Note on Barnard College Department Foundings to 1950
1889 — Instruction commenced at Barnard with four Classics instructors (Mortimer Lamson Earle, Edward Delavan Perry and Henry J. Burchell teaching Greek, and Nelson Glenn McCrea teaching Latin), plus one instructor in English literature (Charles Sears Baldwin). Other Columbia-based instructors may have been teaching other subjects but have not been identified.
1890 – Instruction commences in Botany with appointment of Emily L. Gregory (PhD, Zurich); she provided a position of “Lecturer” by Columbia but all her teaching at Barnard.
1891 – First modern language instructors identified: Benjamin D. Woodward teaching French (and Spanish?) and Carlo Speranza providing instruction in Italian
1892 – William T. Hallock begins to provide instruction in Physics.
1894 Franklin H. Giddings commences instruction in Sociology.
1895 – Seth Low’s funding enables Barnard to make three appointments in new instructional fields:
John Bates Clark in Political Economy/Economics
Herbert L. Osgood in American History – also, James Harvey Robinson in European History
Frank N. Cole in Mathematics
1897 – Instruction commences in Anthropology with appointment of Livingston Farrand and in Astronomy with the appointment of Harold Jacoby.
1899 – Instruction commences in Zoology with appointment of Henry E. Crampton
1900 – Instruction commences in Chemistry with appointment of Eleanor Keller; in Physics with appointment of Margaret E. Maltby; in German with appointment of Wilhelm Braun; in Philosophy with appointment of Herbert G. Lord.
By 1900, following the intercorporate agreement between Barnard and Columbia, instruction provided by Barnard faculty in the following seventeen subjects:
Humanities: Greek, Latin, English, French, Italian, German; Philosophy
Sciences: Astronomy , Botany Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Zoology;
Social Sciences: Anthropology; Economics; History; Sociology
1903 – Geology added to the science instruction with appointment of Ida H. Ogilvie.
1907 – First appointment in Psychology with hiring of Harry L. Hollingworth
1914 – Instruction in Theatre commenced with appointment of Minor Latham
1917 – Instruction in Physical Education commences with appointment of Bird Larson
1923 – Instruction commences in Political Science with appointment of Raymond Moley.
1925 – Instruction in Fine Arts/Art History begins with hiring of Norman W. Haring ( Ernest De Wald, 1923-25?)
1928 – Regular instruction begins in Music with appointment of Douglas Moore.
1939 – Two interdepartmental programs established: American Studies (headed by Elizabeth Raynard) and Medieval Studies (headed by Ethel Sturtevant)
1940 — Religion Department founded by Ursula Niebuhr, wife of Union Theological Seminary professor Reinhold Niebuhr.
As of 1945, the following twenty-six subjects enjoyed departmental or programmatic status (in order of the commencement of instruction:
Department Founding To 1945
Department |
Instruction |
Founding Faculty |
Classics |
1889 |
Mortimer Lamson Earle |
English |
1889 |
Charles Sears Baldwin |
Botany |
1890 |
Emily L. Gregory |
Romance Languages (French, Italian, Spanish?] |
1891 |
Carlo Speranza |
Physics |
1892 |
William T. Hallock |
Sociology |
1894 |
Franklin Giddings |
Economics |
1895 |
John Bates Clark |
History |
1895 |
Levi Osgood |
Mathematics |
1895 |
Frank Cole |
Anthropology |
1897 |
Livingston Farrand |
Astronomy |
1897 |
Harold Jacoby |
Zoology |
1899 |
Henry E. Crampton |
Chemistry |
1900 |
Eleanor Keller |
German |
1900 |
Wilhelm Braun |
Philosophy |
1900 |
Herbert G. Lord |
Geology |
1903 |
Ida H. Ogilvie |
Psychology instruction |
1907 |
Harry Hollingworth |
Theatre |
1914 |
Minor Latham |
Physical Education |
1917 |
Bird Larson |
Psychology Department |
1923 |
Harry Hollingworth |
Government/ Political Science |
1923 |
Raymond Moley |
Fine Arts/Art History |
1925 |
Norman W. Haring |
Music |
1928 |
Douglas Moore |
Medieval Studies |
1939 |
Ethel Sturtevant |
American Studies |
1939 |
Elizabeth Reynard |
Religion | 1940 | Ursula Niebuhr |
1949 [?] – Education Program established with President McIntosh’s support, over faculty opposition.