SUNY Old Westbury

The College at Old Westbury was conceived in the midst of the late twentieth century’s democratizing of higher education.  First proposed in 1964, the College at Old Westbury was designed to meet the needs of the metropolitan New York City area.

The State University of New York College at Old Westbury was chartered in 1965 by SUNY’s Chancellor, Samuel B. Gould, who sought to add to the state system, a college that was innovative in curricula and academic policy. Its first president, Harris Wofford, envisioned the creation of a small experimental institution, centered on a common core of courses and individualized student projects, that would draw a diverse but talented group of students and faculty together.