

2013: Bard Free Press awarded Best in Show

In 2013, the Bard Free Press was awarded a Best in Show title by the Associated Collegiate Press.

2014: Levy Economics Institute offers Masters of Science in Economic Theory and Policy

In 2014, the Levy Economics Institute started offering a Masters of Science in Economic Theory and Policy.

January 2016: Bard Purchases Montgomery Place

In January 2016, Bard College purchased Montgomery Place, a 380-acre estate adjacent to the Bard campus, adding significant historic and cultural assets to the college. The estate was purchased from Historic Hudson Valley.

July 2020: Bard Receives Gift from Open Society Foundations

In July 2020, Bard College received a gift of $100 million from the Open Society Foundations, which will be dispensed at $10 million yearly over a period of ten years.

2020: Bard College Forms Open Society University Network

In 2020, Bard College and Central European University became the founding members of the Open Society University Network, a global education initiative endowed with US$1 billion. As part of this, Bard received a US$100 million gift from the Open Society Foundations.

2020: Area Appears as Census-Designated Place

In 2020, the area around the campus first appeared as a census-designated place (CDP) in the Census, with a population of 358, marking its recognition for census purposes.

2020: Bard College Listed as Census-Designated Place

In 2020, the campus of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson was listed as a census-designated place, marking its recognition for census purposes.

April 2021: Bard Receives Endowment Challenge Grant from George Soros

In April 2021, Bard College received a $500 million endowment challenge grant from George Soros.

June 2021: Bard College Declared "Undesirable Organization" in Russia

In June 2021, Bard College was declared an "undesirable organization" in Russia, becoming the first international higher education organization to be branded with this designation. Bard president Botstein hypothesized that this was due to their association with and funding from the Open Society Foundations and related conspiracy theories about George Soros.

2021: Most Popular Undergraduate Majors

Based on 2021 graduates, Bard's most popular undergraduate majors were Fine/Studio Arts (106), English Language and Literature/Letters (81), and Biological and Physical Sciences (80).

2021: CCS Bard Receives Gifts of $25 Million

In 2021, CCS Bard received two gifts of $25 million, one from Marieluise Hessel and a matching donation from George Soros.

2021: George Soros Pledges $500 Million Endowment

In 2021, philanthropist George Soros pledged a $500 million endowment to Bard College, which is one of the largest pledges of money ever made to higher education in the United States.

2022: Admissions Statistics

For the academic year 2022–2023, Bard's acceptance rate was 46%, with 2,982 students admitted out of 6,482 applicants. The average GPA of admitted students was 3.79.

2022: CCS Bard Receives $50 Million Donation

In 2022, CCS Bard received $50 million, consisting of $25 million from the Gochman Family Foundation to form a Center for American and Indigenous Studies at CCS Bard and a matching donation of $25 million from George Soros.

2023: Enrollment Yield Rate

For the 2022-2023 academic year, 447 students enrolled at Bard College, representing a yield rate of 15%. Additionally, there was a 25% increase in applications during the 2022-2023 academic year.

2023: MFA Program Ranked Among Most Influential

In 2023, Bard's Master of Fine Arts program was ranked one of the ten most influential Master of Fine Arts programs in the world by Artspace Magazine, marking a significant recognition of its impact and quality.

2023: Robert Storr Donates Volumes to CCS Bard Library

In 2023, historian Robert Storr donated over 25,000 volumes to the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, nearly doubling the total collection size to 63,000 volumes.

2023: Bard Purchases Land Adjacent to Montgomery Place

In late 2023, Bard purchased 260 acres of land adjacent to the Montgomery Place campus in Barrytown, which used to be the campus of the Unification Theological Seminary. This purchase brought Bard's total acreage to 1260 acres (510 ha).

2024: Washington Monthly College Rankings

In 2024, Washington Monthly ranked Bard 50th among 194 liberal arts colleges in the U.S. based on its contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service.

2025: Bard Maintains Endowment

As of 2025, Bard College maintained its own endowment of approximately $395,986,151.

2025: Bard College at Simon's Rock to Move to New Property

In 2025, Bard College at Simon's Rock is scheduled to move into the Barrytown property that Bard College acquired in 2023.

2025: U.S. News & World Report College Rankings

In its 2025 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked Bard 71st overall, 5th in "Most Innovative Schools", tied at 33rd for "Best Undergraduate Teaching", tied at #38 in "Top Performers on Social Mobility", tied at #19 in "First-Year Experiences", and 19th for "Best Value" among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the United States.

May 1, 2026: Botstein Announces Retirement

On May 1, 2026, Botstein announced that he would retire as president of Bard College on June 30, 2026, signaling the end of his long tenure as president.

June 30, 2026: Botstein Retires as President

On June 30, 2026, Botstein will retire as president of Bard College, marking the conclusion of his presidential tenure.

2026: Endowment Drive Completion

On January 21, 2026, the Open Society Foundation and Bard College published a joint newsletter signaling the successful completion of the endowment drive, where Bard raised $520 of the $500 million over 5 years, meeting the pledge amount set by George Soros and the Open Society Foundation, bringing Bard's endowment to $1.4 billion.