Sarah Lawrence College is a private, independent college in Bronxville, New York. It was founded as Sarah Lawrence College for Women in 1926 by the real estate developer William Van Duzer Lawrence in honor of his wife, Sarah Bates Lawrence. The college admitted male veterans of World War II in 1946 and dropped the words for Women from its name in 1947. But after the servicemen finished their studies, the school reverted to women-only status until 1968, when it officially became coeducational and began to admit men on a regular basis. The college’s Center for Continuing Education, established in 1962, was the first full-scale undergraduate program in the United States designed specifically for older students returning to school.
Sarah Lawrence College’s curriculum includes courses in the humanities, social sciences, creative and performing arts, and natural sciences and mathematics. Most courses are taught as seminars—in-depth, yearlong classes. Courses also have an independent study component called a conference, where students work one-on-one with faculty. Each student also works with a faculty adviser to design an individual program of study; the college has no majors. Well-known graduates of Sarah Lawrence College include television journalist Barbara Walters, author Alice Walker, artist Meredith Monk, and motion-picture directors Brian de Palma and Jonathan Avnet. The college’s athletic teams are called the Gryphons.
The college’s website at https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/ offers additional information.
