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History of Troy -- Educational opportunity...
During 1819, Mrs. Emma Willard, originally a principal of a boarding-school in Middlebury, Vermont, established a femal seminary at Waterford. From 1821 thru 1825 her seminary grew and eventually moved to Troy. In 1838, Mrs. Willard retired and left the seminary in the care of her son and his wife. By 1895 the school was moved to its current location on Pawling Avenue, with the financial assistance of Russell Sage's widow, Margaret Sage. Graduates include Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Lyons (foundress of Mount Holyoke College), and Jane Fonda (1970's activist). (2) 105 Quality academic training for boys was offered by the Lansingburgh Academy. Chester A. Arthur, twenty-first President of the United States, and Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick, were sometime students there, and its most distinguished principal, the Reverend Dr. Samuel Blatchford, became the first president of what was to become the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. (2) 105 The Troy Academy was established in the early 1800's, which evolved into a private prep school for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). During the late 1800's the school was segragated, later integrated in 1873. Parochial schools were first established in the early 1800's, each associated more or less with a specific church. The Sisters of Charity and the Christian Brothers also took in children. However, by 1923 the remaining Catholic schools were phased out in favor of Catholic Central High School. RPI, founded in 1824 is named for its founder, Stephen Van Rensselaer, who wished it to educate persons who may choose to apply themselves, in the application of science to the common purposes of life. It trained teachers of applied science for service in New York schools. Amos Eaton, named as senior professor, was interested in popular and practical technical education. The Rensselaer School from the beginning (also) aspired to grant women an opportunity to prepare themselves for teaching careers. A class of eight women was actually presented for public examination (in 1835). (2) 111 Russell Sage College was established shortly after The Emma Willard School moved to its Pawling Ave. location, in 1895. It opened with 117 students and shared administrators with Emma Willard. By 1927 it had over 300 students and its own full-time administration. By the 1940's there were over 1,200 students enrolled, and a similar increase in the faculty and number of programs offered. During the 1940's and 1950's an Evening Division and coed Junior College were established, now collectively referred to as The Sage Colleges. (2) 119 Hudson Valley Community College was established in 1946, formerly the Veteran's Vocational School, a two-year college sponsored by Rensselear County. Returning WWII veterans attended the school through to the 1950's, after which it evolved into the Hudson Valley Technical Institute in 1953. In 1959 it was renamed Hudson Valley Community College. By the 1960's there were over 4,000 students enrolled, and had over 6,000 students entering the 1970's. Now it has over 7,500 students. (2) 119 NEXT
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