10 Interesting Facts About Yale University
How many of you have ever heard of Yale University? Perhaps you’ve heard of Yale-New Haven Hospital or the Yale School of Medicine, or maybe Yale biscuit, but how much do you really know about the university itself? With over 6,500 faculty members and 15,000 students, there’s plenty to learn about this Ivy League institution that was founded over 300 years ago in 1701 by clergyman Elihu Yale and has produced countless famous alumni over the years like former U.S. Presidents William Howard Taft and George H.W. Bush and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor just to name a few.
In 1887, William Henry Vanderbilt endowed Yale University with $1 billion — over $2 billion in today’s dollars — making it the richest university in the world at the time. The largest gift to an American college or university before or since, this monumental donation allowed Yale to expand rapidly, building buildings on its New Haven campus as well as schools and programs abroad. The money helped Yale produce 70 Nobel laureates, 55 Pulitzer Prize winners, 14 U.S. Supreme Court Justices and hundreds of members of Congress and heads of state around the world
★ Interesting facts about Yale University
★ A look at its history
★ Facts related to students
★ Facts related to the buildings
★ Facts related to its sports teams
★ Facts related to its staff, researchers and more.
★ America’s second oldest university (Cornell was founded three years earlier).
★ The largest private Ivy League university in the United States
A look at its history
Yale University began its life in 1701 as a school for educating ministers and missionaries. Its original name was Collegiate School and it was renamed after Elihu Yale, who left money to fund its construction.
The first professor employed at Yale, Nathan Cole Jr., had an important lesson for his students: It is more important that you should come into a little knowledge than to be very ignorant. He certainly wasn’t wrong – today, Harvard is often seen as Yale’s main rival when it comes to excellence in higher education (although there’s some dispute over which university came first).
According to legend, during Henry V’s reign in 1414 the school hosted a dinner party with some prominent guests. These included one of Henry’s mistresses, Alice Perrers, along with her dog. When she didn’t get enough attention from her hostess, Perrers’ dog jumped up on a table and urinated on a piece of meat – an event that became known as Yale’s shame. In 1887 Yale became one of the first universities in America to admit women; three years later it established its law school.
Today Yale is one of eight Ivy League schools in New England (the others are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University Princeton University and Pennsylvania). Together they’re known as The Ancient Eight or simply The Ivies.
Facts related to students
Yale has more Nobel laureates than any other university in history, with 69 winners. There is a great emphasis on research at Yale, and you can tell by just walking through campus—it’s full of smart people.
Roughly 30 percent of undergraduate classes are taught by professors who received their doctorate from Yale. Forty-four United States presidents attended or graduated from Yale (not to mention 16 U.S. Supreme Court justices and several foreign heads of state). Yale alumni have also won three Pulitzer Prizes for fiction, 24 MacArthur Fellowships, eight National Medals of Arts and Science, two National Humanities Medals and one National Medal of Technology.
Yale University was established in 1701 as a school for ministers. It wasn’t until 1887 that Yale began accepting women students; it took until 1969 for Yale to accept its first African American student; it wasn’t until 1971 that Yale began admitting women into all its programs; it wasn’t until 1974 that Yale abolished its last all male major (Pharmacy); it wasn’t until 1976 that Yale admitted women into Skull & Bones; and it wasn’t until 1977 that Yale finally admitted women into all residential colleges!
Facts related to the buildings
New Haven, Connecticut’s flagship university is steeped in history. Here are some interesting tidbits that will pique your interest:•
• Old Campus is a National Historic Landmark thanks to its Collegiate Gothic-style buildings, designed by James Gamble Rogers.
Today, these imposing structures serve as both student and tourist attractions.
• Another national landmark is Harkness Tower, which was also designed by Rogers and completed in 1927. This tower stands at 284 feet tall and houses one of only three carillons (set of bells) in North America. The carillon can be heard throughout campus daily, chiming on the hour from 8am to 9pm during term time.
• The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library has been called the most beautiful building on campus by many students and faculty members alike; it’s considered one of America’s finest examples of Modern architecture.
Facts related to its name
The name Yale is derived from an English place name. Its meaning is not certain, but it probably comes from an Old English word such as geolac or gelac, which means yale (or, more accurately, a kind of wild bull).
Similar Update:
Columbia University admissions Guide.
There are three old bull-leaping scenes on one of its carved wooden doors. Stonework found on College Street reveals that when it was built in 1755 it was double-storied and contained ten fireplaces; all have since been bricked up.
It was originally known as The College House until 1787, when it acquired its present name in honor ofof Elihu Yale, who bequeathed £800 to build a college at New Haven. When he died in 1721 his estate consisted mainly of land along Long Island Sound near Stamford, Connecticut. His will stipulated that if money were ever raised for a school to be named after him then his estate should pay for one third of it.
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Facts related to its staff, researchers and more.
For a private Ivy League university with a $19.5 billion endowment, it’s not hard to see why its nickname is the Harvard of the East Coast.
The prestigious New Haven, Connecticut-based school attracts top talent—students and faculty alike—and currently has around 11,000 undergraduates and 7,000 graduate students. Yale’s research staff also runs studies that often reach international acclaim:
A recent study discovered that chimpanzees can be racist (though we certainly knew that already). Another study found evidence of altruism in rhesus macaques.
It even holds an entire institute dedicated to…wait for it…sex! The famous Kinsey Institute is responsible for groundbreaking research into human sexuality and sexual health issues.
The largest private Ivy League university in the United States
Yale University (Yale, often referred to as Yale University or simply Yale, is an American private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine Colonial Colleges chartered before the American Revolution… }
It’s one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States, but how much do you really know about Yale University? Here are 10 facts that may surprise you about this Ivy League school located in New Haven, Connecticut.
Conclusion:
Yale University was founded in 1701 when colonial clergyman Abraham Pierson founded The Collegiate School in the Connecticut Colony. Originally named after the Biblical passage of Matthew 5:16, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven, the school was renamed to Yale College in 1718 after Elihu Yale made a generous donation to the school following his years of service as its governor.
Today, Yale University is one of the top-ranked universities in the world and its storied history includes many notable figures such as former President George W. Bush, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase, author Jhumpa Lahiri, filmmaker Wes Anderson and literary critic Harold Bloom.
Check the official website for guide on scholarships available currently in Yale University:
Yale’s University official website:
https://finaid.yale.edu/costs-affordability/types-aid/scholarships-and-grants