Hobart and William Smith Colleges Hobart and William Smith Colleges are located on 195 acres in the heart of New York state ' s Finger Lakes region in Geneva , New York , United States . They trace their origins to Geneva Academy established in 1797 . The combined corporation of the two colleges , Hobart College ( men ) and William Smith College ( women ) , are also known as The Colleges of the Seneca . Both are liberal arts colleges offering the degrees of bachelor of arts , bachelor of science and master of arts in teaching . History . Generally . Hobart and William Smith Colleges , private colleges located in Geneva , New York , began on the western frontier as the Geneva Academy , founded by Rev . Henry Axtell . After some setbacks and disagreement among trustees , the Academy suspended operations in 1817 . By the time bishop John Henry Hobart , of the Episcopal Diocese of New York , first visited the city of Geneva in 1818 , the doors of Geneva Academy had just closed . Yet , Geneva was a bustling Upstate New York city on the main land and stage coach route to the West . Bishop Hobart had a plan to reopen the Academy at a new location , raise a public subscription for the construction of a stone building , and elevate the school to college status . Roughly following this plan , Geneva Academy reopened as Geneva College in 1822 with conditional grant funds made available from Trinity Church in New York City . Geneva College was renamed Hobart College in 1852 in honor of its founder . William Smith College was founded in 1908 , originally as William Smith College for Women . Its namesake and founder was a wealthy local nurseryman , benefactor of the arts and sciences , and philanthropist . The school arose from negotiations between William Smith , who sought to establish a women ' s college , and Hobart College President Langdon C . Stewardson , who sought to redirect Smith ' s philanthropy towards Hobart College . Smith , however , was intent on establishing a coordinate , nonsectarian women ' s college , which , when realized , coincidentally gave Hobart access to new facilities and professors . The two student bodies were educated separately in the early years , even though William Smith College was a department of Hobart College for organizational purposes until 1943 . In that year , following a gradual relaxation of academic separation , William Smith College was formally recognized as an independent college , co - equal with Hobart . Both colleges were reflected in a new , joint corporate identity under the name " The Colleges of the Seneca , " Geneva Academy . Geneva Academy was founded in 1796 when Geneva was just a little frontier settlement . It is believed to be the first school formed in Geneva . The area was considered " the gateway to Genesee County " and was in the early stages of development from the wilderness . On May 3 , 1796 , a special meeting was held , as recorded in town of Seneca records , and three commissioners were chosen to receive the moneys granted by the state for the " use of schools . " On January 30 , 1807 , twenty - three " freeholders " of Geneva petitioned the Regents of the State of New York for the incorporation of Geneva Academy . The petition document is the oldest extant document in which the academy is mentioned by name , as follows ; " Your petitioners beg leave further to represent that the real estate belonging to their Academy consists of a lot of land fronting the public square in the said village of Geneva , on which they have erected a building twenty - five feet by thirty - eight feet , and one and a half stories high , and that they have for upwards of two years past employed a gentleman of abilities , regularly graduated at Princeton College , who , together with an assistant , has the superintendence of upwards of sixty students . " The petition was not granted and the academy remained without a charter until March 29 , 1813 . On August 7 , 1809 , the trustees of the academy announced the engagement of the Rev . Andrew Wilson , formerly of the University of Glasgow in Scotland as head of the school . He remained until 1812 when Ransom Hubell , a graduate of Union College , was made principal of the academy . He was engaged to teach the respective branches of literature on the following terms : First Class - Reading , writing and arithmetic , 2 dollars 25 cents per quarter ; Second Class - English grammar , book - keeping , geography and mathematics , including geometry , mensuration , algebra , surveying , navigation and astronomy , 4 dollars per quarter ; and Third Class - The Latin , Greek and Hebrew languages , 5 dollars per quarter . The tuition fees had to be payable in advance . In 1817 , Hubbell was succeeded by the Rev . John S . Cook . On December 8 , 1817 , due to some " differences of feeling , " a meeting of the board of trustees was held and it was decided that the academy operations should be suspended . A committee was appointed consisting of Rev . Henry Axtell , Dr . James Carter and David Cook , to take charge of the school building and allow use by " any respectable teacher " until the trustees came to a decision and resumed their duties . The first meeting after the suspension didn ' t take place until March 6 , 1821 , over four years later . It was called by trustee James Rees to announce that Trinity Church in New York City had bequeathed an endowment of $ 750 per annum to the school , specifically for the support of an academy at Fairfield , New York . One of the conditions of the grant from Trinity Church was that the residents of Geneva should erect a building for the accommodation of the " Branch Theological School . " Another stipulation required that the site location be chosen by Rt . Rev . Bishop Hobart . Agreeable to the resolution , the bishop viewed several sites in Geneva and on March 17 , 1821 , he communicated to the trustees his selection of the college site . The Rev . Daniel McDonald D . D . , formerly principal of the Fairfield Academy , was appointed principal of Geneva Academy . The academy reopened its doors on April 25 , 1821 , in a frame schoolhouse erected in 1817 in the rear of Trinity Church in Geneva . By 1822 , Geneva had 1 , 700 inhabitants , 250 dwellings , a bank , land office and sundry shops and mills . It was the commercial center of the growing Finger Lakes region of New York state . Early pioneers felt the need of " education advantages " beyond what the academy could provide for their children . At the request of Trinity Church , they began raising funds using voluntary labor and subscription . " They boldly built Geneva Hall before they applied to the state for a charter . " By the spring of 1822 , sufficient community funds had been raised to complete Geneva Hall , a stone structure that is still in use today . Geneva College . On April 10 , 1822 , Geneva College received a provisional charter . The State Regents of New York demanded the accumulation of funds yielding $ 4 , 000 per year before a permanent charter was granted . The college was accorded a three - year grace period to meet this requirement . The Regents granted the full charter on February 8 , 1825 , and at that time , Geneva Academy officially changed its name to Geneva College . Rev . J . Adams was president of the college as of 1827 . Creative financing by the founders of Geneva College plagued their successors for several decades . In a marketing effort , the founders sent agents selling certificates , which for $ 100 entitled " the subscriber , his heirs and assigns , to the privilege of sending one student to the Geneva Academy ( or to Geneva College ) for 20 years , commencing from the date hereof or any time he choose . " The certificates became known as " The Little Old Men of the Sea , " because decade after decade they were turned in for redemption and caused much consternation for the college fathers . Times changed and the cost of education and the cost of living in Geneva soared , leaving quite a financial burden for the school . The last certificate showed up in 1930 and was honored by Hobart College . In 1824 , a course in " practical business " was instituted , a creative concept during those days . " In direct reference to the practical business of life by which the Agricultural , the Merchant and the Mechanic may receive a practical knowledge of what genius and experience have discovered without passing through a tedious course of Classical Studies . " This course was in addition to the traditional college program . The " English Course , " as it was known , was a radical departure from long established educational usage and represented the beginning of the college work pattern found today . Geneva Medical College . Geneva Medical College was founded on September 15 , 1834 , as a separate department ( college ) of Geneva College . The medical school was founded by Dr . Edward Cutbush , who also served as the first dean for the school . In 1871 , Hobart College disbanded the medical school and sold its library , anatomical specimens , and other tangible assets to Dean John Towler , who donated them to Syracuse University on condition that the trustees immediately establish an American Medical Association approved medical school . Thus the Syracuse University College of Medicine came into being on December 4 , 1871 , with Dr . Frederick Hyde as dean . The period of greatest prosperity for the school occurred between the years 1840 to 1850 . During that time , a total of 596 physicians graduated from the college . Elizabeth Blackwell . Amid many distinguished male graduates was one woman . In an era when the prevailing conventional wisdom was that no woman could withstand the intellectual and emotional rigors of a medical education . Elizabeth Blackwell , ( 1821 – 1910 ) applied to and was rejected - or simply ignored - by 29 medical schools before being admitted in 1847 to the Medical Institution of Geneva College . The medical faculty , largely opposed to her admission but seemingly unwilling to take responsibility for the decision , decided to submit the matter to a vote of the students . The men of the College , perhaps as a joke on the faculty , voted to admit her . Blackwell graduated two years later , on January 23 , 1849 , at the head of her class , the first woman doctor in the hemisphere . " The occasion marked the culmination of years of trial and disappointment for Miss Blackwell , and was a key event in the struggle for the emancipation of women in the nineteenth century in America . " Blackwell went on to found the New York Infirmary for Women and Children and had a role in the creation of its medical college . She then returned to her native England and helped found the National Health Society and taught at the first college of medicine for women to be established there . Hobart College . The school was known as Geneva College until 1852 , when it was renamed in memory of its most forceful advocate and founder , Bishop Hobart , to Hobart Free College . In 1860 , the name was shortened to Hobart College . Hobart College of the 19th century was the first American institution of higher learning to establish a three - year " English Course " of study to educate young men destined for such practical occupations as " journalism , agriculture , merchandise , mechanism , and manufacturing " , while at the same time maintaining a traditional four - year " classical course " for those intending to enter " the learned professions . " It also was the first college in America to have a Dean of the College . Notable 19th - century alumni included Albert James Myer , Class of 1847 , a military officer assigned to run the United States Weather Bureau at its inception , was a founding member of the International Meteorological Organization , and helped birth the U . S . Signal Corps , and for whom Fort Myer , Va . , is named ; General E . S . Bragg of the Class of 1848 , colonel of the Sixth Wisconsin Regiment and a brigadier general in command of the Iron Brigade who served one term in Congress and later was ambassador to Mexico and consul general of the U . S . in Cuba ; two other 1848 graduates , Clarence Seward and Thomas M . Griffith , who were assistant secretary of state and builder of the first national railroad across the Mississippi River , respectively ; and Charles J . Folger , Class of 1836 , a United States Secretary of the Treasury in the 1880s . Until the mid - 20th Century , Hobart was strongly affiliated with the Episcopal Church and produced many of its clergy . While this affiliation continues to the present , the last Episcopal clergyman to serve as President of Hobart ( 1956 – 1966 ) was Dr . Louis Melbourne Hirshson . Since then , the president of the colleges has been a layperson . During World War II , Hobart College was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V - 12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission . Founding of William Smith College . Toward the end of the nineteenth century , Hobart College was on the brink of bankruptcy and suffering through a period of financial uncertainty . It was through the presidency of Langdon Stewardson that the college obtained a new donor , nurseryman William Smith . William Smith had already built the Smith Opera House in downtown Geneva and the Smith Observatory on his own property when he became interested in founding a college for women , a plan that he pursued to the point of breaking ground before realizing that the plan was beyond even his means . As publicized in The College Signal on Oct 7 , 1903 , " William Smith , a millionaire nurseryman , will found and endow a college for women at Geneva , N . Y . , to be known as the William Smith College for Women The institution will be in the most beautiful section . One building is to cost $ 150 , 000 . Mr . Smith maintains the Smith observatory there . " In 1903 , Hobart College President Langdon C . Stewardson learned of Smith ' s interest and , for two years , attempted without success to convince him to make Hobart College the object of his philanthropy . With enrollments down and its resources strained , Hobart ' s future depended upon an infusion of new funds . Unable to convince Smith to provide direct assistance to Hobart , President Stewardson redirected the negotiations toward founding a coordinate institution for women , a plan that appealed to the philanthropist . On December 13 , 1906 , he formalized his intentions ; two years later William Smith School for Women - a coordinate , nonsectarian women ' s college - enrolled its first class of 18 students . That charter class grew to 20 members before its graduation in 1912 . In addition , Smith ' s gift made possible construction of the Smith Hall of Science , to be used by both colleges , and permitted the hiring , also in 1908 , of three new faculty members who would teach in areas previously unavailable in the curriculum : biology , sociology , and psychology . Origins of the coordinate system . Despite some sharing of facilities , at the beginning of their relationship the two colleges were quite separate . Classes were conducted in duplicate , and women students were not allowed on the Hobart campus . Those who required access to Trinity and Merritt halls ( where chemistry and physics classes were held ) , the library , and the chapel traveled there on public sidewalks along the campus perimeter . The enforced separation of the colleges eroded gradually over the years . In 1922 , the first joint commencement was held , but baccalaureate services remained separate until 1942 . By then , the practice of holding duplicate classes was less observed , particularly in upper - level courses with few students . In 1938 , first - year courses were held in common , without any of the dire consequences that some had predicted , and by 1941 coeducational classes had become the norm . In 1943 , during the administration of President John Milton Potter , William Smith College was elevated from its original status as a department of Hobart College to that of an independent college , co - equal with Hobart . At President Potter ' s suggestion , the two colleges established a joint corporate identity , adopting a " family name " , The Colleges of the Seneca , which still is the legal name of the combined corporation . For a detailed explanation of the shared and structurally separate elements of the Colleges as they now exist , see Coordinate System below . Hobart Seal . Arthur Cleveland Coxe , the namesake of Bishop Arthur Cleveland Coxe , his grandfather ( for whom Coxe Hall is named ) , designed the seal in 1895 . The Latin phrase Sigillvm Collegii Hobartiani in Civ Neo Ebor , along the margin of the seal , translates " The Seal of Hobart College in the State of New York , " and Vita Lux Hominvm , the phrase on the scroll , translates " Life and Light of Mankind . " Disce , the Latin word for " learn , " is undoubtedly a charge to the students to excel , while 1822 signifies the date of the College ' s charter . On the shield , the book represents learning and education , the cross , religion . The key on the left may symbolize knowledge . The crossing key , on the right , is symbolic of the bishop ' s crook , a reminder of the College ' s founder , Bishop Hobart . William Smith Seal . The seal of William Smith College depicts a lamp , which is the traditional symbol of enlightenment and education . Greek words meaning " life " and " soul " are placed above the lamp . This suggests that the College is concerned with all phases of life and attempts to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of the students . The date of the founding , 1908 , is at the base of the lamp , and the inner field is surrounded by boughs of laurel World War II . Between 1943 and 1945 , Hobart College trained almost 1 , 000 men in the U . S . Navy ' s V - 12 program , many of whom returned to complete their college educations when the post - World War II GI Bill swelled the enrollments of American colleges and universities . In 1948 , three of those veterans - William F . Scandling , Harry W . Anderson , and W . P . Laughlin - took over operation of the Hobart dining hall . Their fledgling business was expanded the next year to include William Smith College ; after their graduation , in 1949 , it grew to serve other colleges and universities across the country , eventually becoming Saga Corporation , a nationwide provider of institutional food services . Campus . Generally . Hobart and William Smith Colleges ' campus is situated on in Geneva , New York , along the shore of Seneca Lake , the largest of the Finger Lakes . The campus is notable for the style of Jacobean architecture represented by many of its buildings , notably Coxe Hall , which houses the President ' s Office and other administrative departments . In contrast , the earliest buildings and the chapel are Gothic in style . The Hill ( or William Smith Hill ) is a prominent feature of the historic William Smith campus . Located at the top of a large sloping hill to the West of Seneca Lake and the Hobart Quad , the Hill houses three historic William Smith dorms , and one built in the 1960s ( Comstock , Miller , Blackwell , and Hirshson Houses ) . At its peak resides William Smith ' s all female dorms . The Hill was the site originally conceived for William Smith College . Unveiled in 2008 for the William Smith Centennial is a statue of the college ' s founder and benefactor , William Smith . A 15 million dollar expansion of the Scandling Campus Center was completed in autumn 2008 . This renovation added over 17 , 000 additional square feet , including an expanded cafe , a new post office , and more meeting areas . Survey of key buildings . Coxe Hall , serves as the main administrative hub of campus . Constructed in 1901 , the building is named after Bishop Arthur Clevland Coxe , a benefactor of the school , and houses the president ' s office , Bartlett Theater , The Pub , and a classroom wing , which was added in the 1920s . Arthur Cleveland Coxe was closely affiliated with the school . The building was designed by Clinton and Russell Architects . Scandling Campus Center , named after William F . Scandling , alumni of Hobart College , is the central hub of student life . Scandling , renovated and expanded in 2009 , houses Saga ( the dining hall ) , the post office , offices of student activities , a cafe , and Vandervort room ( a large event space ) . Gulick Hall , was built in 1951 as part of the post - war " mini - boom " that also included the construction of the Hobart " mini - quad " dormitories Durfee , Bartlett , and Hale ( each named for a 19th Century Hobart College president ) . Gulick Hall originally housed the campus dining services and , later , the Office of the Registrar . Completely renovated in 1991 , Gulick now houses both the Office of the Registrar and the Psychology department , which was moved from Smith Hall in 1991 prior to its renovation in 1992 . Stern Hall , completed in 2004 , houses the political science , anthropology / sociology , and economics departments . Smith Hall , built in 1907 , originally housed both the Biology and Psychology Departments . It is now home to the Dean ' s Offices of both colleges , along with the departmental offices of Writing and Rhetoric and the various modern language departments . Smith Hall was the first building constructed with funds from William Smith on the William Smith College campus , but it is also the first building that has always been shared by both colleges . Williams Hall , completed in 1907 , housed the first campus gymnasium and , after the construction of Bristol gymnasium , served several other lives as campus post office , book store , and , presently , home of the Music Department and IT services . Demarest Hall , connected to St . John ' s Chapel by St . Mark ' s Tower , houses the departments of Religious Studies , Philosophy , and English and Comparative Literature . Also home to the Blackwell Room , named in honor of Dr . Elizabeth Blackwell , Demarest was designed by Richard Upjohn ' s son , Richard M . Upjohn . ( Upjohn ' s grandson , Hobart Upjohn would design several of the College ' s buildings as well ) . Demarest served as the College ' s library until the construction of the Warren Hunting Smith Library in the early 1970s . In the 1960s it was expanded to hold the College ' s growing number of volumes . Trinity Hall built in 1837 , was the second of the colleges ' buildings . Trinity Hall was designed by college president Benjamin Hale , who taught architecture . Trinity served as a dormitory and a library , but it was converted into a space for classrooms , labs , and offices later in the 19th century . It presently is home to the Salisbury Center for Career Services . Merrit Hall , completed in 1879 , was built on the ruins of the old medical college . Merrit was the first science building on campus and housed the chemistry labs . Merrit also housed a clock atop the quad side of the building . On the eve of the Hobart centennial in 1922 , students climbed to the top and made the bell strike 100 times . Merrit Hall was also one of the first buildings shared by Hobart and William Smith . Today Merrit Hall houses a lecture hall and faculty offices . St . John ' s Chapel , designed by Richard Upjohn the architect of Trinity Church in New York City , served as the religious hub of the campus , replacing Polynomous , the original campus chapel . In the 1960s , St . John ' s was connected to Demarest Hall by St . Marks Tower . Houghton House , the mansion , known for its Victorian elements , is home to the Art and Architecture departments . The country mansion was built in the 1880s by William J . King . It was purchased in 1901 by the wife of Charles Vail ( maiden name Helen Houghton ) , Hobart graduate and professor , as the family ' s summer home . Mrs . Vail remodeled the Victorian mansion ' s interior to the present classical decor in 1913 . The family ' s " town home " is 624 S . Main Street and is now the Sigma Phi fraternity . Helen Vail ' s heirs donated the house and its grounds to the colleges to be used as a woman ' s dormitory . After many years as a student dorm , the house became home to the art department after the original art studio was razed to make way for the new Scandling Campus Center . The building is now home to the Davis Art Gallery , with lecture rooms , multiple faculty offices , and architecture studios on the top floor . Katherine D . Elliot Hall , was constructed in 2006 . The " Elliot " houses contains art classrooms ; offices ; studios for painting , photography , and printing ; and wood and metal shops . Goldstein Family Carriage House , was built by William J . King in 1882 and was renovated in 2006 to house a digital imaging lab and a photo studio with a darkroom for black - and - white photography . Warren Hunting Smith Library , in the center of the campus , houses 385 , 000 volumes , 12 , 000 periodicals , and more than 8 , 000 VHS and DVD videos . In 1997 , the library underwent a major renovation , undergoing several improvements , such the addition of multimedia centers , and the addition to its south side of the L . Thomas Melly Academic Center , a spacious , modern location for " round the clock " study . Napier Hall , attached to the Rosenberg Hall , houses several classrooms and was completed in 1994 . Rosenberg Hall , named for Henry A . Rosenberg ( Hobart ' 52 ) , is an annex of Lansing and Eaton Hall , the original science buildings . Rosenberg houses many labs and offices . Lansing Hall , built in 1954 , is home to Sciences and Mathematics . The building is named for John Ernest Lansing , Professor of Chemistry ( 1905 – 1948 ) , who twice served as acting president . Eaton Hall , is named for Elon Howard Eaton , Professor of Biology ( 1908 – 1935 ) . Eaton , one of New York ' s outstanding ornithologists , was one of the professors brought to campus with William Smith grant funds . He received the Distinguished Faculty Award in 1992 . Eaton Hall is a part of the science complex at the south end of the Hobart Quad , which consists of Lansing , Rosenberg , and Napier . Dormitories . Men ' s dorms . Medbery Hall , is an original Hobart College dorm dating from the 1900 . Medbery defines the right side of the Hobart Quadrangle . Designed by Clinton and Russell architects at the same time as Coxe Hall , the two buildings share similarity in their Jacobian Gothic style . Medbery is adorned with a recognizable Flemish roofline . Medbery was designed without long hallways " conductive to rioting " and mischief , such as rolling a cannon ball down the hallway . Such mischief was experienced in the other two dormitories on campus , Geneva and Trinity Halls . Geneva Hall , built in 1822 , is the college ' s first building , and the cornerstone site designated by the School ' s founder , Bishop John Henry Hobart . The building is one of the oldest academic building in continuous use , having served as a dormitory , among other uses , since its completion . The building has inscribed into its quoins , and alongside the perimeter of its facade , plaques which list the graduates of classes dating back to the 19th century . The Mini Quad , consisting of three building , Durfee , Hale , and Bartlett , houses about 150 Hobart students . In the 2006 / 2007 academic year , Hale was made the temporary home to one floor of William Smith students . Hale Hall is named for Benjamin Hale , president of Hobart College from 1836 to 1858 . Bartlett Hall was named after the Reverend Murray Bartlett , who served as fourteenth president of Hobart College from 1919 to 1936 Durfee Hall was named after William Pitt Durfee , who from 1884 to 1929 served as Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Mathematics Department . He was the first dean of a liberal arts college and served as acting president of the Colleges four times . Women ' s dorms . Blackwell House was designed and built in 1860 by Richard Upjohn as a residence for William Douglass , who served as a trustee of Hobart College . The house was purchased in 1908 as the first William Smith dormitory . The house still houses William Smith students and is known for its grand Victorian features from fireplaces , to chandeliers , to large old windows . Comstock House was designed by Richard Upjohn ' s grandson , Hobart Upjohn , in 1932 . Comstock is a women ' s dormitory named for Anna Botsford Comstock , friend of William Smith and the first woman to be named a member of the Board of Trustees . Miller House was William Smith College ' s second dormitory . Miller was designed by Arthur Nash , professor and grandson of Arthur Cleveland Coxe . Nash also designed Smith Hall and Williams Hall . Hirshson House , completed in 1962 , was named for the president of the colleges , Dr . Louis Melbourne Hirshson , the last Episcopal clegy person to serve in that capacity . The building is home to William Smith students . Coed dorms . Jackson , Potter , Rees , together known as JPR for short ( and once dubbed " superdorm " ) , the three identical buildings create their own quad in the south end of campus . The dorms were built in 1966 and are named after various historical figures of Hobart College . The complex houses about 230 first - year and upper class Hobart and William Smith students . The building was completely renovated in 2005 to include quad living spaces ( two double bed rooms connected by a common living room ) and open lounge spaces and lounges on every floor . Jackson Hall is named for Abner Jackson , president of the Hobart in the middle of the 19th century . Jackson would go on to become president of Trinity College in Connecticut , where he would be the principal designer of its present campus . Rees Hall is named for Major James Rees , an early settler and landowner in Geneva and an acquaintance of George Washington . Potter Hall is named for John Milton Potter , President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges from 1942 to 1947 . " The Village at Odells Pond " is a collection of apartment style dorms that are available to upperclassmen at the colleges . The units have either four or five bedrooms , 2 bathrooms , a living room and a kitchen . The surrounding ecosystem plays a major role in the Colleges ' curriculum and acquisitions . The Colleges own the Hanley Biological Field Station and Preserve on neighboring Cayuga Lake and hosts the Finger Lakes Institute , a non - profit institute focusing on education and ecological preservation for the Finger Lakes area . On Seneca Lake one will find the " William Scandling " , a Hobart and William Smith research vessel used to monitor lake conditions and in the conduct of student and faculty research . The Colleges also own and operate WEOS - FM and WHWS - LP , public radio stations broadcasting throughout the Finger Lakes and worldwide , on the web . Coordinate system . While publicized in tandem as " Hobart and William Smith Colleges " and informally referred to as " The Colleges " ( an informal handle drawn from the corporate name ) , each college has retained its separate identity , while integrating many aspects of student life in an arrangement called the " Coordinate System " . When many single - sex institutions became co - ed in the 1960s and ' 70s , the colleges chose to maintain two separate entities , joined together in order to work as a whole . The choice is symbolized in the campus sculpture of a scissors embedded in the lawn south of the library . The colleges share most administrative offices ( there is only one president ' s office , for example ) they maintain separate deans ' offices , athletics programs , student governments and , until recently , admissions offices . Even some regulations about student life vary . Hobart College allows fraternities and Greek organizations while William Smith does not allow sororities . A male graduate receives a degree from Hobart College and a female graduate from William Smith College . Alums are always referred to in the single - sex sense of the word , as " alumnae and alumni " and any reference to the institution is always in the plural ( " colleges " ) . Each college celebrates its own traditions . During the academic year , William Smith College celebrates annual events such as Founder ' s Day and Moving Up Day . Hobart has Charter Day , which celebrates the 1822 founding and its own honor societies : The Druid Society for seniors ( founded 1903 ) , Chimera Society ( juniors , 1910 ) and Orange Key ( sophomores , 1926 ) . The William Smith Senior Honor Society is Hai Timai ( " Honored Women " in Greek ) . Each society has specific roles and functions on campus . Academics . Hobart and William Smith Colleges offer degrees in Bachelor of Arts , Bachelor of Science , and Master of Arts in Teaching . The colleges follow the semester calendar and have a student to faculty ratio of 11 : 1 . The colleges are known for the number of students that study abroad for a semester during the academic year ; in recent years , between 40 % and 60 % of students have spent at least one semester studying off - campus . The Colleges have long been recognized for the high quality of their education and in 1961 were National Champions on the GE College Bowl , one of only three institutions in the United States to achieve this distinction at the time . In 2004 , a William Smith student was selected as a Rhodes Scholar . From 2001 to 2004 , Hobart and William Smith Colleges saw the publication of a literary magazine , SCRY ! : A Nexus of Politics and the Arts . Under the editorial supervision of Binh Nguyen ( Hobart ' 04 ) , the magazine included contributions from both professionals and students . The Canadian poet / classicist Anne Carson appeared twice . John O ' Brien , the founder of The Center for Book Culture , contributed . Award - winning on - campus writers , such as Jim Crenner , David Weiss , Deborah Tall and James McCorkle , submitted original poems . There were writings and artworks by students as well . Elizabeth Blackwell Award . Given in her memory , the Elizabeth Blackwell Award is presented periodically by Hobart and William Smith Colleges to a woman who has demonstrated " outstanding service to humankind . " Its recipients have included Secretary of State Madeleine Albright ( 2001 ) , tennis great Billie Jean King ( 1998 ) , Wilma Mankiller ( 1996 ) , first woman chief of the Cherokee Nation ; U . S . Congressperson Barbara Jordan ( 1993 ) , U . S . Senator Margaret Chase Smith ( 1991 ) , former Surgeon General Antonia Novello ( 1991 ) , Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O ' Connor ( 1985 ) , and Fe del Mundo , first Asia n woman admitted to the Harvard Medical School ( 1966 ) , among many others . President ' s Forum . Each semester , Hobart and William Smith sponsors a series of guest lectures . The most prominent , the President ' s Forum , established in 2000 , is hosted by President Mark Gearan . The forum has included Howard Dean , Cornel West , Karen Dewitt , Ralph Nader , Hillary Clinton , Billy Colins , Eric Liu , and Alan Keyes , among other prominent names . Publications . Echo and Pine is the annual student produced college yearbook . Originally two separate publications , the Hobart Echo of Seneca , and the William Smith Pine , the two merged in the 1960s to create one publication to serve both colleges . The Herald , is the student run school newspaper . Originally founded in the late 19th century as the Hobart Herald . The Pulteney St . Survey is the official magazine of Hobart and William Smith Colleges . martini is the alternative student publication at Hobart & William Smith Colleges . Characteristically spelled with all lowercase letters , it provides a witty and critical look at music , politics , and social issues in a style that aspires to be " crisp , clean , and hard hitting . " martini is published bi - weekly . Thel is the Colleges ' literary magazine . Aleph is a journal of international travel , rooted in the colleges ' strong study abroad program . Music . Collegiate ensembles . Hobart and William Smith has a number of ensemble groups , including : Colleges Chorale , which is a mixed ensemble comprising the finest vocal talent on the campus . The students accepted into this 45 - voice ensemble have gone through a careful audition process involving evaluation of both vocal technique and musicianship . The Chorale performs a wide range of a cappella choral repertoire — music from the Middle Ages to the present day . In addition to a formal concert at the end of each semester and the annual spring tour , the Colleges Chorale performs at various campus events throughout the year . Each Spring the group takes a four - day tour . Recent tour destinations have included New York City , Philadelphia , Washington , D . C . , and Boston . Cantori is a chamber vocal ensemble comprising members from the larger Colleges Chorale . Since the group ' s formation in 1993 , the sixteen - member Cantori has sought to foster contemporary choral music through the Cantori Commissioning Project - the annual commissioning and performance of a new work by a deserving American composer . Guitar Ensemble , Under the direction of Kenneth Meyer Jazz Ensemble , Under the direction of Bob Barbuto Brass Ensemble , Under the direction of Jim Trowbridge String Ensemble , Woodwind Ensemble Percussion Ensemble , Which frequently includes performers from other colleges . Hobartones , Hobart College ' s student - run all - male a cappella group . Three Miles Lost , William Smith College ' s student - run all - female a cappella group Perfect Third , HWS ' s student run , coed a cappella group . Greek life . Greek life has been integral to Hobart College historically . While William Smith has no sororities , Hobart has several active Chapters of Greek societies . Chi Phi , Upsilon Chapter ; Delta Chi , Hobart Chapter ; Kappa Alpha Society , CH - NY Beta ; Kappa Sigma , Delta - Phi Chapter ; Phi Sigma Kappa , Psi Triton Chapter ; and Theta Delta Chi , Xi Charge . Hobart used to be the home of several now inactive fraternities including , Pi Lambda Phi , Sigma Chi , Beta Sigma , Phi Phi Delta , Tau Kappa Epsilon , Phi Kappa Tau and Sigma Phi Society . Athletics . Originally known as the Hobart Deacons , Hobart ' s athletic teams became known as the " Statesmen " in 1936 , following the football team ' s season opener against Amherst College . The morning after the game , " The New York Times " referred to the team as " the statesmen from Geneva , " and the name stuck . The nickname for William Smith ' s athletic teams comes from a contest held in 1982 . Several names were submitted , but " Heron s " was selected because of the strong and graceful birds that lived at nearby Odell ' s Pond . These ominous birds frequently flew over the athletic fields as the teams were practicing . Hobart and William Smith recently finished construction on the state of the art Caird Center for Sports and Recreation , which is now home to most of its athletics teams . Hobart ' s archrival in football is Union College in Schenectady , New York . Other team rivalries include Rensselaer ( football , basketball ) ; Rochester ( football ) ; Elmira and Manhattanville ( hockey ) ; Cornell ( one of the oldest in lacrosse ) , Syracuse and Georgetown ( lacrosse ) ; and Colgate University ( crew ) . William Smith has rivalries in St . Lawrence ( lacrosse , basketball , field hockey ) , Union ( soccer , field hockey , basketball , lacrosse ) , Hamilton ( field hockey , basketball and lacrosse ) and Ithaca ( crew ) . Hobart sponsors 11 varsity programs ( basketball , crew , cross country , football , golf , hockey , lacrosse , sailing , soccer , squash , tennis ) , while William Smith also sponsors 11 varsity programs ( basketball , crew , cross country , field hockey , golf , lacrosse , sailing , soccer , squash , swimming & diving , and tennis ) . The colleges compete in NCAA Division III , with the exception of men ' s lacrosse , which competes in the Division I ECAC Lacrosse League . The storied Statesmen lacrosse team has compiled sixteen national championships ( 1 USILA , 2 NCAA Division II , and 13 NCAA Division III ) . The William Smith field hockey team has captured three national championships , ascending to the top of Division III in 1992 , 1997 and 2000 . The lone coed team , the HWS sailing team is a member of the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association . In 2005 , the Colleges won the Inter - Collegiate Sailing Association Team Race National Championship and the ICSA Coed Dinghy National Championship . The William Smith soccer team was the first Heron squad to capture a national championship , winning the 1988 title bout with a 1 – 0 victory over University of California , San Diego . The Hobart Crew team has also found success recently , earning medals at the Head of The Charles Regatta , the ECAC National Invitational Regatta , and the IRA National Championships . While the Hobart Crew team has won gold in every event they have entered since the inception of rowing as a Liberty League Sport , they failed to win the team championships only once ( 2004 . ) The eventual champions , Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , were known for having a large team and only able to defeat the Statesmen by securing a win in the 2nd Varsity 8 + - the only event that Hobart did not have an entry . The Crew Team took part in the Henley Royal Regatta in Henley , England in the summer of 2011 . The colleges ' main conference affiliation is with the Liberty League with the following exceptions : Hobart hockey competes in the ECAC West ; Hobart lacrosse competes in the ECAC Lacrosse League ; and the William Smith golf team is an independent . Notable alumni . Notable alumni of Geneva Academy ( 1794 – 1825 ) . Horatio Seymour ( 1823 – 1825 ) 18th Governor of New York , Democratic candidate for 1868 President against Ulysses S . Grant