Hamilton College is a private, independent,
liberal arts collegeLiberal arts colleges in the United States are undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers the following definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing...
located in
ClintonClinton is a village in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. It was named for George Clinton, the first governor of the state of New York....
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The college is known for its emphasis on writing and speaking. The school was founded in 1793, chartered as Hamilton College in 1812, and has been coeducational since 1978, when it merged with
Kirkland CollegeKirkland College was a small, private liberal arts women's college located in Clinton, New York from 1968 to 1978. It was named for Samuel Kirkland, who founded Hamilton College. Hamilton absorbed Kirkland on June 30, 1978 and now maintains its archives and financial endowment, and supports its...
.
Hamilton is sometimes referred to as the "College on the Hill", due to the school's location on top of College Hill, just outside of downtown Clinton. Hamilton College is one of the "
Little IviesLittle Ivies is a colloquialism referring to a group of small, selective American colleges and universities; however, it does not denote any official organization....
."
History
Hamilton began in 1793 as the
Hamilton-Oneida Academy, a K-12 school, and was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812, making it the third oldest college established in New York, after
ColumbiaColumbia University in the City of New York is a private university in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Columbia's main campus lies in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, in New York City...
and
UnionUnion College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in the wake of the American Revolution, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents...
.
Samuel KirklandRev. Samuel Kirkland was a Presbyterian missionary among the Oneida and Tuscarora people in North America. He was the founder of the Hamilton-Oneida Academy . Kirkland was a student of Native American languages and lived many years with Indian tribes.Samuel Kirkland was born in Norwich,...
founded the College as part of his missions work with the
Oneida tribeThe Oneida are a Native American/First Nations people and are one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy in the area of upstate New York...
. The college is named for
Alexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton was the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, a Founding Father, economist, and political philosopher...
, who was a member of the first Board of Trustees of the Hamilton-Oneida Academy (though he never set foot on campus). It was in fact Baron von Steuben, acting as Hamilton's surrogate, who laid the college's cornerstone.
In 1978, the all-male Hamilton College merged with the
all-femaleWomen's colleges in the United States are U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...
Kirkland CollegeKirkland College was a small, private liberal arts women's college located in Clinton, New York from 1968 to 1978. It was named for Samuel Kirkland, who founded Hamilton College. Hamilton absorbed Kirkland on June 30, 1978 and now maintains its archives and financial endowment, and supports its...
, which had been located adjacent to and founded by Hamilton; the primary public reason for the merger was Kirkland's imminent insolvency. It took nearly 7 years to fully complete the merger; female students were given the option of receiving a Kirkland diploma instead of a Hamilton diploma until 1979. Several former Kirkland faculty members teaching at Hamilton still fondly remember being part of a very different academic community prior to the merger.
Since the 1970s, Hamilton has been a member of the
New England Small College Athletic ConferenceThe New England Small College Athletic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of eleven highly selective liberal arts colleges located in New England and New York. Most of the colleges have been competing against each other since the 1800s...
(or the NESCAC) (despite technically being located outside of New England). This conference also includes
AmherstAmherst College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. Founded in 1821, it is the third oldest college in Massachusetts, and has been coeducational since 1975...
,
BatesBates College is a private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists. Bates confers Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees. Bates College is one of the first colleges to be coeducational from establishment...
,
BowdoinBowdoin College , founded in 1794, is a private liberal arts college located in the coastal New England town of Brunswick, Maine. The college enrolls approximately 1,700 students and has been coeducational since 1971. It offers 33 majors and 4 additional minors; the academic year consists of two...
,
ColbyColby College, founded in 1813, is an American private liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine.Colby is the 12th oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States. Approximately 1,800 students from 62 countries are enrolled annually; the college offers 53...
,
Connecticut CollegeConnecticut College is an American private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut.Founded in 1911 as a sister school to Wesleyan University, the college became coeducational in 1969. It is located on the Thames River, and overlooking the Long Island Sound on the highest point in...
,
MiddleburyMiddlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Middlebury was the first American institution of higher education to grant a bachelor's degree to an...
,
TrinityTrinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University...
,
TuftsTufts University is a private research university in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The university is home to the nation's oldest graduate school of international relations, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy....
,
WesleyanWesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the now secular university was the first institution of higher...
, and
WilliamsWilliams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts.Williams was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams as a men's college, located in the Berkshires in northwestern Massachusetts, at the foot of Mount Greylock. In 1834, the first...
. Rivalries with many of these schools, Middlebury in particular, predate the establishment of the conference.
Today, the original Hamilton campus is referred to by students and some school literature as the "light side" or "north side" of the campus. Formerly, the original side of campus was referred to as the "Stryker Campus" after its former president,
Melancthon Woolsey Stryker (or incorrectly "Striker Campus"). On the other side of College Hill Road, the original Kirkland campus is referred to affectionately as the "dark side" or as the "south side."
Hamilton College president Joan Stewart and faculty members celebrated the establishment of the Alexander Hamilton Center, an effort to promote the study of America's first treasury secretary with lectures and conferences, but the affiliation broke down over opposition. The center is now independent and occupies the building formerly used as the Alexander Hamilton Inn in Clinton, New York.
Campus
During the summer of 2006, the school completed a 56 million dollar science building. The art department has separate studios for each of the studio arts taught, most of which are in the midst a 37.5 million dollar renovation project. Hamilton's athletic facilities include an ice rink, swimming pool, several athletics fields, a golf course, a three-story climbing wall, and a state of the art 10 Court Squash Center (opened in 2006), all of which are open to use by the student body.
Carol Woodhouse Wellin Performance Hall
The 700 seat hall hosts the College Orchestra conducted by
Heather BuchmanHeather Buchman is an American conductor and trombonist. She is an assistant professor of music at Hamilton College and conductor of both the Hamilton College orchestra and brass ensemble. She also oversees the chamber music program and teaches courses about 20th century music and orchestration...
, Choir, Jazz Band, Oratorio Society, and Faculty Dance Concerts as well as guest artists from around the globe.
The Sage Rink
Hamilton College’s Sage Rink is America's second oldest indoor collegiate hockey rink after Northeastern University's Matthews Arena. It was financed by the widow of industrialist
Russell SageRussell Sage was a financier and politician from New York, United States.Sage was born at Verona in Oneida County, New York. He received a public school education and worked as a farm hand until he was 15, when he became an errand boy in a grocery conducted by his brother, Henry R. Sage, in Troy,...
, whose name graces a number of Central New York college edifices, including
Russell Sage CollegeRussell Sage College is a women's college located in Troy, New York, approximately north of New York City in the Capital District. It is one of the three colleges that make up The Sage Colleges...
. In addition to Continental mens and women's teams, youth hockey, high school teams, adult amateur efforts and the famous
Clinton CometsThe Clinton Comets were an American ice hockey team in Clinton, New York.Founded in 1927–28 as the Clinton Hockey Club and nicknamed the Comets in 1949, the team played primarily at the Clinton Arena from 1949 until 1973....
, who dominated the semi-professional Eastern Hockey League in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, have played at the Sage Rink. It was renovated in 1993, when it received better lighting, ice-making equipment, and structural enhancements. The rink houses the college's Men's and Women's varsity hockey teams, intramural ice hockey, physical education classes, and local youth hockey games.
Bristol Swimming Pool
Completed in 1988, the pool was christened by a Guinness Book of World Records setting event in April 1989 when the world's longest swim relay was completed in the Bristol pool.
Steuben Field
Home to the Hamilton College football team, Steuben Field was founded in 1897, and is one of the ten oldest collegiate football fields in the United States.
Litchfield Observatory
IAU code 789, from which C. H. F. Peters discovered some 48 asteroids. The observatory burned down but is currently marked on campus by its telescope mount outside of the Siuda Admissions house. The current observatory, a quarter of a mile from campus, is powered by solar energy and is open for student use. The existing observatory, located 100 feet from College Hill Road, was build with rock from the same quarry as the original building.
Hamilton College Chapel
The college's chapel is a historically protected landmark and is the only three story chapel still standing in America. The chapel is topped by a signature quill pen
weather vaneA weather vane, also known as a wind vane or weathercock, is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. They are typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building....
, which represents Hamilton College's long standing commitment to producing graduates with exceptional writing and communication abilities.
Kirkland Cottage
The cottage was the original residence of Samuel Kirkland when he began his missionary work to the Oneida that resulted in the founding of the Hamilton-Oneida Academy. The cottage itself is completely original, although it was moved from its original location on Kirkland's property (known today as
Harding FarmHarding Farm is a historic site west of the village of Clinton in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located on New York State Route 233 and is situated south of the junction of NY 233 and New York State Route 412....
) to its current place on the main quadrangle of the Hamilton Side. The cottage is currently used for matriculation ceremonies.
Birthplace of Elihu Root
This house originally belonged to the Root family and was the birthplace of Secretary of State
Elihu RootElihu Root was an American lawyer and statesman and the 1912 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the prototype of the 20th century "wise man", who shuttled between high-level government positions in Washington, D.C...
. The house has since been renamed Buttrick Hall. Originally built in 1812 as the student dining hall, in 1834 it became the home of Horatio Buttrick, then superintendent of the Buildings and Grounds Department as well as registrar. Through Oren Root’s marriage to a daughter of Horatio Buttrick, the building became the birthplace of Elihu Root, U.S. secretary of state and recipient of the 1912
Nobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:...
. The house currently serves as office space for the President of the College and the Dean of Faculty.
Elihu Root House
The
Elihu Root HouseElihu Root House was the home of American statesman Elihu Root. Elihu Root was born and grew up in the immediate vicinity of this house, which became his home as an adult. He graduated from Hamilton College and the New York University School of Law...
house originally belonged to
Elihu RootElihu Root was an American lawyer and statesman and the 1912 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the prototype of the 20th century "wise man", who shuttled between high-level government positions in Washington, D.C...
and served as his summer home. Formerly the home of the Office of Admission, it as of September 2007 is home to the Dean of Students Office, the Registrar, and the department of History.
Academics
Hamilton currently offers the
Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences or both....
degree in any of over 50 areas of concentration. Additionally, Hamilton students may study abroad. The College runs programs in
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, and
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, as well as programs closer to home in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
and Washington, DC. Hamilton is well known for its unique "open" curriculum, for which there are no distributional requirements; students have nearly total freedom over their course selection. Hamilton College, Brown University and Smith College are institutions with such a policy. The college has a tradition of adherence to an academic honor code. Every student matriculating at Hamilton must sign a pledge to observe the Honor Code, and many examinations are not proctored. Hamilton has been part of the SAT optional movement for undergraduate admission since 2002.
In 2009,
U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is an American newsmagazine published in Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek, it was for many years a leading news weekly, although it focused more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
ranked Hamilton the 21st best liberal arts college in the United States.
Student life and traditions
The current Hamilton College campus consists of the original Hamilton College campus and the neighboring former campus of Kirkland College.
In the mid 1990s, the administration enacted a policy requiring all underclassmen to live in college housing (resulting in the closure of all fraternity houses and the Emerson Literary Society's house), and created social spaces for student use, improved funding for on-campus events, and pursued several other social life changes. This process caused a great deal of controversy — mostly surrounding the decision to preclude fraternities from exercising any use of their houses. As a result, the majority of fraternities felt they had no choice but to sell their houses to the college, though some fraternities refused to sell their houses until well into the next decade. As the college purchased the houses, it has carried out extensive renovations. Since the discussion, a few
fraternities and sororitiesFraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In English, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in North America, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
have had their charters revoked or suspended for extreme behavior (causing additional controversy among the students and alumni).
Housing
Nearly all students live in college-owned dorms. There are a variety of styles of residence halls, including former fraternity houses, suites, apartment style housing, and more traditional dormitory style housing. Hamilton currently offers a
cooperative living optionThe Statement on the Co-operative Identity, promulgated by the International Co-operative Alliance , defines and guides co-operatives worldwide. It contains the definition of a co-operative as a special form of organization, the values of co-operatives, and the currently accepted cooperative...
to students, as well as substance-free and quiet housing. All residence halls are co-ed, though some have single-sex floors.
Societies
There are currently eleven fraternities, seven sororities, and one co-ed society active on the Hamilton College campus. Greek organizations still provide significant social capital even though the college took over the buildings of the fraternities in 1995. These fraternities comprise some of the oldest and most exclusive collegiate social organizations in the country; most with chapters only at elite eastern Colleges, including two of the "Union Triad" : Delta Phi and Sigma Phi. They consist of
Alpha Delta PhiAlpha Delta Phi is the fourth oldest continuous Greek-letter fraternity in the United States and Canada and was founded in 1832 by Samuel Eells at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. Today the name refers to both the all-male fraternity and the Alpha Delta Phi Society, which separated from the...
( founded at Hamilton College ),
Chi PsiInformation available from chipsi.org.Chi Psi Fraternity, ΧΨ is a fraternity and secret society consisting of 29 chapters at American colleges and universities. It was founded on Thursday May 20, 1841, by 10 students at Union College with the idea of emphasizing the fraternal and social principles...
,
Delta ChiDelta Chi or D-Chi is an international secret letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890, at Cornell University initially as a professional fraternity for law students. Delta Chi is a member of North-American Interfraternity Conference . The Fraternity is headquartered at 314...
,
Delta Kappa EpsilonDelta Kappa Epsilon is a fraternity founded at Yale College in 1844 by 15 men of the sophomore class who, upon hearing that some but not all of them had been invited to join the two existing societies , instead elected to form their own fraternity...
,
Delta PhiDelta Phi is a fraternity founded in 1827 at Union College in Schenectady, New York. Founded as part of the Union Triad, along with the Kappa Alpha Society and Sigma Phi Society, Delta Phi was the third and last member of the Triad...
,
Delta UpsilonDelta Upsilon is the 6th oldest international, all-male, college, Greek-letter social fraternity and is the first non-secret fraternity ever founded...
,
Lambda Upsilon LambdaLa Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity was established on February 19 1982 in order to address the shortcomings of academic institutions in meeting and addressing the needs of Latino students in higher education...
,
Psi UpsilonPsi Upsilon is the fifth oldest college fraternity in the United States, founded at Union College in 1833. It has chapters at colleges and universities throughout North America. For most of its history, Psi Upsilon, like most social fraternities, limited its membership to only men...
,
Sigma PhiThe Sigma Phi Society was founded on 4 March, 1827, on the campus of Union College as a part of the Union Triad in Schenectady, New York.it is the second oldest Greek social fraternal organization in the United States...
,
Tau Kappa EpsilonTau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the USA, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
and
Theta Delta ChiTheta Delta Chi is a social fraternity that was founded in 1847 at Union College. While nicknames differ from institution to institution, the most common nicknames for the fraternity are Theta Delt, Thete, TDX, and TDC. Theta Delta Chi brothers refer to their local organization as Charges rather...
. The sororities are Alpha Chi Lambda, Alpha Theta Chi, Gamma Xi, Kappa Delta Omega, Kappa Sigma Alpha,
Sigma Lambda UpsilonSigma Lambda Upsilon or Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. is a Latina-based sorority founded on December 1, 1987 at Binghamton University.-History:...
, and Phi Beta Chi.
While all of the fraternities on campus are affiliated with national organizations, only one sorority (Omega Phi Beta) has a national affiliation. The other six sororities are unique to Hamilton.
Lambda Chi AlphaLambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's general fraternities in North America, by its own count, having initiated more than 270,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole,...
existed at Hamilton until 1958.
Hamilton also has a co-ed, non-Greek social society, the
Emerson Literary SocietyThe Emerson Literary Society is a co-ed, non-exclusive social society at Hamilton College in Clinton, NYSince 1882, ELS has operated on the Hamilton campus. From 1884-1995, the society operated a residence, open to all members...
.
On-campus events
The changes have allowed the student community to increase the number and types of activities available on campus. The college has also provided significant funding for student activities through student-run organizations. College-sponsored student-run groups routinely bring music, movies, plays, and other performers to the college. The Hamilton College Student Assembly allocates over one quarter of a million dollars to student groups each year. The Student Activities Office, the President's Office, and other College offices provide additional funds for student groups.
Campus media
WHCL-FM: During the academic year, Hamilton students, faculty, and community members produce a variety of music, news, sports, and talk radio programs at FM frequency 88.7 The station is available through most of the
Mohawk ValleyThe Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains....
region and online. It is the only radio station in Clinton.
The Spectator: Hamilton College's primary news publication is published weekly and is freely available in the campus dining halls, mail center, and library. The Spectator covers campus, local, and national news as well as Hamilton sports and campus life. It is older than the New York Times, which is the paper's official slogan.
The Daily Bull: A daily bulletin that features humor pieces, campus satire, cultural commentary, classified advertisements, literary experiments, and local weather. The Daily Bull is noted for being printed on yellow legal size paper, and is distributed on dining hall tables every morning.
The Wag: Hamilton's semi-annual satire magazine, published near the end of every semester. It features written and graphical satire of campus news and life. The Wag has also produced short feature films about the "Hamilton experience" in the past.
The Duel Observer: Founded by Tom Keane '03 and David Schwartz '02, The Duel Observer is a weekly humor and satire publication that adopts the format of a
parodyA parody , in contemporary usage, is a work created to mock, comment on, or poke fun at an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
newspaperA newspaper is a publication containing news, information, and advertising. General-interest newspapers often feature articles on political events, crime, business, art/entertainment, society and sports. Most traditional papers also feature an editorial page containing columns that express the...
(i.e.
the OnionThe Onion is an American "news satire" organization. It features satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news as well as an entertainment newspaper and website known as The A.V. Club...
). The name "Duel Observer" is a reference to the
duelAs practiced from the 11th to 20th centuries in Western societies, a duel is an engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with their combat doctrines. In the modern application, the term is applied to aerial warfare between fighter pilots...
between
Aaron BurrAaron Burr, Jr. was an American politician, Revolutionary War participant, and adventurer. He served as the third Vice President of the United States , under Thomas Jefferson....
and
Alexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton was the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, a Founding Father, economist, and political philosopher...
which resulted in Hamilton's death.
HamPoll: Hamilton's Polling organization regularly surveys students and faculty. Recent surveys have asked about relationship dynamics, evaluations of academic departments, recycling habits, as well as political and social affiliations.
The Continental: A student-run magazine published a few times a semester. The magazine features fashion advice, party photos, and articles on a variety of subjects.
Red Weather: Hamilton's literary magazine, dedicated to promoting the literary arts on campus by printing a variety of student-authored poetry and fiction, published twice a year.
The Green Apple: Named for one of the symbols of Kirkland College, this publication is printed on green legal-sized paper and features short stories, poetry, and op-eds.
Traditions
Class and Charter Day: On the last day of spring term classes, all afternoon classes are cancelled for a campus wide picnic and party. Additionally, a ceremony is held during which students, faculty, and other members of the Hamilton community are recognized for their academic, leadership, and community-development accomplishments. During the ceremony, chosen students are also inducted into Hamilton's three prestigious honor societies: Doers and Thinkers (13 rising sophomores), Was Los (6 rising juniors), and Pentagon (5 rising seniors). Class and Charter Day is also the biggest party day of the year at Hamilton. The popular "G-Road" party which took place on this day became so infamous for underage drinking and over-indulgence that the college chose to ban the party for Class and Charter Day '09.
Citrus Bowl: The Citrus Bowl is the first men's home hockey game of the season. Traditionally the game was called the Orange Bowl, and upon the first Hamilton-scored goal, oranges that students had smuggled into the rink were thrown onto the ice at the visiting goalie. This often resulted in a delay-of-game penalty against Hamilton while the ice was cleaned. In recent years, the orange throwing has been very strongly discouraged by the College administration and by NESCAC officials, but the event is still well attended. Orange T-shirts commemorating the event have been distributed in recent years.
FebFest: Rooted in the long standing tradition of the winter carnival at Hamilton, FebFest is a relatively recent revival at Hamilton. A week-long combination of performances, parties, free food, fireworks, and various other events, FebFest intends to keep student morale high during the winter. Over the years, bands ranging from the
Steve Miller BandSteve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. The band is managed by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals.-History:...
to
Ghostface KillahDennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
have performed as a part of festivities.
May Day Music FestivalThe May Day Music Festival is annually held at Hamilton College on Minor Field during the spring. The event is co-sponsored by the Independent Music Fund, Campus Activities Board, and WHCL-FM, the college radio station...
: Started in 2004, May Day is an outdoor music festival sponsored by several on-campus organizations including the Hamilton College Independent Music Fund, WHCL, and the Hamilton College Campus Activities Board. Past performers have included:
Citizen CopeCitizen Cope is the pseudonym of Clarence Greenwood, an American musician. Greenwood was raised in Washington, DC and now lives in Brooklyn, New York.-History:In 1997, Greenwood was featured in The Washington Post weekend section....
,
The New PornographersThe New Pornographers is a Canadian/American indie rock supergroup formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Their music is often described as power pop, with some critics likening their sound to that of Cheap Trick.-Overview:...
,
The PharcydeThe Pharcyde is an alternative hip hop group from South Central Los Angeles, where the group's members grew up. The original four members of the group are Imani , Slimkid3 , Bootie Brown and Fatlip . DJ Mark Luv was the group's first DJ, followed by producer J-Swift and then the late J Dilla...
,
Dead MeadowDead Meadow is a stoner rock/psychedelic rock band originally from Washington, D.C..-Biography:Dead Meadow formed in 1998 from the remnants of two young indie DC bands, The Impossible Five "Gern Blandsten Records" and its immediate follow-up Colour. The band started as Jason Simon on vocals and...
,
Tim ReynoldsTim Reynolds is an American multi-instrumentalist who has been described as a musical virtuoso, having mastered at least seven instruments, and demonstrating proficiency on several more. Reynolds has gained the most acclaim for his performance on acoustic and electric guitar, equally...
,
ChromeoChromeo is a Montreal based electrofunk duo whose music is described as "a shameless return to the glistening, sex-saturated synth-pop which ruled the eighties."...
,
Jennifer Gentle-History:Jennifer Gentle was formed by Marco Fasolo and Alessio Gastaldello in early 2000, after the breakup of Marco’s previous band, Carcers. Later, these two young men hooked up with guitarist Isacco Maretto and bassist Nick Crivellari, which would complete the early stage of this Northern...
,
Rainer MariaRainer Maria was an indie rock/emo band originally from Madison, Wisconsin, later residing in Brooklyn, New York. Named after the German-language poet Rainer Maria Rilke, they formed in the late summer of 1995 and released five full length albums, a live DVD, numerous live recordings, and EPs...
,
Ted LeoTheodore Francis "Ted" Leo is an American indie rock singer, songwriter and guitarist. Leo has played with many bands, including Citizens Arrest, Chisel, the Sin-Eaters, and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, his current group.Leo grew up in Bloomfield, New Jersey...
,
The UnicornsThe Unicorns were an indie pop band from Montreal, Canada, formed in December 2000 by Nicholas Thorburn and Alden Penner , who were later joined by Jamie Thompson in December 2003...
,
J-LiveJ-Live is an MC, DJ, and producer from New York, and also the founder of Triple Threat Productions.-Early career and The Best Part:...
, Catch-22 and
Sleater-KinneySleater-Kinney was an American indie rock band that existed from 1994 to 2006.Formed in Olympia, Washington, the group's name is derived from Sleater Kinney Road, Interstate 5 off ramp #108 in Lacey, Washington, the location of one of their early practice spaces...
. It should be noted that the name "May Day" has no association with other May Day events and activities elsewhere in the world. Rather, the name simply refers to the fact that the festival is staged in early May or late April.
HamTrek: Started in 2004, HamTrek is an annual sprint-triathlon consisting of a 525-yard swim, 9-mile bike ride, and 3.1-mile run. Participants can compete individually, in unisex teams of 3, or co-ed teams of 3. Prizes are awarded to the winners of the different competing groups. Also, many athletic coaches now require their teams to compete. HamTrek takes place on Class and Charter day.
Athletics
Hamilton is a
NCAAThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada...
Division IIIDivision III is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the United States.-Membership:The division consists of colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletically related financial aid to their student-athletes...
school and has been a member of the
New England Small College Athletic ConferenceThe New England Small College Athletic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of eleven highly selective liberal arts colleges located in New England and New York. Most of the colleges have been competing against each other since the 1800s...
since 1971. The college sports teams are known as the Hamilton Continentals. Hamilton sponsors 28 sports, including:
BaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
(M),
BasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
(M&W),
CrewA crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard...
(M&W),
Cross CountryCross country running is a sport in which runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain. The courses used at these events may include grass, mud, woodlands, and water...
(M&W),
Field HockeyField hockey is a team sport in which a team of players attempt to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking the ball with hockey sticks into the opposing team's goal. Its official name is simply hockey, and this is the common name for it in many countries...
(W),
FootballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
(M),
GolfGolf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...
(M),
ice hockeyIce Hockey is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a puck into the opposing team's goal. It is a fast-paced and physical sport...
(M&W),
LacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin that is played using a small solid rubber ball and a long-handled racquet called a crosse or lacrosse stick. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose netting that is designed to hold the lacrosse ball...
(M&W), Outdoor and Indoor Track & Field (M&W), Soccer (M&W),
SoftballSoftball is a team sport popular especially in the United States. It is a direct descendant of baseball. Some key differences between softball and baseball are that softballs are larger than baseballs, and pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand. Softball was invented by George Hancock...
(W),
SquashSquash is a racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball.Squash is recognized by the IOC and remains in contention for incorporation in a future Olympic program....
(M&W),
SwimmingThe aquatic sport of swimming involves competition amongst participants to be the fastest over a given distance under self propulsion.The different events include 25, 50, 100, 200, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly, the 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 500, 800, 1000, 1500, and 1650 free and the 100,...
&
DivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
(M&W),
TennisTennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
(M&W),
Volleyball Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules...
(W).
Prior to the 1993-94 academic year, Hamilton sports teams could not participate in any national postseason tournaments. The rule was changed that year, allowing Hamilton to participate in Division III tournaments in various sports. On May 18, 2008, Hamilton won its first NCAA championship, when the women's lacrosse team defeated Franklin & Marshall 13-6 in the finals of the NCAA tournament.
About 30% of the Hamilton student body participates on the athletics program. In addition to varsity sports, Hamilton sponsors several club sports and intramural activities each year. Club sports include
alpine skiingAlpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with nordic skiing, in which skiers use free-heel bindings...
,
curlingCurling is a team game with similarities to bowls and shuffleboard, played by two teams of four players each on a rectangular sheet of carefully prepared ice. Teams take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones down the ice towards the target...
,
equestrianEquestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving horses. This broad description includes both use of horses for practical, working purposes as well as recreational activities and competitive sports.-Overview of equestrian activities:...
,
figure skatingFigure skating is a Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
, men's
rugbyRugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
, women's rugby, tae kwon do, ultimate frisbee, and women's
golfGolf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...
. In 2008 the men's rugby team received fourth place in the national Division III tournament. All students have the opportunity to participate at a level enjoyable to them, including the creation of a
streakingStreaking is the act of taking off one's clothes and running naked through a public place.-History:On 5 July 1799, a Friday evening at 7 o'clock, a naked man was arrested, at the Mansion House, London, and sent to the Poultry Compter...
team in 2002.
Hamilton's mascot is a Continental, a soldier in America's
Continental ArmyThe American Continental Army was an army formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen...
of the Revolutionary War. The college's colors are
buffBuff is a pale yellow-brown colour that got its name from the colour of buff leather.-Uses:Biology* Buff is widespread in the animal kingdom...
and
blueBlue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
, the colors of the Continental Army's uniforms. The college's namegiver,
Alexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton was the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, a Founding Father, economist, and political philosopher...
played a central role in the Continental Army as General
George WashingtonGeorge Washington was the commander of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the first President of the United States of America...
's Chief of Staff. At many sporting events Hamilton is represented by the Al-Ham (an abbreviation of
Alexander
Hamilton) pig. A large, anthropomorphic pig attired in a Hamilton football jersey and a Continental soldier's tri-corner hat, the pig was introduced in the early 2000s in attempt to positively boost school spirit and interest in Hamilton's athletics program.
Old Rocking Chair Classic
Since 1948, Hamilton and Middlebury have competed in the Old Rocking Chair Classic; although the rivalry has been rather one-sided as of late, with Middlebury having won the last 11 matches.
Campus speakers
Hamilton hosts many different speakers on many different subjects. Notable recent speakers have included
Salman RushdieSir Ahmed Salman Rushdie is a British Indian novelist and essayist. He achieved fame with his second novel, Midnight's Children , which won the Booker Prize in 1981. Much of his early fiction is set on the Indian subcontinent...
,
Jared DiamondJared Mason Diamond is an American scientist and nonfiction author whose work draws from a variety of fields. He is currently Professor of Geography and Physiology at UCLA...
,
Stanley LombardoStanley F. Lombardo is an American professor of Classics at the University of Kansas. He is best known for his translations of the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid...
,
Peter MeineckPeter Meineck is the Artistic Director and founder of Aquila Theatre. Peter is also a clinical professor of Classics at New York University. He has also held appointments at Princeton University and the University of South Carolina.-Biography:...
,
Kenneth MillerKenneth Raymond Miller is a biology professor at Brown University. Miller, who is Roman Catholic, is particularly known for his opposition to creationism, including the intelligent design movement. He has written two books on the subject. The first, Finding Darwin's God, argues that a belief in...
,
David CornDavid Corn is an American political journalist and author, and is chief of the Washington bureau for Mother Jones. He has worked as the Washington editor for The Nation and has also appeared regularly on FOX News, MSNBC and National Public Radio...
and the speakers of the Great Names series (see below).
The Sacerdote Great Names Series at Hamilton
Starting in 1996
the Sacerdote Great Names Series has brought some of the most sought after speakers to campus for presentations. While most of these have been in the form of speeches, they have also included concerts by
B. B. KingRiley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter acclaimed for his expressive singing and guitar playing....
and
Aretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter and pianist commonly referred to as "The Queen of Soul". Although renowned for her soul recordings, Franklin is also adept at jazz, rock, soul, blues, pop, R&B and Gospel music...
.
To date the speakers that have been part of this series are:
- Jon Stewart
Jonathan "Jon" Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
, November 14, 2008
- Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter and pianist commonly referred to as "The Queen of Soul". Although renowned for her soul recordings, Franklin is also adept at jazz, rock, soul, blues, pop, R&B and Gospel music...
, April 5, 2008
- Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. is an American environmental activist and former politician who served as the 45th Vice President of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He is an author, businessperson, former U.S. Senator and former journalist...
, April 26, 2007
- Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author. Brokaw is best known as the former anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News. His last broadcast as anchor was on December 1, 2004, after which he was succeeded by Brian Williams...
, April 27, 2006
- Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president; only Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger when entering office...
, November 9, 2004
- Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, The Bill Cosby Show,...
, October 15, 2003
- Rudolph Giuliani, September 24, 2002
- Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Korbel Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99-0...
, March 6, 2002
- Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, April 30, 2001
- Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African cleric and activist who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. In 1984, Tutu became the second South African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize...
, April 11, 2000
- Lady Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She is the only woman to have held either post....
, December 9, 1999
- B.B. King, October 20, 1998
- F.W. de Klerk, April 8, 1998
- Elie Wiesel
Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel KBE is a writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, the best known of which is Night, a memoir that describes his experiences during the Holocaust and his imprisonment in several concentration camps...
, April 3, 1997
- James Carville
James Carville is an American political consultant, commentator, actor, attorney, media personality, and prominent liberal pundit. Carville gained national attention for his work as the lead strategist of the successful presidential campaign of then-Arkansas governor Bill Clinton...
, and Mary MatalinMary Joe Matalin is an American political consultant, well known for her work with the Republican Party. She was an assistant to President George W. Bush and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney until 2003. Matalin has been chief editor of Threshold Editions, a conservative publishing imprint...
October 15, 1996
- Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State , serving under President George W. Bush. He was the first African American appointed to that position...
, April 1, 1996
Facts and Figures about the College Community
Hamilton enrolls about 1775 students. Fifty percent are male, and fifty percent are female. The middle 50% of
SATThe SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a non-profit organization in the United States, and was once developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service...
scores for students at Hamilton is 1350 to 1500. About 60% of students came from
public schoolPublic school may refer to:*Public school , a prestigious, traditional independent secondary school funded by tuition fees...
s, and 40% from
private schoolPrivate schools, also known as independent schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition, rather than relying on public funds...
s, and students come from 46 U.S. states and 46 countries. Of the applicants who applied to be in the Class of 2012, 28% were accepted.
| Student ethnicities |
| International |
5% |
| African-American |
5% |
| Native American |
1% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander |
8% |
| Hispanic |
4% |
| Caucasian |
70% |
| Unknown |
8% |
Geographic diversity:
Hamilton College alums can be found in a variety of sectors and places. Among them are thought leaders, winners of Nobel, Pulitzer and Tony awards, leading authors, artistic legends, the CEOs of major corporations (
Procter & GambleProcter & Gamble Co. is a Fortune 500, American multinational corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, that manufactures a wide range of consumer goods. As of 2008, P&G is the 8th largest corporation in the world by market capitalization and 14th largest US company by profit...
,
LinkedInLinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003 mainly used for professional networking. , it had more than 50 million registered users, spanning more than 200 countries and territories worldwide....
,
Saks Fifth AvenueSaks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market with Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor and Neiman Marcus...
and famous financiers).
Faculty
Among the many distinguished members of the Hamilton faculty are:
- Dennis Gilbert
Dennis Gilbert is professor and chair of sociology at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. He holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University and has taught at the Universidad Catlica in Lima, Peru, Cornell University and joined Hamilton college in 1976. He has published a variety of sociology books,...
- Influential sociologist
- Maurice Isserman
Maurice Isserman is a professor of history at Hamilton College and an important contributor to the “new history of American communism” which reinterpreted the role of the Communist Party USA during the Popular Front period of the 1930s and 1940s. His books have also traced the emergence of the...
- Historian of the American left, the 1960s, and mountaineering
- Philip Klinkner
Philip A. Klinkner is an American political scientist and author. He has authored books with Rogers Smith and is noted for research and writing American politics, especially political parties and elections, race and American politics, and American political history.Originally from Iowa, Klinkner...
- Expert on American Politics
- Edward S. Walker- Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Egypt, and the UAE and a Middle East specialist.
- Scott MacDonald- Avant-Garde film historian
- Jack F. Matlock, Jr.
Jack Foust Matlock, Jr. is a former American ambassador, career Foreign Service Officer, a teacher, a historian, and a linguist. He was a specialist in Soviet affairs during some of the most tumultuous years of the Cold War, and served as U.S...
- Former US Ambassador to Soviet Union under Reagan
- Heidi Ravven
Heidi Ravven is Professor of Religious Studies at Hamilton College. She specializes in ethics and philosophy and the intersection between neuroscience and emotions.-Biography:...
- Expert on Jewish ethics, Spinoza, and the relationship between religion and science
Among former members of the faculty (permanent and visiting) of particular renown are:
- Alfred Atherton
Alfred Leroy "Roy" Atherton Jr. was a United States Foreign Service Officer and diplomat. He served as United States Ambassador to Egypt in 1979–1983.-Early life:...
- Former US Ambassador to Egypt
- Thomas Bass
Thomas Bass is an American writer and professor in literature and history. The 1985 publication of his book The Eudaemonic Pie is believed to have motivated the passage of a Nevada law banning the use of devices to gain an advantage at casino games....
- American author of The Eudaemonic PieThe Eudaemonic Pie is a 1985 book by American author Thomas A. Bass, about a group of University of California, Santa Cruz physics graduate students who in the late 1970s and early 1980s designed and employed miniaturized computers, hidden in specially modified shoes, to help predict the outcome...
- Hubert Dreyfus
Hubert Lederer Dreyfus , is a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley. His main interests include phenomenology, existentialism and the philosophy of both psychology and literature, as well as the philosophical implications of artificial intelligence. His younger brother, Dr...
- Artificial intelligence philosopher
- Sereno Edwards Dwight
Sereno Edwards Dwight was an American author, educator, and Congregationalist minister.Dwight was the fifth son of Yale College President Timothy Dwight IV, born in Greenfield Hill in Fairfield, Connecticut. He graduated Yale in 1803, was a tutor there in 1806–1810, and successfully practised law...
- American author
- Richard Haas
Richard John Haas is an American muralist who is best known for architectural murals and his use of the Trompe l'oeil style.-Works:...
- President of the Council on Foreign RelationsThe Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit and nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to improving the understanding of U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
- Elaine Tuttle Hansen
Elaine Tuttle Hansen is the president of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, a position she has held since 2002.Hansen graduated cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Mount Holyoke College in 1969. She received her M.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1972 and Ph.D...
- President of Bates CollegeBates College is a private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists. Bates confers Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees. Bates College is one of the first colleges to be coeducational from establishment...
- George Lenczowski
George Lenczowski, , was a lawyer, diplomat, scholar, and Professor of Political Science, Emeritus, at the University of California, Berkeley. Lenczowski was a pioneer in his field as the founder and first chair of the Committee of Middle Eastern Studies at Berkeley...
- Prominent Political Scientist
- Chandra Talpade Mohanty
Chandra Talpade Mohanty is a prominent postcolonial and transnational feminist theorist. She became well-known after the publication of her influential essay, "Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses" in 1986...
- Influential post-colonial feminist theorist
- Howard Nemerov
Howard Nemerov was American poet, twice appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1963 to 1964, and again from 1988 to 1990. He received the National Book Award, Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, and Bollingen Prize for The Collected Poems of Howard Nemerov...
- Famous Poet (twice the Poet Laureate of the United States)
- Bernie Sanders
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont, elected on November 7, 2006. Before becoming Senator, Sanders represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives for 16 years.Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist, but because...
- Current US Senator from Vermont
- Leo Strauss
Leo Strauss was a German-born American political philosopher who specialized in classical political philosophy...
- Political Philosopher
Former faculty member and college president Eugene Tobin resigned after a plagiarism scandal.
Controversies
Efforts to bring
Ward ChurchillWard LeRoy Churchill is an American writer and political activist. He was a professor of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1990 to 2007. The primary focus of his work is on the historical treatment of political dissenters and Native Americans by the United States...
to speak on campus were controversial. The decision to hire former political radical and ex-convict (she spent 16 years in Federal prison) Sue Rosenberg in 2004 also "sparked" controversy. There was also a protest by Professor Bob Paquette over bringing an actress and former porn-star as a speaker
College songs
- Carissima
Carissima is the alma mater of Hamilton College, written in 1872 by M. W. Stryker. After Hamilton became a coeducational institution in 1978, the original lyrics of the song were updated to reflect the fact that not every student was male.-Current Lyrics:...
- We Never Will Forget Thee, the fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
of Hamilton College, often performed by the Hamilton College Buffers, an all-male student a cappellaA cappella music is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato style...
group. The Hamilton College Football team also sings a slightly modified version of this song upon winning a football game.
Alumni
Notable Hamilton alumni include US Secretary of State
Elihu RootElihu Root was an American lawyer and statesman and the 1912 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the prototype of the 20th century "wise man", who shuttled between high-level government positions in Washington, D.C...
(1864), US Vice President
James S. ShermanJames Schoolcraft Sherman was a United States Representative from New York and the 27th Vice President of the United States. He was a member of the Baldwin, Hoar, and Sherman families.-Early life:...
(1878), Poet
Ezra PoundEzra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet, critic and intellectual who was a major figure of the Modernist movement in the first half of the 20th century. He is generally considered the poet most responsible for defining and promoting a modernist aesthetic in poetry...
(1905), Nobel Prize Winner
Paul GreengardPaul Greengard is an American neuroscientist best known for his work on the molecular and cellular function of neurons. In 2000, Greengard, Arvid Carlsson and Eric Kandel were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning signal transduction in the nervous...
(1948), US Secretary of Agriculture
Tom VilsackThomas James "Tom" Vilsack is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and presently the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He served as the 40th Governor of the state of Iowa. He was first elected in 1998 and re-elected to a second four-year term in 2002...
(1972), actor
Tony GoldwynAnthony Howard "Tony" Goldwyn is an American actor and director. He portrayed the villain Carl Bruner in Ghost, Kendall Dobbs in Designing Women and the voice of the title character of the Disney animated Tarzan and Kingdom Hearts.-Personal life:Goldwyn was born in Los Angeles, California, the...
(1982), and actor and writer for
The Office Paul LiebersteinPaul Bevan Lieberstein is an American screenwriter and television producer. An Emmy Award winner, he is most widely known as a writer, producer, and supporting cast member on the U.S...
(1989).
External links