History of Fordham University in Timeline

Fordham University, a private Jesuit research university in New York City, was established in 1841. Named after the Fordham neighborhood in the Bronx, it is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the northeastern United States and the third-oldest university in New York City. The university is a prominent institution of higher education with a strong emphasis on Jesuit values.

June 21, 1904: Authorization for Law and Medical Schools

On June 21, 1904, the Regents of the University of the State of New York consented to allow the board of trustees to authorize the opening of a law school and a medical school at St. John's College.

1905: First Theater in the Round

In 1905, Fordham University became the first place on the East Coast of the United States to have a theater in the round with the construction of Collins Hall.

March 7, 1907: St. John's College Officially Became Fordham University

On March 7, 1907, St. John's College officially became Fordham University. The name Fordham refers to the village of Fordham, where the Rose Hill campus is located.

1907: Foundation of Marymount College

In 1907, Marymount College, an independent women's college, was founded by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary.

1908: Fordham University Press Established

In 1908, Fordham University Press was established.

September 1912: Carl Jung Lectures at Fordham

In September 1912, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung delivered a series of lectures at Fordham, marking his break with Sigmund Freud's theories.

1913: Martin H. Glynn Governor of New York

In 1913, Martin H. Glynn, a Fordham alumnus, became the 40th Governor of New York.

1913: Closure of College of St. Francis Xavier

In 1913, the College of St. Francis Xavier was closed. Various Fordham colleges were opened at the Woolworth Building in Manhattan to fill the void, commencing an unbroken string of instruction in Manhattan that became Fordham College at Lincoln Center.

1914: Martin H. Glynn Governor of New York

In 1914, Martin H. Glynn, a Fordham alumnus, continued his term as the 40th Governor of New York.

1918: Law School begins accepting female students

In 1918, the Law School began accepting female students.

1919: Medical School Closure

Fordham's medical school officially closed in 1919.

1919: Closure of Medical School

In 1919, the university closed its medical school due to a lack of endowment and reduced funds caused by the First World War.

1920: Gabelli School of Business Begins

In 1920, the Gabelli School of Business began in Manhattan as the School of Accounting. Also in 1920, the annual cost for tuition, room and board at the college was $600.

1928: "Seven Blocks of Granite"

In 1928, Fordham's offensive lines were given the name "Seven Blocks of Granite".

1929: Football Team Title

In 1929, The Ram's football team ended the season as title holders according to college football's fictitious national championship.

1936: "Seven Blocks of Granite" Team

In 1936, the Fordham "Seven Blocks of Granite" team was coached by "Sleepy" Jim Crowley and included Vince Lombardi.

September 30, 1939: First Televised Football Game

On September 30, 1939, Fordham participated in the world's first televised football game, defeating Waynesburg College, 34–7.

1939: First Televised College Football Game

In 1939, Fordham's football team participated in history's first televised college football game.

1940: First Televised College Basketball Game

In 1940, Fordham's athletic teams participated in history's first televised college basketball game.

1941: Bowl Game Appearance

In 1941, the Fordham Rams football team made a bowl game appearance.

1942: Bowl Game Appearance

In 1942, the Fordham Rams football team made a second bowl game appearance.

1944: Establishment of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies

In 1944, the School of Professional and Continuing Studies was established, largely bolstered by returning veterans taking advantage of the GI Bill.

1946: Reinstatement of Football Program

In 1946, the Fordham football program was reinstated after being discontinued during World War II.

1947: WFUV Founded

In 1947, WFUV, Fordham's 50,000-watt radio station, was founded.

1954: Robert Moses' Proposal

In 1954, Robert Moses proposed to Fordham administrators an alternative to renting space in the New York Coliseum, involving a new building north of Columbus Circle.

1954: Discontinuation of Football Program

In 1954, the Fordham football program was discontinued again due to being too expensive to maintain.

February 15, 1958: John F. Kennedy Receives Honorary Degree

On February 15, 1958, then-Senator John F. Kennedy received an honorary Doctor of Law degree and delivered an address at the Fordham Law Alumni Association luncheon.

March 1958: Lincoln Center Campus Transfer

In March 1958, Mayor Robert Wagner signed the deeds transferring the Lincoln Center campus to Fordham University.

November 18, 1961: Robert F. Kennedy Receives Honorary Degree

On November 18, 1961, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy received an honorary degree and delivered an address at the dedication of the new Fordham Law School building in Lincoln Center.

1961: Opening of the Lincoln Center Campus

In 1961, the Lincoln Center campus opened as part of the Lincoln Square Renewal Project, placing an institution of higher learning in a multi-disciplinary performing arts complex.

September 1964: Thomas More College Begins Instruction

In September 1964, the all-female Thomas More College at the Rose Hill campus began instruction for BA and BS degrees.

November 2, 1964: Robert F. Kennedy's Visit

On November 2, 1964, Robert F. Kennedy visited Fordham and gave an address at the Rose Hill gymnasium during his campaign for the U.S. Senate.

1966: Donald Trump Transfers

In 1966, President Donald Trump left Fordham, transferring to the University of Pennsylvania.

1966: Penthouse Theatre Conversion

In 1966, the Penthouse Theatre, located on the fourth floor of Collins Hall, was turned into office space.

1967: Creation of Bensalem College

In 1967, in response to internal demands for a more "liberalized" curriculum, the university created Bensalem College.

1968: Opening of The Liberal Arts College

In 1968, "The Liberal Arts College" for undergraduates opened, later changing its name to "The College at Lincoln Center".

1969: Governed independently of the church

In 1969, Fordham University became governed independently of the church, although every president of the university was a Jesuit priest until 2022 and the curriculum remains influenced by Jesuit educational principles.

1969: Student Activism and Protests

In 1969, Fordham became a center of political activism, with students protesting the existence of the ROTC and military recruiters. Students also organized a sit-in in response to an announcement that President Richard Nixon would be speaking on campus, which led to Nixon canceling his plans.

1969: John N. Mitchell, Attorney General

In 1969, John N. Mitchell, a Fordham alumnus, became Attorney General.

1969: Move to Lincoln Center Campus

In 1969, the academic programs at 302 Broadway were moved to the Lincoln Center Campus.

1969: Reorganization of Board of Trustees

In 1969, the board of trustees was reorganized to include a majority of nonclerical members, making the university an independent institution.

1970: Revival of Football Program as NCAA Division III Team

In 1970, the Fordham football program was revived as an NCAA Division III team.

1970: Love Story Filmed

In 1970, the film Love Story was shot at Fordham's Rose Hill campus.

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1971: Best Basketball Season

In 1971, the Fordham men's basketball program had its best season, compiling a 26–3 record and earning a No. 9 national ranking.

1972: Pharmacy College Closure

Fordham's College of Pharmacy closed in 1972.

1972: Fordham Prep Becomes Legally Independent

In 1972, Fordham Preparatory School became legally independent when it moved to its own facilities on the northwest corner of the Rose Hill campus.

1972: John N. Mitchell, Attorney General

In 1972, John N. Mitchell was the Attorney General.

1972: Closure of College of Pharmacy

In 1972, the College of Pharmacy closed due to declining enrollment.

1973: The Exorcist and Godspell Filmed

In 1973, the films The Exorcist and Godspell were shot at Fordham's Rose Hill campus.

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1974: Closure of Bensalem College

In 1974, Bensalem College closed.

1974: Fordham College at Rose Hill Becomes Coeducational

In 1974, Fordham College at Rose Hill became coeducational when it merged with Thomas More College.

1974: The Gambler Filmed

In 1974, the film The Gambler was shot at Fordham's Rose Hill campus.

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1978: Cheerleaders Beach Party Filmed

In 1978, the film Cheerleaders Beach Party was shot at Fordham's Rose Hill campus.

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1981: William J. Casey, Central Intelligence Director

In 1981, William J. Casey, an alumnus of Fordham became Central Intelligence Director.

1982: The Verdict Filmed

In 1982, the film The Verdict was shot at Fordham's Rose Hill campus.

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1984: Shattered Vows Filmed

In 1984, the television film Shattered Vows was filmed at Fordham.

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1987: William J. Casey, Central Intelligence Director

In 1987, William J. Casey was the Central Intelligence Director.

1988: Global Outreach Term Coined

In 1988, Fordham students coined the term Global Outreach for the Mexico project.

1989: Revival of Football Program as NCAA Division I Team

In 1989, the Fordham football program was revived again as an NCAA Division I team.

1990: Alumni House Turned into Rodrigue's Coffee House

In 1990, Alumni House was turned into Rodrigue's Coffee House, a student-run space.

1993: Addition of Residence Hall

In 1993, a twenty-story residence hall for 850 students was added to the Lincoln Center campus.

1993: A Bronx Tale Set in Belmont

In 1993, the crime drama A Bronx Tale was set in the Belmont neighborhood adjacent to the Rose Hill campus.

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1994: Quiz Show Filmed

In 1994, the film Quiz Show was shot at Fordham's Rose Hill campus.

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1996: Name change to Fordham College

In 1996, the name of "The College at Lincoln Center" changed to "Fordham College at Lincoln Center."

1998: Establishment of Beijing International MBA

In 1998, the university provided faculty for the Beijing International MBA at Peking University in China.

2000: Center Stage Filmed

In 2000, the film Center Stage was shot at Fordham's Lincoln Center campus.

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September 11, 2001: September 11 Memorial

On September 11, 2001, Fordham students and alumni who perished in the attacks were memorialized in "St. Peter's Garden" at the Lincoln Center campus.

2001: A Beautiful Mind Filmed

In 2001, the film A Beautiful Mind was shot at Fordham's Rose Hill campus.

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July 2002: Consolidation of Marymount College into Fordham

In July 2002, Marymount College was consolidated into Fordham University.

2002: Patriot League Championship

In 2002, the Fordham Rams football team won a Patriot League championship and made an NCAA Division I Football Championship appearance.

2003: Fulbright Scholars Produced

Since 2003, Fordham has produced 168 Fulbright scholars.

2004: Library Ranking

In 2004, the William D. Walsh Family Library was ranked as the fifth best collegiate library in the country.

2005: Announcement of Marymount College Phase-Out

In 2005, Fordham announced that its Marymount College campus would be phased out.

May 2007: Final Undergraduate Class at Marymount

In May 2007, Marymount awarded degrees to its final undergraduate class.

2007: Patriot League Championship

In 2007, the Fordham Rams football team won another Patriot League championship and made an NCAA Division I Football Championship appearance.

2007: Awake Filmed

In 2007, the film Awake was shot at Fordham's Lincoln Center campus.

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2007: Intention to Sell Marymount Campus

In the autumn of 2007, the university announced its intention to seek buyers for the Marymount campus due to high expenses.

February 17, 2008: Sale of Marymount Campus

On February 17, 2008, the university announced the sale of the Marymount campus for $27 million to EF Schools.

2008: Westchester Campus Renovation

In 2008, Fordham University spent over $8 million renovating the Westchester campus building to increase its sustainability.

2008: Worst Season Record

In 2008, the Fordham women's basketball team set an NCAA record for the worst season, finishing with a 0–29 record.

2009: U2 Performance on Good Morning America

In 2009, U2 performed on Good Morning America at Fordham.

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2009: Solitary Man Filmed

In 2009, the film Solitary Man was shot at Fordham's Rose Hill campus.

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April 2010: "Fordham Flip"

In April 2010, a Fordham baserunner made national headlines when he somersaulted over an opposing team's catcher to score a run during a game; the incident was dubbed the "Fordham Flip."

2010: Lawsuit Dismissed

In 2010, the New York State Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit against Fordham brought by The Alfred Condominium regarding the university's expansion plans at Lincoln Center.

2010: Fair Game and Wall Street 2 Filmed

In 2010, the films Fair Game and Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps were shot at Fordham's Rose Hill campus.

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2011: Combat Nursing Program

In 2011, Fordham Military Science began offering a combat nursing program in conjunction with Regis University and the University of Colorado at Denver.

2011: One Million Hours of Service

In 2011, Fordham University performed approximately one million hours of service, ranking it sixth among universities country-wide in terms of community outreach.

2011: The Adjustment Bureau Filmed

In 2011, the film The Adjustment Bureau was shot at Fordham's Rose Hill campus.

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2013: Best Colleges for Veterans

Due to its Veterans Initiative, Fordham was named one of the 25 best colleges in the country for veterans in 2013 by Military History Monthly Magazine.

2013: Bloomberg Businessweek Ranking

In 2013, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked the Gabelli Business School's MBA program No. 39 among "Best Executive MBA Programs".

2013: Global Ranking for Millionaire Production

In 2013, Fordham was ranked 90th among the "World's top 100 universities for producing millionaires" by THE.

2013: John O. Brennan, Central Intelligence Director

In 2013, John O. Brennan, an alumnus of Fordham became Central Intelligence Director.

2013: Barron's Survey

In 2013, a Barron's survey published in the New York Times classed Fordham University as "highly competitive".

2014: Business Insider Ranking

In 2014, Business Insider ranked Fordham 131st on a list of "The 600 Smartest Colleges in America," based on the student body's average SAT scores.

2014: Atlantic 10 Championship

In 2014, the Fordham women's basketball team won the Atlantic 10 championship and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship.

2014: Lincoln Center Campus Reconfiguration Phase One Completed

In 2014, the first phase of the Lincoln Center campus reconfiguration was completed, including renovations of the Lowenstein Building, a new Law School building, and a new residence hall. Fordham also purchased a building at 45 Columbus Avenue and incorporated it as Joseph A. Martino Hall in 2014.

2014: Completion of $500 Million Campaign

In 2014, the university successfully completed a five-year, $500 million campaign, raising more than $540 million. The university also renovated and expanded its Lincoln Center campus, opening its renovated Law School and McKeon Hall.

2014: McKeon Hall and New Law School Building Opened

In the fall of 2014, the new freshman residence dormitory McKeon Hall opened, along with the new Fordham Law School building at the Lincoln Center campus.

2015: Bloomberg Businessweek Ranking

In 2015, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked Gabelli Business School's MBA program No. 72 among "Best Full-Time MBA Programs". The Financial Times also ranked the program No. 79 among "Best Executive MBA Programs in the World" in 2015.

2016: Graduate Programs Ranked

Fordham's graduate programs in business, education, English, history, law, psychology, and social work were all ranked among the top 100 in the nation by the 2016 U.S. News & World Report.

2016: Bloomberg Businessweek Ranking

In 2016, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked the Gabelli School of Business as the 27th best undergraduate business school in the nation.

2016: Acceptance Rate

In 2016, Fordham University accepted approximately 43% of all applicants across both its undergraduate and graduate programs.

2016: Electric Vehicle Fleet Commitment

In 2016, the Department of Grounds Maintenance at Fordham committed to making half of its vehicle fleet electric.

2016: Toward 2016 Strategic Plan

The Toward 2016 Strategic Plan prescribed a complete reconfiguration of the Lincoln Center campus, to be completed by 2032.

2017: Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Commitment

In 2017, Fordham University committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30%.

2017: Barron's Profile Classification

In 2017, Fordham's admissions selectivity to undergraduate schools was classified as "Highly Competitive+" by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges.

2017: John O. Brennan, Central Intelligence Director

In 2017, John O. Brennan continued to serve as Central Intelligence Director.

2017: WFUV Ranked Second Best College Radio Station

In 2017, The Princeton Review ranked WFUV the second best college radio station in the United States.

October 2018: London Centre Expansion

In October 2018, Fordham expanded its study abroad program in London to its own space, the London Centre, located in the Clerkenwell area of London.

2018: Kiplinger Ranking

In 2018, Kiplinger ranked Fordham 62nd of 100 Best Values in Private Universities.

2018: Barron's Profile Reclassification

In 2018, admissions selectivity to Fordham's undergraduate schools received a reclassification by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges to "Most Competitive".

2019: Undergraduate Class Enrollment

For the undergraduate class of 2019, Fordham enrolled 2,211 students out of 20,366 accepted applicants.

2019: Forbes Ranking

In 2019, Forbes ranked Fordham University 141st among "Top Colleges".

2020: Law School Ranking

The Fordham Law School was ranked 27th in U.S. News & World Report's ranking of "America’s Best Law schools" in 2020.

2021: UniRanking Listing

For 2021, UniRanking listed Fordham fifth among the top Catholic Universities in the world and fourth among US schools.

2021: US News & World Report Ranking

For 2021, the AACSB accredited Gabelli School of Business was ranked tied for tenth in "Undergraduate International Business Rankings" by U.S. News & World Report, and USN&WR ranked Gabelli undergrad business 63rd.

2022: Poets and Quants Ranking

For 2022, Poets and Quants ranked Gabelli #1 for Corporate, Social and Environmental Responsibility and #10 for Best EMBA programs.

2022: Jesuit Presidents

In 2022, every president of Fordham University between 1846 and 2022 was a Jesuit priest, with the curriculum remaining influenced by Jesuit educational principles.