Harpur College 1951 Yearbook (Endicott, NY) - Full Access

into college; classroom became more thickly populated; there was demand for more courses and for a junior-senior curriculum. The desire of students to remain here and acquire a degree prompted Syracu e m January of 1948 to approve a syllabu of study for degree in nine major fields. The rapid progress of the "temporary" college clearly demonstrated the need for a permanent institution of higher learning in this valley. After the creation of a State University of New York in March 1948 by act of the State Legislature, community leaders formed a Citizen's Committee of 175 members, under the chairmanship of Edgar W. Couper (now a trustee of the university). Thi committee began an immediate campaign to secure the 7 establishment of a unit of the new university m Broome County. Community response wa gratifying. In Decem– ber, Broome County became the first area in the tate to bid actively for a community college when the Board of Supervisor voted to offer one million dollars toward the construction of a college here. At the same time, an ad– ditional contribution of one million dollars in capital assets was promised by the Committee, including the facilities of TCC, the installation of all public utilities by the Town of Union, and a site of 2 38 acres donated by Thomas J. Watson of IBM. In February of 1950, the university Board of Trustees accepted these offers and approved a state grant of two million dollars-matching the community's contribl,ltion---.