Columbia University

The architecture of Columbia's old library (above) is derived from the Pantheon of Rome (below) built by Emperor Hadrian during his rein (117-138 AD).

• Subway Exit to Columbia University
  1. Entrance to Columbia University. I like the old entrance (in the 60s and 70s) better because there were no police guards there.
  2. Old Library for Ceremonies facing south at the northern side of the campus mall. There is a huge portrait of Dwight Eisenhower in this building. He was the president of Columbia University from 1948 to 1950, after the retirement from the army and before becoming the first NATO commander. He had connections with New York's financial circles, and raised tons of money for the University. I took a photo of the Eisenhower portrait there during my earlier visit, and I hope to post it here when I find it. I was not allowed into the building when I went there in March of 2009, because the board of trustees meeting was being held there.
     Eisenhower did many things for the United States and for the World. Not many people seem to know that he redefined the role of university presidents: to bring in money.
  3. Front Steps are for student gathering and relaxation.

  4. Get Impressed and Inspired. Many people throughout the world come to this place and get impressed and inspired. I came here with with my former teacher in 1962. He was a very important person to me throughout my high school years (1948-54) in Korea. He studied at Waseda University in Japan.
  5. Present Library facing north on the southern side of the mall.

  

• Pupin Physics Laboratories. Many important events took place in this building. Who was Pupin?
  1. Michael Pupin's Bust at the entrance of the Pupin Labs.
  2. In 1985, I went there with my son to show him there are physics programs at other universities. He was a physics major at Princeton.
  3. Bridge between the Pupin Labs and the Center for Engineering Science and Applied Physics
  4. Center for Engineering and Applied Physics. Columbia's physics program was started by two American engineering giants, namely Michael Pupin and Howard Armstrong. If Columbia's engineering physics program is too strong, it is only natural.

  

• University Book Store at the south-western corner of the campus mall.
  1. Obama Books in the Book Store. Barack Obama completed his undergraduate education at Columbia in 1983.
  2. A View of the Campus from the Book Store. A great university!

  3. Dormitory Buildings on the south-eastern corner of the mall. When the present campus was originally designed, these buildings were enough to accommodate all students.
  4. Trinity Church. Columbia started out as King's College located near this church in downtown during the colonial period. After the Independence, it became Columbia College. The campus moved to a place at 49th Street on Madison Avenue in 1857. Columbia College moved to the present location in 1896. Thereafter, Columbia College became Columbia University.

  5. St. Paul's Chapel
  6. Inside the Dome of St. Paul's Chapel.

  

• Earl Hall for international activities. Columbia University was nice enough to allow foreign students to use this facility for their own cultural activities. These days, Moslem students use this hall for their Friday prayers.
  1. Bust of Moses in the lobby of Earl Hall. It was a pleasure to have a photo with Moses.

     During my Princeton years (1958-62), Korean students used this building frequently, and I used to go there often.

  2. Il-Pyung Kim was the president of the Korean Student Association in New York, and he is now a professor emeritus at the University of Connecticut. He was good leader, and I had a lunch with him 40 years later in Washington, and spent the entire afternoon to talk about everything under the sun and moon.
  3. Riverside Church near the Campus, though not affiliated with Columbia, was also an important place for Koreans. The domed structure in this photo is the tomb of Ulysses Grant, who was the commander of the northern forces during the Civil War, and became elected the president of the United States. He served two four-year terms.

  

• Street Sign at Broadway and 117th Street telling you are coming to Barnard College. Barnard College is one of the elite colleges for women in the United States. It was created because Columbia University used to be a all-male college.
  1. Entrance to Barnard College. Barnard ladies seem to like Hillary Clinton.
  2. Columbia's Earl Hall seen from the entrance to Barnard.
  3. Courtyard surrounded by dormitories.
  4. Steinway Piano in the living room of one of the dormitory buildings. These Barnard ladies still seem to be class conscious. Steinway, not Yamaha!
  5. Photo with a Student. It was a pleasure to have a photo with a Barnard lady at her college (February of 2009). Earlier
  6. Barnard and Columbia. I met these young ladies (one from Barnard and the other from Columbia at the Central Park of New York. They came to a performance of New York Pops Orchestra. It was a pleasure to exchange words with them. They were are smart.

• Click here for the city of New York.