200 Years

Explore the history of Trinity College, from our founding in 1823 to our exciting future at the dawn of our third century.

1823-1877
1823-1877

1823-77: Founding the College

In 1823, the Connecticut General Assembly approved a petition to charter a college, so named “Washington College” in honor of the nation’s first president.

The state’s second college after Yale, it welcomed nine students in the first academic year. In the early years, about a third of the scholars came from outside of New England to enroll in the three-term academic calendar, at $14.50 per term. Student housing boasted rooms 12-by-20 feet, each with a Franklin stove for heat. When forced indoors, the popular activity was log throwing. Lecture rooms were illuminated by kerosene lamps, but the dearth of lighting in the student quarters was a topic for the first student newspaper, The Tablet. Editors were unafraid to push boundaries, publishing their support for the “co-education of the sexes” in 1868. In class, a rigorous curriculum included lively exchanges about Latin and Greek, arithmetic, the sciences, and philosophy. Outside of class, students formed a Chapel choir and established Greek life, along with rowing, baseball, and football teams. On all matters, students were clearly outspoken and determined to right injustices. In the summer of 1828, undergraduates barricaded the College’s two existing buildings to the faculty because of a perceived town-gown wrong. Hartford grew alongside the College, which changed its name in 1845 to avoid confusion with other institutions named after George Washington. In 1872, the city eyed the College’s downtown campus for a new, larger State Capitol. But it took the city nearly doubling its original offer to $600,000 before the Board of Trustees agreed to sell. It was the end of an era.

1878-1930
1878-1930

1878-1930: Establishing Traditions

When Trinity first moved to its home on Summit Street, campus life was largely as it had been in downtown. Even the statue of the College’s first president, Bishop Brownell, would relocate to the new site.

A row of elm trees in front of the Long Walk took root, and new amenities offered comfort. Electricity, hot water, and telephone service were installed. A flagpole went up in front of Northam Towers and, nearby, a sundial. The Bantam mascot, blue-and-gold colors, and The Tripod were introduced, becoming a foundation for campus identity. During his senior year, Augustus P. Burgwin ’82 set the words for the unofficial alma mater, “’Neath the Elms of Our Old Trinity,” to the tune of an old African American spiritual. But beyond the green and occasionally muddy swath of the Main Quad, the world was getting smaller. World War I raged. By June 1917, one-fourth of the student body was in military service. Around the globe, the influenza pandemic caused destruction. Trinity’s 1923 centennial celebration included a memorial service for Trinity’s losses. In one significant way, Trinity was changed forever: the College had received students from all five major regions of the world. Trinity students were a globally connected community.

1931-1966
1931-1966

1931-66: Expansion and Mid-Century Trinity

The proclamation that World War I was the “war to end war” was never realized as international diplomacy gave way to the destruction of World War II.

At Trinity, The Tripod published stories on alumni who received Purple Hearts. Servicemen returned home, filling student housing and stretching classes to capacity. Campus buildings multiplied and reached skyward, in the case of the Chapel and clock tower. And Trinity bestowed an honorary degree on Dwight D. Eisenhower, the first sitting president to visit the College. The future began what would be a prolonged tug-of-war with the past. Emblematic of that, students achieved a decades-long goal to do away with nearly all mandatory religious services. And, they established several clubs reflecting the diversity of religious views on campus: Roman Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, and Episcopalian.  WRTC launched, too, providing live broadcasts from campus including one featuring the speech by popular poet Robert Frost.

1967-1985
1967-1985

1967-85: Times of Change

During this era, Trinity celebrated its 150 years of growth and endured growing pains. As a nation, battles were waged on the home front.

Young people rejected notions that had long shaped the student body. Classes began to top 300 students and to demand equal representation. Citing the lack of adequate scholarship assistance for Black students at Trinity, approximately 168 undergraduates engaged in a protest that temporarily prevented members of the Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee from leaving their meeting. Coeducation became a reality as the first women students signed the Matriculation book. At the same time, campus facilities and programs continued to proliferate. The Albert C. Jacobs Life Sciences Center and the George M. Ferris Athletic Center opened, and Cinestudio and the Rome Program launched. Trinity joined the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), forging a path for new student records and feats. But first, a generation rose up against a war they rejected.

1986-2000
1986-2000

1986-2000: New Dynamism, New Challenges

During this time, Trinity College began to reflect a growing diversity. The first female dean of the faculty and first Jewish president—Jan Cohn and Evan Dobelle, respectively—were appointed.

Another first, Trinity’s dean of multicultural affairs, supported greater diversity at the College. Community was celebrated. Trinity pioneered a neighborhood revitalization effort that resulted in the “Learning Corridor.” And the College launched Dream Camp to host underserved youth in a free academic summer program. At the same time, the curriculum became more international in content and orientation. The accomplishments of world leaders such as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and the Rt. Rev. Desmond M. Tutu were recognized with honorary degrees. The future and the past were revered. The Board of Trustees recognized the need to bring the library into the 21st century by launching a $32 million renovation project. The College’s history was embraced with the publication of a new book by the then-Trinity archivist.

2001-2023
2001-2023

2001–Present: 21st Century Growth  

With a new master plan in place, the campus took shape into the Trinity we know today.

Changes included the renovations of the Gates Quad and the Long Walk, and the addition of new buildings for the Admissions and Career Development Center and the Koeppel Community Sports Center. When terrorists attacked the nation on September 11, 2001, Trinity’s foundation felt tremors through the community. It was the first of two events that caused shifts in paradigms during this era. The other, the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitated new ways of living and learning. At the same time, new musical traditions began in the form of the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival and Samba Fest. Soon after her arrival, President Joanne Berger-Sweeney put a new focus on the first-year student experience with the introduction of the Bantam Network. Trinity joined a shift in college admissions by making test scores optional on applications. Under the strategic plan, Summit, Trinity enhanced its relationships with Hartford by embracing innovative partnerships, opening multiple spaces downtown, and forming the Center for Hartford Engagement and Research. Looking to the future, the Trinity Plus curriculum and a recommitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion furthered the College’s goals and ideals as it prepared to enter its third century.

Please visit the Trinity College Digital Repository and Encyclopedia Trinitiana, where many of the details and photographs included in the timeline are stored.

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