College History

Alfred, NY - Early 1900's
The west side of Main Street in the early 1900s. Now home to the Alfred State campus.


Alfred State has amazing stories of success.

Theta Gamma House
Alfred State's Victorian Home was originally a family residence, became the Theta Gamma (TG) House, and now is the headquarters for University Police. Photo taken in the early 1900s.

In the true Pioneer spirit, our college has forged ahead, faced obstacles, and achieved hard-won victories. After generations of delivering a high-quality education, ASC knows how to assist first-generation college students, find a way for low-income families to achieve their college dreams, and prepare students to launch careers with good pay at great companies.

Founded in 1908, it wasn’t a sure bet that the New York State School of Agriculture would continue after facing financial and enrollment challenges in its first 30 years. In 1926, the region’s farmers, who recognized the value of this institution, lobbied the state to continue operations and a plan emerged to offer more career options for Western New York students.

After making it through some difficult times and low enrollment during the Great Depression, Alfred Ag Tech, as it became known, found firm footing by adding educational opportunities for a wider variety of technical skills so that graduates would be ready for careers beyond the farm. The national trend of growing college enrollments after World War II was also evident with rapid construction and expansion at Alfred State and the addition of the Wellsville campus.

ASC Family
Multiple generations choose ASC. 
Pictured are Tony Harvey, his son Austin, and daughter Kylie who are all proud Pioneers.

Some current trends in higher education are to provide these benefits to students:

  • Build career skills, knowledge, and confidence through hands-on learning.
  • Show a return-on-investment with good-paying jobs for graduates.
  • Provide a nurturing, close-knit, and caring community for students.

Students and parents today are looking for these benefits when choosing a college. ASC has a strong answer for each of these topics and we can prove our success. Delivering career-ready graduates for good jobs while enjoying our friendly and caring community, that’s who we are and what we do at Alfred State throughout our long, colorful, and successful history. 
Pioneer Pride in History > Purpose of Helping Students > Promise of Future Careers

More Resources

The First Sixty Years:
A History of the State University Agricultural and Technical College at Alfred

by Elaine B. Hritz

Book cover

Alfred State: Celebrating the Past 100 Years

  • 1908-1969 by Daniel Barwick based on Hritz’ book
  • 1969-1977 by Ellen H. Ehrig
  • 1977-1986 by Dr. Eugene Stalger
  • 1986-1993 by Dr. John O. Hunter, President Emeritus
  • 1993-2003 by Dr. Bill Rezak, President Emeritus
  • 2003-2008 by Alfred State staff

A History of the Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc.

From Benevolent Association to Educational Foundation

By: Ellen H. Ehrig (through June 2010)
Foundation P.R. Committee (2010-present)

Further Reading (PDF)