For other institutions named Trinity College, see Trinity College.
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University.
CampusThe first buildings completed on the current campus were Seabury and Jarvis halls in 1878. Together with Northam Towers, these make up what is known as the "Long Walk". These buildings are the earliest examples of Collegiate Gothic architecture in the United States, built to plans drawn up by William Burges, with F.H.Kimball as supervising architect. Trinity's other landmark is its distinctive chapel. The Trinity College Chapel, referred to by Trinity students simply as "the Chapel," was built in the 1930s to replace Trinity's original chapel, located in Seabury Hall (now a lecture hall). The Chapel's facade is made almost entirely of limestone and it seamlessly blends into the adjacent Downes Memorial Clock Tower. Its primary architect was Philip Hubert Frohman, of Frohman, Robb and Little, who was also responsible for the National Cathedral in Washington, DC; the two buildings share a resemblance. Another distinctive feature of Trinity's campus is its central green known as the Main Quad, which is bound on the west by the Long Walk, on the east by the Lower Long Walk, on the north by the Chapel, and on the south by various dormitories. While a central green is a feature of many college campuses, Trinity's is notable for its unusually large size, running the entire length of the Long Walk and with no paved or unpaved walkways traversing it. Trees on the Quad have been planted in a 'T' configuration (for Trinity) with the letter's base located at the statue of Bishop Brownell and its top running the length of the Long Walk. Tradition holds that the trees were intended to distinguish Trinity's campus from Yale's. Also located on the Quad are two cannons used on the USS Hartford, flagship of Admiral David Farragut during the civil war. The whole of Trinity's campus is set out on a 100-acre (0.4 km2) parcel of land that is bound on the south by New Britain Avenue, on the west by Summit Street, on the east by Broad Street, and on the north by Allen Place. Trinity's former northern border, Vernon Street, has been transferred from the city of Hartford to Trinity College and closed off at one end (Broad Street), creating a cul-de-sac within Trinity's borders. Completed in 2001, and located on what was formerly an abandoned bus depot adjacent to Trinity's campus, the Learning Corridor is a collection of K-12 public magnet schools co-created by Trinity and the governments of Hartford and Connecticut. Trinity's campus has no through-streets running through it. The only exception until its recent closure was Vernon Street, at the north end of the campus. Since the street was transferred to the school from the city Trinity widened and repaved it, as well as installing light posts about every ten feet (inviting the student-bestowed nickname "Runway V") as well as granite crosswalks, curbs, benches, and fenceposts. Vernon Street is the location of most of the campus cultural houses and Greek organizations, as well as the new Vernon Social Center. Important buildings on campus
Trinity College and HartfordTrinity is located in urban Hartford, within walking distance of the state capital of Connecticut. Trinity and the communityAlong with Trinity, the Learning Corridor, Hartford Hospital, and the The Institute of Living make up the Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance, or SINA. SINA aims to create affordable housing in Hartford’s Frog Hollow and Barry Square neighborhoods as well as in the creation of the Learning Corridor and the Trinity College Boys and Girls Club. Trinity’s library, computer resources and the new Community Sports Complex are available to Hartford residents. The new sports complex functions both as a rink for Trinity’s ice hockey teams and as a public skating rink. AcademicsSelectivityUS News and World Report ranks Trinity in its top 30 liberal arts colleges. Recently the Wall Street Journal ranked Trinity as the 43rd highest "feeder school" for the top graduate school programs. Data compiled by the National Science Foundation lists Trinity as a liberal arts college that educates disproportionately high numbers of future scientists. Despite the fact that US News and World Report has consistently ranked Trinity among the top liberal arts colleges in the US, in August 2007 the college joined the "Annapolis Group", an organization of over 100 of the nation's liberal arts schools, in refusing to participate in U.S. News & World Report's college rankings.[2] Areas of studyTrinity College currently offers the following majors: Contributions to the artsCinestudio is an art cinemas with 1930's-style design. A recent article in the Hartford Advocate described this non-profit organization, which depends solely on grants and the efforts of volunteer workers who are paid in free movies. Cinestudio has been located in the Clement Chemistry Building since it was founded in the 1970s. Cinestudio is host to the annual Eyeball Film Festival, in which young film makers premier their latest works in front of their peers. The festival has judges, each schooled in film from a different perspective, who judge the student's films. Trinity also hosts the annual Trinity International Hip Hop Festival. A three-day celebration of global hip hop culture, the festival features lectures, panel discussions, workshops and live performances. The festival was founded in 2006 with the goal of unifying Trinity with the city of Hartford. History
Early historyTrinity was founded in the spring of 1823 as Washington College, in downtown Hartford, receiving its current name in 1845. Because of the social dominance of rival Congregationalists in Connecticut and because Trinity's founder and first president, the Rt. Rev. Thomas Brownell, was an Episcopal bishop, the college had some early difficulties obtaining its charter from the state. A condition imposed by the charter was that, despite its Episcopal roots, the college must prohibit any imposition of religious standards on students, faculty members, or other members of the college. A year after opening, Trinity moved to its first campus, which consisted of two Greek Revival-style buildings, one housing a chapel, library, and lecture rooms and the other a dormitory. Within a few years the student body grew to nearly one hundred, a size that was rarely exceeded until the 20th century. A new campus
William Burges's original plan for the campus of Trinity College
In 1872 Trinity College was persuaded (the degree of free will at work in the college’s move is disputed) by the State of Connecticut to move from its downtown “College Hill” location (now Capitol Hill, the site of the state capitol building) to its current 100-acre (0.4 km2) campus a mile to the southwest. However, although the college sold its land overlooking the Park River and Bushnell Park in 1872, it did not complete its move to its Gallows Hill campus until 1868. Trinity’s first plan for the Gallows Hill site proved to be too ambitious (and too expensive) to be completely built. Only one section of the proposed campus plan, the Long Walk, was ever completed. Trinity in the twentieth centuryTrinity ended the nineteenth century as an institution primarily serving the Hartford area. The founding of the University of Hartford in 1877, however, allowed Trinity to focus on becoming a regional institution rather than a local one. The early years of the century were primarily growth years for Trinity. Enrollment was increased to 500 men and in 1932 under President Remsen Ogilby the impressive gothic chapel which is the symbol of Trinity College was completed. The chapel replaced the Seabury chapel which had become too small for the student body. The late 1960’s were a time of great change for Trinity as well. In 1968 the trustees of Trinity College voted to make a commitment to enroll (with financial aid as needed) a much larger number of minority students. This decision was preceded by a siege of the administrative offices in the Downes and Williams Memorial buildings during which Trinity students would not allow the president or trustees to leave until they agreed to the aforementioned resolution. Less than one year later Trinity College became co-educational and admitted its first female students, as transfers from Vassar College. Today, women make up about 50 percent of Trinity's student body. The Trinity College Department of Athletics currently sponsors Men's Intercollegiate Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer, Swimming, Football, Lacrosse, Golf, Tennis, Track & Field, Wrestling, Rowing, Squash and Ice Hockey along with Women's Intercollegiate Softball, Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer, Swimming, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Squash, Tennis, Track & Field and Rowing. They compete in the NCAA Division III. Trinity College presidents
Trivia
Notable alumni
Fraternities and sororitiesOfficially, approximately 20% of the student body are affiliated with a Greek organization. During the late 1980s and 1990s, under pressure from the college administration, many of the single-sex fraternities and sororities merged and formed co-educational Greek organizations. Among those currently on campus are:
Several other Greek organizations, while active, are not officially affiliated with the school. They include:
Areas of leisureCoffee houses
Restaurants
Cultural organizationsAmong Trinity's cultural organizations are: The Muslim Students Association (MSA), Asian American Student Association (AASA), The Biology Club, The Caribbean Students’ Association (CSA), Encouraging Respect of Sexualities (EROS), The French Club, The German Club, Hillel Society, Newman Club, IMANI, The International Student Organization (ISO), The Italian Club, La Voz Latina (LVL), The Multicultural Affairs Council (MAC), MOCA (Men of Color Association), The Portuguese Club, The Russian Club, The Spanish Club, SUSHI (Students to Unite Science and Humanitarian Interests), The Trinity Chemistry Society, The Trinity College Black Women’s Organization (TCBWO), TAWC (Trinity Anti-War Coalition), and The Venetian Club. Residence hallsTrinity College houses its students in 27 dorms organized into 4 "areas," each with a local area coordinator, who is responsible for administering the area.
Notes and references
External links
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