Meeting the Challenge: Shaping the Next 100 Years

We took up our challenge nearly a century ago, in 1920. That was a time of great social and economic turmoil, across the nation and around the world. A terrible war had been followed by a deep recession, with high rates of unemployment among returning veterans. The future seemed uncertain, at best.

To that challenge, the young University of New Haven brought unusual talents and resources. We were idealistic, but also pragmatic. Despite our traditional roots—as an academic offspring of Yale and Northeastern—we took risks. Decade after decade, we put ourselves on the cutting edge of business and industry, teaching subjects that most universities didn’t yet recognize as subjects. In a no-frills setting, we fostered an entrepreneurial spirit. To some, we became known as the "Second-Chance College," reaching out to talented young people who hadn’t yet found their niche. Some lacked financial resources. Some still had to learn how to bring their talents to bear in a college setting. We helped them all—and many others.

Today, we still perform that critical mission. And we do far more. We provide a unique education— entrepreneurial, experiential, practical and hands-on— to an increasingly selective group of undergraduates and graduate students. Those young people are incredibly diverse, but they all share three characteristics: talent, ambition and persistence.