Thursday 24 February 2011

New York Tech

In 1910, NYIT’s predecessor, New York Technical Institute, was licensed by the New York State Board of Regents. In 1955, NYIT opened under a provisional charter granted by the New York State Board of Regents to NYIT; its first campus opened at 500 Pacific Street in Brooklyn, in New York City.[1]

The founders of NYIT, and in particular, Alexander Schure, Ph.D.,[2] started NYIT with the mission of offering career-oriented professional education, providing all qualified students access to opportunity, and supporting applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. Schure later served as NYIT's first president.[2]
NYIT's first president, Alexander Schure, Ph.D., Ed.D.

NYIT sought to meet critical national demands, particularly the need for scientists, engineers, and high-level technicians in the United States.[3] In the higher education community at the time, a debate arose around the concern that humanities studies would be overshadowed by too much emphasis on science and engineering. NYIT's goal was to create a balance between science/engineering and a liberal arts education, and ever since, it has been focusing on this model to prepare students for current and future careers. NYIT's mission resonated among industry and learners. By the 1958-1959 academic year, the university had more than 300 students, and the time had come to expand its physical operations.

In April 1958, the college purchased the Pythian Temple at 135-145 W. 70th St. in Manhattan for its main center. The building, adjacent to the planned Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, was an ornate 12-story structure with a columned entranceway. Built in 1929 at a cost of $2 million, it included among its features a huge 1,200-seat auditorium.

In 1958, NYIT sponsored the first National Technology Awards, created by Frederick Pittera, an organizer of international fairs and a member of the NYIT Board of Trustees, to help raise funds for the NYIT science and technology laboratories. The awards, held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, were attended by several hundred guests, with entertainment provided by the U.S. Air Force Band. Senator Lyndon Johnson was the keynote speaker. His speech was broadcast nationally by the ABC Radio Network. Among the honorees were Dr. Werner von Braun and Major General Bernard Schriever, Commanding General of the Ballistic Air Command. Photos, press clippings, and audio tapes of the event are on view at the Lyndon Johnson Library at Austin, Texas.

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