Vanderbilt family
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University History
From its founding in 1873 Vanderbilt University has forged a tradition of academic excellence infused with a unique spirit of collaboration and collegiality.
University History by the numbers
- $1MGift that made it all possible
- 9Chancellors
- 177K+Degrees awarded
Celebrating 150 Years
As part of the ongoing Sesquicentennial celebration, the university created and published a commemorative V150 coffee table book.
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Vanderbilt's Founding Letter
A special message from Vanderbilt University students, staff, faculty, and Chancellor Diermeier commemorating Vanderbilt University’s 150th anniversary.
Stewardship and Service
1873
Vanderbilt’s Board of Trust has guided the university through change and challenge.
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The Founders
1873
The vision of Vanderbilt University was made possible by Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt and his wife Frank’s generous financial support
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The Leaders
2020
Nine chancellors have guided Vanderbilt from local beginnings to global
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History of Vanderbilt University
Cornelius Vanderbilt, known as "the Commodore," was in his 79th year when he decided to make the gift that founded Vanderbilt University in the spring of 1873.
The $1 million that he gave to endow and build the university was Vanderbilt's only major philanthropy. Methodist Bishop Holland N. McTyeire of Nashville, husband of Amelia Townsend who was a cousin of Vanderbilt's young second wife Frank Crawford, went to New York for medical treatment early in 1873 and spent time recovering in the Vanderbilt mansion. He won the Vanderbilts' admiration and support for the project of building a university in the South that would "contribute to strengthening the ties which should exist between all sections of our common country."
McTyeire chose the site for the campus, supervised the construction of buildings and personally planted many of the trees that today make Vanderbilt a national arboretum. At the outset, the university consisted of one Main Building (now Kirkland Hall), an astronomical observatory and houses for professors. Landon C. Garland
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Cornelius Vanderbilt
American business tycoon (1794–1877)
For other people named Cornelius Vanderbilt, see Cornelius Vanderbilt (disambiguation).
Cornelius Vanderbilt | |
|---|---|
Vanderbilt c. 1844–1860 | |
| Born | May 27, 1794 Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 4, 1877(1877-01-04) (aged 82) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Burial place | Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum, Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouses | Sophia Johnson (m. 1813; died 1868) |
| Children | 13 |
| Relatives | Vanderbilt family |
Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping.[1][2] After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into leadership positions in the inland water trade and invested in the rapidly growing railroad industry, effectively transforming the geography of the United States.
As one of the richest Americans in history and
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