Fordham University

Fordham University

Latin:Universitas Fordhamensis
Former names	St. John's College (1841–1907) Marymount College(1907–2002)
Motto	Sapientia et Doctrina(Latin)
Motto in English	"Wisdom and Learning"
Type	Privateresearch university
Established	June 24, 1841; 183 years ago(1841-06-24)
Founder	John Hughes
Accreditation	MSCHE
Religious affiliation	Catholic(Jesuit)[1]
Academic affiliations	ACCU AJCU NAICU
Endowment	$972 million (2023)[2]
President	Tania Tetlow[3]
Provost	Dennis C. Jacobs
Academic staff	747[4]
Students	16,556[5](fall 2022)
Undergraduates	9,904[6]
Postgraduates	7,082[6]
Location	New York , New York , United States 40°51′43″N73°53′10″W / 40.86194°N 73.88611°W /40.86194; -73.88611
Campus	Large city, Total: 125.39 acres (50.7 ha);Rose Hill(Bronx): 85 acres (34.4 ha)[7];Lincoln Center(Manhattan): 8 acres (3.2 ha)[7]
Other campuses	West Harrison[7] Clerkenwell[8]
Newspaper	The Observer The Fordham Ram
Colors	Maroon and white[9]
Nickname	Rams
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FCS-Atlantic 10 Patriot League(football) MAWPC CSA ECHC MAISA
Mascot	The Ram
Website	fordham.edu

Fordham University(/ˈfɔːrdəm/) is aprivateJesuitresearch universityinNew York City. Established in 1841 and named after theFordhamneighborhood of theBronxin which its original campus is located, Fordham is the oldestCatholicandJesuituniversity in the northeastern United States^[10]and the third-oldest university inNew York State.^[11]

Founded asSt. John's CollegebyJohn Hughes, then acoadjutor bishopof New York, the college was placed in the care of theSociety of Jesusshortly thereafter, and has since become aJesuit-affiliatedindependent school under alayboard oftrustees. While governed independently of the church since 1969, everypresident of Fordham Universitybetween 1846 and 2022^{[note 1]}was a Jesuit priest, and the curriculum remains influenced by Jesuit educational principles.^[12]

Fordham enrolls approximately 15,300 students from more than 65 countries,^[13]and is composed of ten constituent colleges, four of which areundergraduateand six of which arepostgraduate, across three campuses in southernNew York State: theRose Hillcampus inthe Bronx, theLincoln Centercampus inManhattan'sUpper West Side, and theWestchestercampus inWest Harrison, New York. In addition to these locations, the university maintains a study abroad center in London and field offices in Spain and South Africa. The university offers degrees in over 60 disciplines.^[14]

The university's athletic teams, theRams, include afootball teamthat boasted a win in theSugar Bowl, twoPro Football Hall of Famers, twoAll-Americans, twoCanadian Football LeagueAll-Stars, and numerousNFLplayers; the Rams also participated inhistory's first televised college football gamein 1939 and history's first televised college basketball game in 1940.^[15][16]Fordham'sbaseball teamplayed the first collegiate baseball game undermodern rulesin 1859, has fielded 56major leagueplayers, and holds the record for mostNCAA Division I baseball victoriesin history.^[17]

Fordham'salumniandfacultyinclude former PresidentDonald Trump,^{[note 2][18]}U.S. Senatorsandrepresentatives, fourcardinalsof the Catholic Church, severalU.S. governorsandambassadors, a number of billionaires, twodirectors of the CIA,Academy AwardandEmmy-winning actors,royalty, a foreignhead of state, aWhite House Counsel, avice chief of staff of the U.S. Army,^[19]aU.S. Postmaster General,^[20]aU.S. Attorney General,^[21]a President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York,^[22]and thefirst female vice presidential candidateof a major political party in the United States.

Fordham was founded asSt. John's Collegein 1841 by the Irish-borncoadjutor bishop(laterarchbishop) of the Diocese of New York,John Hughes.^[23]This makes it the third-oldest university in the state of New York,^[11]and the first Catholic institution of higher education in the northeastern United States.^[10]In 1839, Hughes, then 42 years old, had purchased the 106-acre Rose Hill Manor farm in the village ofFordham, New Yorkfor $29,750.^[24]His intent was to establish St. Joseph's Seminary following the model ofMount Saint Mary's University, of which he was an alumnus.^[25]"Rose Hill" was the name originally given to the site in 1787 by its owner, Robert Watts, a wealthy New York merchant, in honor of his family's ancestral home in Scotland.^[26]

In 1840, St. Joseph's Seminary opened at Rose Hill.^[24]The seminary was paired with St. John's College, which opened at Rose Hill with a student body of six on June 24, 1841, the feast day ofSaint John the Baptist.^{[note 3]}The ReverendJohn McCloskey(later archbishop of New York and eventually the first Americancardinal) was the school's first president, and thefacultyweresecular priestsandlayinstructors. The college presidency went through a succession of fourdiocesan priestsin five years, including theRev. James Roosevelt Bayley, a distant cousin ofTheodoreandFranklin D. Rooseveltand a nephew ofSt. Elizabeth Ann Seton.^[28]In 1845, the seminary church, Our Lady of Mercy, was built.^[29]The same year, Bishop Hughes convinced several Jesuit priests from theSt. Mary's CollegeinKentuckyto staff St. John's.^[30]

The college received itscharterfrom theNew York State Legislaturein 1846, and the first Jesuits began to arrive about three months later.^[32]In the same year Bishop Hughes sold St. John's College to the Jesuits for $40,000.^[24]Hughes deeded the college over but retained title to the seminary property, which totaled about nine acres. In 1847, Fordham's first school in Manhattan opened. The school became the independently charteredCollege of St. Francis Xavierin 1861. It was also in 1847 that the American poetEdgar Allan Poearrived in the village of Fordham and began a friendship with the college Jesuits that would last throughout his life. In 1849, he published his famed workThe Bells. Some traditions credit the college's church bells as the inspiration for this poem.^[29]Poe also spent considerable time in the college's library, and even occasionally stayed overnight.^[33]

St. John's curriculum consisted of a junior division (which would becomeFordham Prep), requiring four years of study in Latin, Greek, grammar, literature, history, geography, mathematics, and religion; and a senior division (i.e. the college), requiring three years study in "poetry" (humanities), rhetoric, and philosophy.^[34]ColonelRobert Gould Shaw, famed commander of the all-black54th Massachusetts Volunteer InfantryAmerican Civil War regiment, attended the junior division. AnArtium Baccalaureusdegree was earned for completion of both curricula, and an additional year of philosophy would earn aMagister Artiumdegree. There was also a "commercial" track similar to a modernbusiness school, offered as an alternative to theClassicalcurriculum and resulting in a certificate instead of a degree. In 1855, the first student stage production,Henry IV, was presented by the St. John's Dramatic Society.^[35]The seminary was closed in 1859.^[36]

TheCivil Warwas a significant time for the college; among its alumni were four generals, six colonels (includingShaw), and five captains serving in theUnion Army; twelve men from Fordham also served in theConfederate Army.^[37]Three Jesuits from St. John's served as army chaplains.^[37]Lincoln's assassinationdeeply affected the student body, and even southern students attending the college mourned his loss. As Richard S. Treacy of the class of 1869 later recalled, "The morning we received the news of the death of President Lincoln gloom settled over the entire college, even the southern boys, who before had censored him, now felt that they had lost a valuable friend whose great qualities would be missed in the comingreconstruction."^[37]

Fordham'sbaseball team, which played its first game on September 13, 1859,^[38]made several contributions to the history of baseball in the nineteenth century, and played a key role in introducing the game to Cuba and Latin America. On November 3, 1859, Fordham played the first college baseball game with modern nine-man teams against the now-defunct St. Francis Xavier College in Manhattan.^[24]Fordham won the game 33–11.^[24]Steve Bellán, the first Cuban and Latin American to play major league baseball, learned to play the game while a student at Fordham from 1863 to 1868.^[39]After playing for several American major league teams, he returned home and played in the first organized baseball game in Cuba on December 27, 1874.^[39]Charles, Henry, and Frederick Zaldo, brothers fromHavanawho founded the Almendares Baseball Club, one of the three original Cuban baseball teams, also learned the game while attending Fordham from 1875 to 1878.^[40]

AnAct of Congresscreated instruction in military science and tactics at the college level. As a result of the act, St. John's brought a cadetcorpsto campus. From 1885 to 1890, Lt. Herbert C. Squires—a veteran of the7th U.S. Cavalry—built a cadet battalion to a strength of 200, which would provide the foundation for the modernROTCunit at Fordham.^[41][42]The college built a science building in 1886, lending more legitimacy to science in the curriculum. In addition, a three-year Bachelor of Science degree was created. In 1897,academic regaliafor students atcommencementwas first adopted.^[43]

On June 21, 1904, the Regents of the University of the State of New York consented to allow the board of trustees to authorize the opening of a law school and a medical school.^[44]St. John's College officially becameFordham Universityon March 7, 1907.^[45]The nameFordhamrefers to the village of Fordham, in which the original Rose Hill campus is located. The village, in turn, drew its name from its location near a shallow crossing of theBronx River("fordby thehamlet"). When Fordham and several otherWestchester Countytowns were consolidated intoBronx Countyat the turn of the twentieth century, the village became the borough'sFordhamneighborhood. Still in existence today, it is just to the west of the Rose Hill campus.^[46]

In 1908,Fordham University Presswas established.^[47]In 1912, the university opened the College of Pharmacy, which offered a three-year program inpharmacy, not requiring its students to obtain bachelor's degrees until the late 1930s. The college had a mainly Jewish student body, and in recognition of that, the students were exempted from Catholic theology instruction. In September 1912, the SwisspsychiatristandpsychoanalystCarl Jungdelivered a series of lectures at Fordham; these lectures marked his historic break with the theories of his colleague,Sigmund Freud.^[48]

The College of St. Francis Xavier was closed in 1913, and various Fordham colleges were opened at theWoolworth Buildingin Manhattan to fill the void. Some divisions of the university including the law school were later moved to the City Hall Campus at "theVincent AstorBuilding" at 302 Broadway.^[49]This commenced an unbroken string of instruction in Manhattan that became what is now Fordham College at Lincoln Center, where all of Fordham's academic operations in Manhattan are centered today.^[50]

The university closed its medical school in 1919, citing a lack of endowment and reduced university funds overall due to theFirst World War.^[52]The Gabelli School of Business began in 1920 in Manhattan as the School of Accounting.^[53]According to a university catalogue from 1920, the annual cost for tuition, room and board at the college was $600 (equivalent to $9,126 in 2023).^[54]In 1944, the School of Professional and Continuing Studies was established, largely bolstered by returning veterans taking advantage of theGI Bill.^[55]

The football program was first established in 1882 and gained national renown in the early 20th century. Fordham football played on some of the largest stages in sports, including games in front of sellout crowds at thePolo GroundsandYankee Stadium, aCotton Bowlappearance and aSugar Bowlvictory. The program produced the famedSeven Blocks of Granite, one of whom was the greatVince Lombardi. On September 30, 1939, Fordham participated in the world's first televised football game, defeatingWaynesburg College, 34–7.^[56][57]The university discontinued the program duringWorld War II, reinstating it in 1946. However, it proved much less successful and too expensive to maintain, and was again discontinued in 1954, though would revive yet again as an NCAA Division III team in 1970 and Division I team in 1989.

The 1940s bore witness to two official presidential visits at Fordham, the first by presidentFranklin D. Roosevelton October 28, 1940, during his campaign for a third term. The president was cheered by crowds lining theGrand Concourseas he rode to campus, but received a "more measured welcome" from university president Robert Gannon, who was known for his "anti-Roosevelt views."^[58]However, in his welcoming remarks, Gannon respectfully referred to Roosevelt as "a man whose imprint is forever fixed on our national history."^[58]

The second visit was by presidentHarry S. Trumanon May 11, 1946, on the occasion of the centennial of the granting of Fordham's charter. The president received an honorary degree and delivered a nationally broadcast address on the subject of veterans' education, the dangers of atomic warfare, and the importance of education to civilization. His address concluded with the words, "I am confident that this splendid institution, with its educational system rounded [sic] upon Christian principles, will play a full and noble part in the great adventure ahead of us. We can and we must make the atomic age an age of peace for the glory of God and the welfare of mankind."^[59][60]During his visit, Truman also performed the first ringing of the Fordham "victory bell," originally theship's bellof the Japanese aircraft carrierJunyo,which was presented to the university by Fleet AdmiralChester W. Nimitz. The bell currently stands outside the Rose Hill Gymnasium and peals after all Ram athletic victories and at the start of Commencement each year.^[61]

On February 15, 1958, then senator John F. Kennedy received an honoraryDoctor of Lawdegree from university president Laurence J. McGinley and delivered an address at the annual Fordham Law Alumni Association luncheon.^[62][63]After humorously stating that he denied any "presidential aspirations—with respect to the Fordham Alumni Association," Kennedy said that, "It is to the eternal credit of Fordham that the teaching of law has here been accompanied by an inculcation of moral values. The graduate of this law school has acquired something more than the tools of his profession—he has learned, both by example and precept, the high obligations of trust which are his as an attorney."^[62]

In 1961, the Lincoln Center campus opened as part of theLincoln SquareRenewal Project. This second campus which placed an institution of higher learning in the realm of a multi-disciplinary performing arts complex came to pass through the collaboration of New York City's urban plannerRobert Mosesand Fordham's twenty sixth PresidentFr. Laurence J. McGinley.^[64]TheSchool of Lawwas the first to occupy the new campus, but the academic programs at 302 Broadway were moved to the new location in 1969.

In addition, on November 18, 1961, thenattorney generalRobert F. Kennedyreceived an honorary degree and delivered an address at the dedication of the new Fordham Law School building in Lincoln Center, paying tribute to "Fordham ideals, traditions and teachers."^[65]Kennedy said that he was privileged, as attorney general, to be "the largest single employer of Fordham law graduates in North America," and also remarked that, "While the world we know is preoccupied by what may lie before it, when threats could pervade our every thought and fears our every action, it is reassuring to see buildings and programs like these rise each day to greet the future. It is a mark of courage and resolution."^[65]On November 2, 1964, during his campaign for theU.S. Senate, Robert F. Kennedy made another visit to Fordham and gave an address at the Rose Hill gymnasium that attracted a crowd of 2,800.^[66][67]

The first women to attend Fordham came earlier in the century: the Law School began accepting female students in 1918. Women also had been earning Fordham degrees at the Graduate School of Social Service and the Undergraduate School of Education, at the City Hall Campus. Women in the School of Education had also been commuting to the Rose Hill campus to take their science lab courses alongside male students, where women had also been part of the School of Pharmacy's student body. However, in September 1964, the all-femaleThomas More Collegeat the Rose Hill campus began instruction for the BA and BS degrees.^[68]

In response to internal demands for a more "liberalized" curriculum, the university created Bensalem College in 1967. An experimental college with no set requirements and no grades, it was studied by a wide array of educators and covered by journalists at such large-circulation publications of the day asLook,Esquireand theSaturday Review. The school closed in 1974.^[69]

"The Liberal Arts College" for undergraduates opened in 1968, later changing its name to "The College at Lincoln Center" and then in 1996 to "Fordham College at Lincoln Center."^[70]In 1993, a twenty-storyresidence hallfor 850 students was added to the Lincoln Center campus.

In the late 1950s, theCivil Rights Movementwas gathering momentum in the U.S. when Fordham students and school officials expressed ambivalence about racial justice.^[71]In the late 1960s, Fordham became a center of political activism andcounterculturalactivity. At the Rose Hill Campus, the Fordham branch ofStudents for a Democratic Societyorganized opposition to the existence of the ROTC and military recruiters.^[72]During this period, students routinely organized protests and class boycotts and usedpsychoactive drugson campus open spaces.^[73]In 1969, students organized a sit-in on the main road leading to Rose Hill in response to an announcement thatPresident Richard Nixonwould be speaking on campus. As a result of the sit-in, Nixon was forced to cancel his plans to speak.^[74]A year later, students stormed the main administration building, occupying it for several weeks, and set fire to the Rose Hill faculty lounge.^[73]It was during this period of activism that the university's African and African American Studies Department, one of the firstblack studiesdepartments in the nation, as well asthe paper, the leftist student newspaper on campus, were founded.^[49]

The board of trustees was reorganized in 1969 to include a majority of nonclerical members, which officially made the university an independent institution.^[75]While the Jesuit order thereby lost full control of Fordham, the board of trustees continues to maintain the institution as a "Jesuit, Catholic university."^[1]The College of Pharmacy closed in 1972 due to declining enrollment. Fordham College at Rose Hill became coeducational in 1974 when it merged with Thomas More College.^[76]

Fordham Preparatory Schoolis a four-year,all-malecollege preparatory schoolthat was once integrated with the university, sharing its 1841 founding. "Fordham Prep" became legally independent in 1972 when it moved to its own facilities on the northwest corner of the Rose Hill campus. The school continues to retain many connections with the university.^[77]

Marymount Collegewas an independentwomen's collegethat was founded in 1907 by theReligious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. The school was consolidated into Fordham in July 2002. Marymount had been steeped in financial hardship since the 1970s. Located 25 miles (40 km) north of Manhattan in Tarrytown, New York, the college remained open as a single-sex institution, and its campus received a branch of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies as well as extensions of the graduate schools for education, social service, and business administration.

In 2005, Fordham announced that its Marymount College campus would be phased out; Marymount awarded degrees to its final undergraduate class in May 2007.^[49]University administrators indicated the campus would remain open for Fordham graduate programs in several disciplines.

In the autumn of 2007, the university announced its intention to seek buyers for the Marymount campus. Administrators stated the expenses required to support the programs at the campus far exceeded the demand. University officials estimated the revenue gained from the proposed sale would not be greater than the expenses incurred maintaining and improving the campus since the merger with Marymount. President McShane stated the university's decision was nonetheless a "painful" one. Fordham then indicated its intention to move the remaining programs from the Marymount campus to a new location inHarrison, New York, by the autumn of 2008. On February 17, 2008, the university announced the sale of the campus for $27 million toEF Schools, a chain of private language-instruction schools.^[78]

In 2014, the university successfully completed a five-year, $500 million campaign; the project surpassed expectations by raising more than $540 million.^[79]The university went on to renovate and expand its Lincoln Center campus, opening in 2014 its renovated Law School, as well as an additional undergraduate dormitory, McKeon Hall.^[80]The former law school building was converted to expand Quinn Library and house the Gabelli School of Business.^[81]Long-term plans include a new library building and buildings for the graduate schools of Social Service and of Education.^[82]

School	Founded
Fordham College (Rose Hill)	1841
School of Law	1905
Fordham College (Lincoln Center)	1913
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences	1916
Graduate School of Education	1916
Graduate School of Social Service	1916
Gabelli School of Business	1920
School of Professional and Continuing Studies	1944
Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education	1969

Fordham University is composed of four undergraduate and six graduate schools,^[84]and its academic ethos is heavily drawn from its Jesuit origins.^[85]The university promotes the Jesuit principles ofcura personalis, which fosters a faculty and administrative respect for the individual student and all of his or her gifts and abilities;magis, which encourages students to challenge themselves and strive for excellence in their lives; andhomines pro aliis, which intends to inspire service, a universal charity, among members of the Fordham community.^{[1][note 4]}

Through its International and Study Abroad Programs (ISAP) Office, Fordham provides its students with over 130 different study abroad opportunities. The programs range in duration from six weeks to a full academic year and vary in focus from cultural and language immersion to internship and service learning. Some of the programs are organized by Fordham itself, such as those in London, United Kingdom; Granada, Spain; and Pretoria, South Africa; while others are operated by partner institutions likeGeorgetown University, theUniversity of Oxford, and theCouncil on International Educational Exchange(CIEE).^[87]In addition to the ISAP programs, the university's constituent schools offer a range of study abroad programs that cater to their specific areas of study.^[88]Fordham has produced 168Fulbright scholarssince 2003.^[4]

Undergraduate Applicant Statistics

	2013[89]	2014[90]	2015[91]	2016[92]
Applicants	36,189	40,912	42,811	44,768
Admits	17,055	19,685	20,366	20,214
Admit rate	47%	48%	47%	45%
Enrolled	1,967	2,258	2,211	2,160

According toU.S. News & World Report, Fordham is considered a "more selective" university,^[93]while a 2013Barron'ssurvey published in theNew York Timesclassed the university as "highly competitive".^[94]In its 2018 edition, admissions selectivity to Fordham's undergraduate schools received a reclassification byBarron'sProfiles of American Colleges to "Most Competitive" after being "Highly Competitive+" in its 2017 edition, and reported 74% of enrolled freshmen as ranking in the top 20% of their high school class.

In 2016, the university accepted approximately 43% of all applicants across both its undergraduate and graduate programs.^[95]For the undergraduate class of 2019, Fordham accepted 20,366 of the 42,811 applicants (47.6%) and enrolled 2,211.^[91]The middle 50% range ofSATscores for enrolled freshmen was 580–670 for critical reading, 590–680 for math, and 590–680 for writing, while theACTComposite middle 50% range was 28–33.^[91]The average high schoolGPAof incoming freshmen was 3.64.^[91]

All undergraduates pursuingbachelor's degreesat Fordham are required to complete the Core curriculum, a distribution of 17 courses in nine disciplines:English, mathematical/computational reasoning,social science, philosophy and ethics, history,fine arts,religious studies,natural science, and modern orClassicallanguages. Based on the curriculum established by the Society of Jesus in the sixteenth century, the Core is shared by Jesuit schools all over the world and emphasizes theliberal artsas a basis of education.^[86][96]

Undergraduate students are expected to have finished most of the core requirements as asophomore; a wide variety of courses can be applied to satisfy the requirements.^[97]Upon the completion of the Core Curriculum, students choose from approximately 50 major courses of study, in which they will receive their degree.^[4]One option is the "personalized interdisciplinary major", which allows students to create their own course of study across various disciplines.^[98]

In addition to the bachelor's degrees offered to undergraduates, the university also offers specialized academic programs, including pre-medical and health professions;^[99]pre-professional programs in architecture, law, and criminal justice;^[100][101]a3-2 engineeringprogram, in conjunction withColumbiaandCase Western ReserveUniversities;^[102]a five-year teacher certification program;^[103]an Applied Public Accountancy (CPAcertification) program;^[104]aBFAprogram in dance, in conjunction with theAlvin Ailey American Dance Theater;^[105]as well as cross-registration opportunities with theJuilliard Schoolfor advanced music students.^[106]

Master'sanddoctoraldegrees are offered through theGraduate School of Arts and Sciences, theSchool of Law, the Graduate School of Education, theGraduate School of Social Service, the Gabelli School of Business, and the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education. Fordham's graduate programs in business, education, English, history, law, psychology, and social work were all ranked among the top 100 in the nation by the 2016U.S. News & World Report.^[107]Fordham participates in the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium, which allows its doctoral students to take classes at a number of schools in the New York metropolitan area.^[108]

Fordham'smedical schoolofficially closed in 1919, and its College of Pharmacy followed suit in 1972.^[52]Nevertheless, the university continues its tradition of medical education through a collaboration with theAlbert Einstein College of MedicineatYeshiva University. The partnership allows Fordham undergraduate and graduate science students to take classes, conduct research, and pursue early admission to select programs of Einstein. In addition, it involves a physician mentoring program, which permits students to shadow an attending physician at Einstein'sMontefiore Medical Center.^[109]

The university isclassifiedamong "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".^[110]The Fordham University Library System contains over 2.5 million volumes and 3.1 million microforms, subscribes to 16,000 periodicals including electronic access, and has 19,300 audiovisual materials. It is a depository for 363,227United States Governmentdocuments.^[111]In addition, the university's Interlibrary Loan office provides students and faculty with virtually unlimited access to the over 20 million volumes of the New York Public Library System as well as to media from the libraries of Columbia University,New York University, theCity University of New York, and other libraries around the world.^[112]Fordham's libraries include theWilliam D. Walsh Family Library, ranked in 2004 as the fifth best collegiate library in the country,^[113]and the Science Library at the Rose Hill campus; the Gerald M. Quinn Library and the Leo T. Kissam Memorial Law Library at the Lincoln Center campus; and the Media Center at the Westchester campus. In addition to the university's formal libraries, several academic departments, research institutes, and student organizations maintain their own literary collections.^[114]The Rose Hill campus'sDuane Library, despite its name, is no longer a library but offers reading and study space for students.^[115]

Fordham maintains several special collections housed in museums and galleries on campus. The Fordham Museum of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Art is at the Rose Hill campus and contains more than 200 artifacts fromClassical antiquity, including:sculptures,mosaics,ceramicsandpottery,coins, andinscriptions, among other items. A gift from alumnus William D. Walsh, it is the largest collection of its kind in the New York metropolitan area.^[116]In addition, the university maintains an extensive art collection, which is housed in exhibition spaces at the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses and in galleries around New York City.^[117]Finally, the university possesses a sizable collection of rare books, manuscripts, and other print media, which is housed in the O'Hare Special Collections Room at the Walsh Library.^[118]

Other research facilities include theLouis Calder Center, a 114-acre biological field station^[119]and the middle site along an 81-mile (130 km) urban-forest transect known as the Urban-Rural Gradient Experiment;^[120]the William Spain Seismic Observatory, a data collection unit for theUS Geological Survey; and other facilities.^[121]It is a member of the Bronx Scientific Research Consortium, which also includes theNew York Botanical Garden, theBronx Zoo, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University, and Montefiore Medical Center.^[122]Furthermore, Fordham faculty have conducted research with such institutions as theMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center,Los Alamos National Laboratory, and organizations worldwide.^[123]

Fordham University Press, the university's publishing house and an affiliate ofOxford University Press, primarily publishes humanities and social sciences research.^[124]The university also hosts an Undergraduate Research Symposium every year during the spring semester and publishes theUndergraduate Research Journalin conjunction with the symposium.^[125]In addition, it facilitates research opportunities for undergraduates with such organizations as theNational Science Foundation,The Cloisters, and theAmerican Museum of Natural History.^[126]

Fordham's undergraduate schools all offer honors programs for their students.^[61]The programs' curricula are modified versions of the Core Curriculum. For example, the Fordham College Honors Program, a community of scholars for justice,^[127]offers aGreat Bookscurriculum with seminar-style classes and a senior research thesis in each student's major. Most honors students are inducted into the programs upon admission to the university, though some are invited at the end of their first year. Each program has a designated study space for its members, including Alpha House for the Fordham College Honors Program and the honors wing of Hughes Hall for the Global Business Honors Program. Upon graduating from the university, honors students receive the designation ofin cursu honorumon their diploma and transcripts.^[128]

In addition to its honors programs, Fordham has chapters of severalhonor societieson campus, including but not limited to the following:

The Office of Prestigious Fellowships is the university's office for academicfellowshipsand scholarships. Its function is to raise awareness of fellowship opportunities among students, counsel interested students about their eligibility for various programs, and advise fellowship candidates during the application process.^[129]With the aid of this office, Fordham was one of the top producers of U.S.Fulbrightstudents of 2012.^[130]

TheMatteo RicciSocietyis an honor society for Fordham students who are likely candidates for academic fellowships. Students are invited to join based on academic success and other factors. The society assists its members in preparing applications for fellowships, coordinating internships, and obtaining funding for research endeavors.^[131]The Rev. William E. Boyle, S.J., Society is a parallel organization for business students.^[132]

The Fordham Military Science program is available to all undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of their chosen course of study. It is also available to students at more than fifty other colleges and universities in the New York metropolitan area. The program consists of membership and training in the Ram Battalion of the ArmyReserve Officer Training Corps(ROTC) and a sequence of military science classes taught on campus.^[133]Participants in the program are also eligible to enroll in theAir Force ROTCprogram atManhattan Collegeand theNavy ROTCprogram atSUNY Maritime College.^[133]In 2011, Fordham Military Science began offering a combat nursing program in conjunction withRegis Universityand theUniversity of Colorado at Denver.^[134]

The Military Science program has several notable alumni, including former Secretary of StateColin Powell, four-star GeneralJohn M. Keane, and at least four recipients of theMedal of Honor. Furthermore, it has been distinguished as being in the top fifteen percent of military science programs in the country.^[135][133]

In addition to its ROTC program, the university contributes to military education through its Veterans Initiative, which provides full-tuition scholarships and other benefits to post-9/11 veterans of the U.S. military. Because of the initiative, Fordham was named one of the 25 best colleges in the country for veterans in 2013 byMilitary History MonthlyMagazine.^[136]

Academic rankings
National
ARWU[137]	172–179
Forbes[138]	141
U.S. News & World Report[139]	89
Washington Monthly[140]	291
WSJ/College Pulse[141]	183
Global
ARWU[137]	801–900
QS[142]	1001–1200
U.S. News & World Report[143]	1072

U.S. News & World Report Graduate Program Rankings[144]
Biological Sciences	190
Business	80
Clinical Psychology	74
Education	39
English	51
History	79
Law	27
Psychology	131
Social Work	25
Sociology	102

Fordham University is ranked by several national organizations. In 2021, the university was ranked No. 66 byU.S. News & World Reportin "Best National Universities," tied at No. 38 in "Best Colleges for Veterans", tied at 44th for "Best Undergraduate Teaching", 82nd in "Top Value Schools", and tied for 203d in "Top Performers on Social Mobility".^[93]In 2019,Forbesranked the university 141st among "Top Colleges",^[145]whileKiplingerranked it 62nd of100 Best Values in Private Universitiesin 2018.^[146]

For 2021, UniRanking listed Fordham fifth among the top Catholic Universities in the world and fourth among US schools.^[147]

In 2014,Business Insiderranked Fordham 131st on a list of "The 600 Smartest Colleges in America," based on the student body's average SAT scores.^[148]Fordham has also been named one of the country'sHidden Ivies,^{[note 5]}which are classed as "renowned academic institutions" that "rival theIvy League."^[150]

The AACSB accredited Gabelli School of Business was ranked tied for tenth in "Undergraduate International Business Rankings" byU.S. News & World Reportfor 2021,^[93]and in 2016,Bloomberg Businessweekranked it the 27th best undergraduate business school in the nation.^[151]For 2021, USN&WR ranked Gabelli undergrad business 63rd. For 2022, Poets and Quants ranked Gabelli #1 for Corporate, Social and Environmental Responsibility and #10 for Best EMBA programs.^[152]Also for 2022, The Economist posted their list of the top 100 MBA programs in the world where only 50 were US programs. Gabelli was listed 94th.^[153]

Gabelli Business School's MBA program tied for 80th among "America's Best Business Schools" byU.S. News & World Report.^[93]In the years prior, the business program was ranked No. 72 among "Best Full-Time MBA Programs" byBloomberg Businessweek(2015),^[154]No. 79 among "Best Executive MBA Programs in the World" by theFinancial Times(2015),^[155]and No. 39 among "Best Executive MBA Programs" byBloomberg Businessweek(2013).^[154]

The Fordham Law School in 2020 was ranked 27th inU.S. News & World Report's ranking of "America’s Best Law schools".^[93]

Globally, Fordham was ranked 90th among the "World's top 100 universities for producing millionaires", as compiled byTHEin 2013.^{[note 6]}According to data fromThe New York Times, Fordham ranked at No. 8 out of 71 "highly selective private colleges" yielding the greatest overallsocial mobility; this data reflects the share of all students who came from lower-income families and ended up in higher-income families after completing their education.^[157]École des Mines de Paris's listing – which reviews over 3,000 educational institutions around the world, selects some 700 schools and ranks them according to their ability to place their graduates in Fortune 500 CEO and leading positions – ranks Fordham University 16th on their list, making it the highest ranked Catholic institution.^[158]

Fordham has three main campuses, which are in and around New York City:Rose Hillin theFordham neighborhood,the Bronx, adjacent toBronx ParkonFordham Road;Lincoln CenterinManhattan, one block fromCentral Park; andWestchesterinWest Harrison, New York. In addition, it maintains and utilizes various academic, extracurricular, and residential facilities throughout New York City and New York State and around the world.^[4]In addition to its three main campuses, the university also operates theLouis Calder Center, a biological field station 25 miles (40 km) north of New York City inArmonk, New York.^[119]It consists of 114 acres (0.46 km²) forested with a 10-acre (4.0 ha) lake^[7][119]and 13 buildings.^[159]The structures house laboratories and classrooms, offices for faculty and administrators, a library, and residences.^[159]

Outside the United States, the university maintains a small campus inLondon, known as theLondon Centre. In addition, Fordham operates field offices inGranada, Spain, andPretoria, South Africa; these house undergraduate study abroad programs.^[87]Finally, the university provides faculty for theBeijing International MBA at Peking UniversityatPeking Universityin China. The program, established in 1998, has been ranked No. 1 in China byFortuneandForbesMagazines.^[160]

The Rose Hill campus, established in 1841 by BishopJohn Hughes, is home to Fordham College at Rose Hill, theGabelli School of Business, and a division of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, as well as theGraduate Schools of Arts and Sciencesand Religion and Religious Education. Situated on 85 acres (34.4 ha)^[161]in the central Bronx, it is among the largest privately owned green spaces in New York City.^[4]At one time spanning over 100 acres, much of the land for adjacent Bronx Park was acquired from the university with funds authorized by the 1884New Parks Actintended to preserve lands that would soon become part of New York City,^{[62]: 166 [65][162]}on the condition that it be used as azooandbotanical garden.^[163][164]Fordham students and staff have free admission to the garden grounds.^[165]Rose Hill is on Fordham Road, just north of theBelmontneighborhood, described as the "real Little Italy of New York",^[166]and immediately west of theBronx Zooand the New York Botanical Garden. The campus'sCollegiate Gothicarchitecture,^[167]expansive lawns, ivy-covered buildings, and cobblestone streets were featured by NBC News.^[168]

Rose Hill is largely made up of nineteenth-century architecture, with some contemporary buildings. The campus is home to several structures on theNational Register of Historic Places,^[169]such as theUniversity Churchbuilt in 1845 as a seminary chapel and parish church for the surrounding community. It contains the altar fromOld St. Patrick's Cathedral, as well as stained glass windows given to the university byKing Louis Philippe I of France.^[170]The windows are particularly notable for their connection to a workshop inSevres, France, locus of the earliest stages of theGothic Revival.^[170]Adjacent to the church isa 138-plot cemeterywhere the university's nineteenth-century Jesuits, diocesan seminarians, students, and workers are interred,^[171]relocated in 1890 from its original location at today's New York Botanical Garden.^[172]

There are eleven residence halls on campus, including Queen's Courtresidential college, whose main mission is to "assist in the integration of first-year students into University life,"^[173]and nine Integrated Learning Communities that each cater to a particular year (freshman, sophomore, etc.) or area of study (science, leadership, etc.).^[174]In addition, the campus contains two residences for Jesuits, a retirement home, and the Murray-Weigel infirmary.^[175]

Rose Hill is served by theFordham stationof theMetro-North Railroad, which extends toGrand Central Terminal. Public transit buses stop adjacent to campus exits, and three New York City Subway stations are within walking distance. The university also provides a shuttle service between its three main campuses (the "Ram Van"), which is headquartered at Rose Hill. 6,981 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled at the Rose Hill, of which 2,482 live on campus.^[7]

In 1954, New York City'sRobert Moseswrote to Fordham administrators proposing Fordham might "be interested in an alternative [to renting space in theNew York Coliseum] involving a new building in a part of the area to the north ofColumbus Circleto be redeveloped under Title One of the Federal Housing Law. ... If this idea appeals to you I will ask Mr. Lebwohl to see you and explain it in greater detail."^[176]In March 1958, MayorRobert Wagnersigned the deeds transferring the Lincoln Center campus to Fordham University.^[177]

The Lincoln Center campus is home to Fordham College at Lincoln Center and to a division of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, as well as the School of Law, the Graduate Schools of Education and Social Service, and the Gabelli School of Business. The 8-acre (3.2 ha) campus occupies the area from West 60th Street to West 62nd Street betweenColumbusandAmsterdamAvenues, placing it in the cultural heart of Manhattan.^[4]

Lincoln Center has two grassy plazas, built one level up from the street. The larger expanse was once a barren cement landscape known as "Robert Moses Plaza;"^[178]the smaller is known as "St. Peter's Garden" and contains a memorial to the Fordham students and alumni who perished in theSeptember 11, 2001, attacks. The campus is served by public transit buses; the A, B, C, D, and 1 Subway trains, which are accessed at the59th Street/Columbus Circle station; and the university's Ram Van shuttle. 9,078 undergraduate and postgraduate students are enrolled at Lincoln Center, of which 1,337 reside in University housing.^[4]The campus consists of the Leon Lowenstein Building, McMahon Hall, the Gerald M. Quinn Library, and the Doyle Building.^[179]In the fall of 2014, the new freshman residence dormitory McKeon Hall opened, along with the new Fordham Law School building.^[80]

TheToward 2016 Strategic Planprescribed a complete reconfiguration of the Lincoln Center campus, to be completed by 2032.^[180]The first phase of the project, including renovations of the Lowenstein Building as well as a new Law School building and residence hall designed byPei Cobb Freed & Partners, were completed in 2014.^[181][180]In 2014, Fordham University purchased a building at 45 Columbus Avenue and incorporated it in its Lincoln Center campus as Joseph A. Martino Hall. The nine-story building is directly across the avenue from the former Law School building.^[182]

The Westchester campus is home to divisions of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, the Martino Graduate School of Business Administration, and the Education and Social Service graduate schools. It consists of a three-story, 62,500-square-foot (5,810 m²) building on 32 acres (12.9 ha) landscaped with a stream and pond. Fordham signed a 20-year lease for the facility, which includes 26 "smart" classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, a media center, a food service facility, and indoor and outdoor meeting areas.^[183]In 2008, the university spent over $8 million renovating the building in order to increase its sustainability.^[184]

The campus is served by theWhite Plains stationof theMetro-North Railroad4 miles (6 km) away and connected by the Westchester County Bus System ("The Bee Line").

In October 2018, Fordham expanded its study abroad program inLondonto its own space, the London Centre.^[185]The campus is situated in theClerkenwellarea of London, within theLondon borough of Camden.^[186]Fordham's London Centre offers programs in business, theater, and the liberal arts to students from Fordham and other colleges and universities.^[186]

Relations between Fordham and its surrounding neighborhoods vary according to campus. At Rose Hill, the university actively recruits Bronx students from disadvantaged backgrounds through the New York StateHigher Education Opportunity Program.^[187]In addition, about 80% of students participate in local community service.^[188]

The relationship between the Lincoln Center campus and some of theUpper West Sidecommunity residents have been strained, over campus development.^[189]In 2010 theNew York State Supreme Courtdismissed a lawsuit against Fordham brought by The Alfred Condominium. The suit was filed in response to the university's expansion plans at Lincoln Center and their expected visual and auditory impact on the surrounding community.^[190]The Lincoln Center campus does, however, have a lively connection to the artistic scene in Manhattan through its dance and theater productions and visual art exhibitions.^[191]

The university supports 21 men's and women'svarsityathletic teams, as well as various club andintramuralsports.^[192]The Fordham colors are maroon and white and its mascot is theram. In most varsity sports, the Rams compete inDivision Iof theNational Collegiate Athletic Associationand are a member of theAtlantic 10 Conference. The football team, however, plays inNCAA Division I FCSand is an associate member of thePatriot League, reported to be the most academically selective NCAA conference after theIvy League.^[4][193]

The Ram's football team ended the 1929 season as title holders according to college football's fictitious national championship,^[194]boasts two bowl game appearances (1941 and 1942), two Patriot League championships (2002 and 2007) and correspondingNCAA Division I Football Championshipappearances. It is best known, however, for the "Seven Blocks of Granite," a name given to the team's 1928 and 1936 offensive lines. The 1936 team was coached by "Sleepy"Jim Crowley, one of theUniversity of Notre Dame's famed "Four Horsemen," and includedVince Lombardi, the legendaryGreen Bay Packerscoach. The team provoked the term "Ivy League" afterNew York Herald TribunesportswriterCaswell Adamscalled then powerhousesPrincetonandYale"only Ivy League" compared to this Fordham team. Moreover, theLos Angeles RamsNFL franchise was named in honor of Fordham's football heritage.^[195]

The Fordhammen's basketball programhas made fourNCAA Tournamentappearances and 16National Invitational Tournamentappearances. During the 1971 season, the program enjoyed its best campaign ever, compiling a 26–3 record and earning a No. 9 national ranking. That team was coached byDigger Phelps, who accepted an offer to coachNotre Dameafter the 1971 season ended.Peter "PJ" Carlesimowas a reserve on Fordham's 1971 team; he later became the head coach of theBrooklyn NetsNBAfranchise and was involved in a famous choking incident withLatrell Sprewell.^[196]Fordham basketball plays in theRose Hill Gymnasium(also known as "The Prairie"), the oldest on-campus venue in use by an NCAA Division I basketball team.^[197]

The Rams baseball program is among the oldest in the nation and was the first college baseball team to play the game according to modern rules. The program has launched the careers of 57Major League Baseballplayers, includingNational Baseball Hall of FameinducteeFrankie Frisch(also known as the "Fordham Flash").^[198][199]In April 2010, a Fordham baserunner made national headlines when hesomersaultedover an opposing team's catcher to score a run during a game. The incident was dubbed the "Fordham Flip."^[200]The Rams baseball team holds the record for mostNCAA Division I baseball victoriesin history.^[201][17]

There are eight women's teams on campus. The women's basketball team won the Atlantic 10 championship in 2014, advancing to the first round of theNCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship.^[202]This feat came just 6 years after the team set an NCAA record for the worst season, finishing the season 0–29 in 2008.^[203]

The university's programs includetrack and field, which claims world record holder and Olympic gold medalistTom Courtneyas an alumnus;^[204]sailing, which is headquartered at the Morris Yacht and Beach Club inCity Island, Bronx;crew, which rows out of the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse on theHarlem Riverand frequents theHenley Royal Regattain the United Kingdom; andgolf, which is affiliated with theWinged Foot Golf ClubinMamaroneck, New York.

Clubs and organizations for undergraduate and graduate students number over 130 at the Rose Hill campus and 50 at Lincoln Center.^[205][206]

Fordham College at Rose Hill has a long history of college theater,^[207]and the entire university maintains a number of theater groups at both Lincoln Center and Rose Hill (e.g. the Mimes and Mummers, Fordham Experimental Theater, the Theatrical Outreach Group, Splinter Group). There are also choirs (University Choir, Schola Cantorum, Gloria Dei Choir) anda cappellagroups spanning both campuses (Fordham Ramblers, Satin Dolls, b-Sides, Hot Notes, F-sharps). The Mimes and Mummers, the oldest entirely student-run club at Fordham University and among the oldest college theater groups in the United States, was founded in 1855 as the Saint John's Dramatic Society.^[208]The Mimes put on two musicals, a drama, and a comedy each year – all non-student-written shows – as well as workshops designed to help students at Fordham learn about theater. The club receives from the school a budget which allows the hiring of professional directors, music directors, and choreographers but the shows are student produced, with all elements of technical design run by the club's executive board.^[209]

In 1905, with the construction of Collins Hall, Fordham University became the first place on the East Coast of the United States to have a theater in the round. The Penthouse Theatre, on the fourth floor of Collins Hall, served both for debuts of professional shows and home for theater groups like the Mimes and Mummers. The Penthouse Theatre was turned into office space in 1966.^[208]

In 1990, Alumni House, believed to be constructed in 1842 by William Rodrigue as a personal residence, an architect involved in the building of much of the early campus, was turned into a student-run space. Despite this account being questioned by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission in the report of its listing, it came to be known as Rodrigue's Coffee House.^[210]Rodrigue's, more commonly referred to as "Rod's" is an entirely student run coffee house and event space. Notable artists such asFrankie Cosmos,Matt and Kim,Japanese Breakfast, andDreamcrusherhave performed at Rod's.

The university has a number of student publications, includingThe Fordham Ram, the university's official journal of record;The Observer, the newspaper for the Lincoln Center campus;^[211]theFordham Political Review, the university's "undergraduate publication dedicated to politics, economics, social sciences, international affairs, and culture";^[212]The Rival, an online-only student-run publication;^[213]andthe paper, a student-run free-speech alternative journal.^[214]

WFUVis Fordham's 50,000-watt radio station, broadcasting on 90.7FM. Founded in 1947, the station serves approximately 350,000 listeners weekly in the New York City metropolitan area. It is aNational Public Radioaffiliate and has anadult alternativeformat on weekdays and avarietyformat on weekends.^[215]In 2017The Princeton Reviewranked WFUV the second best college radio station in the United States.^[216]

The purpose of Campus Ministry at Fordham is to provide "opportunities and resources for spiritual growth to members of [the university] community." It offers programming for more than 15 faith traditions in such areas as worship, music ministry, and social ministry. One of its most popular initiatives is its retreats, which are held at the university's McGrath House of Prayer inGoshen, New York, and other retreat houses in the New York City metropolitan area.^[217]In addition to its Jesuit traditions, the university also has organizations devoted to Judaism, Islam, and other religions.^[218]

The university has a church and numerous chapels across its campuses. At Rose Hill are theUniversity Churchwhich houses Our Lady's Chapel in the basement;^[219]theBlue Chapelon the third floor ofKeating Hall;^[220]the Sacred Heart Chapel in Dealy Hall; the St. Robert Bellarmine Chapel at Spellman Hall; along with chapels at several student residence halls.^[218]At the Lincoln Center campus is the Bl. Rupert Meyer Chapel in the Leon Lowenstein Building.^[218]

In conjunction with the Office of Mission and Ministry, Global Outreach (GO!) operates as a cultural immersion and service program where students learn about various issues of social, economic, political, and environmental injustice while living a simple lifestyle that fosters communal and spiritual growth.^[221]Teams consist of approximately 10 students, one student leader, and one chaperone to live, work, and learn with partnering organizations. Building on the Jesuit tenets of Men and Women for Others, Magis, and Contemplatives in Action, GO! has grown over the years to include more than 30 projects throughout the United States and countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America.^[221][222]GO!'s roots stretch back to the 1950s, when Fordham students were participating in various service and immersion projects. In the 1970s and '80s it became known as the Mexico project, with students coining the term Global Outreach in 1988.^[221][222]

TheDorothy DayCenter for Service and Justice is responsible for overseeing Fordham's various community service and humanitarian initiatives. Grounded in the Jesuit principle of training "men and women for others",^[223]the center organizes projects in such areas as poverty, hunger, education, and disaster relief.^[224]As a result of the Dorothy Day Center's efforts, the university performed approximately one million hours of service in 2011, ranking it sixth among universities country-wide in terms of community outreach.^[225]A popular volunteer location among students is the Jesuit Health Care Center at the Rose Hill campus where students interested in nursing gain practical experience.^[226]The Dorothy Day Center also offers a pre-orientation "Urban Plunge" program, introducing incoming freshmen to social justice issues in New York City.^[227]

In order to increase its sustainability, the university has committed to reducing itsgreenhouse gas emissionsby 30% in 2017. In addition, it has pledged to employ low-flow faucets and shower heads, use sustainable materials like reprocessed flooring, recycle up to 90% of its debris, and seekLEEDSilver certification in its construction of new facilities on campus. Also, the Department of Grounds Maintenance at Fordham has committed to making half of its vehicle fleet electric by 2016.^[229]The university has also proposed numerous environmental initiatives, including using certified green cleaning products, a uniform recycling program, andcompostingin cooperation with the New York Botanical Garden.^[228]

Fordham's Rose Hill campus is home to one of the largest collections of matureAmerican elmsin the country, the oldest estimated to be 270 years old.^[228]

Since its founding in 1841, the university has developed many traditions. Some of them are described below:

• ThePresident's Balltakes place every autumn on the eve of theHomecomingfootball game. It is abusiness formalevent held in the Vince Lombardi Field House. It is hosted by the Office of the President, from which the name is derived.^[230]

• TheWinter Ballis abusiness casualevent staged each winter by the United Student Government and the Activities Board of Lincoln Center, at venues in New York City including theRainbow Room, theRussian Tea Room, and theMandarin OrientalHotel.^[232]
• The"Under the Tent" Danceis asmart casualevent held the weekend before final exams. Sponsored by the university'sResidence Halls Association, it takes place underneath a tent on Martyrs' Lawn, Fordham's second-largest quadrangle, and has a different theme each year. The dance is part of the Spring Weekend Festival, which also includes two concerts, a barbecue, a race around the Rose Hill campus, and a comedy show.^[233]The dance was previously held at the Lincoln Center campus as well, but was replaced in 2015 by an end-of-the-year event called "The Bash".
• The Festival of Lessons and Carols:The Fordham University Concert Choir presents a series ofNine Lessons and Carolsevery year during the Christmas season. An afternoon concert is performed at the University Church on the Rose Hill campus, and an evening concert is performed at theSt. Paul the Apostle Churchadjacent to the Lincoln Center campus.^[234]
• Each semester, the official beginning of the final exam period is marked by a "midnight breakfast", in which Fordham administration and professors cook students their favorite breakfast items so as to prepare them for the long night of studying ahead of them.^[235]The name comes from "burning the midnight oil" with studies, not from the time of the breakfast.
• TheLiberty Cupwas awarded annually to the winner of the football game between Fordham and Columbia universities. The tradition began in 2002, a year after the Fordham-Columbia game was postponed due to September 11 attacks.^[236]As of 2016^[update], the series was ended by Columbia.
• TheRams-Crusader Trophyin football was first awarded in 1951 to commemorate a great coach of both Fordham and Holy Cross:Frank "Iron Major" Cavanaugh.^[237]
• Fordham College at Rose Hill hosts anEncaeniaeach year in early May. Faculty, administrators, and students process inacademic regalia, and candidates for degrees at the current year's Commencement receive various awards and honors. The ceremony includes a sentimental speech by the year'svaledictorian, as well as a generally more humorous, yet equally endearing, speech by the honorary Lord or Lady of the Manor.^[238]

In addition to its traditions, Fordham is associated with a number of symbols, some of which are discussed below:

• The university's official color used to bemagenta, one which was shared byHarvard University. Since it was confusing for the two schools to be wearing the same color during athletic competitions, the matter of which school could lay claim to magenta was to be settled through a series of baseball games. Fordham won the games, but Harvard reneged on its promise. Both schools continued to use the color until 1874, when the Fordham student government unanimously agreed to change tomaroon. Maroon was chosen because it was not widely used at the time. Sometime later, Harvard stopped using magenta in favor of crimson.^[61]
• Therambecame the university's mascot as a result of a slightly vulgar cheer Fordham fans sang during an 1893 football game against theUnited States Military Academy. The fans began cheering, "One-damn, two-damn, three-damn, Fordham!" which was an instant hit. Later, "damn" was sanitized to "ram" so the song would conform to the university's image.^[239]
• Presented to Fordham by Fleet AdmiralChester W. Nimitz('44) of theUS Navy, theVictory Bellwas theship's bellof the Japanese aircraft carrierJunyo. First rung on campus by President Harry S. Truman on May 11, 1946, it currently stands in front of the Rose Hill Gymnasium and peals following all Ram athletic victories and at the start of Commencement each year.^[61]

• The design of theGreat Sealof Fordham University acknowledges the Society of Jesus presence on campus, hence elements of the order'scoat of armsin the center on a light-purpleshield, without the usualsunburstbackground. The borrowed elements include the IHS monogram used by the Jesuits as an abbreviation for the name of Jesus in Greek:IHSOUS, in this case with theCrossresting on the center of the H, and the three nails of theCrucifixionbeneath theepigraph. These elements dressed in gold lay on the purple shield framed in maroon, the color of the university, with silverfleur-de-lisstrung together atop the bordering frame at the edge of the shield. The fleur-de-lis symbolize the French origin of the Jesuits who arrived at Fordham in 1846. Immediately above the central shield rests thelaurel crownin green on a light blue background, enclosing the university's original pedagogical disciplines in white capital letters listed above each other in the following order: ARTS, SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY, MEDICINE, LAW. Below the shield is a light blue scroll with the university's motto in black capital letters,SAPENTIA ET DOCTRINA. Both the shield and the scroll rest on a gold field emblematic of learning (doctrina), upon which surrounds them with 14 fiery tongues of theHoly Spirit, evenly distributed, a symbol of wisdom (sapientia). Finally, surrounding the entire seal is an heraldic belt, which is employed as a stylistic decoration. It forms a circular maroon loop embroidered with green beads on its inner and outer edge, with a gold buckle and end tip. The belt is emblazoned with Fordham's official Latin title in gold capital letters:UNIVERSITAS FORDHAMENSIS; between the last two punch holes where the buckle is fastened and the end looped inside to wrap around, is in gold the date of the university's founding:1841. The University of Oxford, the only othertertiary institutionin the world that uses a belt in its seal, maintains that without its belt, their seal is not official.^[61]

• Themaceof Fordham is traditionally carried at Commencement by the president of the Faculty Senate, who serves as the grand marshal of the main academic procession. The device, four feet in length, bears a regalcrownat the summit to denote the sole power of theState of New Yorkto grant academic degrees in its territory. Above the crown is a cross composed of four windmill sails, which signify the Catholic faith and theDutchfounders of New York City, respectively. The center of the cross displays a heraldicrose, which symbolizes Rose Hill. Immediately beneath the crown is a support, on which the university's seal is emblazoned. The upper node of the mace's staff is decorated with three heraldic roses, the Fordham seal, a ram's head, and a silhouette of the original Lincoln Center campus skyline. The titles of the university's constituent colleges are engraved above the node, and the names of the school's presidents from 1841 to 1966 are inscribed below it. The mace was a gift to the university from the Fordham University Alumni Federation.^[61]
• The Terrace of the presidents:Robert Gannon, president of Fordham from 1936 to 1949, initiated the custom of engraving the granite steps leading up to Keating Hall with the names of heads of state who visit the university. Among the names engraved are George Washington, who visited the Rose Hill Manor before it was succeeded by St. John's College in 1841; Franklin Delano Roosevelt; Harry S. Truman; Richard Nixon; and the names of various other heads of state from around the world.^[61]
• Fordham's officialschool songis "Alma Mater Fordham," and itsfight songis "Fordham Ram" by J. Ignatius Coveney.^[239]In December 2013 the lyrics to "Fordham Ram" were changed from "Hail Men of Fordham, hail" to "Hail Rams of Fordham, hail" to be inclusive of the school's female majority.^[240]"The Marching Song" is typically played during parades and after athletic games, especially after a Ram victory.^[241]

Fordham has over 183,500 alumni spread throughout the world, with 40 regional alumni chapters in the US and abroad.^[4]

Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice presidential candidate of a major political party in the United States, attended Fordham,^[242]as did numerousUnited States Congresspersons.New York State GovernorAndrew Cuomois an alumnus^[243]as wasMartin H. Glynn, the 40th Governor of New York (1913–1914) and first Catholic to hold the office.^[244]Among those serving at high levels of the U.S. Executive Branch were Postmaster GeneralJohn E. Potter;^[20]Central Intelligence DirectorsWilliam J. Casey(1981 to 1987)^[245]andJohn O. Brennan(2013 to 2017);^[246]John N. Mitchell,Attorney Generalfrom 1969 to 1972;^[21]andBernard M. Shanley, DeputyChief of StaffandWhite House Counselto PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower. PresidentDonald Trumpattended for two years and studied economics but left in 1966, transferring to theUniversity of Pennsylvania.^[247][248]

Fordham claims a number of distinguished military honorees, including threeMedal of Honorrecipients and notablegeneralsincludingGeneral John "Jack" Keane, four-star general andArmyVice Chief of Staff, andMajor General Martin Thomas McMahon, decoratedAmerican Civil Warofficer. Fordham has produced college and university presidents for at least 10 institutions around the United States, including two forGeorgetown Universityand one each forColumbia UniversityandNew York University, and producedRobert Kibbee, the Chancellor of theCity University of New York.Cardinal Francis Spellmanoversaw theArchdiocese of New York.James B. DonovandefendedRudolph Abelin his spy trial and negotiated the release ofFrancis Gary Powers.Archduchess Charlotte of Austria, daughter of the last Austrian Emperor,Charles I, studied at the School of Social Sciences.^[249][250]

Business and finance magnates who attended Fordham includeWendy Craigg, former Governor of theCentral Bank of the Bahamas;Anne M. Mulcahy, chairperson and CEO ofXerox;^[251]Rose Marie Bravo, Vice chairman and CEO ofBurberry;^[252]E. Gerald Corrigan, President of theFederal Reserve Bank of New York;^[253]Maria Elena Lagomasino, CEO of JP Morgan Private Bank;^[254]Joe Moglia, former chairman and CEO ofTD Ameritrade;^[255]Stephen J. Hemsley, CEO ofUnitedHealth Group;^[256]Wellington Mara,New York Giantsowner;^[257]John D. Finnegan, chairman, President, and CEO ofChubb Corporation;Mario Gabelli, billionaire and founding CEO ofGAMCO Investors;Lorenzo Mendoza, billionaire and CEO ofEmpresas Polar;Eugene Shvidler, billionaire and international oil tycoon;^[258]Frank Calderoni, CEO ofAnaplan.

In the media and communications field, Fordham has producedCharles Osgood, three-timeEmmy Awardand two-timePeabody Award-winning journalist forCBSandRadio Hall of Fameinductee;Louis Boccardi, President of theAssociated Press;Pulitzer Prize-winning journalistLoretta Tofani;Jim Dwyer,Pulitzer Prizewinning columnist and author;G. Gordon Liddy, President Richard Nixon associate and leader of theWhite House Plumbers, politicalpundit, and radio show host; NPRAll Things ConsideredhostScott Detrow; and Baseball Hall of Fame broadcaster and Radio Hall of FamerVin Scully.

Fordham's contributors to arts and entertainment includeDenzel Washington, two-timeAcademy Awardand two-timeGolden Globe Award-winning actor;^[259]Alan Alda, six-timeEmmy Awardand six-timeGolden Globe Award-winning actor;^[260]Academy Award-nominated actressPatricia Clarkson;^[261]Dylan McDermott;^[262]actressTaylor Schilling;^[263]actress and comedianRegina Hall;^[264]Grammy-nominated singer-songwriterLana Del Rey;^[265]Mary Higgins Clark, best-selling suspense novelist;^[266]horror novelist and playwrightRobert Marasco;^[267]postmodern novelistDon DeLillo, acclaimed novelist and Pulitzer Prize nominee;Robert Sean Leonard,Golden Globewinning television show actor;^[268]Bob Keeshanof TV's award-winning "Captain Kangaroo";^[269]andJohn LaFarge, painter, muralist, and designer of stained-glass windows.John Gilmary Shea, regarded as the "Father of American Catholic History", is also an alumnus.^[270]Michael Alig, infamous club promoter of '90s New York City nightlife, also attended Fordham.

People from the world of sports who attended Fordham includeBaseball Hall of FameinducteeFrankie Frisch(the "Fordham Flash");Vince Lombardi, football coaching legend;Bill Chadwick,Hockey Hall of Fameinductee;Tom Courtney, two-time Olympic gold medalist and holder of world record in the 880-yard run; andSteve Bellán, firstLatin Americanto playMajor League Baseball.^[271]

• Notable Fordham alumni:
• 
  Alan Alda, Emmyand Golden Globe-winning actor
• 
  Steve Bellán, first Cuban and first Latin American to play major league baseball
• 
  John O. Brennan, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
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  William J. Casey, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
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  Mary Higgins Clark, novelist
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  Patricia Clarkson, Academy Award-nominated actress
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  Andrew Cuomo, 56th Governor of New York
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  Don DeLillo, Pulitzer Prize-nominated novelist
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  Lana Del Rey, singer-songwriter
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  John La Farge, visual artist
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  Geraldine Ferraro, member of the U.S. House of Representativesand vice-presidential candidate
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  Hage Geingob, President of Namibia
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  Martin H. Glynn, 40th Governor of New York
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  Michael Kay, sports broadcaster for the New York Yankees
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  Jack Keane, Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
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  Vin Scully, sportscaster
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  Robert Gould Shaw, commander 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regimentin American Civil War
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  Francis Spellman, Cardinal Archbishop of New York
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  Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States, attended for two years before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania
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  Denzel Washington, Academy Award-winning actor

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  Brian Davies, Professor of Philosophy at Fordham, and specialist in Thomism
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  Victor Francis Hess, Nobel Prize recipient and discoverer of Cosmic Rays
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  Olivia Hooker, first African-American woman to enter the U.S. Coast Guard
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  Carl Jung, founder of analytical psychology
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  John McCloskey, first US Catholic Cardinal and first president of Fordham
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  Pietro Montana, sculptor and painter noted for war memorials and religious works
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  Guillermo Owen, Colombian mathematician, considered one of the founding fathers of game theory
• 
  Susan Scafidi, founder of Fashion Law Institute
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  Zephyr Teachout, political activist, CEO of Mayday PAC

Fordham's Rose Hill campus was named the second most-filmed campus in North America byNoodle Education.^[272]Films shot on the campus include:^[273]The Adjustment Bureau(2011),A Beautiful Mind(2001),Cheerleaders Beach Party(1978),The Exorcist(1973),Fair Game(2010),The Gambler(1974),Godspell(1973),Kinsey(2004),Love Story(1970),Quiz Show(1994),Solitary Man(2009),The Verdict(1982), andWall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps(2010).^[274]The 1993 crime dramaA Bronx Taleis set in the Belmont neighborhood adjacent to the Rose Hill campus.^[274]The Lincoln Center campus appeared inAwake(2007) andCenter Stage(2000).^[273]

Television programs filmed at Fordham includeShattered Vows, a 1984 television film starringValerie Bertinelli, which portrays the true story of a young nun in the 1960s who goes to Fordham for her master's degree and falls in love with a priest;White Collar;Naked City;Saturday Night Live;Chappelle's Show; and the 2009U2performance onGood Morning America. The seriesForeverfeatures the new Gabelli building and McMahon dorm. In the second episode of CBS'sMadam Secretarythe Fordham commons are used in two scenes serving in lieu of Georgetown University.^[275]

• List of Jesuit educational institutions

• Feddeck, Fred C. (2001).Hale Men of Fordham: Hail!. Trafford Publishing.ISBN978-1-55212-577-9.
• Marrone, Debra J. Caruso (2012).Fordham University & the United States: A History. E-Lit.ISBN978-0-9894011-1-1.

• Official website
• Official websiteof Fordham Athletics
• "Fordham".The American Cyclopædia. 1879.