Vassar Homepage Archives

January 18 - January 23, 2011

Happy Birthday, Vassar! The college was chartered on January 18, 1861. Portrait of Matthew Vassar by Charles Loring Elliott, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center; cake by Elisa Strauss '98; original image composition by Eric Estes '11, homepage design by Chris Silverman

January 24, 2011

Students sledding on Sunset Lake hill in the 1920s.

January 25, 2011

Students in 1985 serenading, a long Vassar tradition in which upperclassmen welcome the incoming class.

January 26, 2011

Members of the archery team check their shots, 1940s.

January 27, 2011

Vassar's float for the City of Poughkeepsie's 300th Annual Parade, June 7, 1987.

January 28 - January 30, 2011

Detail of The Apartment of the Art Gallery at Vassar College, c. 1870, artist unknown, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center; this painting is currently on display in the Art Center.

January 31, 2011

In 1893, a group of Greek students, led by Professor Abigail Leach, set out to do what no one had attempted in over two millennia - produce Sophocles's "Antigone" in the original tongue.

February 01, 2011

A class in Russian history, taught by Professor Lucy Textor, being held outside on a spring day in the mid-1940s.

February 02, 2011

Meryl Streep, class of 1971, performs the title role in August Strindberg's "Miss Julie" in 1969.

February 03, 2011

Students playing for the camera on the Library lawn after a big snow in 2003.

February 04 - February 6, 2011

A painting of Springside, Matthew Vassar's estate in Poughkeepsie, by Henry Gritten in 1852.

February 07, 2011

In 1920, after World War I, France gave a military tank to Vassar, in appreciation for the services of Vassar women during the war. Read more »

February 08, 2011

The College Center on Tasty Tuesday, when local food purveyors offer up a wide range of selections, including Indian, Jamaican, Greek, BBQ, pastries, farm produce, and more. Photo by Nancy Crampton '56.

February 09, 2011

Students with Groucho Marx glasses in front of a wall filled with similarly disguised portraits. The taking of these photos started as a cross-country team tradition in 2002.

February 10, 2011

The Maria Mitchell Observatory, c.1870s. Croquet was popular at Vassar and was often played in front of the observatory. Read more about the observatory...

February 11 - February 13, 2011

Vassar's new campaign website features videos about several noted alumnae/i, including Bart Shepherd '97, curator of the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco. See more »

February 14, 2011

Students and their dates assemble for the grand march on prom night, c.1950s. Read more about the history of proms at Vassar...

February 15, 2011

Main drive after a snow, c.1930s

February 16, 2011

Kristen Thompson, a janitor in Custodial Services, using an auto-scrubber to clean the basketball court floor in the Athletics & Fitness Center, 2009. Photo by Ben Busch ’91.

February 17, 2011

Students practice their golf posture in 1894. The first golf course on campus was constructed in 1896. Read more about early athletics at Vassar.

February 18 - February 20, 2011

Students depart campus, c.1940s. Weekend travel to see friends at institutions like Yale was broadly practiced at Vassar before co-education arrived in 1969. Read more about the history of co-education at Vassar.

February 21, 2011

In 1909, Alice Huyler Ramsey, Class of 1907, was the first woman to cross the continent in an automobile. The journey of 3,800 miles took 41 days and 11 spare tires. Read more...

February 22, 2011

A student with a special arrangement for studying in her room, 1951.

February 23, 2011

Henry Van Ingen and students in 1889 near what was at the time known as Mill Cove Lake, and is now known as Vassar Lake; Van Ingen was an artist and Vassar's first professor of art. Read about Van Ingen, or read about Mill Cove Lake.

February 24, 2011

Vassar has never had an official football team, but touch football became very active in 1962 when Vassar students arranged games against male teams from Yale, Princeton, and other schools. Read more...

February 25 - February 27, 2011

The Thompson Library lobby seen through the gothic tracery of a stairwell, 2009. Photo by Ryan Muir '06

February 28, 2011

Maria Mitchell's first group of six astronomy students, known as the Hexagon. Mary Whitney, Maria Mitchell's successor, is seated in the center, c. 1860s. Read more...

March 01, 2011

Students wait for the weekly Jazz Night at The Mug to begin, 2009. Photo by Ryan Muir '06. Read about the history and current status of The Mug.

March 02, 2011

An annex to the front of Main was built to house the library in 1893. The annex, known affectionately as "Uncle Fred's Nose" after the trustee who funded it, was razed in 1960. Read more...

March 03, 2011

A hoop rolling event on Founders Day in the early 1930s. See vintage video of hoop rolling, daisy picking, and other pastimes in 1930s Vassar.

March 04 - March 6, 2011

Students meet for lunch in the Retreat, one of the campus dining locations, 2009. Photo by Dixie Sheridan '65.

March 07, 2011

The 1887 Room in the Belle Skinner Hall of Music is used as a parlor by the department. Miss Skinner's portrait is on the wall (her class year was 1887). Learn more about the Music Department. Photo by Francis Smith, Class of 1987.

March 08, 2011

Students hold a demonstration objecting to Vassar's investments in apartheid South Africa, 1980s. Vassar completed its South African divestiture in 1988.

March 09, 2011

The fencing team practicing lunges in the fencing room in Kenyon Hall, c. early 1950s. See how today's women's fencing team is doing.

March 10, 2011

Students laying out the Shakespeare Garden in 1916. Vassar’s Shakespeare Garden is the second oldest in the U.S. Read more…

March 11 - March 13, 2011

A night view of the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film, 2009. Photo by Evan Abramson ’00. Read more about the Vogelstein Center…

March 14, 2011

A blackboard in Sanders Physics, 2009. Learn more about the Physics and Astronomy Department. Photo by Francis Smith '87

March 15, 2011

A rendering of the waterfront brewery built by Matthew Vassar in Poughkeepsie in the 1830s. Read more about Matthew's earlier life before founding the college.

March 16, 2011

Jumping hurdles during Field Day, 1918. The first women's field day in the U.S. was held on Vassar campus in 1895 (where Noyes circle is currently). Read more about the first women's field day...

March 17, 2011

The college's original dining hall in Main Building, located where the Villard Room is now. Listen to a description of one of those early dinners written by Maria Mitchell's father and read by Dean Emeritus Colton Johnson.

March 18 - March 20, 2011

Students gather around a telescope with Professor Fred Chromey in the Class of 1951 Observatory, 2009. Read more about the observatory and its program of open nights.

March 21, 2011

A 1959 art history class with Professor Linda Nochlin, Class of 1951, who became famous for her groundbreaking 1971 essay, "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" Read a recent conversation between Linda Nochlin and Molly Nesbit.

March 22, 2011

Students at work in the chemistry lab with Associate Professor Stuart Belli. The framed portrait at center is Wilhelm Ostwald, one of the founders of physical chemistry. Read more about the Chemistry Department. Photo by Francis Smith '87

March 23, 2011

A student makes herself comfortable while talking on the telephone in the 1950s - when Vassar got dial phones! Read more about the history of the telephone on campus.

March 24, 2011

Children and teacher on the grounds of the Wimpfheimer Nursery School, c.1950s. The Wimpfheimer opened in 1927 as an early example of a laboratory nursery school. Read more.

March 25 - March 27, 2011

The Chapel was designed by Shepley Rutan & Coolidge, and completed in 1904. The angel-head hammerbeam ceiling is a much-loved feature, along with the rose window by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Learn more about the chapel and its many stained-glass windows. Photo by Francis Smith '87.

March 28, 2011

A sleepy student grabs for the alarm clock, c.1950s. Learn more about today’s residential halls at Vassar.

March 29, 2011

Raymond Avenue in the 19th century. This view looks south with Vassar Lake on the right. The road was once used for student walks and required exercise. Listen to a student letter from the 1860s about the wish to go a little further from campus.

March 30, 2011

An all-student production of Clue in Fall 2009, written by Nate Silver '10 and featuring (left to right) Seth Biberstein '10, Baize Buzan '10, and Chris Root '10. The play turned Main Building into the locale of an interactive murder mystery. Want to see a play this semester? Check the Drama Department's upcoming schedule. Photo by Ben Rutkowski '09.

March 31, 2011

Students seated in Taylor Lecture Hall, c. 1950s. Renovations to the hall in 2007 retained the 1915 feature of individual lights for note-taking in a darkened room. Read more about the Vassar president for whom Taylor Hall is named.

April 01, 2011

Predecessor to the Shakespeare Garden was the Nyasaland Garden, established at Vassar in 1907. Students cultivated the flora and some of the fauna of the country known today as Malawi. The project was terminated after an incident involving the elephant, specifics of which are not well documented. Read more about the Nyasaland Garden.

April 02 - April 3, 2011

A photomontage of rehearsals in a Kenyon Hall dance studio, 2009. Learn more about the Dance Department and its facilities. Photos and montage by Ryan Muir '06.

April 04, 2011

A life drawing class with Professor C.K. Chatterton (in the back, left), c.1930s. An artist himself, "Chatty" convinced the college in 1919 to grant academic credit for the first time to painting classes. Read more about Chatterton.

April 05, 2011

After appealing to the Vassar community for insight on this unusual view of Main Building, we've learned that it is from Noyes Circle, c.1880, showing the part of Main later damaged in the 1918 fire. Read more about early Main and the 1918 fire.

April 06, 2011

The renowned naturalist, John Burroughs, visited Founders Day in 1919. Read more about Burroughs' relationship with Vassar.

April 07, 2011

Students working in an early biology lab, c.1890s. Read about today's Biology facilities in Olmsted Hall.

April 08 - April 10, 2011

A lively Families Weekend performance in 2008. See what's on the schedule for this year. Photo by Sam Rosen-Amy '08.

April 11, 2011

The Resolutes, Vassar’s baseball team of 1876. The NCAA Hall of Champions used this photo to begin a timeline of U.S. women’s collegiate sports. Read the story.

April 12, 2011

Students enjoying an early spring day by Sunset Lake, 1981. Read about the history of Sunset Lake.

April 13, 2011

In the fall of 1999, a group of Tibetan monks visited Vassar to create a sand mandala in the Villard Room. Read the story about it from the Winter 2000 Vassar Quarterly.

April 14, 2011

Ed Pittman ’82, then director, with students at the Intercultural Center (now the ALANA Center) in the early years following the Center’s opening on April 14, 1993. Learn more about the ALANA Center.

April 15 - April 17, 2011

Detail of View of Vassar from Sunset Hill, by Henry Van Ingen, 1896. Read more about Van Ingen, who was Vassar's first professor of art.

April 18, 2011

After World War II, Vassar admitted veterans, as did many other colleges at the time. Read about what it was like for Vassar's first male students from the view of one of those veterans.

April 19, 2011

Achsah Mount Ely, Class of 1868, and Math Department Chair, teaching in the 1890s. Read more about Mount Ely and the history of Vassar's Math Department.

April 20, 2011

Chess on the Library lawn, c.1990. Chess enthusiasm has waxed and waned on campus over the last 150 years, but recently has taken an upturn. Read the story. Photo by Eric Lindbloom

April 21, 2011

Feeling free out on the farm, 1983. Learn more about the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve.

April 22 - April 24, 2011

The Cornaro Window in Thompson Library depicts the awarding of the first doctorate to a woman, Lady Elena Lucretia Cornaro-Piscopia in 1678. Read more about Lady Cornaro and see more photos of the window. Photo by Tamar Thibodeau.

April 25, 2011

This is how the campus looked in the early 1930s. Things you can't see today: Uncle Fred's Nose, Vassar Brothers Laboratory, No-Noyes Circle, and a boat landing on Vassar Lake. Click "Show Landmarks" on the left for more info.

April 26, 2011

Spring Convocation, 1992; students left to right, April Hall '92, Vance Blankenbaker '92, Nicole Nieto '92. Learn more about Vassar's convocation.

April 27, 2011

Stairwell to the bell on the top of Main Building. Vassar tradition holds that to become a senior all juniors must ring the bell. Currently, this is done at the end of spring convocation. See a video of bell-ringing at the top of Main. Photo: Dixie Sheridan '65.

April 28, 2011

Professor Thomas Hills teaching a geology class in what is now the museum in Ely Hall, mid-1940s. Note the men in class, WWII GIs attending Vassar at that time. Read the history of Earth Science and Geography.

April 29, 2011

Happy Birthday, Matthew! In a nod to the most recent Vassar Quarterly cover, and to student jokes of the past, Cordelia McGee-Tubb '11 drew a version starring herself and the infamous stolen kiwi. See the inspiration for dress-up-like-Matthew day.

April 30 - May 1, 2011

Founder's Day 1985, a Vassar tradition since the first spring semester in 1866. Read about that first celebration and the history of Founder's Day; also see vintage video of how it was celebrated in the early 1930s.

May 02, 2011

A May Pole celebration, c.1912. Read an excerpt about celebrating May from the May 1890 issue of the student publication, The Vassar Miscellany.

May 03, 2011

American poet Robert Frost talks with English majors during a visit to campus in 1959. Read more about the history of the English Department.

May 04, 2011

A student labors over an assignment, c.1940s. Maybe it was study week. These days, help can be found in the Writing Center.

May 05, 2011

Students study by gas light in their dorm room, c.1905. Read about when electricity came to campus in 1912.

May 06 - May 8, 2011

The architectural style of Thompson Library is Perpendicular Gothic. Be sure to look up on your way in the front entrance next time. Photo by Tamar Thibodeau.

May 09, 2011

Seated at end of the table, Vassar’s first history professor, Lucy Maynard Salmon, with a class, c.1890s. Read more about Professor Salmon, who brought “go to the sources” to Vassar’s pedagogical approach in the 19th century.

May 10, 2011

The Juliet Theater, near Vassar, as it was in c.1939, showing a popular movie. See a “then and now” video of Arlington, the town adjoining campus.

May 11, 2011

In March, the Drama Department produced a new work called “Playground: The Hallie Flanagan Project” about the life of a legendary Vassar professor. See a video about the making of this commemorative play.

May 12, 2011

Students dressed for Class Day c.1890s. Class Day is no longer practiced, but formerly, it was the last time the senior class gathered before graduating. Read more about Vassar traditions…

May 13 - May 15, 2011

Detail of Catskills in Spring (1861) by Charles Herbert Moore. This painting was part of Vassar’s founding art collection, which included contemporary art of the time. Read more about how Matthew Vassar acquired the collection for the college.

May 16, 2011

Maria Mitchell, the first faculty member to be hired at Vassar, seated with students, c.1886. See a video montage of many of Vassar's faculty over the last 150 years.

May 17, 2011

Gathering daisies, c.1920s, for the graduation daisy chain, one of Vassar's oldest commencement traditions. Today the African Violets join in leading the processional. Read more...

May 18, 2011

Governor of New York, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Vassar President Henry MacCracken, at commencement, 1931. FDR was the commencement speaker that year, and a Vassar trustee from 1923 until his death in 1945. Read more about FDR's connection to Vassar.

May 19, 2011

A fancifully designed ticket to Vassar's 1867 Commencement. In the previous year, 1866, The New York Times covered the college's first closing ceremonies in an entertaining article by a correspondent named Diabolus. Read more...

May 20 - May 22, 2011

Last year's class of 2010 celebrated Vassar's 150th anniversary during graduation. This year's 147th Commencement ceremony is on Sunday, May 22, 2011. See details.

May 23, 2011

Commencement’s over, only one thing left to pack. Photo gift of Tim Davis©. Courtesy of Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, where this photograph and others were exhibited earlier this spring. See more…

May 24, 2011

Edna St. Vincent Millay, class of 1917, and one of Vassar’s more renowned literary alums. She was also a renowned campus rule-breaker who almost didn’t graduate. Read more…

May 25, 2011

We are all saddened by the death of Ben "the wonder dog" who was brought to campus in 2000 to help deal with geese around Sunset Lake. He performed his work with zeal and determination. Read about Ben's early days on campus.

May 26, 2011

“Votes for Women,” students march in the first suffrage assembly allowed on campus, 1912. Read the history of the suffrage movement at Vassar.

May 27 - May 29, 2011

It's a beautiful time of year to take a walk along the Priscilla Bullitt Collins Trail near the Fonteyn creek. Read about plans for a nearby part of the creek, including the future 'bridge building' for the sciences.

May 30, 2011

A student production of Midsummer Night's Dream, 1914. Today, the Powerhouse Apprentice program produces outdoor theater every summer in the same location. Read more.

May 31, 2011

Weeding in the fields at the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, 2009. The PFP is a remarkable community resource. Read more. Photo by Johanna DeKrey.

June 01, 2011

Maria Kern, class of 2011, and Professor David Jemiolo working on a biochemistry project in the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute. See a video about this project.

June 02, 2011

The group of three statues in the Shakespeare garden, which was built in 1916. Read more about the garden's history.

June 03 - June 5, 2011

Students and faculty doing field work in the Casperkill Project. See a video about this project, which is a multidisciplinary study of a stream flowing through campus. Photo by Walter Garschagen.

June 06, 2011

In the summer of 1909, Alice Huyler Ramsey, class of 1907, became the first woman to cross the continent in an automobile. It took 59 days and 11 spare tires. Read more…

June 07, 2011

Geraldine Laybourne, class of 1969, with “gak” at her desk in the 1980s. A renowned entrepreneur associated with Nickelodeon and Oxygen Media, Gerry is also currently president of the AAVC Board of Directors. Read more…

June 08, 2011

Adam Green, class of 1995, was the originator of Rocking the Boat, a non-profit that “uses boats to build kids.” Read more about this alum and the unusual organization he founded. */ ?> Mark Linn-Baker and Jon Tenney ’84 perform a scene from A Year with Frog and Toad at the Powerhouse Theater’s 25th anniversary gala in 2009. This year’s box office opens today. Check the season schedule.

June 09, 2011

The class of 1883 at reunion, c.1930, wearing mysterious ladder-to-the-star costumes. Alumnae/i used to wear fanciful attire in the reunion parade to proclaim their accomplishments. Read more…

June 10, 2011

The Class of 1955 gathers for their 50th reunion in 2005. This year’s annual reunion starts today. Check the schedule…

June 11, 2011

One of Vassar’s earliest graduation classes, 1872, seen at their reunion in 1911. This year’s annual reunion weekend is underway. Check the schedule…

June 12, 2011

Nancy Graves, class of 1961, on location in Morocco in 1970, working on her film Izy Boukir. Read more about this famous alumna. Photo courtesy of Nancy Graves Foundation.

June 13, 2011

Eleanor Roosevelt visiting the Vassar Summer Institute in the 1950s. The Institute existed between 1926-1958 and was largely dedicated to teaching participants about family and community living. Read more....

June 14, 2011

Sylvia Cranmer Mclaughlin, class of 1939, co-founder of Save the Bay, was the 2004 recipient of the Spirit of Vassar Award. Read more about this community-minded alumna.

June 15, 2011

The 1987 Powerhouse production of Better Living, featuring Olympia Dukakis as one of the firefighters. Check this year’s schedule. The box office is open.

June 16, 2011

In WWI and WWII, a few Vassar students helped fill a shortage of farm workers by doing the labor themselves during the summer months. They were nicknamed "farmerettes," and worked 45-hr weeks at 17.5 cents an hour. Read more....

June 17 - June 19, 2011

The cast takes a bow after a performance of Finks in 2008. Check out this year’s Powerhouse Theater schedule. Photo by Walter Garshagen.

June 20, 2011

Emmy Bean ’02 at the mic in the college’s independent radio station, WVKR. Vassar radio programming began in 1938, though WVKR started in the early 1970s. Read more…

June 21, 2011

Adam Green, class of 1995, was the originator of Rocking the Boat, a non-profit that “uses boats to build kids.” Read more about this alum and the unusual organization he founded.

June 22, 2011

Cyndi Lauper in the 2001 Powerhouse Theater production, Largo. Check what’s on the schedule this year. Photo by Dixie Sheridan.

June 23, 2011

The Hall of Casts was located with the Art Department in Avery Hall between 1875-1915. Casts were used to study art at Vassar as early as the 1860s. Read about the history and demise of the Hall of Casts.

June 24 - June 26, 2011

The 2007 Powerhouse production, The Boy Who Heard Music by Pete Townshend. Check this year’s schedule. Photo by Walter Garshagen.

June 27, 2011

Chemistry professor Zachary Donhauser with students Nyanza Rothman '11 and Yevgeniya Sergeyenko '11 working in the lab on an URSI project, 2009.

June 28, 2011

Grace Murray Hopper '28 standing in a mainframe room, c.1950s. Hopper was a renowned computer pioneer and dedicated teacher. Read more about her...

June 29, 2011

A scene from Side Man, a 1996 Powerhouse Theater production. This year's season includes mainstage plays, musicals, workshops, and readings. Check it out.

June 30, 2011

Rose Gruening, class of 1895, founded a country camp in 1907 to offer relief from summer heat to young New York City working women. Housing consisted of discarded trolley cars. Read more....

July 01 - July 3, 2011

Jeffrey Carlson and Idina Menzel in the 2008 Powerhouse production, Nero, by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik. Check out the 2011 season schedule. Photo by Walter Garshagan.

July 04, 2011

A summer day, perhaps even July 4th. Gathering in the Park by C.K. Chatterton, 1914. Chatterton was an artist and the creator of Vassar’s studio art program. Learn more about today’s studio art at Vassar.

July 05, 2011

Members of the Student Conservation Association, c.late 1950s. The SCA was founded by alumna Elizabeth Titus-Putnam ’55 as a response to underfunded U.S. National Parks. Read more….

July 06, 2011

Adam Rothenberg and Uzo Aduba appear in Tracy Thorne’s We Are Here (Powerhouse 2010). Aduba appears this year in The Nightingale. Check the 2011 schedule. Photo: Buck Lewis

July 07, 2011

Vassar’s original heating plant, completed in 1864, was the first central heating plant constructed in America. In 1973, the building was transformed into the Powerhouse Theater by Robertson Ward Jr. Read more….

July 08 - July 10, 2011

Bill Camp in the 2010 Powerhouse production of Pirate by John Patrick Shanley. Check out this year’s season schedule. Photo: Buck Lewis.

July 11, 2011

Ferry House, a cooperative residential hall built by Marcel Breuer in 1951, celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Read a 2006 article about this elegant Bauhaus building.

July 12, 2011

Professors Kirsten Menking and David Gillikin work with students Katie Interlichia '11 and Jeremy Teperman '11 on the Casperkill Assessment Project. Learn more about this creek that crosses Vassar campus.

July 13, 2011

Legendary drama professor Hallie Flanagan's first production was The Marriage Proposal by Chekov, c.1927. Dramatic productions remain extremely popular at Vassar, including in the summer. See the Powerhouse season schedule.

July 14, 2011

Vera Cooper Rubin '48, as an astronomy student at Vassar. Rubin is renowned for her formulation of the concept of "dark matter." Read more...

July 15 - July 17, 2011

This painting by Charles Herbert Moore, titled Morning Over New York, 1864, was in the founding art collection of the college. It was also used on the Environmental Studies website to illustrate that program's broad pedagogic approach. See highlights of the Art Center's collection.

July 18, 2011

Professor Erica Crespi, left, works with Meredith Goff ’11 on amphibian diseases using experimental ponds set up at the Vassar Ecological Preserve in 2009. Learn more about the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI).

July 19, 2011

Head gardener Martin Pinnavaia peeks through a Ponderosa dwarf lemon tree in the Skinner greenhouse. Learn more about the college’s gardens in a 2004 interview with Marty. Photo: Ben Busch ‘91.

July 20, 2011

Students participate in a class day performance in the outdoor theater, c.1919. These days, the Powerhouse Theater Apprentices also perform the classics outdoors. Be sure to check the schedule; the season ends on July 31.

July 21, 2011

A Vassar student and visiting children discover how a spider web works in the Exploring Science program, c.1994. The program has existed since the early 80s, utilizing the Vassar Farm to expose local grade-schoolers to natural science. Read more.

July 22 - July 24, 2011

David Strathairn in Unfinished Piece for a Player Piano, part of the 2010 Powerhouse Theater Readings Festival. See what’s on the schedule this year.

July 25, 2011

Elizabeth Jones ’11 working on a mosaic that was created as a gift to the college by seven 2011 graduates of the Environmental Studies Program. Read the story behind this mosaic, which is now hanging in the Library. Photo: Daniel Esses ’09

July 26, 2011

In April 1865, Matthew Vassar cut blossoms from this tree to put on Abraham Lincoln’s casket when the funeral train stopped in Poughkeepsie. Read a recent Poughkeepsie Journal article about the historic tree. Photo: Spencer Ainsley

July 27, 2011

Patricia Wettig and Richard Schiff in Nightfall , a 2001 Powerhouse production by Joanna Murray-Smith. This year’s season is over on July 31. Check the schedule. Photo: Dixie Sheridan

July 28, 2011

Vassar’s first professor, Maria Mitchell, her sister, and four Vassar graduates, journeyed over 2,000 miles by train in order to observe the eclipse of July 29, 1878. Read more…

July 29 - August 0, 2011

Noyes Residential Hall at night. In 2008, this Eero Saarinen building celebrated its 50^th anniversary. Learn more about an unusual 2009 exhibit showing what Noyes was originally intended to look like. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

August 01, 2011

An Astronomy class in 2009; the looping track and rotary motion discs in the foreground are both used in class demonstrations. Learn more about Physics and Astronomy at Vassar. Photo: John Abbott

August 02, 2011

A community garden with critter-chasers on the fence, Vassar Farm. Each summer 120 plots are available to community members. Learn more about the wide range of programs at the Vassar Farm & Ecological Preserve. Photo: Lauri Robertson '75

August 03, 2011

Inez Milholland, class of 1909, was a famous champion of the disenfranchised. Here she's seen in 1913 when she led a suffrage parade in Washington, D.C. Read more.

August 04, 2011

A chemistry student in the Sanders Lab, c. 1940s. Today's labs in Mudd Building remain busy even in the summer with the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute. See this year's projects.

August 05 - August 7, 2011

Detail of Hudson River Scene, 1893, by Henry Van Ingen, Vassar's first professor of art. The painting appears to be a view of Storm King Mountain as seen from the town of Cold Spring, NY. Read more about Van Ingen and his time at Vassar.

August 08, 2011

Blue paint always makes the best art. Learn more about programs at the Wimpfheimer Nursery School and the Infant Toddler Center. Photo: Debbie Falasco.

August 09, 2011

A view of the Guastavino tiles in the vaults under Taylor Hall. Designed by Allen and Collens in 1915, Taylor Hall has been the home of the Art Department since it was built. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

August 10, 2011

Vassar’s Shakespeare Garden in the 1940s. The garden was originally built by students and faculty in 1916. Read more about its history.

August 11, 2011

The Art Center’s Coordinator of Public Education, Nicole Roylance, left, talks with a group of visiting art teachers, 2009. See more about the Art Center’s Education programs. Photo: Nancy Crampton ’56

August 12 - August 14, 2011

An etching of Main Drive in the 1860s. Today, a single photograph of the entire front of Main Building isn’t possible because of trees on the lawns. At the time it was built, it enclosed more interior space than any building in the U.S. Read more about Main Building.

August 15, 2011

An ultrafast laser producing pulses of less than a picosecond. URSI students use this laser when working with Professor Brian Daly to study solid-state nanostructures. Learn more about this year’s physics projects in the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute.

August 16, 2011

Matthew in front of Main Building as usual, maybe watching for students to arrive next week. New student orientation starts August 25. See the schedule. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

August 17, 2011

The old barn on Vassar Farm & Ecological Preserve can have its charms. Learn more about activities on the farm, a very busy place at all times of the year. Photo: Lauri Robertson ’75

August 18, 2011

Water is drying up in many places in the world. Read about Evan Abramson ’00 and his documentary When the Water Ends in the current issue of the Vassar Quarterly.

August 19 - August 21, 2011

Child with Lamp, ca. 1897, a lithograph by Pierre Bonnard, part of the Art Center exhibition, A Taste for the Modern , which celebrates the important gift-giving of three Vassar alumnae, all collectors of modern art.

August 22, 2011

Embolden Wishes for Positive Change, a photo-collage by Mary Daniel Hobson '91. See a recent Vassar Quarterly article on activist art.

August 23, 2011

Biology professor emerita, Margaret Wright, on the Vassar farm with students in the late 1970s. Professor Wright led the movement to establish an ecological preserve on the farm. Read the history of the farm.

August 24, 2011

Main Circle at night, c.1982. Parking seemed to be a little different then. See how it works these days.

August 25 - August 28, 2011

Move-in day, Jewett House, c.1950s. Welcome to the class of 2015! We have a little video for you.

August 29, 2011

Tennis courts set up in what is now Noyes Circle, c.1889. Tennis made its appearance at Vassar in 1879. Read about an amazing tournament in 1886.

August 30, 2011

Vassar students on the annual trip to Lake Mohonk, c.1905. It was a long ride, sometimes involving more than one kind of conveyance. Read about this early tradition at Vassar. Photo: Helen Kenyon, class of 1905.

August 31, 2011

Professor Fred Chromey with students in 2009 checking the clock housing on the historic 8-inch refractor. Learn more about the observatory, its telescopes, and its weekly open nights.

September 01, 2011

A horse-drawn trolley, seen here in front of the original main gate c.1860s, was the first form of public transportation between Poughkeepsie and Vassar. Now, we have a Poughkeepsie bus route that stops right on campus, and another across the street. Learn more…

September 02 - September 4, 2011

Matthew Vassar’s personal desk is on display in the Art Center. Before visiting to see it yourself, read a little about it on the “Off The Wall” blog.

September 05, 2011

A portrait of the class of 1873 at Mill Cove Lake, now called Vassar Lake. The lake is part of the Casperkill Watershed, which includes the college campus. See vintage videos of 20^th century students enjoying our lakes.

September 06, 2011

Students relax with a newspaper and a portable record player, c.1950s. The album title is “Swan Lake,” and the glass object on the player is called an ashtray. Learn more about Vassar’s residential halls.

September 07, 2011

Fall Convocation in 1914. Today’s Convocation is at 3:30pm, and the faculty speaker is Professor Rebecca Edwards, on “The Character of American Sunlight.”

September 08, 2011

The Villard Room, currently an important events venue, was once the campus dining hall. Here, a view of how it looked in the 1940s. We have a few more options today; take a look at the Dining site for menus and locations.

September 09 - September 11, 2011

Flowers at the foot of the plane tree on the Library lawn following September 11, 2001. See listing for campus commemorations ten years after.

September 12, 2011

A quiet moment in the College Center in 1983, when the building was only 8 years old. See more about the College Center....

September 13, 2011

Leila Cook Barber, distinguished member of the Art faculty, at work in the slide library, c. 1950s. Read more about the inimitable Ms. Barber…

September 14, 2011

At the Alumnae House Pub in the 1940s. They were called bobby-soxers and would be ordering hamburgers and discussing either Greek tragedy or Frank Sinatra. Learn more about the history of Alumnae House. Photo: Frank Bauman

September 15, 2011

Canoeing in the Kenyon pool, c.1930s. Maybe the pool was bigger than it looks? Learn more about sports and athletics at Vassar in the 20th Century.

September 16 - September 18, 2011

The Martel Theater stage being prepared for a production in 2009. See what the Drama Department has on their schedule this season. Photo: Lauri Robertson '75

September 19, 2011

Chris Smart ‘83 adjusting an atomic absorption spectrophotometer in 1983. Today, Chris is a Vassar chemistry professor, and will be one of the faculty lecturers during “A Day At Vassar,” on Oct. 15. See more…

September 20, 2011

Strong House at night, c.1992. Watch “One Night At Vassar,” an Admissions video from 1990.

September 21, 2011

Visitors arriving for an art opening at the Lehman Loeb Art Center. Check out Vassar’s “Art Talk” videos by professors, students, and curators offering their own interpretations of works at the Art Center. Photo: John Abbott

September 22, 2011

Elizabeth Bishop ’34, with Tobias in 1954. An exhibit and a symposium mark her centenary, and Vassar’s premier collection of her papers. Robert Pinsky gives the symposium keynote, Sep. 24, 2011. Photo: J.L. Castel

September 23 - September 25, 2011

The first building completed on campus, affectionately known as the “old observatory,” the Judith Loeb Chiara ‘49 Center at the Maria Mitchell Observatory is now the home of the Education Dept. Read the history of this Historic Landmark. Photo: Lauri Robertson ’75

September 26, 2011

Helen Drusilla Lockwood’s American Culture seminar in 1953. Lockwood is at end of table on the left. Read more about this influential English professor…

September 27, 2011

Men’s Rugby in 1981, Mitch Moskowitz ’83 with the ball. Vassar is in white shirts with single stripe, playing a team with non-matching jerseys. Find out more about today’s rugby team.

September 28, 2011

Vassar campus seen from Sunset Hill, c. 1870. The near building was the Calisthenium and Riding Academy, now the Vogelstein Drama and Film Center. Read more about the building’s early history….

September 29, 2011

The Undergraduate Research Summer Institute is celebrating its 25^th anniversary. This year’s symposium includes an address by Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel. Above, Maria Kern ’11, working on a project in 2009. See a video about this URSI project and others.

September 30 - October 2, 2011

Dodo Birds, a drawing by Savery Roelandt, 1576-1639. At the Art Center through Dec 11, 2011, A Pioneering Collection: Master Drawings from the Crocker Art Museum. Learn more about the exhibition.

October 03, 2011

Using a keyboard on the quad, c.1950s. No wi-fi necessary.

October 04, 2011

Mike Oliver, boiler operator and mechanic, continuing a long tradition in the Vassar powerplant. When the college opened in 1865, it had the first central heating plant in the country. Photo: Benjamin Busch ’91

October 05, 2011

Students gather in the Dutch Cabin, c.1940s. The restaurant remains, although these days it's serving BBQ. See "Arlington Then and Now," a video about the village right next to campus.

October 06, 2011

Ken Livingston, professor of psychology, and Josh DeLeeuw ’08 with robots built for the annual robot competition. See a video of a competition rehearsal in 2010.

October 07 - October 9, 2011

Sunset Lake reflections in Fall color. Read a 2010 blog post about alums’ memories of this lake. Photo: Evan Abramson ’00

October 10, 2011

Women’s Field Hockey in 1982. See a 2008 video about Vassar’s field hockey team. Also check out how this year’s team is doing.

October 11, 2011

Palmer co-op house, c. 1940s. Cooperative living projects started at Vassar in 1933, during the Great Depression. Learn more…

October 12, 2011

Physics professor Brian Daly works with ultrafast lasers in his research. See a 2009 video about Professor Daly and his student URSI fellows.

October 13, 2011

A couple take a walk on the Library lawn during a weekend visit, c.1964. The college began admitting men in 1969. Read more…

October 14 - October 16, 2011

A detail of Wharf on the Hudson , 1894, by Henry Van Ingen, Vassar’s first professor of art. Read more about Van Ingen.

October 17, 2011

Radio broadcasting from Vassar started in 1938. By the 40s, a student-faculty “Radio Workshop Committee” was broadcasting regular programs. Read the history, and see a more contemporary video of WVKR in action.

October 18, 2011

The 2006 Bi-Dormal Formal, a dance often held in the Fall in the Students’ Building. In Vassar’s earliest days, dance wasn’t embraced so joyfully by some. Read more… Photo: Noah Fowler ’09

October 19, 2011

Rockefeller Hall, and the Hudson Highlands in the distance. For a panoramic view of Fall in the Hudson Valley, get out to the Walkway Over the Hudson. Photo: John Abbott

October 20, 2011

A physics class, c.1887, taught by Professor Leroy Cooley, who would become the first chair of the department. Read more about the history of Physics at Vassar.

October 21 - October 23, 2011

A detail of Taylor Hall (1915) by C.K. Chatterton, who taught studio art at Vassar from 1915-1948. See video of Professor Chatterton teaching in 1943.

October 24, 2011

Carving pumpkins on the Ferry House patio in 2009. This may be the last week to get a pumpkin at the Arlington Farmer's Market. Check it out. Photo: Francis Smith '87

October 25, 2011

Professor Fred Chromey and students at the Class of 1951 Observatory. Learn more about the telescopes in this facility, as well as open nights during the semester. Photo: John Abbott

October 26, 2011

Students relaxing in the 1940s. See vintage video of students hanging out together over the years.

October 27, 2011

Halloween Dance, c.1980. See a 2009 student video by Charlie Nicholson '12, titled, "It's Halloween."

October 28 - October 30, 2011

Dr. Milfred Fierce talks with students and others during the takeover of Main Building, Oct 30-Nov 1, 1969. Read an account by Claudia Lynn Thomas '71 of what it was like to be part of this historic moment.

October 31, 2011

The Vassar Vault: Vassar's darkest and best-kept secret.

November 01, 2011

In the 1920s, a voting booth was set up for mock elections in the Students’ Building. A real local election will be held next week in Dutchess County. Learn more about where to vote.

November 02, 2011

The Class of 1896 basketball team. By 1970 Vassar had a men’s basketball team, and believe it or not, cheerleaders. Go Big Pink! See the video.

November 03, 2011

Bicycles on the residential quad, c. 1960s. See vintage video of students and bikes on campus over the years.

November 04 - November 6, 2011

The Vogelstein Center for Drama & Film, 2009. The front of the building is the original design by John A. Wood in 1866. Learn more about this building’s surprisingly varied uses over the years. Photo: Dixie Sheridan ‘65

November 07, 2011

A view of Potpourri Day in the College Center. Once a month, vendors bring vintage, craft, and other items for sale. See this year's schedule. Photo: Josh de Leeuw '08

November 08, 2011

An electric trolley car in front of Main Gate and Taylor Hall. Trolleys replaced horse-drawn cars running between Poughkeepsie and Vassar in 1894. Now we can catch a city bus in four locations on or near campus. Learn more....

November 09, 2011

Brian Riddell, Director of Dutchess Outreach, which feeds over 1,000 people in Poughkeepsie every month, wants you to know that Vassar’s 2012 Community Works campaign starts today. You can give online right now.

November 10, 2011

The original Biology greenhouse, attached to New England building, was removed in 1988. Today Biology has many facilities for teaching and research, including a greenhouse attached to Olmsted Hall. See more....

November 11 - November 13, 2011

Detail of Autumn in North America, by Frederic Church, c.1856. See a slideshow of Hudson River School works from a 2007 Art Center exhibition.

November 14, 2011

Juliano Pereira ’14 scores a goal in a game with RIT on Nov. 5. Congratulations to Men’s Soccer for making it to the NCAA Championships this past weekend. Photo by Shane Donahue.

November 15, 2011

Hairdryers in the old Kenyon locker room, c. 1950s. Kenyon still holds some of Vassar’s athletic and fitness facilities (sans hairdryers), but these days there’s much, much more available. Check it out.

November 16, 2011

Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre’s Final Showings is this week, so make a reservation. Also see vintage video of dance at Vassar since the 1930s. Photo: Madeline Zappala ’12

November 17, 2011

Professor Emeritus Glen Johnson gives a classroom lecture for visitors to campus during “A Day At Vassar.” See a video of what our visitors thought about Vassar hospitality.

November 18 - November 20, 2011

Miriam Latzer ’97, adjusting a tractor on her farm in Clermont, NY, is among a growing number of liberal arts grads taking up farming. Read why in the latest Vassar Quarterly. Photo: Evan Abramson ’00

November 21, 2011

Before the All Campus Dining Center was added to the Students' Building in 1973, students ate together in their own res halls. Food choices have broadened since then. Check ACDC menus.

November 22, 2011

A 1998 aerial view of central campus before the Ingram Library was added to the north of Thompson Library. Read about the Library's history starting with 3,000 volumes in 1865.

November 23, 2011

The residential quad in fall, 1981. This quad was once a field of daisies, which students picked to decorate the Chapel on Class Day. Read more about Vassar traditions.

November 24 - November 27, 2011

Last year The Lunch Box in Poughkeepsie served 100,000 meals; for some, it was the only meal of the day. Be thankful this weekend. Give online to Community Works right now.

November 28, 2011

In front of Thompson Library, waiting for the doors to open, c. 1960. Check Library hours for the rest of this semester and during exam week.

November 29, 2011

Are you ready for test-tube burgers? Michael Specter ’77 thinks there’s reason to consider it. Read an interview with him in the Vassar Quarterly. Illustration by Gracia Lam

November 30, 2011

Jeh Johnson, left, taught architectural drawing at Vassar for thirty-seven years. In 2009, he received the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Award for his commitment to social awareness. See the 2010 Vassar Quarterly article.

December 01, 2011

A physiology class, c.1950s. Physiology, Botany, and Zoology combined in 1963 to become the Department of Biology. Their facilities are a little more sophisticated these days.

December 02 - December 4, 2011

Detail of No. 1 (No. 18, 1948) by Mark Rothko, part of the Art Center’s collection. See an “Art Talk” video of docent Lina Kavaliunas ’13 offering a personal perspective on this work.

December 05, 2011

M*Power is a cultural center in downtown Poughkeepsie, building dignity, pride, and respect through dance and martial arts. Watch a video about this year’s Community Works recipients.

December 06, 2011

Students studying and writing letters, c.1860s. Listen to some of the early letters written from Vassar College by students and others.

December 07, 2011

Ferry Cooperative House in winter. Marcel Breuer designed this distinctive residence hall in 1951. Read a 2006 Vassar Quarterly article about its history. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

December 08, 2011

Leaf fossils from the Miocene epoch can be seen along with many other remarkable specimens in the Warthin Museum, open Mon-Fri, when classes are in session. Check it out.Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

December 09 - December 11, 2011

Detail of The Vassar Trolley by C.K. Chatterton, 1916. A Poughkeepsie bus is available on campus now. Check the schedule and locations.

December 12, 2011

Puddle skating c.1890s. You can make the most of anything with a feather in your hat. Note “Uncle Fred’s Nose” on the front of Main Building. Read about how that happened.

December 13, 2011

Did you miss Lessons & Carols this year? It was webcast, check the video. Photo: Sam Rosen-Amy ’08

December 14, 2011

Today is the day! It’s our final push, so contribute whatever you can to the Community Works campaign. Together we’ll provide crucial support to organizations like the Children’s Clothes Closet.

December 15, 2011

’Tis the season for care packages, special deliveries… and looking into the Vassar Nordic Team. Check them out.

December 16 - December 18, 2011

Raymond Ave looking north toward Arlington, early 1900s. On the left, College Ave, and the hill where Alumnae House would eventually be built. Read about the beginning of Alumnae House.

December 19, 2011

Fancy skating at the Ice Carnival on Sunset Lake, c.1922. Watch "Let It Snow," vintage video of winter sports on campus.

December 20, 2011

Headed out for the holidays, packages and skis in tow, c.1950. This semester, residence halls close on Dec. 22. Check the Academic Calendar for important dates.

December 21, 2011

Skinner Hall balcony view of Vassar's Native Plant Preserve, which holds the Priscilla Bullitt Collins '42 Trail. Read more about this preserve. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

December 22, 2011

Winter Break starts today. Enjoy!

December 23 - January 0, 2011

Casperkill bridge (c.1900) where Sunset Lake is today. Happy Holidays! Vassar is on winter break. Offices re-open Jan. 3, 2012; classes begin Jan. 18.

January 01 - January 8, 2012

It’s a new year. Let the sun shine in. Vassar is on winter break; offices open Jan. 3, classes begin Jan. 18. Photo: Kevin Davis

January 09, 2012

This week we’re sharing a few images from last year’s 150^th anniversary events. It started with a grand evening at Jazz at Lincoln Center. See photos of that night! Photo: Buck Lewis

January 10, 2012

Everyone had a little 150 at the all-campus party in Feb 2011. There was also a birthday cake-baking contest. See the video. Photo: Walter Garschagen

January 11, 2012

During 2011, the Vassar Voices production was on the road celebrating Vassar’s 150-year history. In this photo it was Washington, D.C. See the video of the campus performance. Photo: Daniel Schwartz

January 12, 2012

Touring the Library during “A Day At Vassar,” when the college held a 150^th anniversary open house for our neighbors. Learn what our visitors thought of it.

January 13 - January 15, 2012

Playground: The Hallie Flanagan Project, a new work commissioned by the Drama Dept for Vassar’s 150^th anniversary. See the “making of” video for this commemorative play.

January 16, 2012

The Library was given its millionth volume by the class of 1972 in honor of the college’s 150^th anniversary. It’s an extraordinary 17^th century book on human anatomy. See photos and a video.

January 17 - January 18, 2012

Skeeter Humble in Dust Storm, Chandler, AZ, 1964, an early photo by Louise Serpa ’46, who died last week. Serpa was the first woman allowed to shoot photos inside a rodeo ring. See more of her legendary work.

January 19, 2012

The JACK Quartet performs modernist works during Vassar’s annual Modfest, which started this week and runs through Feb. 4. Learn more about this winter arts festival.

January 20 - January 22, 2012

The Casperkill is a stream running through campus, and one that is part of a regional watershed. Learn more about the Casperkill. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

January 23 - January 24, 2012

The Square View by Michaela Schumaci, part of Teen Visions 2012, an annual Palmer Gallery exhibit of student work from 30 regional high schools. Learn more.

January 25 - January 26, 2012

Local school groups often visit the Warthin Museum of Geology & Natural History in Ely Hall. Learn more about this Vassar museum, which had its beginnings in the earliest days of the college. Photo: Ben Rutkowski ‘09

January 27 - January 29, 2012

Detail of Yellow Hotbed, by Marco Maggi, part of the Art Center exhibition Marco Maggi: Lentissimo, for Modfest 2012. Learn more about the exhibit.

January 30 - February 0, 2012

A whimsical sculpture on the residential quad, c.1920s. When there's snow, Vassar students have always found ways to enjoy it. See vintage video in “Let it Snow.”

February 01 - February 2, 2012

Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre performs selected works as part of Modfest 2012, which is ending Feb. 4. See the schedule.

February 03 - February 5, 2012

B 11226, fifty years of silence: Eugene Kellner’s story, by Tana Kellner, part of a Special Collections retrospective of artists’ books created at Women’s Studio Workshop. See more about the exhibit.

February 06 - February 7, 2012

Physics professors David Bradley, Jennifer Magnes, Brian Daly, and Cindy Schwarz all receive National Science Foundation funding for their research. Learn more about the high percentage of funding Vassar’s science faculty receives.

February 08 - February 9, 2012

The Night Owls are Vassar’s all-female jazz a cappella group, one of the oldest in the country. Learn more about them.

February 10 - February 12, 2012

Running in the snow – good training, and maybe this is the weekend we’ll finally get some snow. Meanwhile, see how Women’s Cross Country did last fall.

February 13 - February 14, 2012

In 1969, Vassar’s first Black Studies program was housed in Poughkeepsie at the Urban Center for Black Studies. Learn more about the history of this program, now called Africana Studies.

February 15 - February 16, 2012

Meryl Streep ’71, in the title role of Strindberg’s “Miss Julie” in 1969. Last month, Streep received her 17^th Academy Award nomination. See a video about how she came to play Miss Julie at Vassar.

February 17 - February 19, 2012

Students gather around a telescope with Prof. Fred Chromey in the Class of 1951 Observatory. Read more about the observatory and its program of open nights.

February 20 - February 21, 2012

In 1960, in sympathy with civil rights protests in the South, 100 Vassar students picketed Woolworth’s in Poughkeepsie. Learn more…

February 22, 2012

Today is All College Day 2012, and the theme is “Engaging Campus Tensions.” Take a look at the schedule, and join in!

February 23 - February 24, 2012

Vassar Repertory Dance Theater performs Larry Keigwin’s “Caffeinated.” VRDT will perform his new work “Take Off” at the Bardavon Gala, Feb. 25 & 26. See a new video about VRDT.

February 25 - February 26, 2012

The Priscilla Bullitt Collins ’42 Trail in Vassar’s Native Plant Preserve. Learn more about this preserve. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

February 27 - February 28, 2012

Govard Bidloo, author of the Library's millionth volume, Anatomia humani corporis. Published in 1685, it contains 105 plates of naturalistic drawings. See a video about this remarkable book.

February 29 - March 1, 2012

Fourth from right in this Glee Club portrait is Anita Hemmings, class of 1897, Vassar’s first African-American graduate, although she had to pass as white to get in. Read the story in a 2001 Vassar Quarterly.

March 02 - March 4, 2012

In this detail of the Library’s Great Window, the audience attends closely as Lady Cornaro explains Aristotle in Latin. In 1678, she was the first woman to be awarded a doctorate. Learn more. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

March 05 - March 6, 2012

Hand, Voice & Vision is a Women’s Studio Workshop exhibit on display in the library this month. See a video about WSW. Photo: Baynard Bailey

March 07 - March 8, 2012

Did you miss seeing the Sukkah project on campus last fall? There’s a video about it.

March 09 - March 11, 2012

The Thompson Library lobby seen through the gothic tracery of a stairwell. The Thompson is considered one the most beautiful college libraries in the world. Learn more about the library. Photo: Ryan Muir ’06

March 12 - March 13, 2012

The College Center on Tasty Tuesday, when local food purveyors offer up Indian, Jamaican, Greek, BBQ, farm produce, and more. See a time-lapse video of this day’s popularity. Photo: Nancy Crampton ’56

March 14 - March 15, 2012

An interdisciplinary course on the U.S.-Mexico border includes a class trip to the Arizona-Sonora region, where they are right now. Take a look at their class blog.

March 16 - March 19, 2012

In 1951, Wonder Woman comic included a special feature about a distinguished Vassar alum, Ellen Swallow Richards, class of 1870. Read the whole story. Wonder Woman is ™ and © DC Comics. Used with Permission.

March 20 - March 21, 2012

This portrait of the 1915 basketball team is on display in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts. Basketball remains big at Vassar. Get an update on this season’s activities.

March 22, 2012

Linda Nochlin, Class of 1951, teaching an art history class in 1959. Nochlin received the Alumnae/i Distinguished Achievement Award this year. Find out more.

March 23 - March 25, 2012

“Mapping Gothic France,” a project directed by Assistant Professor of Art Andrew Tallon, is the subject of an interactive exhibition in the Art Center. Learn more. Photograph: Andrew Tallon

March 26 - March 27, 2012

Mary McCarthy ’33, in a 1985 photograph. Special Collections is marking the centenary of this alum who is renowned for her 1963 novel about Vassar titled The Group.

March 28 - March 29, 2012

Spring arrived very early this year, making it a great time to visit campus. Find out about tour schedules. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

March 30 - April 1, 2012

Tranquility, by Adrien Seide. During All Families Weekend, the Vassar Haiti Project is holding its 11^th annual art auction and sale. Check this weekend’s schedule for other activities.

April 02 - April 3, 2012

Two groups of creatures on the Konza Prairie in Kansas, where Environmental Studies visited on a Spring Break field trip. See more photos from the trip. Photo: Jacob Gorski ’15

April 04 - April 5, 2012

Tahrir Square during the Egyptian uprising. Read a Vassar Quarterly article by Tarik Ahmed Elseewi, who recently taught a course on “The Middle East in Cinema and Media.” AP Photo-Ben Curtis

April 06 - April 8, 2012

Vassar owns seven pipe organs, including this Paul Fritts model. Learn more about our pipe organs. Photo: John Abbott

April 09 - April 10, 2012

During Spring Break, an interdisciplinary course on Cuba traveled to experience the real thing. See more photos taken during the trip. Photo: Jessica Ditmore ’14

April 11 - April 12, 2012

Kelly Shortridge ’12 has been taking boxing since she was a sophomore. Read a VQ article about boxing and fitness at Vassar.

April 13 - April 15, 2012

Detail of Spring by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, on display in the Art Center’s regular collection. Visit at 2:00pm for the daily docent tour.

April 16 - April 17, 2012

Vassar College Choir at the Hotel de Talleyrand in Paris. Three of Vassar’s choirs traveled to Europe to perform this spring. Read an article about the trip. Photo: Hermine Cleret

April 18 - April 19, 2012

A view of the original chapel, located in Main Building when the college opened in 1865. A fire severely damaged this part of Main in 1918. Learn more about that historic event.

April 20 - April 22, 2012

Entropia (review), by Julie Mehretu, is part of the Art Center exhibition, Excavations: The Prints of Julie Mehretu. Learn more about the show.

April 23 - April 24, 2012

Flaming Lips, 2010, by Juliana Halpert ’12. This photo was part of a Palmer Gallery exhibition last fall, titled “Through the Student Lens.” See more of the photos from the show.

April 25, 2012

The angels in the Chapel’s hammerbeam ceiling have witnessed convocation ceremonies since they were formally initiated in 1914. Today’s speaker is Professor of Political Science, Stephen Rock. Photo: Francis Smith ’87

April 26, 2012

A sculpture atop Taylor Hall by Rachel Lenihan ’13 reminds us to look up now and then. Learn more about the Studio Art program. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

April 27 - April 28, 2012

It’s Founders Day weekend, the annual celebration of Matthew Vassar’s birthday. Check out how they did it in the 30s. Photo: Buck Lewis

April 29, 2012

The 1920 class tree, located on the north end of campus. Vassar’s class trees started in 1868 with the planting of a swamp white oak. Learn more about this tradition.
Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

April 30, 2012

Elizabeth “Betty” Daniels ’41, seen here in 1961, is celebrating 65 years of a Vassar career as teacher, administrator, and college historian. Learn more about this distinguished alumna.

May 01 - May 3, 2012

At the Model United Nations program in New York City this year, the Hudson River Group, including Vassar, represented Italy. Learn more about it, and see a video.

May 04 - May 6, 2012

Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and leader of the Liberian women’s peace movement (pictured here), will speak at this year’s Commencement. Learn more. Photo: Pewee Flomoku

May 07 - May 8, 2012

The view is amazing. Have you been to the Walkway Over the Hudson yet? It’s right here in Poughkeepsie. Photo: Buck Lewis

May 09 - May 10, 2012

Thompson Library has been an iconic campus presence since it was built in 1905. Sign up for a walking tour to learn more about this and other historic locations at Vassar. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

May 11 - May 13, 2012

Call of the Sea , by Harriet Frishmuth, ca. 1950s, in Sunset Lake. Out of circulation since the 1970s, this work can again be seen in the newly revamped Art Center Sculpture Garden.

May 14 - May 15, 2012

Governor of New York, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Vassar President Henry MacCracken, in 1931, when FDR was the commencement speaker. Read more about FDR’s connection to Vassar.

May 16 - May 17, 2012

Vassar faculty prepare to process to the amphitheater stage at the beginning of Commencement. Get details of this year’s ceremony on May 20. Photo: Don Marsala

May 18, 2012

A depiction by Anne Cleveland ’37 of the commencement daisy chain, one of Vassar’s oldest traditions. Today the African Violets also lead the processional. See vintage video from the 30s to present.

May 19 - May 20, 2012

Congratulations to the Class of 2012! Vassar’s 148^th commencement ceremony is on Sunday, May 20. Get more info. Photo: John Abbott

May 21 - May 22, 2012

School girls in Cuba smile for Vassar visitors during a Spring Break field trip. See more about the trip. Photo: Jessica Ditmore ’14

May 23 - May 24, 2012

Chemistry professor Chris Smart ’83 working with glass in his lab. He’s also a beekeeper. And a beer maker. Read about it on The Hub. Photo: John Abbott

May 25 - May 27, 2012

Detail of Catskills in Spring (1861) by Charles Herbert Moore. This painting was part of Vassar’s founding art collection. See highlights from the current Art Center collection.

May 28 - May 29, 2012

Class of 1883 at reunion, c.1930, wearing mysterious ladder-to-the-star costumes. Fanciful attire used to be a part of the reunion parade. Read more.

May 30 - June 0, 2012

Alums enjoying the Reunion parade near Sunset Lake in 2011. This year’s Reunion starts Friday. Check the schedule. Photo: Stockton Photo, Inc.

June 01 - June 3, 2012

The Class of 1955 gathers for their 50th reunion in 2005. This year, the Class of 1962 celebrates their 50^th. Check the reunion schedule…

June 04 - June 5, 2012

Have you seen this year’s commencement photos? Check out the slideshow.

June 06 - June 7, 2012

Scene from A Maze, a 2011 Powerhouse production. The box office is now open. Check out this year’s schedule. Photo: Buck Lewis

June 08 - June 10, 2012

Boat at Sunset Lake by Timothy Taber ’11. This photo was part of a Palmer Gallery exhibition last fall, titled “Through the Student Lens.” See more of the photos from the show.

June 11 - June 12, 2012

The Powerhouse audience gives a standing ovation. See what's on this season. Photo: Dixie Sheridan

June 13 - June 14, 2012

A Vassar student and young visitors discover how a spider web works in the Exploring Science program, which uses the Vassar Farm to familiarize grade-schoolers with natural science. Read more.

June 15 - June 17, 2012

Detail of Hudson River Scene, 1893, by Henry Van Ingen, Vassar’s first professor of art. Read more about Van Ingen and those early years at Vassar.

June 18 - June 19, 2012

Lighten your day. Stop by the Palmer Gallery to see Artistic Beginnings: Masterpieces by 2 & 3 year olds. Show ends Thursday, June 21.

June 20 - June 24, 2012

Chloë Sevigny (“Big Love”) and Patrick Heusinger (Next Fall) rehearse Abigail/1702 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (“Glee,” “Big Love”), directed by David Esbjornson (Driving Miss Daisy) at the Powerhouse, Jun 27-Jul 8.

June 25 - June 26, 2012

Students and faculty doing field work in the Casperkill Project. See a video about this multidisciplinary study of one of the streams flowing through campus. Photo: Walter Garschagen

June 27 - June 28, 2012

David Strathairn in Unfinished Piece for a Player Piano, part of the 2010 Powerhouse Theater Readings Festival. See what’s on the schedule this year.

June 29 - July 1, 2012

Mt. Williamson from Manazanar, California, by Ansel Adams; part of the Art Center exhibition Nature in America: Taming the Landscape. Learn more.

July 02 - July 3, 2012

A “soundpainting” dance theater piece created for the Lehman Loeb Art Center, on July 5, 12, & 19. Learn more about it. Photo: Buck Lewis

July 04, 2012

A summer day, perhaps even July 4^th. Gathering in the Park, 1914, by C.K. Chatterton, the creator of Vassar’s studio art program. The painting is part of the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center collection.

July 05 - July 6, 2012

Sau Lan Wu ’63 is a key member of the team that has likely discovered the “God particle,” the final piece supporting the Standard Model of physics. Learn more about this major achievement.

July 07 - July 8, 2012

Last chance to see Abigail/1702 with Chlöe Sevigny and Patrick Heusinger. Now at Powerhouse, ending July 8. Learn more about this play.

July 09 - July 10, 2012

The Art Center’s newly renovated sculpture garden opened this spring. See more photos. Photographer: Lee Ferris

July 11 - July 12, 2012

Red Soil, or Barns, 1924, by Oscar Bluemner; part of Nature in America: Taming the Landscape at the Art Center through Aug 26.

July 13 - July 15, 2012

Greg Kinnear & Jennifer Westfeldt rehearse The Power of Duff, at Powerhouse July 18-29. Learn More. Photo: Buck Lewis

July 16 - July 17, 2012

See the classics performed on the bank of Sunset Lake. Free, as always. This year it’s Shakespeare and Euripides for three July weekends. Check the schedule.

July 18 - July 19, 2012

Teaching aids for physics, used c. 1900. The Artifacts Project is locating historic items hidden in attics around campus. Learn more. Photo: Madeline Zappala ’12

July 20 - July 22, 2012

Jennifer Westfeldt, Greg Kinnear, & Dominic Fumusa in The Power of Duff, at the Powerhouse Theater, July 18-29. Act now, almost sold out! Photo: Buck Lewis

July 23 - July 24, 2012

Eunice Chou ’14 works with faculty in the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI). Their research may lead to finding causes for neurological disorders like Parkinson’s. Read more. Photo: Buck Lewis

July 25 - July 26, 2012

A hand-colored etching of Main Building in the 1860s. When it was built, this was the largest building in the U.S. Learn more about Main.

July 27 - July 29, 2012

Choreographer Doug Varone in rehearsal with Rebecca Naomi Jones, Will Swenson, and Dee Roscioli for Murder Ballad, a Powerhouse Martel Musical, July 27-29. This weekend only. Photo: Buck Lewis

July 30 - August 0, 2012

Students work with faculty in the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI); here a team is investigating free radicals. Learn more. Photo: Buck Lewis

August 01 - August 2, 2012

Jada Sacco-Hunter ’16 was shopping for some things to bring with her to Vassar when she noticed the tissue aisle needed a little reorganizing. Freshmen arrive Aug. 28. Check the schedule.

August 03 - August 5, 2012

Sunset Lake on a summer afternoon. Read more about the history of this favorite lake on campus. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

August 06 - August 7, 2012

Maria “Alex” Soto ’16 works with biology professor Mark Schlessman in Vassar’s Diving Into Research program. Read more. Photo: Madeline Zappala ’12

August 08 - August 9, 2012

Anne Buckingham Young ’69, Chief of Neurology Service at Mass General, believes answers are on the horizon for Alzheimer’s and other diseases. She talks about it in a video.

August 10 - August 12, 2012

Detail of Gloucester Dawn, ca. 1921, Milton Avery; part of Nature in America: Taming the Landscape at the Art Center through Aug 26.

August 13 - August 14, 2012

Will Wheeler ’14, center, surrounded by children in a Poughkeepsie day camp where he spent the summer making a difference. Learn more about the Community Fellows program. Photo: Buck Lewis

August 15 - August 16, 2012

Edna St. Vincent Millay, class of 1917, first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry, was as talented as she was eccentric. Learn more.

August 17 - August 19, 2012

Noyes Residential Hall at night. In 2008, this Eero Saarinen building celebrated its 50th anniversary. Read about this and other res halls on campus. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

August 20 - August 21, 2012

Olivia Westbrook-Gold ’13, left, John Acosta ’15, and Kyndra Adams ’14, working on their Undergraduate Research Summer Institute project on the teen brain with psychology professor Abigail Baird. Read about the project. Photo: Buck Lewis

August 22 - August 23, 2012

Art professor Harry Roseman and Juliana Halpert ’12 work on a new art installation in the north entrance of the Library. Read more about this project.
Photo: Madeline Zappala ’12

August 24 - August 26, 2012

Detail of Woods at Dusk, 1887, by Henry Farrer; part of Nature in America: Taming the Landscape at the Art Centerthrough Aug 26. Last chance this week!

August 27, 2012

Get your typewriters ready; it’s about to begin again. Classes start Sept. 4. See the Academic Calendar.

August 28 - August 29, 2012

Welcome, Class of 2016! We’re glad you’re here. See a video of how move-in day works at Vassar.
Photo: Buck Lewis

August 30, 2012

New students are settling in. See the Freshmen Orientation Schedule for this week’s activities.
Photo: Buck Lewis

August 31 - September 2, 2012

Food prep time at Ferry House, the campus cooperative residence. Read more about the history of co-op living at Vassar.
Photo: Francis Smith ’87

September 03 - September 4, 2012

Last spring students traveled to the U.S.-Mexican border as part of a course exploring the socio-political issues of the boundary. Read how they describe this powerful experience.
Photo: Sophia Achorn-Rubenstein ’13

September 05 - September 6, 2012

Professor John Long uses electronic tadpoles and other artificial marine vertebrates to study evolution. Read an excerpt from his new book.
Photo: John Rizzo

September 07 - September 9, 2012

Suspended, by Werner Pfeiffer. The exhibition Reexamining Books: Book Objects and Artist’s Books by Werner Pfeiffer can be seen in the Library and the Art Center through Dec. 15. See videos about the work.

September 10 - September 11, 2012

Professor Fred Chromey with a century-old blink comparator, one of only two known still to exist. Learn more about the VC Artifacts Project and the history of science at Vassar.

September 12, 2012

Fall Convocation in 1914. Today’s Convocation is at 3:30pm; the faculty speaker is Professor John Long on “Chasing Our Tale: Remembrance of (Evolutionary) Things Past.”

September 13 - September 16, 2012

A rendering of the planned new science building, which will include reclamation of the surrounding wetlands. Read more about this campus-changing initiative.

September 17 - September 18, 2012

Doug Silin ’96 works to bring awareness of the plight of 26 million people who have been kidnapped into slavery. Read about this alum’s efforts to make a serious difference.Photo: Andy Jones

September 19 - September 20, 2012

Aligned with Alexa, by Alexa Meade ’09. Meade turns people into paintings by applying paint directly to their bodies. See more of her work. Photo: Alexa Meade ’09

September 21 - September 23, 2012

Stacked Logs in Weyerhaeuser, in the exhibition Sawdust Mountain, large-scale photographs by Eirik Johnson, through Dec. 9. Learn more about this striking documentation of Pacific Northwest industries.

September 24 - September 25, 2012

A night view of the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film. Check out this fall’s Drama Dept. production schedule.
Photo: Evan Abramson ’00

September 26 - September 27, 2012

Don’t miss the Arlington Farmers’ Market every Thursday through Oct. 25. Get details.
© The Miscellany News / Emily Kloppenburg ’11

September 28 - October 0, 2012

Lisa Kudrow ’85 interviews Prof. Abby Baird ’91 about how the teenage brain works. See the video.

October 01 - October 2, 2012

An Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI) project this year tested water quality in the area where the new science center will be built. The URSI symposium is Oct. 3; check the schedule. Photo: Buck Lewis

October 03 - October 4, 2012

A lecture by Professor Emeritus Glen Johnson during A Day At Vassar in 2011. Registration has been extended to Oct. 9 for this year’s community day. Don’t miss it, register now. Photo: Buck Lewis

October 05 - October 7, 2012

Detail of From the Tower, pastel by Marlene Wiedenbaum, part of Sacred Ground: Held in Trust, at the Palmer Gallery through Oct. 13. Learn more about this artist’s work.

October 08 - October 9, 2012

The Women’s Volleyball team huddles during a game. Check what some of the coaches say about the prospects of Vassar’s athletic teams this Fall.Photo: Stockton Photo, Inc.

October 10 - October 11, 2012

Only two more weeks for the Arlington Farmers’ Market, running through Oct. 25. Don’t miss out. Photo: © The Miscellany News
Molly Turpin ’12 & Ruby Cramer ’12

October 12 - October 14, 2012

A research team in Antarctica, led by astrophysicist John Carlstrom ’81, is studying “the light left over from the Big Bang.” Read the story.

October 15 - October 16, 2012

Call of the Sea, a sculpture that disappeared decades ago from Sunset Lake is now returned, and can be seen in the Art Center’s sculpture garden. Read the surprising story.

October 17 - October 18, 2012

The Vassar Experimental Garden (VEG) is a communal garden run entirely by students. Read a 2011 Miscellany News article about this undertaking. Photo: Cat Tween ’16.

October 19 - October 21, 2012

View of the ATLAS detector, used in the search for the Higgs boson. A member of the research team, Sau Lan Wu ’63, will speak today at 5:00pm in Rockefeller 300. See a BBC documentary about why the Higgs boson is so important. Photo: CERN

October 22 - October 23, 2012

Students sit a Women’s Center and LGBTQ information table in the College Center. Learn more about the work of the Campus Life and Diversity office. Photo: Evan Abramson ’00

October 24 - October 25, 2012

This is the last week for the Arlington Farmer’s Market. But starting Nov. 1, it moves indoors to the College Center. Get details. Photo: © The Miscellany News
Molly Turpin ’12 & Ruby Cramer ’12

October 26 - October 28, 2012

Cubism, a photograph by Benjamin Busch ’91, part of Conflict, Destruction, Renewal: Contemporary Artists on War, a group show in the Palmer Gallery through Nov. 16. Learn more.

October 29 - October 30, 2012

Zombie ants are on the march. But not just for Halloween. Learn about the course studying this and other bizarre behavior in nature. Photo: David Hughes, Penn State University

October 31, 2012

November 01, 2012

Coach Andy Jennings with the Men’s Soccer team before a game. The team hosts a semi-final Liberty League game today at 2:30, Prentiss Field. Get more info.Photo: Holly Wilmeth

November 02, 2012

Coach Andy Jennings with the Men’s Soccer team before a game. The Brewers are headed to the Liberty League Championship. Learn more.Photo: Holly Wilmeth

November 03 - November 4, 2012

Students help move native ferns, which will be replanted in a fern glen under the new science building when it’s completed. Learn more about the new building, which breaks ground in Spring 2013.Photo: Madeline Zappala ’12

November 05, 2012

In the 1920s, voting booths were set up on campus for students to practice a new enfranchisement. Tomorrow is a national election. Get more info on where to vote.

November 06, 2012

Today is the presidential election. Have you voted yet? Check for your local polling site.

November 07 - November 8, 2012

Forester Mutuma Marangu ’84 is working for the environment and the people in Africa by planting new, harvestable forests. Read more.

November 09 - November 11, 2012

S.O.S, by Charles Geiger, part of Conflict, Destruction, Renewal: Contemporary Artists on War, a group show at the Palmer Gallery through Nov. 16. Learn more.

November 12 - November 13, 2012

Fold-Out Book #2, by Werner Pfeiffer. The exhibition Reexamining Books: Book Objects and Artist’s Books by Werner Pfeiffer can be seen in the Library and the Art Center through Dec. 15. See videos about the work.

November 14 - November 15, 2012

Lois Horst and Kate Susman place Blaschka figures on display in the Warthin Museum. Read about these exquisite 19^th century works of art originally used at Vassar as biology models. Photo: Buck Lewis

November 16 - November 18, 2012

Weyerhaeuser Sorting Yard, in the exhibition Sawdust Mountain, large-scale photographs by Eirik Johnson, at the Art Center through Dec. 9. Learn how this exhibit is being used in a Political Science classroom.

November 19, 2012

Dr. Sau Lan Wu ’63 with physics students and faculty during her recent visit. See videos of Prof. Wu’s lecture about the search for the Higgs boson.Photo: John Abbott

November 20 - November 21, 2012

Did you know Vassar’s libraries have more than 1 million volumes in their collections? Learn more surprising facts about the libraries. Photo: Evan Abramson ’00

November 22 - November 25, 2012

Last year The Lunch Box in Poughkeepsie served 100,000 meals; for some, it was the only meal of the day. Be thankful this weekend. Give online to Community Works right now.

November 26 - November 27, 2012

The Vassar Devils, a student a cappella group, perform in the College Center Retreat. The Devils are one of over 120 student organizations. Check out the full list. Photo: Amanda Crommett ’13

November 28 - November 29, 2012

The Arlington Farmers’ Market moved indoors to the College Center for the winter. Get your apple cider now. Thursdays, 12:00-5:00pm. Photo: Amanda Crommett ’13

November 30 - December 2, 2012

View from Overlook Mountain, photograph by Kevin Davis, in the Palmer exhibition Alazanto: Illuminating the Divine Within. Learn more about the exhibition.

December 03 - December 4, 2012

Detail of The Vassar Trolley by C.K. Chatterton, 1916. A Poughkeepsie bus is available on campus now. Check the schedule and locations.Collection of Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center

December 05 - December 6, 2012

Vassar’s Community Works campaign supports local organizations providing food, clothing, shelter, and much more. Together, we make a difference; contribute online right now.

December 07 - December 9, 2012

Earth science students recently visited Yellowstone National Park to get a closer look at geysers and lava flows. See more photos and read about their experience.Photo: Isabel Larrow ’16

December 10 - December 11, 2012

The College Center on “Tasty Tuesday,” when local food purveyors offer up Indian, Jamaican, Greek, BBQ, and more. See a video of this day’s popularity.Photo: Amanda Crommett ’13

December 12 - December 14, 2012

That’s how many meals Dutchess Outreach provided last year for people in need. Community Works helps make it possible. Deadlines for payroll deduction: Dec. 14 for staff & service; Dec. 31 for faculty & administrators

December 15 - December 16, 2012

Sandstone Cracked, by Kevin Davis, in the Palmer exhibition Alazanto: Illuminating the Divine Within. Learn more about the exhibition, which closes on Dec. 20.

December 17 - December 18, 2012

The Casperkill is a stream running through campus, and one that is part of a regional watershed. Learn more about the Casperkill. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

December 19 - December 21, 2012

Vassar’s soccer teams recently visited local nursing homes to bring cheer and comfort as part of John Flowers’ “Celebrating Community.” Read the story. Photo: Amanda Crommett ’13

December 22 - January 0, 2012

Casperkill bridge, c.1900, where Sunset Lake is today. Happy Holidays! Vassar is on winter break. Offices re-open Jan. 2, 2013; classes begin Jan. 23.

January 01 - January 6, 2013

Happy New Year! Vassar is on winter break; offices open Jan. 2, 2013, and classes begin Jan. 23.

January 07 - January 8, 2013

To help her update the 2,400-year-old play Lysistrata, visiting director Ianthe Demos ´00 sought out a wrestling coach. Read the story.Photo: Buck Lewis

January 09 - January 10, 2013

Adam Green ´95, founded a boatbuilding organization in the South Bronx that teaches 3,000 high school students per year, and also supports the area’s economy. Read about this inspiring work.Photo: Lowell Handler

January 11 - January 13, 2013

The Priscilla Bullitt Collins ´42 Trail in Vassar’s Native Plant Preserve. Learn more about this preserve.Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

January 14 - January 15, 2013

Students volunteer with the Hunger Action Network to help in many ways, including serving meals at the Lunch Box in Poughkeepsie. Read more about their community work.Photo: Buck Lewis

January 16 - January 17, 2013

Local school groups visit the Warthin Museum of Geology & Natural History in Ely Hall. Learn more about this museum, which had its beginnings in the earliest days of the college.Photo: Ben Rutkowski ‘09

January 18 - January 20, 2013

Detail of Tokyo, Japan, 2005 by Naoki Honjo, in the exhibition Recent Acquisitions: Works on Paper, at the Art Center through March 30. Learn more about the exhibit.

January 21 - January 22, 2013

Detail of Studio Movement, pastel by Helen Sywalski in Dual Visions, an exhibition of regional high school students’ work, Palmer Gallery through Feb. 13

January 23 - January 24, 2013

Raymond Ave looking toward Arlington, early 1900s. The hill on the left would eventually hold Alumnae House. These days, alums can also visit the college virtually on The Hub website. Check it out.

January 25 - January 26, 2013

This year, ModFest includes among its offerings the first scene of the opera Eric Hermannson’s Soul composed by acting president Jonathan Chenette. Check the ModFest schedule.

January 27 - January 29, 2013

Paozhuzhai@7:00, a photograph of Yunnan Province by Fan Tianyi ’16, a winner in this year’s Vassar International Photo Contest. See more contest photos.

January 30 - February 0, 2013

Huang Hung ‘84, often called “China’s Oprah,” recently visited the Alumnae House Pub to discuss politics, media, and design trends in China. See the video.Photo: Evan Abramson ‘00

February 01, 2013

Iced Brew, Vassar’s synchronized skating team, competes this weekend in the sectional championships in Lake Placid.  Read more about Iced Brew. Photo: Buck Lewis

February 02, 2013

Iced Brew, Vassar’s synchronized skating team, competes this weekend in the sectional championships in Lake Placid.  Read more about Iced Brew. Photo: Buck Lewis

February 03, 2013

Iced Brew, Vassar’s synchronized skating team, competes this weekend in the sectional championships in Lake Placid.  Read more about Iced Brew. Photo: Buck Lewis

February 04 - February 5, 2013

Amelia Couture ’12 hiked the entire Appalachian Trail after graduation, although she’d never been on an overnight hike before. Read about her adventure.

February 06 - February 7, 2013

Students, c.1940s, working in the Outdoor Ecological Laboratory, founded by visionary professor Edith Roberts. The same land will be renewed as an outdoor learning space as part of the new science building. Learn more.

February 08 - February 10, 2013

Dr. Milfred Fierce talks with a crowd during the takeover of Main Building in 1969. Read an account by Claudia Lynn Thomas '71 of what it was like to be part of this historic moment.

February 11 - February 12, 2013

Judy Berens ’71 with two clouded leopards at her animal sanctuary, the Panther Ridge Conservation Center. Learn more about this alum’s unusual venture.Photo: courtesy of Panther Ridge

February 13 - February 14, 2013

The Thompson Library lobby seen through the gothic tracery of a stairwell. Take a video tour of Vassar’s beautiful main library.Photo: Ryan Muir ’06

February 15 - February 17, 2013

In 1969, Vassar’s first Black Studies program was housed in Poughkeepsie at the Urban Center for Black Studies. Learn more about the history of this program, now called Africana Studies.

February 18, 2013

This year All College Day is Feb. 18-20, and the theme is “Race, Privilege, and Power.” Check the schedule and join in!

February 19 - February 20, 2013

Michaela Janowski ’15 makes a steal against Hunter earlier this season. Women’s basketball is #1 seed for the Liberty League Championship, Wed. at 6pm. Get more info. Following the game, students, faculty, and staff take to the court for the annual raucous Student-Faculty Basketball Game. Photo: Stockon Photo, Inc.

February 21 - February 23, 2013

Detail of Memorabilia, lithograph by Jacob Lawrence in the exhibition Recent Acquisitions: Works on Paper, at the Art Center through Mar. 30. Learn more about the exhibition.

February 24 - February 26, 2013

Vassar’s oldest building, the historic observatory, also served initially as the home of Maria Mitchell, the college’s first faculty member. Learn more. Photo: Buck Lewis

February 27, 2013

Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre dancers in Chairs by Zvi Gotheiner. VRDT holds its annual Gala this weekend. Get the info. Photo: Rachel Garbade '15

February 28, 2013

Students of Do Something VC selling t-shirts to raise money for local LGBTQ organizations. See the video of today’s events celebrating inclusiveness at Vassar. Photo: Buck Lewis

March 01 - March 3, 2013

Throwback Jam 2012, sponsored by Hip Hop 101, a student group for artistic expression through hip-hop. Read about a recent student performance and reading in the Art Center.

March 04 - March 5, 2013

Andrew Zolli ’95 has long focused on global social change. Recently he’s turned to the idea of resilience and building social systems that bounce back from crisis. Read more. Photo: courtesy of PopTech

March 06 - March 7, 2013

A tank of autonomous Neuro-Evolving Robotic Devices (NERDs) in Professor John Long’s lab. They found the light, as programmed, but also did something else surprising. Read more. Photo: Josh de Leeuw ’08

March 08 - March 10, 2013

The Artist’s Book in Wales, a Special Collections exhibit in the library, celebrates the work of Shirley Jones and her Red Hen Press. Learn more about the exhibit.

March 11 - March 12, 2013

A couple weeks after she receives her Vassar diploma, Caitrin Hall ’13 will enroll in a “graduate school” that’s about 3,000 miles long. Read the story.Photo: Buck Lewis

March 13 - March 14, 2013

Fourth from right in this Glee Club portrait is Anita Hemmings, class of 1897, Vassar’s first African-American graduate, although she had to pass as white to get in. Read the story in a 2001 Vassar Quarterly.

March 15 - March 17, 2013

In this detail of the Library’s Great Window, the audience attends closely as Lady Cornaro explains Aristotle in Latin. In 1678, she was the first woman to be awarded a doctorate. Learn more. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

March 18 - March 19, 2013

Eleven military veterans will enroll this fall, as members of Vassar’s Class of 2017, through a new partnership with the Posse Foundation. Read the story.Photo: John Abbot

March 20 - March 21, 2013

Art by Giulia Andreini, 8th grade, part of the 28th Annual Iyoya Children’s Art Show at the Palmer Gallery, through March 22. Learn more.

March 22 - March 24, 2013

Untitled, print by Laylah Ali in the exhibition Recent Acquisitions: Works on Paper, at the Art Center through March 30. Learn more about the exhibition.

March 25 - March 26, 2013

Grace Murray Hopper '28 standing in a mainframe room, c.1950s. Hopper was a renowned computer pioneer and dedicated teacher. Read more about her.

March 27 - March 28, 2013

Film major Elena Gaby ’13, right, created a documentary about undocumented Poughkeepsie high school students Roberto and Mauricio. Learn more about her project.

March 29 - April 0, 2013

A rendering of the south entrance of the new science center, now underway. See more images of this campus-changing initiative.

April 01 - April 2, 2013

Anchored, by Georges Desarmes, part of the Haitian Art Preview Exhibition at the Palmer Gallery through April 3. Learn more about the Vassar Haiti Project.

April 03 - April 4, 2013

Christie Chea ’13, center, with young friends in Senegal during her Junior Year Abroad (JYA). Read what students think of their experiences studying abroad.

April 05 - April 7, 2013

Families Weekend is April 5-7. Check the schedule for events you really don’t want to miss.

April 08 - April 9, 2013

Detail of Spring by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, on display in the Art Center’s permanent collection. Visit at 2:00pm, Tue-Sat, for the highlights guided tour.

April 10 - April 11, 2013

Vassar’s Shakespeare Garden was originally built by students in 1916. Send an electronic postcard of the garden in spring. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

April 12 - April 14, 2013

Detail of October 24, 1979, Polaroid photo by André Kertész, in the Art Center exhibition The Polaroid Years: Instant Photography and Experimentation, through Jun. 30.

April 15 - April 16, 2013

The Casperkill creek runs through campus and has long been a source for student and faculty research. See a 1943 video of how they did it 70 years ago. Photo: Walter Garschagen

April 17 - April 18, 2013

Working in a western New York vineyard over Spring Break. Read how student advocacy for migrant workers can evolve from community activism to a passionate career. Photo: Ruth Campbell ’14

April 19 - April 21, 2013

A dizzying view of magnolias in bloom behind Main Building. Spring is one of the most beautiful times to visit campus. Check the tour schedule. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

April 22 - April 23, 2013

Students on a farm in China where they traveled last summer to research sustainability issues. Read about the experience and some of the things they learned. Photo: Yu Zhou

April 24 - April 25, 2013

Henry Hollithron ’15 and his guide dog Kaysley await judges’ results at a recent Russian Studies competition at West Point. Hollithron and teammates scored a near sweep. Learn more. Photo: Olesya Yelfimova

April 26 - April 28, 2013

Detail of Catskills in Spring (1861) by Charles Herbert Moore. This painting was part of Vassar’s founding art collection, which included contemporary art of the time. See highlights of the current Art Center collection.

April 29 - May 0, 2013

Film professor Sarah Kozloff, left, recently interviewed Rebecca Eaton ’69, this year’s AAVC Distinguished Achievement Award recipient, and co-producer of Downton Abbey. Learn more.

May 01, 2013

Stairwell to the top of Main Building where, following Spring Convocation, juniors ring the bell, necessary for becoming seniors. See a video of what it’s like up there. Convocation is today at 3:30 in the Chapel. Photo: Dixie Sheridan ’65

May 02 - May 5, 2013

Statue of Matthew Vassar surrounded by the splendor of a Hudson Valley spring. Learn more about the college’s founder. Photo: Tamar Thibodeau

May 06 - May 7, 2013

Elizabeth Celaya ’02 stands in an abandoned factory in Poughkeepsie where she hopes to see a multi-use building and the rebirth of a neighborhood. Read more.Photo: Buck Lewis