Head Held High

Women students have always had a place at Syracuse University—even as far back as 1857, when Belva Ann Lockwood graduated from Genesee College, SU’s first campus, and became a teacher. The equal rights activist went on to law school and made her indelible mark on American history as the first woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court. And she ran for president, nominated by the Equal Rights Party.

Because of SU’s policy of championing higher education for women—practically unheard of at the time—Sarah Loguen, the daughter of an escaped slave, graduated from SU’s College of Medicine in 1876, becoming one of the first African American women in the U.S. to be certified as a medical doctor.

Throughout the years, many notable women have received degrees from Syracuse University, including National Women’s Hall of Fame inductees Lockwood; Ruth Johnson Colvin ’59, H’84; the Reverend Betty Bone Schiess G’47; Eileen Collins ’78, H’01; Karen DeCrow L’72; Donna Shalala, G’70, H’87; and Kathrine V. Switzer ’68, G’72.

A stellar athlete, Jim Brown is one of the greatest running backs in the history of football, and the only person in the college football, pro football, and lacrosse halls of fame. He was a unanimous collegiate All-America selection in football and lacrosse at Syracuse University. As a senior lacrosse player in 1957, he scored 64 points, including 43 goals, to lead Syracuse to an undefeated (10-0) season, and was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1984. Brown was selected in the first round of the 1957 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He spent nine seasons with the Browns and set the NFL single season rushing record (1,863 yards) and the career rushing record (12,312). He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his nine NFL seasons.

As the alma mater of many outstanding athletes, Syracuse University boasts national championships in basketball, football, lacrosse, and men’s cross country.

Ted Koppel ’60, H’82, original anchor of the groundbreaking ABC news program Nightline, and the recipient of every major television industry award, got his start in broadcasting as a student at Syracuse University’s public radio station, WAER. In his senior year, he served as WAER’s program director, and in 2012 was the first inductee into the station’s Hall of Fame. “The WAER Hall of Fame Award is the most valued award I have received,” said Koppel, whose career has earned him numerous Emmy, Peabody, and duPont-Columbia awards, as well as other honors.

Internationally recognized as the training ground for some of the nation’s—and the world’s—most accomplished journalists, Syracuse University is the alma mater of such notable newscasters as Contessa Brewer ’96, Jeff Glor ’97, Steve Kroft ’67, and Jeanne Moos ’76, to name just a few.

Some of the nation’s foremost sportcasters got their education—and their start behind the microphone—as students at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. With its reputation as “Sportcaster U,” Syracuse is the alma mater of such renowned broadcasters as Bob Costas ’74, Mike Tirico ’88, Sean McDonough ’84, Len Berman ’68, G’70, Marv Albert ’63, Andy Musser ’59, and Hank Greenwald ’57, to name just a few. Many of them learned their craft as students calling games for SU’s public radio station WAER—a training ground that continues today for future sportscaster stars.

Aaron Sorkin ’83, an award-winning screenwriter, delivered the 2012 Commencement address at the joint ceremony for Syracuse University, the College of Law, and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). Renowned for his ability to create compelling characters and situations, Sorkin is one of Hollywood’s most honored writers for films such as A Few Good Men, The American President, The Social Network, and Moneyball, as well as TV shows including Sports Night, The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and HBO’s drama The Newsroom. Highly supportive of his alma mater, he established Sorkin Week, an immersion program in the entertainment industry for SU drama and film students in Los Angeles. He is one of many SU alumni who are movers and shakers in the entertainment field, including Jason Blumenthal ’90, Escape Artists Productions, producer of The Pursuit of Happyness and Hope Springs; Netflix executive Sean Carey ’89; Andrew Gumpert ’89, president of worldwide business affairs and operations, Columbia Pictures; Rob Light ’78, managing partner and head of music at Creative Artists Agency; Doug Robinson ’85, partner, Happy Madison Productions, producer of Rules of Engagement; and legendary TV executive Fred Silverman ’58.

Lou Reed’s song, Head Held High, supplies the driving beat to this video's soundtrack. It was penned when he was a member of the avant-garde group The Velvet Underground. Reed, who earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from SU in 1964, honed his facility with words under the guidance of his friend and mentor, poet Delmore Schwartz. A professor in SU’s renowned Creative Writing Program, Schwartz recognized Reed’s brilliant use of language and encouraged him to pursue his lyric endeavors. The rest, as they say, is music history.

In turn, Reed has served as an inspiration to singers and songwriters for more than 35 years, including such industry icons as David Bowie and U2’s lead singer, Bono, who attended SU’s Arents Award event honoring Reed.

Among the many talented musicians who name SU as their alma mater are Young Rascals founder Felix Cavaliere ’64, members of the indie rock band Ra Ra Riot, and acclaimed singer/songwriter Pete Yorn ’96. SU grad Ian Schrager ’68, helped define celebrity culture—and the music scene in the 1970s—as co-owner of the famous New York hot spot Studio 54. A successful entrepreneur, his company is a leader in high-end luxury hotels.

One of the fuzziest—and friendliest—collegiate mascots, Otto the Orange was almost passed over in favor of a wolf. A 1995 University-wide committee, choosing between a lion, a wolf, and an orange, actually recommended the wolf should be chosen as the University’s official symbol. But a successful student campaign led to the approval of Otto the Orange as the University’s official mascot.

Syracuse University has always been a place where society’s most pressing issues were discussed “head on.” During the turbulent years of the Vietnam War, SU students were vocal in their opposition to the conflict in Southeast Asia. When four Kent State students were killed and nine others wounded by Ohio National Guard troops, SU was among the 400 educational institutions nationwide shut down by students. The protest included a peaceful march through downtown Syracuse, a sit-in at the Tolley Administration Building, and students barricading entrances to campus.

The civil rights movement also had an impact on campus. In 1970, a group of African American Syracuse University football team members, known as the "Syracuse 8," called for the equal treatment of student-athletes and a more racially diverse coaching staff. Talented scholarship athletes, these men were aware of the potential consequences of their actions, but despite the risk, took a stand. When their calls for action were not honored, they made the difficult decision to leave the team.

Mistakenly dubbed the "Syracuse 8" by media reports in 1970, the group actually included nine individuals—Gregory Allen '72, Richard Bulls '73, John Godbolt '73, Dana Harrell '71, G’73, John Lobon '73, Clarence "Bucky" McGill '72, A. Alif Muhammad '71, Duane Walker '80, and Ron Womack '71.

The group was awarded the SU Chancellor’s Medal in 2006 and presented with their SU Letterman’s jackets—which they never received after leaving the team—during an emotional halftime ceremony at the Syracuse-Louisville football game.

Well known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent and the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Taye Diggs ’93 stars in the ABC series Private Practice. Shortly after graduating from SU, Diggs appeared in the Tony Award-winning revival of Carousel. In 1996, he originated the role of the landlord Benny in Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Rent, where he co-starred alongside his future wife, actress and singer Idina Menzel. Other appearances on Broadway included Chicago and Wicked. Diggs became an author with the publication of the children’s book Chocolate Me! (Feiwel & Friends, 2011), which was illustrated by Syracuse classmate Shane W. Evans ’92.

Diggs has been extremely active with his alma mater throughout his post-graduate years, most notably as a guest artist in the Department of Drama. He came to campus in 2011 as part of Orange Central, the University’s reunion and homecoming celebration, where he held a book signing, participated in a workshop for drama students, and led a public event for Syracuse children that promoted literacy. Diggs has also participated in SU’s Sorkin Week in Los Angeles, the weeklong program that gives drama and film students in the College of Visual and Performing Arts a taste of life in Los Angeles. 

SU offers drama department students numerous opportunities to hone their craft. The department’s close relationship with Syracuse Stage, the professional theater of Central New York, gives students the chance to observe and interact with working professionals on a daily basis. The Tepper Semester, a unique program from the Tepper Center, offers undergraduate students in advanced levels of acting, musical theater, design, and stage management the opportunity to immerse themselves in a rigorous artistic training program in the culturally rich setting of New York City.

SU is the alma mater of many famous actors, including the late Peter Falk G’53, best known for his role as Columbo; Broadway and screen star Frank Langella ’59; Jerry Stiller ’50, star of stage, screen, and television; and Vanessa Williams ‘85, whose acclaimed career encompasses stage, screen, television, and recordings.

Choreographer Paul Taylor ’53, H’86 is the last living member of the pantheon that created America’s indigenous art of modern dance. At an age when most artists’ best work is behind them, Paul Taylor continues to win public and critical acclaim for the vibrancy, relevance, and power of his creations. As he has since his origins as a dance maker in 1954 through today, he offers brilliant observations on life’s complexities while tackling some of society’s thorniest issues. While he may propel his dancers through space for the sheer beauty of it, he more frequently uses them to illuminate such profound issues as war, piety, spirituality, sexuality, morality, and mortality.

Syracuse University’s SU Arts Engage, the Office of the Arts Presenter, has worked closely with Taylor to produce performances by the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and many other artists. SU Arts Engage has been a leading performing arts organization throughout Central New York, fostering collaboration with other art-affiliated organizations in the Syracuse area. By commissioning world-renowned artists whose work challenge mainstream culture, SU Arts Engage creates a local and global dialogue around themes of social, political, and economic peace.

The literary career of Joyce Carol Oates ’60, H’00 began in earnest while she was still a student at SU. A story she submitted to Mademoiselle magazine, “In the Old World,” won a fiction award and was published in the magazine’s August 1959 issue. In the years that followed, Oates has written books tht cover an astonishing range of content and genre, and regularly appear on The New York Times’ list of the 100 Notable Books of the Year. She’s won numerous writing awards for her work, including the National Book Award, the Fisk Fiction Prize, the Bram Stoker Award, and four O. Henry awards.

During its more than 50-year history, Syracuse University’s Creative Writing Program has produced an outstanding array of writers whose work has been published by major presses and magazines and won prestigious awards. Distinguished alumni include Tom Perrotta G’88, Jay McInerney G’86, the late poet Larry Levis ’70, and Claire Messud (who attended SU from 1989-90). Renowned professors include Mary Karr, George Saunders G’88, Dana Spiotta, and Bruce Smith. Former faculty members include Junot Díaz, Mary Gaitskill, Tess Gallagher, Douglas Unger, and Tobias Wolff, as well as the late Philip Booth, Hayden Carruth, Raymond Carver, Donald Justice, Delmore Schwartz (mentor of singer/songwriter Lou Reed ’64), and W.D. Snodgrass.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden received his juris doctorate from the Syracuse University College of Law in 1968. The Biden legacy at SU continued two decades later, when his son Joseph also attended the College of Law. The vice president maintains a close relationship with Syracuse University, serving as commencement speaker in 2006 and 2009. He returned to campus again in September 2009 to hold a task force hearing on middle-class families.

The College of Law has been training practitioners of the legal profession since its founding in 1895, and continues its tradition of addressing the most pressing legal issues of the day. Among its programs is the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (INSCT), which provides interdisciplinary research, graduate-level education, and public service on law and policy challenges related to national and international security. INSCT is sponsored by the College of Law in collaboration with the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. The Institute for the Study of the Judiciary, Politics, and the Media (IJPM), a collaborative effort among the Syracuse University College of Law, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, is a first-of-its-kind academic institute devoted to the interdisciplinary study of complex issues at the intersection of law, politics, and the media.

Thousands of SU graduates live and work in the Washington, D.C. area, holding positions in government, agencies, legal firms, and other organizations. SU students have the opportunity to learn in the nation’s capital, attending classes and experiencing immersion opportunities, many of them centered at Greenberg House, SU’s home in D.C. 

At Syracuse University, international education is a tradition dating back to 1919, when SU's first students went abroad to Chungking, China. In 1959, the Syracuse in Italy program opened its doors in Florence to students of all majors and at every language level. The innovative program worked: Students learned language on site and the program became the model for SU centers abroad. Today, SU consistently ranks among the top-quality international education programs in the country. SU Abroad offers unforgettable learning opportunities in more than 30 countries—many or which include field study, internships, home stays, and a wide selection of classes in English. SU Abroad draws students from schools throughout the nation, and nearly half of SU students graduate with one or more international study experiences.

Syracuse currently operates eight overseas centers: in Beijing, Florence, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Santiago, and Strasbourg. Through our World Partners, summer, and short-term programs, SU students have study abroad options in more than 20 additional countries. SU recently opened a regional council office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which works to enrich study abroad opportunities in the region, as well as with the Admissions Office to recruit students from the Middle East.

The man whose show American Bandstand made television history, and who—as host of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve—was a welcome guest in millions of homes each year on December 31, also made his mark as a businessman. That may seem surprising to those who knew Dick Clark ’51 only for his work before the camera or the microphone, as a music industry personality, actor, and game show host. In fact, Clark had a sound basis for success in business. He earned his Syracuse University degree at what is now the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, a nationally recognized leader in entrepreneurship. His company, Dick Clark Productions, produced a wide variety of programming, including teen dance shows, made-for-television movies, feature films, game shows, and award shows such as The Golden Globe Awards. For many of these shows, Clark served as executive producer.

The Whitman School, regularly listed as one of the highest-ranking business schools in the nation, was the training ground for many renowned entrepreneurs and financial leaders. The school is known for its innovative programs, including the Institute for Veterans and Military Families’ Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities, which offers entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with disabilities resulting from their service to our country.

Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim ’66, G’73 has had a remarkable 37-year run as head coach at his alma mater, Syracuse University. Under his leadership, SU has made 27 trips to the NCAA tournament, including Final Four appearances in 1987, 1996 and 2003, and the biggest prize of all, the NCAA championship in 2003. He became just the third Division I head coach to record 900 career victories when Syracuse hosted the University of Detroit on December 17, 2012, in the Carrier Dome.

SU students are legendary for their spirit, and Central New York winters provide the perfect showcase for it. There’s plenty of time for fun and games in the snow—downhill and cross-country skiing at area resorts, skating in SU’s Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion or downtown in Clinton Square, sledding on the area’s abundant hills, and taking part in the occasional impromptu snowball fight on the Quad.

Yes, it does indeed snow in Syracuse, but while life in other locales comes to a halt after an inch of snow, hardy Central New Yorkers know exactly how to deal with wintertime precipitation. Syracusans don’t miss a beat when the white stuff accumulates—and it helps to have a muscular fleet of snow-removal equipment, including the world’s largest snowplow, which clears the runways at Syracuse’s Hancock International Airport.

The School of Art and Design in Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts has a tradition of excellence that goes back more than 130 years. In fact, Syracuse University was the first university in the country to grant a bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.) degree. Many notable artists name Syracuse University as their alma mater, including Warren Kimble ’57, Sol LeWitt ’49, Roger Shimomura G’69, and Bill Viola ’73, H’95.

With a career spanning more than four decades and working in a variety of media, including sculpture, painting, drawing, books, and prints, LeWitt was among the most prolific and influential figures in contemporary art. A key creator of minimalism, and later, conceptual art, LeWitt was called “the lodestar of modern American art” by The New York Times.

In the last decades of his life, LeWitt worked with structures, particularly blocks of concrete. Six Curved Walls, installed on the Syracuse University campus, spans 140 feet on the hillside of Crouse College. The sculpture consists of six undulating walls, each 12 feet high, constructed of concrete block. LeWitt often used the material because of its pervasive presence and the relative ease with which it can be arranged in myriad geometric forms and shapes. The sculpture was designed and constructed to mark the inauguration of Nancy Cantor as the 11th Chancellor of Syracuse University in 2004.

SU scientists actively conduct research that is extending the frontiers of knowledge. From nanoparticles to black holes, research in the College of Arts and Sciences touches nearly every aspect of life on Earth and stretches into the vastness of the universe. SU physicists collaborate with developmental biologists to study the earliest stages of embryonic development and with international consortiums to understand how the universe evolved. Earth scientists collaborate on a global scale to study climate change and its impact on plants, animals, and people. New, cross-institutional research in the neurosciences is pushing the boundaries of understanding in such areas as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorders. From biofuels to biotechnology, Syracuse University is a place of discovery, creativity, and imagination.

Boasting SU’s largest alumni base in the world, New York City is alive with Orange spirit. Nearly 46,000 alumni live in the NYC metro area, and they open the doors for SU grads in the worlds of entertainment, the arts, finance, information technology, media, journalism, and many more.

An immense learning laboratory, the Big Apple is the site of many immersive learning experiences for SU students, including semester-long programs like the drama department’s Tepper Semester and Syracuse Architecture NYC, as well as week-long trips to the city’s media empires and internships with prestigious companies. SU students benefit from the knowledge and expertise of alumni and friends who are leaders in their fields, and in collaborations with NYC-based firms like JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Those thousands of SU alumni in NYC can stay closely connected with the University through networking events, industry panel discussions, New Student Send-offs, and SUccess in the City receptions—many of which are held at Joseph I. Lubin House, SU’s home in NYC, located on East 61st Street in Manhattan. Lubin House also offers a continual slate of art exhibitions in its Louise and Bernard Palitz Art Gallery.

And whenever an SU team takes to the court or field in the metro area, the Big Apple glows Orange. In fact, SU considers Madison Square Garden to be its athletics home away from home. SU is New York State’s college team!

For more than 100 years, Los Angeles has been the unrivaled entertainment capital of the world, and Syracuse University alumni are in some of the entertainment industry’s most pivotal roles. Through their tremendous achievements, SU has gained an international reputation for preparing students to excel in the field. The SULA center in Sherman Oaks is the hub of the University’s West Coast programs, offering students such immersion experiences as the LA Semester and Sorkin Week, where they learn the workings of the entertainment industry firsthand.

Two College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) superstar alums—Betsey Johnson ’64 and Thom Filicia ’93—have put their uniquely personal stamp on fashion and interior design. In an industry where fads come and go and careers can be short-lived, Betsey Johnson’s name has even more cachet in the fashion world today than it did when her star was on its meteoric rise in the 1960s. Her instantly recognizable design style, with its exuberant color, pattern, shape, and movement, is as popular as ever. As living proof of her motto that fashion should be fun, Johnson, dressed in her signature prints and whimsical designs, is her label’s best advertisement.

Interior designer Thom Filicia ’93, founder and chief creative officer of New York City-based design firm, Thom Filicia Inc., has earned widespread acclaim and notable clients in the worlds of entertainment, finance, sports, media, fashion, and hospitality. Known for his ability to create modern, yet classic, interiors that reflect the individuality of his clients, Filicia’s has an unmistakable design sensibility, earning him countless accolades from the design world. He’s been named by House Beautiful as one of its “Top 100 Designers,” by House & Garden as an “International Taste Maker,” and by Elle Décor as an “A-List Designer.”

“For me, SU was a great university,” says Filicia. “It gave me the opportunity not only to hone and develop my design skills, but I was doing it in an environment where all my friends were not designers. I was with business students, communications majors, students in advertising and architecture. It gave me the ability to communicate design to anyone.”

VPA’s School of Art and Design has a tradition of excellence that goes back more than 130 years. In fact, Syracuse University was the first university in the country to grant a bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.) degree. Within its three departments (art, design, and transmedia), the school offers 17 majors that lead to a B.F.A. degree: art education, art photography, art video, ceramics, communications design, computer art, fashion design, film, history of art, illustration, environmental and interior design, jewelry and metalsmithing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. It also offers a program leading to a bachelor of industrial design (B.I.D.) degree in industrial and interaction design.

Design students present their portfolios each spring at events held at Joseph I. Lubin House, SU’s home in New York City. Fashion design majors present their senior collections at the annual on-campus fashion show and may have their collections selected for the annual New York City fashion show.

Ernie Davis, the first African American to win collegiate football’s highest honor, the Heisman Trophy, was one of the greatest athletes to wear the orange. While a student at his high school in Elmira, New York, he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball, and was highly sought after by college coaches around the country. He chose Syracuse University, giving him the chance to play on a team with Jim Brown ’57, and be coached by the legendary Ben Schwartzwalder.

Davis was only a sophomore when he led the Orange to an undefeated season and a national championship, clinching the title in the 1960 New Year’s Day Cotton Bowl with a 23-14 victory over Texas. He was named the game’s most valuable player for his two touchdowns, including a bowl-record 87-yard touchdown reception. All-America honors were his in 1960 and 1961, the year he won the Heisman. Chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the 1962 NFL Draft, Davis was to join former teammate Jim Brown in the Cleveland backfield. But Davis never played one game on the professional gridiron—his life cut tragically short by leukemia.

The story of his life was made into a motion picture, The Express, starring Rob Brown and Dennis Quaid. The film’s world premiere was held in Syracuse’s historic Landmark Theatre, where Davis and his friends often went to the movies.

Syracuse University continues to honor Davis and his accomplishments, naming a residence hall in his honor, erecting a statue in his likeness on the Quad, and naming the Carrier Dome field “Ernie Davis Legends Field.”

In 2005, SU officially retired the number 44, one of the most storied numbers ever associated with a college football team. Since 1954, 11 players have worn the number and three earned All-America honors. The three most famous 44s—Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, and Floyd Little—rank among the finest running backs to ever play the game. 

Among the things astronaut Eileen Collins carried aboard the space shuttle Discovery in February 1995 were items belonging to pioneer female aviators, including a scarf once worn by Amelia Earhart. As the first female astronaut to pilot a shuttle, Collins was aware of the historic significance of that flight and bringing those items was her way to honor the women who shared her dream of soaring through space.

Two years later, she again piloted a flight to the Mir space station, this time aboard the shuttle Atlantis. In 1999, as the first female commander of a shuttle mission, aboard Columbia, she made history yet again. In all, she logged more than 872 hours in space before retiring from the Air Force with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 2005 and from NASA in 2006.

Among her many honors are the U.S. Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, the U.S. Defense Department’s Defense Superior Service Medal, and the French Legion of Honor.