State University of New York at Geneseo
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The State University of New York College at Geneseo (SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo State College or, colloquially, "Geneseo") is a public liberal arts college in Geneseo, New York. It is New York's public honors college and part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The college was founded in 1867 as the "Wadsworth Normal and Training School" before it became part of the new State University of New York system as a state liberal arts college in 1948.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:TOClimit
History
The initial predecessor to SUNY Geneseo opened in 1867 as the "Wadsworth Normal and Training School" through an act of the New York State Legislature. However, the legislature later changed the new college's name to the Geneseo Normal and Training School before it officially opened on September 13, 1871.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1962, the school adopted its current name, "State University of New York College at Geneseo". Just two years later, in 1964, the school began to offer four-year bachelor's degrees in subjects other than education.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Academics
Geneseo is a public liberal arts college with 61 undergraduate majors, 5 master's programs, and 67 interdisciplinary minors. The most popular majors, in descending order, are education, business, the social sciences, biology, and psychology.<ref name="College Search">Template:Cite web</ref>
Geneseo is part of the New York Space Grant Consortium,<ref name="NY Space Grant">Template:Cite web</ref> and is provided grants by NASA to support outer-space related research on-campus..
Administration
Following the retirement of long-time President Christopher Dahl, Denise Battles became the college's president in July 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Melinda Treadwell assumed the role on October 27, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rankings and admissions
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Admissions
Geneseo's acceptance rate is 65% as of 2021.<ref>SUNY Geneseo usnews.rankingsandreviews.com Template:Webarchive</ref>
Rankings
Forbes ranked SUNY Geneseo 156th out of the top 500 rated private and public colleges and universities in America for the 2024–25 report. Geneseo was also ranked 69th among public colleges and 66th in the northeast.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Phi Beta Kappa
Geneseo has a chapter of the oldest academic honor society in the United States, Phi Beta Kappa.<ref name="pbk_chapter">Template:Cite web</ref> SUNY's four university centers already had chapters; Geneseo's establishment of a chapter is significant because it was the first (and is currently the only) of New York's thirteen state comprehensive colleges to receive the honor.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
The inaugural ΦΒΚ class was inducted to Geneseo's Alpha-Gamma of New York chapter in April 2004.<ref name="pbk_chapter"/>
Campus
At the far end of the South Village Residences, the college maintains the Template:Convert Spencer J. Roemer Arboretum wherein are preserved "more than 70 species of trees, shrubs and wildflowers, including a magnificent group of oak trees which are more than 200 years old, and several black walnut trees estimated to be over 100 years old."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Traditions and campus culture
The Bronze Bear
Just off campus, in the center of Main Street in Geneseo sits the famous Bronze Bear statue. "The Bear" also plays host to any number of spontaneous decorations and pranks throughout the academic year. A story also circulates that one of the wealthy Wadsworth daughters saw the bear fountain in a small town in Germany, fell in love with it, bought it, and sent it back to Geneseo in the early 19th century. This story is unverified, but an excerpt from a history of the family that settled the valley implies that this is not true, and that the fountain was designed and built for its current location: "[Main Street] is still dominated by a drinking fountain for horses dedicated to Mrs. Emmeline Austin Wadsworth. For some obscure reason its designer placed a short pole in its center on top of which sits a cunning little iron bear, who is generally known as 'Aunt Emmeline'".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Student life
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Greek life began at Geneseo in 1871, originally as literary societies. The college hosts several local Greek organizations along with national organizations, as is common in the SUNY schools. As of 2019, about 30% of students were active in either social or professional and service Greek organizations.<ref name="Greek life">Template:Cite web</ref>
Athletics
Template:Main The University athletics team (nicknamed the Knights) are composed of 19 varsity teams (7 men's, 12 women's). All teams compete at the NCAA Division III level and all teams compete in the Empire 8 conference.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In men's ice hockey the Geneseo Knights are known as the "Geneseo Ice Knights".
Notable alumni and faculty
Alumni
Entertainment
- Glenn Gordon Caron (class of 1975), TV producer
- Jenna Wolfe, anchor of NBC's Weekend Today.
- Greg Fox (class of 1983), artist/writer
- Calvin Culver, actor, writer, producer
- Daniel Barwick (class of 1990), college president
- Howard Blumenthal, author
- Qurrat Ann Kadwani, actress, playwright, film producer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Chelsea Noble (formerly Nancy Mueller; class of 1987), film and TV actress
- Greg O'Connell, property developer
- William Sadler, actor
- Joe Langworth (class of 1988), actor, choreographer and director
- J.T. The Brick, talk-show host
- Marissa Mulder (class of 2007), cabaret artist<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Curt Smith (class of 1973), broadcaster and speech writer
- Brittany Lauda, actress
- CGP Grey, web personality.<ref name="GGP Grey Tweet Confirming Attendance at SUNY Geneseo">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref>Template:Failed verification
- Gregg 'Opie' Hughes, radio broadcaster
Academia
- William T. Amiger (class of 1898), educator, minister<ref name="Mather-1915">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Sciences
- Brian L. DeMarco (class of 1996), Professor of Physics<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- My Hang V. Huynh (class of 1991) energy researcher<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Dead link</ref>
Government, business, law, activist
- Liz Allen (class of 2006), Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs of United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Jeff Clarke (class of 1983), CEO of Kodak<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Adrianna Hungerford (1858–1946), President, Colorado State Woman's Christian Temperance Union
- David Klein, CFO of Constellation Brands.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ray Kotcher, non-executive chairman and advisor to Ketchum Inc.
- Joseph D. Morelle, U.S. representative for New York's 25th congressional district since 2018. Former New York State Assembly Majority Leader, 2013–2018<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Jackie Norris (class of 1992), former Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Eleanor Roosevelt Seagraves, granddaughter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, librarian, educator, historian, and editor.
- Raymond Walter (class of 1994), New York State Assemblyman
Military
- John Loomis Chamberlain, U.S. Army major general<ref name="Contemporaries">Template:Cite book</ref>
Sports
- Tyler Brickler, hockey player
Faculty
- Bill Cook and Ron Herzman, professors of History and English.
- Rita K. Gollin, Professor of English.
- Walter Harding, Professor of English.
- Carol Harter, Geneseo's eleventh president.
- David Maslanka, Professor of music.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Eoin McKiernan, Professor of Irish Studies.
- Rudy Rucker, Professor of Mathematics.
- Clarence F. Stephens, Professor of mathematics
- Blanche Jennings Thompson, Author
- James Willey, Professor of Music<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, Professor of Theatre and Musical Theatre
Notes
References
External links
Template:SUNY Template:State University of New York Athletic Conference navbox Template:Empire 8 navbox Template:Central New York colleges Template:Rochester Area Colleges Template:Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- State University of New York at Geneseo
- State University of New York university colleges
- Public universities and colleges in New York (state)
- Education in Livingston County, New York
- 1871 establishments in New York (state)
- Liberal arts colleges in New York (state)
- Public liberal arts colleges in the United States
- Universities and colleges established in 1871