Hartwick College Bresee Hall cupola

Paul F. Cooper, Jr. Archives

Hartwick College was founded in 1797, under the provisions of the will of John Christopher Hartwick, as the first Lutheran Seminary in America.

The first Seminary building was erected in 1815 on the Hartwick Patent in upstate New York. In 1888 the Classical Department introduced the freshmen year of a collegiate course and in 1928 it expanded to a four-year liberal arts college and was moved to Oneonta, New York. Today, Hartwick College is an independent, liberal arts and sciences college of about 1300 students and 175 faculty.

The College Archives was officially established in 1973 and exists primarily to collect and preserve materials that reflect the biography of John Christopher Hartwick and the educational institutions bearing his name – Hartwick Seminary, Hartwick Academy and Hartwick College. In addition, the Archives houses over thirty special collections.

Hartwick College students outside home in city in 1930
Homecoming Court of Hartwick College 1969
Hartwick Seminary faculty and staff
Hartwick Seminary Women's Basketball Team
Hartwick College President in 1928
Pine Lake students with professor study plants 1970s

Stories from the Archives

From the Archives: Dining on the Hill

Imagine 1939-1940, a 15-cent price tag, dinner and a show and chicken fricassee....

From the Archives: Angela Davis Talks Race, Class, Gender

Political activist, author and professor spoke at Hartwick in 1990.

From The Archives: Satchmo Plays On the Hill

Jazz legend Louis Armstrong performed at Hartwick in 1958.

Cardboard Alley

Hartwick's response to a shortage of housing and classrooms due to the post WWII spike in enrollment.

The Original Tik Tok

1929 IBM clock, original to Bresee Hall

From the Archives: Celebrating a Gridiron Great

Phil Rigano '42 was a standout football player at Hartwick.

Paul F. Cooper, Jr. Archives on Facebook

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Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., and by appointment
607-431-4450
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