State University of New York at Geneseo

File:Geneseo Normal School.jpg

The initial predecessor to SUNY Geneseo opened in 1867 as the "Wadsworth Normal and Training School" through an act of the New York State Legislature. However, the legislature later changed the new college's name to the Geneseo Normal and Training School before it officially opened on September 13, 1871.{{cite web |title=SUNY Geneseo @ A Glance |url=https://bulletin.geneseo.edu/content.php?catoid=12&navoid=499 |website=bulletin.geneseo.edu |publisher=SUNY Geneseo |access-date=9 October 2023}}

In 1962, the school adopted its current name, "State University of New York College at Geneseo". Just two years later, in 1964, the school began to offer four-year bachelor's degrees in subjects other than education.{{cite web |title=State University of New York at Geneseo: Fact Book |url=https://www.geneseo.edu/sites/default/files/sites/ir/Fact_0910.pdf |website=www.geneseo.edu |publisher=SUNY Geneseo |access-date=9 October 2023}}

File:Milnelibrary.jpg

Geneseo is a public liberal arts college with 61 undergraduate majors, 5 master's programs, and 67 interdisciplinary minors. The most popular majors, in descending order, are education, business, the social sciences, biology, and psychology.{{cite web |title=State University of New York College at Geneseo |url=http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=3580&profileId=7 |access-date=2010-01-11 |publisher=College Board |year=2010}}

Geneseo is part of the New York Space Grant Consortium,{{cite web |title=New York Space Grant Community College Partnership Program |url=http://astrosun2.astro.cornell.edu/specialprograms/spacegrant// |access-date=2015-07-21 |publisher=Cornell University |year=2014}} and is provided grants by NASA to support outer-space related research on-campus..

File:Sturges Hall at SUNY Geneseo.jpg.]]

Following the retirement of long-time President Christopher Dahl, Denise Battles became the college's president in July 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.geneseo.edu/president/biographyvita|title=About Denise A. Battles|website=SUNY Geneseo|access-date=2024-11-10}}

{{Infobox US university ranking

| Forbes = 156

| THE_WSJ =

| USNWR_REG = 12

| Wamo_MASTERSU = 1

}}

Geneseo's acceptance rate is 65% as of 2021.[http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/suny-geneseo-2845 SUNY Geneseo] usnews.rankingsandreviews.com {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905141414/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/suny-geneseo-2845 |date=2015-09-05 }}

Forbes ranked SUNY Geneseo 156th out of the top 500 rated private and public colleges and universities in America for the 2024-25 report. Geneseo was also ranked 69th among public colleges and 66th in the northeast.{{Cite web |title=SUNY, Geneseo |url=https://www.forbes.com/colleges/suny-at-geneseo/?list=top-colleges |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=Forbes |language=en}}

Geneseo has a chapter of the oldest academic honor society in the United States, Phi Beta Kappa.{{cite web |title=Chapter Chronology |url=http://staging.pbk.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Chapter_Chronology&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=1624 |access-date=2007-08-12 |publisher=Phi Beta Kappa society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001756/http://staging.pbk.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Chapter_Chronology&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=1624 |archive-date=2007-09-27 |url-status=dead }} SUNY's four university centers already had chapters; Geneseo's establishment of a chapter is significant because it was the first (and is currently the only) of New York's thirteen state comprehensive colleges to receive the honor.{{cite press release |title=Geneseo Faculty Granted Charter for Phi Beta Kappa Chapter at the College |publisher=SUNY Geneseo |date=2003-08-26}}

The inaugural ΦΒΚ class was inducted to Geneseo's Alpha-Gamma of New York chapter in April 2004.

File:SUNY Geneseo Integrated Science Center.jpg

File:Geneseo Pelletron ribbon-cutting.jpg tandem Pelletron particle accelerator.]]

At the far end of the South Village Residences, the college maintains the {{convert|20|acre|m2|adj=on}} Spencer J. Roemer Arboretum wherein are preserved "more than 70 species of trees, shrubs and wildflowers, including a magnificent group of oak trees which are more than 200 years old, and several black walnut trees estimated to be over 100 years old."{{cite web|url=http://arboretum.geneseo.edu/|title=Roemer Arboretum|website=arboretum.geneseo.edu|access-date=16 March 2018}}

File:Bear Fountain in Geneseo.jpg

Just off campus, in the center of Main Street in Geneseo sits the famous Bronze Bear statue. "The Bear" also plays host to any number of spontaneous decorations and pranks throughout the academic year. A story also circulates that one of the wealthy Wadsworth daughters saw the bear fountain in a small town in Germany, fell in love with it, bought it, and sent it back to Geneseo in the early 19th century. This story is unverified, but an excerpt from a history of the family that settled the valley implies that this is not true, and that the fountain was designed and built for its current location: "[Main Street] is still dominated by a drinking fountain for horses dedicated to Mrs. Emmeline Austin Wadsworth. For some obscure reason its designer placed a short pole in its center on top of which sits a cunning little iron bear, who is generally known as 'Aunt Emmeline'".{{cite book |first=Alden R. |last=Hatch| author-link=Alden Hatch |title=The Wadsworths of the Genesee |url=https://archive.org/details/wadsworthsofgene00hatc_0|publisher=Coward-McCann |year=1959 |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/wadsworthsofgene00hatc_0/page/205 205]}}

The Geneseo college seal was unveiled in July 1968. According to the college's office of publications, the seal is a representation of the college's location and mission: "The circular design features a flame from the torch of knowledge surrounded by leaves symbolic of the bucolic setting of SUNY Geneseo and its growth. Both are atop waves symbolizing the historic Genesee River."{{cite web |title=Graphic Standards |url=http://www.geneseo.edu/CMS/display.php?page=2417&dpt=commpubs |access-date=2008-08-05 |publisher=SUNY Geneseo Office of Communications and Publications}}

In 1986, the college designed a logo to "provide the College with an identity mark that was more readily identifiable than the College Seal and was not meant to replace the College Seal." Again drawing on the college's unique surroundings, "the graphic underneath the word 'Geneseo' symbolizes the rolling and rural character of the surrounding Genesee Valley." The typeface used in this logo, and in many other college publications, is Galliard.

In October 2012, Geneseo unveiled a new logotype, featured in the infobox above. Bill Caren, Geneseo's Associate Vice President of Enrollment, stated the new word mark reflected "[Geneseo's] competitors' logos," which are less stylized. "If [Geneseo] wants to be perceived in the same category as its competitors," Caren added, "it would be good to have a logo that corresponds on the same level." The logotype was met with mixed responses by the student body, although its implementation throughout campus continued unhindered.{{cite web|url=http://www.thelamron.com/news/new-wordmark-incites-divisive-debate-1.2931002#.UayqQGQ0rv4|archive-date=2013-06-30|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630102445/http://www.thelamron.com/news/new-wordmark-incites-divisive-debate-1.2931002%23.UayqQGQ0rv4|url-status=dead|date=2012-10-18|last=Rose-Gross|first=Joanna|title=New wordmark incites divisive debate|publisher=Lamron|access-date=2013-06-03}}

Greek life began at Geneseo in 1871, originally as literary societies. The college hosts several local Greek organizations along with national organizations, as is common in the SUNY schools. As of 2019, about 30% of students were active in either social or professional and service Greek organizations.{{cite web |title=Quick Facts about Geneseo Greek Life |url=https://www.geneseo.edu/greek/quick-facts |access-date=2019-09-25 |publisher=SUNY Geneseo |year=2019}}

{{main|Geneseo Knights}}

The University athletics team (nicknamed the Knights) are composed of 19 varsity teams (7 men's 12 women's). All teams compete at the NCAA Division III level and all teams compete in the Empire 8 conference.{{Cite web|title=About Geneseo {{!}} SUNY Geneseo|url=https://www.geneseo.edu/about|access-date=2021-10-25|website=www.geneseo.edu}} In men's ice hockey the Geneseo Knights are known as the "Geneseo Ice Knights"-

• Glenn Gordon Caron (class of 1975), TV producer
• Jenna Wolfe, anchor of NBC's Weekend Today.
• Greg Fox (class of 1983), artist/writer
• Calvin Culver, actor, writer, producer
• Daniel Barwick (class of 1990), college president
• Howard Blumenthal, author
• Qurrat Ann Kadwani, actress, playwright, film producer{{Cite web |title=They Call Me Q - 60 minutes .... 13 characters...1 woman |url=https://www.tnstate.edu/diversity/theycallmeq.aspx |access-date=2022-09-10 |website=Tennessee State University}}
• Chelsea Noble (formerly Nancy Mueller; class of 1987), film and TV actress
• William Sadler, actor
• Joe Langworth (class of 1988), actor, choreographer and director
• J.T. The Brick, talk-show host
• Marissa Mulder (class of 2007), cabaret artist{{Cite web|url=https://www.thelcn.com/news/local/marissa-mulder-in-her-own-words-suny-geneseo-grad-makes-cabaret-cool/article_a93dc55f-50f8-5fc3-8b0b-fd5e4db8c701.html|title = Marissa Mulder: In her own words SUNY Geneseo grad makes cabaret cool| date=18 January 2017 }}
• Curt Smith (class of 1973), broadcaster and speech writer
• Brittany Lauda, actress
• CGP Grey, web personality.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/cgpgrey/status/288988804193345537|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513224634/https://twitter.com/cgpgrey/status/288988804193345537|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 13, 2021|title=CGP Grey Tweet Confirming Attendance at SUNY Geneseo|website=Twitter|access-date=22 July 2015}}{{Citation|last=Grey|first=C. G. P.|title=everything I own|date=2009-07-05|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/cgpgrey/4890810376/|access-date=2019-03-09}}{{failed verification|date=May 2021}}
• Gregg 'Opie' Hughes, radio broadcaster

• William T. Amiger (class of 1898), educator, minister{{Cite book |last=Mather |first=Frank Lincoln |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tWTXAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA6 |title=Who's Who of the Colored Race: A General Biographical Dictionary of Men and Women of African Descent |date=1915 |volume=1 |pages=6–7 |language=en |chapter=Amiger, William Thomas}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o_USAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA4 |title=Who's Who in Colored America |date=1927 |publisher=Who's Who in Colored America Corporation |pages=4 |language=en |via=Google Books}}

• Brian L. DeMarco (class of 1996), Professor of Physics{{cite web |title=Brian L. DeMarco |url=http://physics.illinois.edu/people/profile.asp?bdemarco |access-date=2009-06-21 |work=Faculty profiles |publisher=University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Physics}}
• My Hang V. Huynh (class of 1991) energy researcher{{cite web |title=Myhang V. Huynh |url=http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.2913825/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id={CE5FB524-6987-4A20-A3D3-5A412807BDB5}¬oc=1 |access-date=2007-10-02 |work=scientist profiles |publisher=MacArthur Foundation}} {{Dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no}}

• Liz Allen (class of 2006), Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs of United States.{{Cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-allen-836a2b130/|title=Liz Allen - Harris for President | LinkedIn}}
• Jeff Clarke (class of 1983), CEO of Kodak{{Cite web|title = Jeff Clarke '83 Named Kodak CEO {{!}} SUNY Geneseo|url = http://www.geneseo.edu/news_events/jeff-clarke-83-named-kodak-ceo|website = www.geneseo.edu|access-date = 2015-04-11|date = 2014-03-14|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150225070739/http://www.geneseo.edu/news_events/jeff-clarke-83-named-kodak-ceo|archive-date = 2015-02-25|url-status = dead}}{{Cite web|title = Kodak names Clarke new CEO|website = USA Today|url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/03/12/clark-new-kodak-ceo/6320149/|access-date = 2015-04-11|date = 2014-03-12}}
• Adrianna Hungerford (1858–1946), President, Colorado State Woman's Christian Temperance Union
• David Klein, CFO of Constellation Brands.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/david-klein-constellation-brands-cfo/|access-date=13 November 2016 |title=David Klein, Constellation Brands |publisher=CNBC}}
• Ray Kotcher, non-executive chairman and advisor to Ketchum Inc.
• Joseph D. Morelle, U.S. representative for New York's 25th congressional district since 2018. Former New York State Assembly Majority Leader, 2013–2018{{cite web |url=http://nyassembly.gov/mem/Joseph-D-Morelle/bio/ |access-date=13 November 2016 |title=Joseph D Morelle - Biography |website=New York State Assembly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114170637/http://nyassembly.gov/mem/Joseph-D-Morelle/bio/ |archive-date=2016-11-14 |url-status=dead }}
• Jackie Norris (class of 1992), former Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama.{{cite news |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/06/04/east_wing_shakeup_as_first_lad.html?hpid=topnews |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927060511/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/06/04/east_wing_shakeup_as_first_lad.html?hpid=topnews |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 27, 2012 |newspaper=The Washington Post |title=East Wing Shakeup as First Lady Gets New Chief of Staff}}
• Eleanor Roosevelt Seagraves, granddaughter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, librarian, educator, historian, and editor.
• Raymond Walter (class of 1994), New York State Assemblyman

• John Loomis Chamberlain, U.S. Army major general{{cite book |date=1910 |title=Men and Women of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporaries |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KOgUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA316 |location=New York, NY |publisher=L. R. Hamersly & Company |page=316 |via=Google Books}}

• Tyler Brickler, hockey player

• Bill Cook and Ron Herzman, professors of History and English.
• Rita K. Gollin, Professor of English.
• Walter Harding, Professor of English.
• Carol Harter, Geneseo's eleventh president.
• David Maslanka, Professor of music.{{cite web|url=https://davidmaslanka.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/David-Maslanka-CV-2014-09-12.pdf|title=David Maslanka Curriculum Vitae|language=en|date=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202185023/http://davidmaslanka.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/David-Maslanka-CV-2014-09-12.pdf|archive-date=2023-12-02|access-date=2024-07-19}}
• Eoin McKiernan, Professor of Irish Studies.
• Rudy Rucker, Professor of Mathematics.
• Clarence F. Stephens, Professor of mathematics
• Blanche Jennings Thompson, Author
• James Willey, Professor of Music{{cite web|url=http://www.geneseo.edu/news/nrap.php?pg=2004Commencement.html|title=News Center – SUNY Geneseo|website=www.geneseo.edu|access-date=16 March 2018}}

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• [https://geneseoknights.com/ Athletics website]

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Geneseo

State University of New York at Geneseo

Category:Education in Livingston County, New York

Category:1871 establishments in New York (state)

Category:Liberal arts colleges in New York (state)

Category:Public liberal arts colleges in the United States

Category:Universities and colleges established in 1871