Our anniversary pages honor NYU Gallatin’s golden anniversary
Apr 7, 2022
NYU Gallatin began in the spring of 1972 as the University Without Walls (UWW). As a part of the experimental college movement in the US that emerged in response to the social and political activism of the 1960s, NYU’s UWW was part of a consortium of other programs across the United States. UWW began with an enrollment of seventeen intrepid students and the recruitment of a small, dedicated faculty and handful of administrators who would empower these bright, self-directed, and highly motivated students to take the initiative to design their own educations.
Gallatin’s core philosophy from the beginning was to combine active work in the city—internships, civic engagement, and professional experiences—with a focus on the classics and traditional humanities seminars and learning. As the School enters its 50th year, Gallatin continues to build on its commitment to offer innovative, individualized education to all students. Since those first seventeen students, over 13,500 more have graduated from Gallatin.
Join us as we honor and celebrate all that Gallatin has made possible during five decades of growth. On our Anniversary Pages, you’ll find a timeline of Gallatin’s history, a gallery of the School’s leadership and first faculty, documents that trace Gallatin’s academic and institutional trajectory, a collection of snapshots from over the decades, and videos of recent events that honor Gallatin’s story. On April 29, 2022, Gallatin will host a Symposium of Gallatin’s History featuring faculty and alumni speakers from each of Gallatin’s five decades.