The College of the City of New York, originally entitled the Free Academy, although academic in name, was intended, from its very first inception, to furnish a complete collegiate education. This appears from the language of a committee appointed by the Board of Education, July 27, 1846, to report upon the subject of the establishment of an institution of this nature, which report was made and considered at a meeting of the Board held on February 10, 1847, and formed the basis of a memorial to the Legislature. It recommended the establishment of a "Free College" in the following terms:

"Your Committee will briefly remark that their design is to offer the idea of a college in which, while it shall be in no way inferior to our colleges in the character, amount, and value of the information given to the pupils, the course of studies to be pursued will have reference to the active duties of operative life rather than those more particularly regarded as necessary for the pulpit, bar, or medical profession."

In accordance with this recommendation the Legislature authorized the establishment of the New York Free Academy, and a course of study was laid down adapted to accomplish this great purpose of its organization. From time to time, as practical experience suggested amendments, the course was modified and enlarged, until it attained such breadth and symmetry that the Legislature, in the year 1854, passed a law endowing the institution with full power to confer upon its graduates the usual collegiate degrees and diplomas in the arts and sciences.

As one class after another graduated and left the city to reside in other parts of the country, where their Alma Mater was only known by its name, they found the impression existing that they had not enjoyed a collegiate education, and hence arose the unpleasant necessity of vindicating their claim to liberal learning by explaining their status as graduates of the New York Free Academy. This cloud which rested upon the graduates began to cast its shadow upon the institution itself.

From year to year there was an increasing number of those who repaired to different colleges to finish their education, not because of any superior advantages to be enjoyed there, but simply that they might graduate from institutions having the title as well as the functions of a college. It, therefore, became a general conviction among our graduates and students that it would be an act of policy as well as of justice to give the institution the name to which it was fairly entitled, both by its course of study and by the act of the Legislature empowering it to confer collegiate degrees.

Such, we believe, was also the sentiment of the most enlightened friends of education, who had become acquainted with the character of the Free Academy and the thorough training of its graduates in the liberal arts and sciences. For these reasons, on the recommendation of the Board of Education, the Legislature changed the name to that of "The College of the City of New York" by an act passed March 30, 1866.

Course of Studies

The entire course embraces a period of five years, of two terms each year. The full course is the same for all students, and comprises either Ancient or Modern Languages, under the following regulations, viz.:

1. A full course, with Modern Languages, includes French, Spanish, and German.

2. A full course, with Ancient Languages, includes Latin, Greek, and, in the senior year, any one of the above three Modern Languages.

3. Students unable to follow a full course, or desirous of perfecting themselves in any particular branch of knowledge, may enter in partial course, which embraces any studies less than either of the full courses.

Requisites For Admission

The examination of candidates for admission takes place immediately after the general examination in June. No student can be admitted to the College unless he resides in the city, be fourteen years of age, have attended the Common Schools in the city twelve months, and pass a good examination in Spelling, Reading, Writing, English Grammar, Arithmetic, Algebra, as far as quadratic equations, inclusive, Geography, History of the United States, Elementary Book-keeping.

No candidate can be examined for admission unless he present to the President of the College a certificate in the form prepared by the Executive Committee, signed by the Principals of the Schools of which he has been a member, and specifying the age of the candidate, the Grammar Schools of this city which he has attended, the dates and the length of time of his attendance in each. If the number qualified for admission be more than can be admitted, the preference is to be given to those who have attended the Grammar Schools the greater period.

At either of the regular examinations candidates may be admitted to any class to pursue the studies of any one or more departments, provided they shall have attended the Grammar Schools the requisite period, shall be of the proper age, shall pass the proper examination for admission, and also an examination satisfactory to the Faculty in the previous studies of the class or departments to which they wish to be admitted.

No person is allowed to be present at the examination for admission except the instructors in the College and the members of the Board of Trustees; neither the names of the candidates nor the schools from which they are sent are made known to the instructors conducting the examinations, but each candidate is designated, during examination, by a number given to him on a card by the President. Only the names of such as have passed a good examination are afterward ascertained, in order to be inscribed on the rolls of the College. Candidates for admission to the Freshman Class must be fifteen years of age, and must pass an examination in the studies pursued by the Introductory Class, in addition to the usual examination for admission.

The choice of each student as to the course of studies he intends to pursue must be made in writing at the time of his admission, and registered and filed at the College. It must be made by the parent or guardian, or by the parent or guardian be submitted in writing to the discretion of the Faculty. It is important that the subject be carefully considered before the selection is made, as, from considerations of advantage to the student, as well as from a proper regard for the orderly working and discipline of the institution, when once commenced, the same course must be pursued as long as the student remains in the College.

Every student admitted into the College receives a certificate thereof, stating that, on leaving the institution with a good character, after one year, he shall receive another certificate or diploma, stating the period he has been in the College, and the studies there pursued by him, provided he shall have satisfactorily accounted for all the books and other property committed to him; but no student shall receive a certificate of dismission if he be dismissed for misconduct; and in each certificate it shall be stated that the recipient is furnished with a statement of his standing in the College, as it appears on the records, during his whole connection with the institution. If a student absents himself for two weeks without obtaining per mission, his name is stricken from the rolls, and he loses his right to a certificate of good standing on leaving the institution.

Discipline

The rules of conduct are but few, and laid down in view of securing prompt attention to duty and correct behavior. Any infraction of these rules involves punishment, which, according to the offense, consists of demerit marks, private admonition, admonition by the President in the presence of the section and of the instructor in the recitation-room, suspension by the direction of the President, public admonition by the President in presence of all the students at roll-call, final admonition by the President in a meeting of the Faculty, and dismission for misconduct, the latter to be directed by a vote of the Faculty. Every violation of the rules is recorded in the Book of Discipline, together with the degree of punishment inflicted, and the amount of demerits received. No student is demerited without receiving notice of the fact and the cause.

Terms, Vacations, Etc.

The classes are annual, and each year is divided into two terms. There are three vacations in each Collegiate Year, the summer vacation, from the 3d of July to the 3d Wednesday in September; the winter vacation, from the 25th day of December to the 2d day of January, inclusive; and the spring vacation, from the last day of April, inclusive, one week. There are no College exercises on Saturday, on the day celebrated as the Anniversary of American Independence, on the 22d day of February, and on Thanksgiving Day. The first Collegiate Term commences at the end of the summer vacation, and the second at the end of the first examination. The exercises, during term-time, begin at 9 a.m., and continue until all the classes are heard. The doors are closed for roll-call at precisely fifteen minutes before 9 o'clock, when all the students are to be in their seats in the Chapel, and all the instructors in attendance.

Examinations

There are two public examinations during the Collegiate Year. The first commences on the first Monday of February, the second on the third Monday before Commencement, each continuing eight days. The examinations are conducted by the officer in charge of each study, and no student is allowed to advance to the next class without being found qualified for such advancement. If any student shall, in any of his studies, have made so little progress as not to have an average rate of at least half the maximum on the last Merit Roll, he is rated as deficient, and so recorded; and, if rated as deficient on two successive Merit Rolls, he is dismissed from the College.