normal college

May 19, 1887 - The Day the Queen of Hawai'i Visited Hunter College

 

by Dr. Louise Sherby, Hunter College Archives & Special Collections

On May 19, 1887, the Queen of Hawai'i, Queen Kapi'olani, was on a trip from Hawai'i to London for Queen Victoria's celebration of her golden jubilee.  On her way, she stopped in New York City and visited the Normal College (what we now know as Hunter College).  

Photo by J.J. Williams, Hawai'i State Archives

Women's History Month

 

As we celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, we can acknowledge Hunter College as the first public, tuition-free college for women in America. Founded in 1870 by Thomas Hunter as a Normal College, its mission was to train teachers. Hunter College was known for high entry requirements; it did not exclude applicants based on race, religion, or ethnicity. Take a look at some of the digitized archival material available on the website.