Hamilton College ( New York ) Hamilton College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton , New York , United States . Founded as a boys ' school in 1793 , it was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812 . It has been coeducational since 1978 , when it merged with its sister school of Kirkland College . Hamilton is sometimes referred to as the " College on the Hill . " One of the " Little Ivies , " Hamilton was ranked 16th in the nation among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2013 " U . S . News and World Report . " History . Hamilton began in 1793 as the Hamilton - Oneida Academy , a seminary founded by Samuel Kirkland as part of his missionary work with the Oneida tribe . The seminary admitted both white and Oneida boys . Kirkland named it in honor of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton , who was a member of the first Board of Trustees of the Hamilton - Oneida Academy . The Academy became Hamilton College in 1812 , making it the third oldest college in New York after Columbia and Union . It had expanded to a four - year college curriculum . In 1978 , the all - male Hamilton College merged with the women ' s Kirkland College , founded by Hamilton across the road in the 1960s . The main public reason for the merger was Kirkland ' s imminent insolvency , because women now favored co - education . It took nearly 7 years to complete the merger ; women could get a Kirkland diploma instead of a Hamilton diploma until 1979 . The original Hamilton campus is often called the " light side " or " north side " of campus . The original side of campus was once called " Stryker Campus " after its former president , Melancthon Woolsey Stryker ( or incorrectly " Striker Campus " ) . On the other side of College Hill Road , the original Kirkland campus is called the " dark side " or the " south side . " Since the 1970s , Hamilton has been a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference ( or the NESCAC ) ( despite technically being outside New England ) . This conference also includes Amherst , Bates , Bowdoin , Colby , Connecticut College , Middlebury , Trinity , Tufts , Wesleyan , and Williams . Rivalries with many of these schools , Middlebury in particular , predate the conference . Campus . During the summer of 2006 , the school completed a new science building . The art department has separate studios for each of the studio arts taught , most of which are being renovated . Hamilton ' s athletic facilities include an ice rink , swimming pool , several athletics fields , a golf course , a three - story climbing wall , and a 10 Court Squash Center . Carol Woodhouse Wellin Performance Hall . The 700 - seat hall hosts the College Orchestra conducted by Heather Buchman , Hamilton College Choir , College Hill Singers and Oratorio Society , all directed by G . Roberts Kolb , Jazz Band , and Faculty Dance Concerts as well as guest artists from around the globe . The Sage Rink . Hamilton College ’ s Sage Rink is America ' s second oldest indoor collegiate hockey rink after Northeastern University ' s Matthews Arena . It was financed by the widow of industrialist Russell Sage , whose name graces a number of Central New York college edifices , including Russell Sage College . In addition to Continental men ' s and women ' s teams , youth hockey , high school teams , adult amateur efforts and the famous Clinton Comets , who dominated the semi - professional Eastern Hockey League in the 1960s and early 1970s , have played at the Sage Rink . It was renovated in 1993 , when it got better lighting , ice - making equipment , and structural enhancements . The rink houses the college ' s Men ' s and Women ' s varsity hockey teams , intramural ice hockey , physical education classes , and local youth hockey games . Bristol Swimming Pool . Completed in 1988 , the pool was christened by a Guinness Book of World Records setting event in April 1989 when the world ' s longest swim relay was completed in the Bristol pool . Steuben Field . Home to the Hamilton College football team , Steuben Field was founded in 1897 , and is one of the ten oldest collegiate football fields in the United States . In Summer 2009 , the field received a renovation that included the installation of FieldTurf and a new scoreboard . The field is now home to Men ' s and Women ' s Lacrosse as recently as the 2010 spring season . Litchfield Observatory . IAU code 789 , from which C . H . F . Peters discovered some 48 asteroids . The observatory burned down but is currently marked on campus by its telescope mount outside of the Suida Admissions and Financial Aid House . The current observatory , a quarter of a mile from campus , is powered by solar energy and is open for student use . The existing observatory , located 100 feet from College Hill Road , was built with rock from the same quarry as the original building . Hamilton College Chapel . The Hamilton College Chapel is a historically protected landmark and is the only three - story chapel still standing in America . The chapel is topped by a signature quill pen weather vane , which represents Hamilton College ' s long standing commitment to producing graduates with exceptional writing and communication abilities . Kirkland Cottage . The cottage was the original residence of Samuel Kirkland when he began his missionary work to the Oneida . The cottage is completely original , although it was moved from its original location on Kirkland ' s property ( known today as Harding Farm ) to its current place on the main quadrangle of the Hamilton Side . The cottage is currently used for matriculation ceremonies . Birthplace of Elihu Root . At one time serving as the residence of the Oren Root family , the house was the birthplace of Elihu Root , who served as Secretary of State and won the 1912 Nobel Peace Prize . Built in 1812 , the house served as the student dining hall for Hamilton College . In 1834 it was adapted as a residence for Horatio Buttrick , superintendent of the Buildings and Grounds Department and college registrar . After his daughter married Oren Root , he allowed the young couple to take over the house . Their son Elihu Root was born there . The house has since been renamed Buttrick Hall . It serves provides office space for the President of the College and the Dean of Faculty . Elihu Root House . The Elihu Root House originally belonged to Elihu Root , who used it as his summer house . It was next used by the Office of Admission . As of September 2009 , it houses the Dean of Students Office , the Registrar , and the department of Residential Life . Academics . Hamilton currently offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in any of over 50 areas of concentration . Additionally , Hamilton students may study abroad . The College runs programs in China , France , and Spain , as well as domestic programs in New York City and Washington , DC . Hamilton is well known for its " open " curriculum , for which there are no distributional requirements ; students have nearly total freedom over their course selection . Grinell College , Brown University , Amherst College and Smith College are other institutions with such a policy . The college has long adhered to an academic honor code . Every student matriculating at Hamilton must sign a pledge to observe the Honor Code , and many examinations are not proctored . Hamilton has been part of the SAT optional movement for undergraduate admission since 2002 . Hamilton gives applicants different ways to meet the Standardized Testing Requirements , including a choice of SAT I , ACT and combination of three SAT IIs . For the Class of 2014 , of those who had high schools that ranked , 80 % of the students were in the top ten percent of their class . Among those who submitted SAT I scores ( majority ) , the average was 1410 for combined reading and math , and 710 for the writing section . Rankings . In 2012 , " U . S . News & World Report " ranked Hamilton the 16th best national liberal arts college in the United States . Hamilton is ranked as a " more selective " school by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and as a " most selective " school by " US News " . In April 2011 , Hamilton was listed as the 2nd best college in America for writers ( after Emory University and before Johns Hopkins , MIT and NYU ) by USA Today / CollegeDegree . com . For 2010 – 2011 , " Kiplinger " ranked Hamilton 9th in terms of " Best Value among Liberal Arts Colleges in the US , " which took into account academic quality , cost and financial aid measures . Hamilton is ranked 6th in a similar measure by " U . S . News & World Report . " Princeton Review ' s 2011 " Best 373 Colleges " Guide ( based on student surveys ) gave Hamilton high ratings of 97 ( out of 100 ) for both academics and selectivity . It was among the few colleges listed that provided the " best classroom experience . " The Review , along with USA Today , also lists Hamilton as one of 2009 ' s Top 50 Private Colleges for Best Value . Hamilton is highlighted in two books ; it appears in " The Hidden Ivies : 50 Top Colleges from Amherst to Williams That Rival the Ivy League " and " Hidden Ivies : Thirty Colleges of Excellence . " In 2012 , Hamilton was ranked as the 10th Best Value College in the Nation by the " Princeton Review . " Student life and traditions . The current Hamilton College campus consists of the combined Hamilton and Kirkland college campuses . It has three large wooded areas , known as the Root glen , Rogers glen , and the Kirkland glen . In the mid - 1990s , the administration required all underclassmen to live in college housing rather than in fraternity or sorority houses , ultimately resulting in the closure of all fraternity houses and the Emerson Literary Society ' s house . It created new social spaces for student use , improved funding for on - campus events , and pursued several other social life changes . The new policy was controversial , especially the administration ' s decision to prohibit the fraternities from using their houses . Thus , the majority of fraternities concluded they had no choice but to sell their houses to the college , though some fraternities refused to sell their houses until well into the next decade . As the college purchased the houses , it has carried out extensive renovations . The college has revoked or suspended the charters of a few fraternities for extreme behavior , because of their causing additional controversy among the students and alumni . Housing . Nearly all students live in college - owned dorms . The residence halls have a variety of styles , including former fraternity houses , suites , apartment style housing , and more traditional dormitory - style housing . Hamilton offers a cooperative living option to students , as well as substance - free and quiet housing . All residence halls are co - ed ; some have single - sex floors . In October 2010 , the College adopted a gender - neutral housing policy , wherein students of either sex may room together in rooms designated for two or more students . Societies . Eleven fraternities , seven sororities , and one co - ed society are active on the Hamilton College campus . Greek organizations maintain a significant ( but not overwhelming ) social presence , despite being non - residential since 1995 . These fraternities include two of the " Union Triad " : Delta Phi and Sigma Phi . They consist of Alpha Delta Phi ( founded at Hamilton College ) , Chi Psi , Delta Chi , Delta Kappa Epsilon , Delta Phi , Delta Upsilon , Lambda Upsilon Lambda , Psi Upsilon , Sigma Phi , Tau Kappa Epsilon and Theta Delta Chi . The sororities are Alpha Chi Lambda , Alpha Theta Chi , Gamma Xi , Kappa Delta Omega , Kappa Sigma Alpha , Sigma Lambda Upsilon , and Phi Beta Chi . While all of the fraternities on campus are affiliated with national organizations , only one sorority ( Omega Phi Beta ) has a national affiliation . The other six sororities are unique to Hamilton . Lambda Chi Alpha existed at Hamilton until 1958 . Generally , events sponsored by Greek organizations occur on campus and are open to all students . Hamilton also has a co - ed , non - Greek social society : the Emerson Literary Society . Campus media . WHCL - FM - During the academic year , Hamilton students , faculty , and community members produce a variety of music , news , sports , and talk radio programs at FM frequency 88 . 7 . The station is available through most of the Mohawk Valley region and online at whcl . org . It is the only radio station in Clinton . " The Spectator , " Hamilton College ' s primary news publication , is published weekly . It is distributed in the campus dining halls , mail center , and library . " The Spectator " covers campus , local , and national news as well as Hamilton sports and campus life . The paper can be found online at http : / / students . hamilton . edu / spectator . " The Daily Bull " is a daily bulletin that caters to campus counterculture . It is noted for being printed on yellow legal size paper , and is distributed on dining hall tables every morning . " The Wag " is Hamilton ' s semi - annual satire magazine , published near the end of every semester . It features written and graphical satire of campus news and life . " The Wag " has also produced short feature films about the " Hamilton experience " in the past . " The Duel Observer " is a weekly humor and satire publication . Founded by Tom Keane ' 03 , David Schwartz ' 02 , and James Robbins ' 05 , it has adopted the format of a parody newspaper ( e . g . " The Onion " ) . The name refers to the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton which resulted in Hamilton ' s death . HamPoll is Hamilton ' s polling organization , which regularly surveys students and faculty on various campus and academic issues . Recent surveys have asked about relationship dynamics , evaluations of academic departments , recycling habits , as well as political and social affiliations . " The Continental " is a student - run magazine published a few times a semester ; it features fashion advice , party photos , and articles on a variety of subjects . " Red Weather " is the college literary magazine , dedicated to promoting the literary arts on campus by printing a variety of student - authored poetry and fiction ; it is published twice a year . " The Green Apple " is named for one of the symbols of Kirkland College ; it features short stories , poetry , and op - eds , and is printed on green legal - sized paper . Traditions . Class and Charter Day : On the last day of spring term classes , all afternoon classes are canceled for a campus wide picnic and party . Additionally , a ceremony is held during which students , faculty , and other members of the Hamilton community are recognized for their academic , leadership , and community - development accomplishments . During the ceremony , chosen students are also inducted into Hamilton ' s three prestigious honor societies : Doers and Thinkers ( 13 rising sophomores ) , Was Los ( 6 rising juniors ) , and Pentagon ( 5 rising seniors ) . Class and Charter Day is also the biggest party day of the year at Hamilton . The popular " G - Road " party which took place on this day became so infamous for underage drinking and over - indulgence that the college chose to ban the party for Class and Charter Day ' 09 . Citrus Bowl : The Citrus Bowl is the first men ' s home hockey game of the season . Traditionally the game was called the Orange Bowl , and upon the first Hamilton - scored goal , oranges that students had smuggled into the rink were thrown onto the ice at the visiting goalie . This often resulted in a delay - of - game penalty against Hamilton while the ice was cleaned . In recent years , the orange throwing has been banned by the College administration and by NESCAC officials , but the event is still well attended . Orange T - shirts commemorating the event have been distributed in recent years . FebFest : Rooted in the long - standing tradition of the winter carnival at Hamilton , FebFest is a relatively recent revival . A week - long combination of performances , parties , free food , fireworks , and various other events , FebFest intends to keep student morale high during the winter . Over the years , bands ranging from the Steve Miller Band to Ghostface Killah have performed as a part of festivities . May Day Music Festival : Started in 2004 , May Day is an outdoor music festival sponsored by several on - campus organizations , including the Hamilton College Independent Music Fund , WHCL , and the Hamilton College Campus Activities Board . Past performers have included : Citizen Cope , The New Pornographers , The Pharcyde , Dead Meadow , Tim Reynolds , Chromeo , Jennifer Gentle , Rainer Maria , Ted Leo , The Unicorns , J - Live , Catch - 22 , Sleater - Kinney , Stroke 9 , and Eve 6 . The name refers to the fact that the festival is staged in early May or late April . HamTrek : Started in 2004 , HamTrek is an annual sprint - triathlon consisting of a 525 - yard swim , 9 - mile bike ride , and 3 . 1 - mile run . Participants can compete individually , in unisex teams of 3 , or co - ed teams of 3 . Prizes are awarded to the winners of the different competing groups . In the late 2000 ' s , HamTrek introduced a fund raising component to benefit the Shawn Grady Memorial Fund . Also , many athletic coaches now require their teams to compete . HamTrek takes place on Class and Charter Day . 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 29 sports , including : Baseball ( M ) , Basketball ( M & W ) , Crew ( M & W ) , Cross Country ( M & W ) , Field Hockey ( W ) , Football ( M ) , Golf ( M & W ) , 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 ) . Before the 1993 - 94 academic year , Hamilton ' s sports teams could not participate in any national postseason tournaments . The rule was changed that year , allowing Hamilton to participate in Division III tournaments in various sports . On May 18 , 2008 , Hamilton won its first NCAA championship , when its women ' s lacrosse team defeated Franklin & Marshall 13 - 6 in the finals of the NCAA tournament . About 30 % of Hamilton ' s student body participate in its athletic programs . In addition to varsity sports , Hamilton sponsors several club sports and intramural activities each year . Club sports include alpine skiing , curling , equestrianism , figure skating , men ' s rugby , women ' s rugby , tae kwon do , ultimate frisbee , and women ' s golf . In 2008 the men ' s rugby team placed fourth in the national Division III tournament . Hamilton has had a streaking team since 2002 . Hamilton ' s mascot is a Continental , a soldier in America ' s Continental Army of the Revolutionary War . The college ' s colors are buff and blue , the colors of the Continental Army ' s uniforms . The college ' s eponym , Alexander Hamilton , played a central role in the Continental Army as General George Washington ' s Chief of Staff . At many sporting events , Hamilton is represented by the Al - Ham ( an abbreviation of Alexander Hamilton ) pig . The pig , large , anthropomorphic , and dressed in a Hamilton basketball jersey and a Continental soldier ' s tricorn hat , was introduced in the early 2000s in an attempt to boost school spirit and interest in Hamilton ' s athletics program . Rocking Chair Classic : Since 1980 , the annual football game between Hamilton and Middlebury College has been designated the Rocking Chair Classic . The winning team keeps the Mac - Jack Rocking Chair for the following year . The rivalry has been dominated by Middlebury , which has won the last 14 matches . Demographics . Hamilton typically enrolls about 1812 students . Fifty percent are male , and fifty percent are female . The middle 50 % of SAT scores for students at Hamilton is 1350 to 1500 . About 60 % of students come from public school s , and 40 % from private school s ; from 49 U . S . states and 45 countries . Of the applicants who applied to the Class of 2014 , 29 % were accepted . A recent year reported that 5 % of Hamilton students were described as international , 5 % as African - American , 1 % as Native American , 8 % as Asian / Pacific Islander , 4 % Hispanic , 70 % White , and 8 % as unknown ethnicity . Controversies . In 2002 , then - President Eugene Tobin resigned after admitting that he had failed to give proper attribution to quoted material in speeches . In 2005 , efforts to bring the scholar Ward Churchill to speak on campus were controversial , as he had aroused considerable hostility due to his remarks following the 9 / 11 attacks in which he compared the victims to Nazis . His appearance was cancelled due to protests . The college ' s decision in 2004 to hire Sue Rosenberg , a former political radical and ex - convict who had served 16 years in Federal prison for possession of explosives and weapons , was criticized . She was implicated , but not indicted , in the 1981 Brinks robbery during which two policemen and an armed Brinks guard were killed . Professor Robert Paquette complained when an independent student group brought Annie Sprinkle an actress and former porn - star , as a speaker . Paquette later led an attempt to create the Alexander Hamilton Center on campus , but it was unsuccessful . Alumni and faculty . Notable Hamilton alumni include the abolitionist Theodore Weld , Michigan pioneer , writer , geologist , lawyer , lumberman Bela Hubbard ( 1834 ) , US Secretary of State Elihu Root ( 1864 ) , US Vice President James S . Sherman ( 1878 ) , poet Ezra Pound ( 1905 ) , theatre critic Alexander Woollcott ( 1909 ) , jurist and diplomat Philip Jessup ( 1919 ) , psychologist B . F . Skinner ( 1926 ) , Nobel Prize Winner Paul Greengard ( 1948 ) , civil rights leader Bob Moses ( 1956 ) , novelist Terry Brooks ( 1966 ) , playwright Richard Nelson ( 1971 ) , US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack ( 1972 ) , composer Jay Reise ( 1972 ) , Pulitzer - Prize winning composer Melinda Wagner ( 1979 ) , novelist Peter Cameron ( 1982 ) , actor Tony Goldwyn ( 1982 ) , author Garret Kramer ( 1984 ) , novelist Kamila Shamsie , actor and writer for " The Office " Paul Lieberstein ( 1989 ) , actor Grayson McCouch ( 1991 ) , and Academy Award - winning screenwriter Nat Faxon ( 1997 ) . Notable faculty have included philosophers such as Leo Strauss ; writers such as Natalie Babbitt , Alex Haley , and poet Howard Nemerov ; composers such as Jay Reise ; and diplomats and politicians such as Edward S . Walker , Jack F . Matlock , Jr . , and Bernie Sanders . References . Notes