History of Skidmore College in Timeline

Skidmore College is a private liberal arts college located in Saratoga Springs, New York. It enrolls around 2,700 students pursuing Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees. The college offers more than 60 areas of study.

1903: Young Women's Industrial Club formed

In 1903, Lucy Ann Skidmore formed the Young Women's Industrial Club using inheritance money, laying the foundation for Skidmore College.

1911: Chartered as Skidmore School of Arts

In 1911, the club was chartered as the Skidmore School of Arts, a college focused on vocational and professional training for young women.

1911: Chartered as a school

In 1911, the women's industrial club was chartered as a school, formally establishing an educational institution.

1922: Became Skidmore College

In 1922, the school changed its name to Skidmore College and was permitted to grant baccalaureate degrees.

1931: Death of Lucy Ann Skidmore

Lucy Ann Skidmore, the founder of the Young Women's Industrial Club, passed away in 1931. She was instrumental in establishing the foundation for Skidmore College.

1948: Wilma "Billie" Tisch graduated

Wilma "Billie" Tisch, a trustee and donor for whom the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences is named, graduated from Skidmore in 1948.

1961: Move to new campus approved

In 1961, the Skidmore College board approved a move to a new 850-acre campus on the outskirts of Saratoga Springs, purchased by trustee Erik Jonsson.

1966: First buildings opened on new campus

In 1966, the first buildings on the modern Jonsson Campus opened, initiating the college's relocation process.

1969: Salmagundi published at Skidmore

Since 1969, Salmagundi, a quarterly journal focusing on the humanities and social sciences founded by Robert Boyers, has been published at Skidmore College.

1971: Became coeducational

In 1971, Skidmore became coeducational, ending its half-century history as a women's college and opening its doors to male students.

1971: Admission of men and launch of UWW program

In 1971, Skidmore began admitting men to its undergraduate program and launched the University Without Walls (UWW) program for non-resident students over 25.

1973: Wombats nickname

From 1973, Skidmore athletic teams were nicknamed the "Wombats".

1982: Thoroughbreds nickname

In 1982, the Skidmore athletic team nickname was changed to "Thoroughbreds".

February 1990: First National College Comedy Festival

In February 1990, the first National College Comedy Festival was held on campus at Skidmore College.

2000: Considered one of the Hidden Ivies

In 2000, Skidmore was considered one of the Hidden Ivies according to Greenes' Guides to Educational Planning.

2000: Opening of Tang Teaching Museum

In 2000, the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery opened, designed by Antoine Predock.

2002: Associated Collegiate Press award

In 2002, the Associated Collegiate Press awarded The Skidmore News first place for its coverage of the community reaction to the September 11 attacks.

2003: Philip A. Glotzbach became president

In 2003, Philip A. Glotzbach became the president of Skidmore College, serving until 2020.

2004: Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association renamed

In 2004, the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association, of which Skidmore is a founding member, was renamed to the Liberty League.

2010: The Skidmore News moved online

In 2010, The Skidmore News stopped printing physical copies and moved entirely online.

2011: Sustainability Report Card grade

In 2011, Skidmore received a grade of "B+" on the Sustainable Endowment Institute's "College Sustainability Report Card."

2012: End of University Without Walls Program

In 2012, Skidmore College ended the University Without Walls (UWW) program, which had allowed non-resident students over age 25 to earn bachelor's degrees.

2013: Founding of The Skidmo' Daily

In 2013, The Skidmo' Daily, Skidmore College's satirical publication, was founded by Jack Rosen '16.

July 2016: The Skidmo' Daily began posting content to its website

Since July 2016, The Skidmo' Daily has been posting content to its website, including web-exclusive content and an archive of print editions.

2016: The Skidmore race named

In 2016, Saratoga Race Course named an annual race after Skidmore College, known as The Skidmore.

February 2019: Glotzbach announced retirement

In February 2019, Philip A. Glotzbach announced that he would retire at the end of the 2019–2020 school year.

2020: Marc C. Conner became president

In 2020, Marc C. Conner replaced Philip A. Glotzbach to become the eighth president of Skidmore College.

2020: Groundbreaking for Billie Tisch Center

In 2020, Skidmore broke ground on the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences.

2020: Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education ranking

In 2020, the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education ranking of U.S. colleges and universities placed Skidmore at 93rd.

2022: Bachelor's degrees awarded

In 2022-2023, Skidmore College awarded 617 bachelor's degrees in its departments.

2023: Bachelor's degrees awarded

In 2022-2023, Skidmore College awarded 617 bachelor's degrees in its departments.

2023: Ransomware attack on computer network

In 2023, Skidmore College's computer network was subject to a ransomware attack, leading to a class-action suit.

2023: New student enrollment

In the fall of 2023, 735 new students enrolled in Skidmore College, comprising the class of 2027.

2024: National and Conference Championships

As of 2024, Skidmore has won 11 National Championships and 92 Conference Championships.

2024: Washington Monthly ranking

In 2024, Washington Monthly ranked Skidmore 46th among 194 liberal arts colleges in the U.S. based on its contribution to the public good.

2024: Completion of Billie Tisch Center scheduled

In 2024, the completion of the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences is scheduled.

2025: U.S. News & World Report and Forbes rankings

In 2025, U.S. News & World Report ranked Skidmore as the 36th best national liberal arts college, and Forbes rated Skidmore 122nd overall and 30th among liberal arts universities.