Hamilton College Hamilton College is a private and elite liberal arts college located in Clinton, New York. Sometimes referred to as the 'School on the Hill', due to the school's location on top of College Hill, just outside of downtown Clinton. Hamilton College was ranked as the 19th best Liberal Arts College in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report in 2005. History Hamilton began in 1793 as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy, and was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812. The college was founded by Samuel Kirkland as part of missions work with the Oneida tribe. The college is named for Alexander Hamilton, who was a member of the first Board of Trustees of the Hamilton-Oneida Academy. In 1978, the all-male Hamilton College merged with the all-female Kirkland College, which had been located adjacent to Hamilton. Today, the original Hamilton campus is referred to by students and some school literature as the "light side" or the "Striker Campus" while the former Kirkland campus referred to as the "dark side" (a reference to the lighting in the Kirkland College buildings). Hamilton College is the third oldest college established in New York. Academics Hamilton currently offers 29 areas of study (this list from the school’s website): Africana Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Art, Art History, Asian Studies, Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemical Physics, Chemistry, Chinese, Classics, Communication, Comparative Literature, Computer Science, Creative Writing, Dance, East Asian Languages and Literature, Economics, Education Studies, English, Environmental Studies, Foreign Languages, French, Geoarchaeology, Geology, German and Russian Languages and Literatures, Government, History, Interdisciplinary Concentration, Japanese, Latin American Studies, Mathematics, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Music, Neuroscience, Oral Communication, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Public Policy, Religious Studies, Russian Studies, Sociology, Spanish, Theatre, Theatre and Dance, Women's Studies, World Politics. Addintionally Hamilton students may study aboard. There are long standing programs in China and France. Some students also choose to study at other institutions with in the United States, including the option to take part in long standing programs in New York City and Washington, DC. Campus Life Starting in the late 1990s, the administration and the trustees have worked together to improve life on the campus. Nearly all students now live in college-owned dorms, including several dorms that were formerly fraternity houses. A few fraternities and sororities have had their charters revoked for extreme behavior (causing a great deal of controversy among the students). The changes have allowed the student community to increase the number and types of activities avialable on campus. The college has also provided significant funding for student actvivies through student-run organizations. College-sponsored student-run groups frequently bring music, movies, plays, and other proformers to the college. Like most small colleges in the United States, ethnic diversity is an ongoing struggle for the college. Athletics Hamilton is a NCAA Division III school and has been a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference since 1971. The college sports teams are known as the Hamilton Continentals. Hamilton sponsors 28 sports, including: Baseball (M), Basketball (M&W), Crew (M&W), Cross Country (M&W), Field Hockey (W), Football (M), Golf (M), Ice Hockey (M&W), Lacrosse (M&W), Outdoor and Indoor Track & Field (M&W), Soccer (M&W), Softball (W), Squash (M&W), Swimming & Diving (M&W), Tennis (M&W), Volleyball (W). 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. All students have the opportunity to participate at a level enjoyable to them. Including the creation of a Streaking team in 2002, which claims an undefeated record. The streaking team received favorable coverage from the New York Times in 2004. Facilities Over the last few years, Hamilton has worked to greatly improve the academic and dorm facilities. Hamilton has an impressive library for a school of its size. The science building has recently undergone a multimillion dollar renovation, along with the creating a new building for the Computer Science department. The art department has separate studios for each of the studio arts taught, which are well regarded by the student's majoring in those departments. In addition to the standard fields for soccer, football, etc., Hamilton's athletic facilities include an ice rink, swimming pool, several athletics fields, a golf course, all of which are open to use by the student body. Famous Alumni Notable alumni of Hamilton College include: Author Samuel Hopkins Adams Theologian Albert Barnes Author Terry Brooks Representative to the United States Congress for Delaware Michael N. Castle 1961 -- Graduation Speaker 2004 Nobel Prize winning scientist Paul Greengard, 1948 Lawyer Sol M. Linowitz 1935 Activist Robert Moses Author Ezra Pound US Secretary of State Elihu Root, 1864 Vice-President James S. Sherman Behavioral Psychologist B.F. Skinner 1926 Iowa Governor Thomas Vilsack 1972 -- Graduation Speaker 2001 Abolitionist Theodore Dwight Weld The Numbers right General Information: Enrollment: ~1,750 Percentage Male: 49% Percentage Female: 51% Average Entering Class Size: 475 Applicants for class of 2007: 4,405 Acceptance Rate: 35% Applicants for class of 2008: 4,444 Acceptance Rate: 34% SAT Scores: -75th percentile: 1430 -Mean: 1360 -25th percentile: 1310 Ethnic Diversity: International 6% African-American 6% Native American 1% Asian/Pacific Islander 6% Hispanic 3% Caucasian 78% External links Hamilton College official site Hamilton's "Student Body at a Glance" US News & World Report Ratings FAVORITE ARTICLES: History of the World    History of the United States    History of Europe    Ancient History    History    Military History    World War I    Bombing of Dresden    California    US Constitution    Frank Sinatra    Boston    Marbury v. 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