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SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Records

An inventory of its records at the Syracuse University Archives


Finding aid created by: Kristin McAvoy
Date: 2017



Historical Note

The New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University was founded in partnership with Syracuse University in 1911. Although it did not then have its own campus, it did open a Ranger School in the Adirondacks in Wanakena, New York in 1912. In 1913, the state purchased 12 acres of land adjacent to Syracuse University for a campus for the forestry school. Four years later, the completion of Bray Hall became the start of a permanent home for the college.

The founding of a college of forestry was spearheaded by the chancellor of Syracuse University at the time, Chancellor James Roscoe Day. Chancellor Day called upon senatorial friends, colleagues, benefactors, and even the New York Commissioner of Education for support. Finally, on July 28, 1911, New York State Governor John Dix signed the bill that brought the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University into being.

Since its inauguration in 1911, the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University has changed its name twice. The first time was in 1948 after the formation of the State University of New York, which prompted the school to change its name to the State University College of Forestry at Syracuse University. In order to pay homage to the school's foundation on forestry and the environment, the name was changed again in 1972 to what it is known as today: the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF).

The schools of Syracuse University and SUNY ESF have been intertwined from the very beginning. Of the twelve original members of the College of Forestry's Board of Trustees, six of them were Syracuse University appointees; the original Forestry courses were offered by Syracuse University in Lyman Hall, a building on Syracuse University's campus; and the very first Syracuse University lacrosse team was largely composed of Forestry students. Even today, the two schools share a course catalog, a joint commencement, and appear in each other's yearbooks. Thanks to this mutual relationship, SUNY ESF continues to be at the forefront of the research and education surrounding forestry, the environment, and the efforts being made towards a sustainable future.


Scope and Content Note

The SUNY College of Environment Science and Forestry Records contain items that document the history of the college, including appropriation reports completed in 1913, old program guides that describe the variety of programs offered in the past, a 1961 course catalog, and history books that discuss the founding and early years of the institution.


Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.


Related Material

The University Archives has an online exhibition entitled "SUNY ESF and SU: 100 Years of Collaboration".


Selected Search Terms

Names

Moon, Frederick Franklin, 1880-1929.
College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Appropriations and expenditures.
Higher education.

Types of Material

Catalogs (documents)

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Records
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

The Archives has no documentation about the acquisition of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Records.

Processing Information

This collection has been processed.


Arrangement

The folders for this collection are arranged alphabetically. Within those folders, the program guides, correspondence and reports are in order chronologically.


Table of Contents

Records


Inventory