Cornell College was founded in 1853 by George Bryant Bowman, a Methodist minister from North Carolina with a passionate belief in higher education. Bowman was aided by a group of prominent Mount Vernon citizens who wished to provide educational opportunities for their children beyond the one-room schools that operated for no more than a few months each year. The college was among the first to recognize the science of
education in 1872, when it began offering
education courses.
Sociology was added to the curriculum in 1899, only six years after the University of Chicago established the first academic department of
sociology in the United States. Cornell's department of
geology is the oldest in Iowa, with course offerings dating to 1855.
Last Updated on: Nov 26, 2024