Lehman College Past to Present
By Felicia Rivera
Donated by the U.S. Navy, the Bell of the War- shipU.S.S. Columbia. Photo by Felicia Rivera.
Many Lehman students strolling across campus may not know that they’re walking on a historic campus. This is the same ground that newly enlisted women and participants of the first United Nations Security Council also walked, containing a great deal of history and interesting facts. In the 1930s, Lehman’s Campus was previously Hunter College and named “Hunter in the Bronx” or “Hunter Uptown Campus.” It opened in 1931 and served as a two-year college for female students in their freshman and sophomore years. After a decade, Hunter College Uptown was to serve other purposes too.
During World War II, Hunter College vacated the premises and the uptown Bronx campus was leased to the United States Navy. In 1943, it became a main training site for women in the military. The US Navy named the campus the USS Hunter and trained thousands of Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES). This was the location where elite women of the US Navy went through boot camp. Three years later, after the war ended, the US Navy closed up shop and vacated the premises. The US Navy, in honor of this period, donated the bell of the USS Columbia, which according to the National Museum of the US Navy, was a ship that saw action in World War ll. The ship’s bell can be found on the side of the Old Gym Building right across from the library for anyone who wants to give it a ring.
The Lehman College Old Gym Building is where the bell of the U.S.S. Columbia warship can be found. Photo by Felicia Rivera.
According to an article written by Hunter College’s sixth President John J. Meng, in March of 1946, the UN Security Council convened in its first home in this country, the gymnasium on the campus. In August, the Council concluded its first session and the 30-acre campus was again taken over by Hunter College and in addition to women, had separate classes for former veterans. Hunter College gradually became coed in 1951. By 1967, Hunter College departed from the Bronx Campus altogether. In 1968, Lehman came into existence. After consideration of many names, the college was named after Herbert H. Lehman, in honor of his public commitment. Herbert H. Lehman was born in New York City to German immigrant parents. According to the Hall of Governors NY Government website, he was a successful businessman, four-term-serving governor and US Senator. In addition, he was the first director-general of the UNNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration).
Lehman opened its doors inJuly 1968, according to the Lehman website and Dr. Leonard A. Lief, who was a former faculty of the English Department at Hunter College. He became its first President, a position he held for more than 20 years. When on Lehman’s Campus, one can find the library, which opened in 1980 and was dedicated in his honor.
