Cornell University

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Cornell University

Role / Field:

An Ivy League research university co-founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White.

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Foundations

Cornell University ( kor-NEL) is a private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson White in 1865. Since its founding, Cornell University has been a co-educational and nonsectarian institution. As of fall 2024, the student body included 16,128 undergraduate and 10,665 postgraduate students from all 50 U.S.

Key Developments & Impact

states and 130 countries. The university is organized into eight undergraduate colleges and seven graduate divisions on its main Ithaca campus. Each college and academic division has near autonomy in defining its respective admission standards and academic curriculum. In addition to its primary campus in Ithaca, Cornell University administers three satellite campuses, including two in New York City, the medical school and Cornell Tech, and a branch of the medical school in Al Rayyan in Education City, Qatar. Cornell is one of three private land-grant universities in the United States.

Enduring Legacy

Among the university's 20 colleges and schools, some are state-supported statutory or contract colleges partly financed by the State of New York through the...

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1865: 1865 Milestone — The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson White in 1865.
2. 2024: 2024 Milestone — As of fall 2024, the student body included 16,128 undergraduate and 10,665 postgraduate students from all 50 U.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Cornell University

True or False: “Cornell University was founded solely by the efforts of the philanthropist Ezra Cornell.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Cornell was co-founded by Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson White in 1865.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. P. Hill — Historical peer (Died in 1865) (1865): Confederate general who distinguished himself in the American Civil War.
• Abraham Isaac Kook — Historical peer (Born in 1865) (1865): Pioneering Orthodox Rabbi and Father of Religious Zionism.
• Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud — Historical peer (Died in 2024) (2024): Somaliland politician, served as President from 2010 to 2017.
• Akira Toriyama — Historical peer (Died in 2024) (2024): Pioneering manga artist, creator of Dr. Slump and the global phenomenon, Dragon Ball.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cornell University