History of Syracuse University in Timeline

Syracuse University, a private research university in Syracuse, New York, was founded in 1870. While originally affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church, it became nonsectarian in 1920. Its large campus, situated on University Hill, showcases diverse architectural styles. Organized into 13 schools and colleges, Syracuse is classified as an 'R1: Doctoral University,' signifying very high research activity.

1903: The Daily Orange Publication

The Daily Orange, a fully independent student newspaper, has been published daily during the Syracuse University academic year since 1903.

1904: Alpha Gamma Delta Founded

In 1904, Alpha Gamma Delta sorority was established at Syracuse University.

1905: Carnegie Library Donation Secured

In 1905, James D. Phelps secured a $150,000 donation from Andrew Carnegie for a new university library, provided the University raised an equal sum as an endowment.

September 11, 1907: Opening of Carnegie Library

On September 11, 1907, the new Carnegie Library opened with a collection of over 71,000 volumes, marked by the transfer of the Von Ranke collection from the old library building.

1907: Archbold Stadium Opening and Sims Hall Completion

In 1907, Archbold Stadium opened, and Sims Hall (men's dormitory) was completed, both funded by Archbold.

1909: Archbold Gymnasium Completion

In 1909, the Archbold Gymnasium was completed, funded by Archbold.

1910: Alpha Phi Alpha Established

In 1910, the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity established a chapter at Syracuse University and was reorganized in 1949 and 1973.

1911: First Doctoral Program

In 1911, Syracuse University created its first doctoral program.

1911: Founding of ESF

In 1911, the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) was founded as the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University.

1911: International Study Programs Offered

Since 1911, Syracuse University has offered multiple international study programs.

1914: Alpha Phi Delta Founded

In 1914, Alpha Phi Delta, the only historically Italian-American heritage fraternity, was founded at Syracuse University.

1916: First intercollegiate lacrosse game

Syracuse played its first intercollegiate lacrosse game in 1916.

1917: John Dustin Archbold's contribution

In 1917, a journalist mentioned John Dustin Archbold as a close friend of Syracuse University Chancellor James R. Day, highlighting his significant financial contributions to the University.

1919: Addition of Business School

In 1919, Syracuse University added its business school, which contains multiple MBA programs.

1920: Nonsectarian Status

In 1920, Syracuse University became nonsectarian, moving away from its Methodist Episcopal Church roots.

1920: First USILA championship

In 1920, Syracuse captured its first USILA championship in lacrosse.

1922: Omega Psi Phi Established

In 1922, the first NPHC fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, was established at Syracuse University.

1922: USILA championship win

Syracuse won another USILA championship in lacrosse in 1922.

1924: USILA championship win

Syracuse won another USILA championship in lacrosse in 1924.

1925: USILA championship win

Syracuse won another USILA championship in lacrosse in 1925.

1934: Establishment of School of Journalism

In 1934, Syracuse University's school of journalism, now the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, was established.

August 2, 1943: Founding of Syracuse University Press

On August 2, 1943, Syracuse University Press was founded by Chancellor William Pearson Tolley and benefactor Thomas J. Watson.

1944: Formation of the Goon Squad

In 1944, the Goon Squad, a volunteer group of students, was formed to welcome new students and their families during orientation.

1946: Enrollment Surge After World War II

In 1946, Syracuse University admitted 9,464 freshmen, nearly four times greater than the previous incoming class, due to the G.I. Bill.

1946: Founding of Utica University

In 1946, Syracuse University founded Utica University, an independent private university located in Utica, New York.

1946: Establishment of Triple Cities College

In 1946, Triple Cities College was established as a branch of Syracuse University to serve the needs of local veterans returning from World War II.

1947: Archbold Gymnasium Fire

In 1947, the Archbold Gymnasium was nearly destroyed by fire but remained in use.

1949: Alpha Phi Alpha Reorganized

In 1949, the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity was reorganized after being established in 1910.

1950: Sale of Medical School to SUNY

In 1950, Syracuse University sold its medical school, formerly the Syracuse University Medical School, to the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

1950: Absorption by SUNY

In 1950, Triple Cities College was absorbed by the State University of New York (SUNY) and renamed Harpur College.

1954: Establishment of Pathogen-Free Animal Research Laboratory

In 1954, Arthur Phillips started the first pathogen-free animal research laboratory at Syracuse University, focusing on medical problems using animal models.

1956: Founding of the School of Social Work

In 1956, Syracuse University founded the School of Social Work, which eventually merged into the College of Human Ecology.

1957: Founding of the Student Association

In 1957, the Student Association (SA) was founded to represent the undergraduate students of both Syracuse University and ESF.

1959: First National Championship

In 1959, Syracuse earned its first National Championship following an undefeated football season and a Cotton Bowl victory over Texas.

1961: Ernie Davis wins the Heisman Trophy

In 1961, Ernie Davis became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.

1962: Donation for School of Communications

In 1962, Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr. donated $15 million to begin construction of a school of communications, eventually known as the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

1962: Establishment of University Union

In 1962, University Union (UU) was established as the official programming board of Syracuse University.

1963: John Mackey Baltimore Colts player

John Mackey played for the Baltimore Colts starting in 1963.

1966: Admission to the Association of American Universities

In 1966, Syracuse University was admitted to the Association of American Universities.

1968: First Student Activity Fee Collection

In the 1968-69 school year, the Student Activity Fee was first collected, overseen by the Comptroller and the assembly.

1973: Alpha Phi Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta Established/Reorganized

In 1973, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity was reorganized, and the first NPHC sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, was established.

1973: Formation of Syracuse University Ambulance

In 1973, Syracuse University Ambulance (SUA) was formed by a group of students to provide emergency medical services on campus.

1978: Archbold Stadium Demolition

In 1978, Archbold Stadium was demolished to make way for the Carrier Dome.

1978: Demolition of Archbold Stadium

In 1978, Archbold Stadium was demolished.

April 1979: Carrier Dome Construction

Construction of the Carrier Dome began in April 1979.

September 1980: Carrier Dome Construction Completion

Construction of the Carrier Dome was completed in September 1980.

1980: Listing on the National Register of Historic Places

In 1980, the Comstock Tract Buildings, a historic district on the Syracuse University campus, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1980: Opening of Carrier Dome

The Carrier Dome opened in 1980, and the renaming in 2022 marked only the second name for the venue.

1986: Matt Roe played for the Orange

Matt Roe played basketball for the Orange from 1986-1989

December 21, 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing

On December 21, 1988, 35 Syracuse University students were killed in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

1989: Matt Roe played for the Orange

Matt Roe played basketball for the Orange from 1986-1989

April 1990: Memorial Wall Dedication

In April 1990, Syracuse University dedicated a memorial wall to the students killed on Flight 103.

1991: Dining Halls Stop Serving Veal

In 1991, Syracuse University dining halls stopped serving veal following student protests, and at the time served soy milk, veggie burgers, and vegan casseroles.

1995: Utica University Becomes Independent

Utica University became independent from Syracuse University in 1995, but still offers students the option to receive a specialized bachelor's degree from Syracuse University through a mutual relationship between the two schools.

1997: NCAA Division I Rowing Championship Qualification

In 1997, the Syracuse Women's Rowing team qualified for the inaugural NCAA Division I Rowing Championship in Rancho Cordova, California, finishing as the 12th ranked crew in the country.

September 11, 2001: Reference to September 11 Attacks

The text mentions that the bombing of Flight 103 was the deadliest terrorist attack against the United States prior to the attacks on September 11, 2001.

2003: Renaming of School of Management

In 2003, the School of Management was renamed the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

2003: NCAA Championship

In 2003, the men's basketball team, under coach Jim Boeheim, won the NCAA championship.

December 2004: Purchase/Lease of Downtown Buildings

In December 2004, Syracuse University announced it had purchased or leased twelve buildings in downtown Syracuse, known as The Warehouse.

2004: The Orange Nickname

Since 2004, Syracuse University's sports teams have been nicknamed "the Orange", though the former names of Orangemen and Orangewomen are still sometimes used.

March 31, 2006: Initiative to Connect Campus with Downtown Syracuse

On March 31, 2006, Syracuse University and the city announced an initiative to connect the main campus with the arts and culture areas of downtown Syracuse and The Warehouse.

2007: Cold Case Justice Initiative Started

In 2007, the College of Law at Syracuse University started the Cold Case Justice Initiative, investigating cold cases from the civil rights era in the South.

July 2008: Donation of 78 rpm Records

In July 2008, Syracuse University became the owner of the second largest collection of 78 rpm records in the United States after a donation of more than 200,000 records.

2008: Connective Corridor Project Study

In 2008, an engineering firm studied traffic patterns and lighting for the Connective Corridor project, a strip of cultural development connecting the main campus to downtown Syracuse.

2008: Lacrosse Championships

Syracuse won two championships in the 2008 lacrosse season.

2009: Construction of Ernie Davis Dining Hall

In 2009, the Ernie Davis dining hall was built and later recognized for its architecture.

2009: Syracuse Center of Excellence

Since 2009, the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems, led by Syracuse University, has been creating innovations in environmental and energy technologies.

2009: Lacrosse Championships

Syracuse won two championships in the 2009 lacrosse season.

2010: SURFACE Repository Launch

In 2010, Syracuse University launched SURFACE, an online, open-access institutional repository for research, which is run by the Syracuse University Library System.

2010: Food Waste Composting Begins

In 2010, the dining halls began collecting food waste to be turned into compost with the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency.

2011: Withdrawal from the Association of American Universities

In 2011, Syracuse University's board of trustees voted to pull out of the Association of American Universities due to a dispute over the counting of non-Federal research dollars.

2011: Reached Lacrosse Quarterfinals

In 2011, Syracuse reached the quarterfinals in lacrosse.

2011: Sound Beat Program Launch

In 2011, the Belfer Audio Laboratory and Archive began producing Sound Beat, a daily 90-second music program that airs on nearly 375 local stations across North America.

2012: Women's Lacrosse Championship Game

In 2012, the women's lacrosse team reached the NCAA Division I National Championship game for the first time in school history, but lost to Northwestern.

2013: Men's Division I championship game

In 2013, Syracuse reached the men's Division I lacrosse championship game.

2013: NBA Rookie of the Year

Michael Carter-Williams was NBA Rookie of the Year in 2013-2014.

2013: Participation in Atlantic Coast Conference

Since 2013, most of Syracuse University's intercollegiate teams have participated in NCAA Division I in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

2014: Student Enrollment in Daily Meal Plans

In 2014, Food Management reported Syracuse University had 8,108 students enrolled in its daily meal plans.

2014: NBA Rookie of the Year

Michael Carter-Williams was NBA Rookie of the Year in 2013-2014.

2015: Gravitational Waves Observation

In 2015, Syracuse University had a large number of collaborators on the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, which led to the first observation of gravitational waves.

2015: Top Party School Ranking

In 2015, Syracuse University was ranked 1st in The Princeton Review's list of top party schools.

2016: Criticism of university's support

In 2016, The Daily Orange editorial board criticized Syracuse University's support for Douglas Biklen's practice of facilitated communication, deeming it "inexcusable" for a research institution to support a debunked and potentially harmful practice.

2017: Release of Campus Framework Report

In 2017, Syracuse University released a campus framework report detailing plans for the campus's physical development over the next 20 years.

2017: PETA Recognition for Vegan Cuisine

Since 2017, Syracuse University has received an A+ grade from PETA and been included on the organization's Dean's List for vegan cuisine.

May 2018: Announcement of Carrier Dome renovation

In May 2018, Syracuse University announced a major renovation to the Carrier Dome, estimated to cost $120 million. The Carrier Dome renovation included replacing the air-supported roof with a fixed roof, installation of air conditioning, and the installation of the largest center-hung video board in college sports.

2018: Student Demographics

In 2018, Syracuse University's incoming students were diverse, with 26% being students of color, 18% first-generation college students, 21% Pell Grant eligible, and students from 48 states and 59 countries.

2018: Theta Tau Fraternity Expulsion

In 2018, the university's Theta Tau fraternity was expelled after a video showing a mock initiation ritual featuring racist, anti-Semitic, ableist, and homophobic language.

February 23, 2019: Largest on-campus attendance record

On February 23, 2019, the men's basketball team set the largest on-campus attendance record of 35,642 attendees in the JMA Dome playing Duke.

2019: Academic Ranking of World Universities & Professor Salaries

In 2019, Syracuse University was placed in the top 100 world universities in social sciences by the Academic Ranking of World Universities and ranked 22nd in New York State by average professor salaries.

2019: Racist incidents and fraternity suspension

In 2019, numerous instances of racist graffiti and bigoted language were found on campus. Also in 2019, the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity was suspended after members yelled a racial epithet at a black student. Social activities at fraternities were suspended, but the university was criticized for not doing enough.

2019: Research and Development Spending

In FY 2019, Syracuse spent $154.3 million on research and development, ranking it 136th in the nation according to the National Science Foundation.

2019: School of Architecture Ranking

In the 2019–20 rankings, the School of Architecture's Bachelor of Architecture program was ranked 5th nationally in both the most Hired from and most admired categories by the journal Design Intelligence.

2019: United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association national championship tournament

Syracuse University hosted the 2019 United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association national championship tournament.

2020: University support for Douglas Biklen's practice

As of 2020, Syracuse University had supported faculty member Douglas Biklen and his discredited pseudoscientific practice of facilitated communication for nearly 30 years through the university's Institute on Communication and Inclusion.

2020: Military Times Ranks and NVRC Completion

In 2020, Military Times ranked Syracuse University the top "Private School for Vets" and 5th overall in the "Best for Vets", and the $63 million state-of-the-art National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC) was completed.

2020: Matt Roe's Food Memories

In 2020, alumnus and former basketball player Matt Roe, who played for the Orange in 1986–1989, told The Athletic that "Everything on campus was good. Sometimes Shaw Dining Hall was decent."

2020: Student Demographics

In 2020, the Syracuse University student population included students from all 50 US states and over 127 countries, with 52% of the class being women.

2020: Produce from Student-Run Garden

In 2020, the student-run garden supplemented food pantries on campus, producing 450 pounds of fresh produce.

2020: Fulbright Award Recognition

Syracuse University was named as one of the top Fulbright Award producing institutions for 2020–21.

2021: Food Recovery Network Donations

During the fall 2021 semester, the student-run chapter of the Food Recovery Network donated more than 5,000 pounds of food to food banks.

2021: Closure of Kimmel Food Court

In 2021, the Kimmel food court closed after the Schine Student Center reopened following renovations.

2021: Lifetime Censorship Award

In 2021, the civil liberties organization FIRE gave Syracuse University its "Lifetime Censorship Award", "[f]or its unashamed assault on expressive freedoms".

2021: U.S. News & World Report Ranking

In its 2021 ranking of U.S. colleges, U.S. News & World Report ranked Syracuse University tied for 58th among undergraduate national universities.

May 2022: Renaming of Carrier Dome to JMA Wireless Dome

In May 2022, Syracuse University and JMA Wireless signed a 10-year naming rights deal to rename the Carrier Dome as the JMA Wireless Dome, also referred to as the JMA Dome.

June 2022: Launch of the Center for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship

In June 2022, Syracuse University announced the launch of the Center for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, a collaborative initiative between the Newhouse School and Maxwell School, in Washington D.C.

2022: Food Waste Report

In 2022, The Daily Orange reported that more than 230 pounds of food still goes to waste each day.

2022: Per Meal Cost and Student Enrollment

In 2022, The Daily Orange reported the per meal cost of the meal plan was $19.59. Food Management reported the university had 6,844 students enrolled in its daily meal plans.

2022: School of Information Studies Ranking

In 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked the graduate program in the School of Information Studies as the 6th best Library and Information Studies graduate school in the United States.

2022: College of Law Ranking

In 2022, the College of Law was ranked tied for 102nd nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

2022: Whitman School of Management Graduate Program Ranking

In 2022, the Martin J. Whitman School of Management graduate program was ranked tied at No. 84 among business schools nationwide by U.S. News & World Report.

2022: Best Colleges for Veterans Ranking

Syracuse University was ranked tied for 30th in "Best Colleges for Veterans" by U.S. News & World Report for 2022.

2022: Completion of Carrier Dome Renovation

The renovation of the Carrier Dome, announced in May 2018, was completed in 2022. The renovation involved replacing the roof, installing air conditioning, and a new video board, as well as new lighting, sound systems, Wi-Fi improvements, accessibility upgrades, improved restrooms, and new concession spaces.

2023: Admissions Statistics for 2023 Incoming Class

In 2023, Syracuse University accepted 17,545 of its 42,089 applicants, for an acceptance rate of 41.69 percent.

2023: Acceptance Rate

In fall 2023, Syracuse University had a total acceptance rate of 42%.

2023: Phase Two Work Begins

In spring 2023 following Commencement, phase two work towards enhanced stadium experience will begin and will include complete replacement of benches with individual seats; a construction of an event facility adjacent to the Dome; and an upgrade of the entire wireless infrastructure.