Amherst College Main Navigation Gateways Tools &amp; Resources Search MENU Bicentennial Since 1821, Amherst has prepared critical and creative thinkers for lives of purpose and discovery. That tradition continues; today, academic and inclusive excellence readies our students to tackle the complex challenges of the 21st century. Section Menu We embarked on planning for the College's 200-year birthday nearly two years ago. While the Bicentennial celebration kicked off quite differently than we'd imagined, this website offers an engaging, physically distanced way to enjoy the Bicentennial and the history of Amherst right now. Enjoy this site as a starting point from which to explore some of Amherst's past, learn more about Amherst today, and glimpse our aspirations for our third century. Amherst College Timeline Click and drag the timeline (at the bottom) to the decade you wish to view. Click the magnifying glass to expand the spacing between the years and make the items easier to read. Click the icon in the upper right corner to expand the timeline to a full-screen view. We have also prepared a web-accessible version of this timeline. Note: This timeline isn’t intended to be an exhaustive list but rather a sample of Amherst events and happenings. If you are interested in learning more about Amherst’s history, please visit the Amherst College Archives or explore the many sources of information on Amherst College Digital Collections. Amherst has been here for 200 years, cheerleading in its own way for reason, understanding, conversation and community. It will continue to give students an unrivaled opportunity to absorb the ideas and the values essential not only to personal success but also to creating the world we say we want.” — BIDDY MARTIN, President of Amherst College Latest from the Bicentennial The Bicentennial Collection For the Bicentennial, we explored the College’s extensive archives for beautiful, interesting and fun designs. We hope you enjoy these reimagined items and the Amherst history that inspired them. See the photos & read the stories The Bicentennial Podcast Amherst at 200: Celebrating Mind, Heart, and Community, narrated by Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jeffrey Wright ’87, showcases the stories of graduates from 70 years ago until the present. Learn more & subscribe Bicentennial Shop Celebrate the Bicentennial with books and other items commemorating the first two centuries of Amherst College! LEARN ABOUT THE BOOKS MERCHANDISE AT AJ HASTINGS Bicentennial Events We planned a series of Bicentennial events this year, including The Bicentennial Party, which provided an opportunity for our community to celebrate this historic milestone for the College! LEARN ABOUT OUR EVENTS SEE THE SLIDESHOW Architecture: Making Time Visible NOVEMBER 9, 2021 What do the buildings at Amherst College tell us about the values and visions of their creators? Follow Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Blair Kamin ’79 as he takes us on a historical and philosophical tour of campus. Bicentennial Essays & News Nine Writers on What Amherst Means to Them For the fall 2021 issue of Amherst magazine, commissioned nine essays from alumni authors about the College’s influence on their lives. Travel back in time to the seconds after a hard row, to a Cuban meal cooked with two professors, to a treasured year in the land of open doors, and more. Read the Stories See the Fall 2021 Issue of Amherst magazine More News Stories Read the latest Bicentennial-related news stories from around campus, including the Commencement of the Bicentennial Class, a 1896 baseball game with future Hall of Famers and excerpts from Eye, Mind, Heart: A View of Amherst College at 200. Read the News To See Amherst Feeling at Its Flood-Tide Read the story behind the College’s 1921 Centennial celebration, which, at 7,000 atendees, was the biggest event in Amherst’s history. READ THE STORY The Three Prophecies of Alexander Meiklejohn Robert Howard '76 looks back at June 22, 1921, to a remarkable speech given at Amherst’s centennial celebration by the college’s then-president, Alexander Meiklejohn. READ THE ESSAY Examining our Past From laying the South College cornerstone in 1820, to weathering the hurricane of 1938, to voting in favor of coeducation in 1974 and beyond, Amherst’s history has been marked by meeting the challenges of its time. Explore Our Archives & Photo Sliders Find student newspapers, audio recordings, speeches and more from our extensive archives. And look back at some of the ways the College has changed over 200 years—and some ways it’s stayed the same—with our Then & Now photos. COLLEGE HISTORY PHOTOS: THEN & NOW Looking to our Future In celebrating our past, we also look ahead. As was true at its founding, Amherst’s commitments to opportunity and quality education continue to depend upon vision, curiosity, diversity and willingness to face the challenges of a changing world. Promise: The Campaign for Amherst’s Third Century The Promise campaign promotes the enduring values of liberal arts education. It seeks, as well, to reinvent aspects of the liberal arts to meet the needs of current and future generations of students. Learn More & Give A Changing Campus From new building projects across campus to a Climate Action Plan that aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, see how Amherst is well-positioned to preserve liberal arts education in the 21st century and beyound. See the Transformation Games and Quizzes Test your Amherst knowledge and have some fun with interactive Bicentennial games! GAMES AND QUIZZES AMHERST AT 200 Contact Us WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU Contact us with your ideas and questions at: bicentennial@amherst.edu BICENTENNIAL MANAGER Rebecca Kennedy rbkennedy@amherst.edu 413-542-5908 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL FOR MORE @AmherstCollege on Twitter Amherst on Facebook Amherst on Instagram Amherst in the 21st Century Carolyn “Biddy” Martin Named 19th Amherst College President In June 2011, Carolyn “Biddy” Martin was elected the 19th president of Amherst College, having served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2008 and as Cornell University’s provost from 2000 to 2008. LEARN MORE Previous Next Hear from Our Archivists The Consecrated Eminence is the blog of the Archives and Special Collections of Amherst College, where archivists share treasures and oddities they find in Amherst’s collections. It highlights both new acquisitions and materials that have been part of the collections for decades. THE CONSECRATED EMINENCE Amherst College 220 South Pleasant Street Amherst, MA 01002 Contact Us (413) 542-2000 Contact Us Map & Directions Social Links More Navigation CALENDARS DIVERSITY EMPLOYMENT MAJORS TITLE IX TUITION & FEES APPLY GIVE Emergency A-Z Index Accessibility Copyright Terms & Conditions Jump to top of page PERMALINK https://www.amherst.edu/mm/569087