Celebrating 175

A mayor's proclamation downtown and a birthday bash uptown

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 9, 2019) — The University celebrated its 175th birthday Tuesday with a proclamation, balloons, the unveiling of the contents of a time capsule and, of course, birthday cake.

On May 7, 1844, the New York State Legislature approved the New York State Normal School, the first state-run public institution of higher education in New York. Now, 175 years later, the Normal School is the University at Albany, a major research university with almost 18,000 students in nine schools and colleges, and more than 180,000 living alumni.

Tuesday morning at Draper Hall, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan read from a proclamation and declared it “University at Albany Day” in Albany. In the afternoon the party began in the Campus Center on the Uptown Campus.

Speakers included President Rodríguez and Brian Fessler, the president of the board of directors of the Alumni Association. Student Association President Langie Cadesca also spoke, and then sang, leading the crowd in a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday to us.”

The contents of a time capsule, filled by students during the 1964-65 school year and placed in the cornerstone of the first uptown UAlbany residence hall, Dutch Quad, were on display.

Photos by Brian Busher

For more news, subscribe to UAlbany's RSS headline feeds