Columbia Scholastic Press Association

About the Ivy League on Broadway

Columbia University was founded in 1754 as King’s College by a royal charter from King George II of England. Originally located in southern Manhattan on what is now lower Broadway, Columbia’s location was threatened by the turmoil caused by the American Revolution. Columbia reopened in 1784 and subsequently moved further uptown to 49th Street and Madison Avenue in 1849. After 50 years of continued academic growth, Columbia made a final relocation to its current site in Morningside Heights.

Because of Columbia and its world renowned institutional neighbors, Morningside Heights has been called the “American Acropolis.” The campus is entirely its own place, with a look and feel at once breathtakingly grand and “comfortably intimate” and “just big enough,” as one student once described it. The dormitories, fraternities, sports facilities, even the green lawns of South Field contribute to a distinct campus culture, just as the Neoclassical architecture of Low Memorial Library and Hamilton Hall foster a sense of distinguished academic pursuits.

Since Columbia resides in such a great city, it takes full advantage of its energy and opportunities. Thus, the campus serves as both an anchor and a springboard for its students.

Columbia Beyond 250

In its evolution from a tiny college to one of the world’s finest research universities, Columbia and its people have helped shape the modern world. In 2004, Columbia University celebrated 250 years since its founding, continuing its legacy as the oldest college in New York, and the fifth oldest in the nation.

Columbia has been a part of the life of the City for longer than almost any other institution, except possibly Trinity Church in lower Manhattan.

CSPA: 88 years and beyond

In 1925, newspaper and magazine staff members from schools east of the Mississippi River converged on Columbia’s campus, eager to develop their skills as journalists and to experience the thrill of being on the campus of an Ivy League institution.

Today, more than 6,000 students from all across the country (and sometimes, from around the globe), come to Columbia each year as delegates of CSPA’s annual conventions and workshops. At each event, seasoned journalism teachers and media professionals share their knowledge and experiences with eager newspaper, magazine and yearbook staff members while the exposure to the campus promotes Columbia as a potential choice for both undergraduate and graduate study.

The Future of Columbia and CSPA

In New York City and beyond, the story of both Columbia and CSPA is, above all, the story of its people. Columbia’s history is also the story of today’s students, scholars, and researchers in neuroscience, public health, the arts, law, and business. CSPA’s history is the story of student news reporters, designers, editors, broadcast technicians, journalism students, publication advisers and journalism teachers.

The names of these remarkable people may be unrecognized– but they will influence the future of modern society as their predecessors from Columbia have already done.