Hamilton Heights Tutors Come To You

Hamilton Heights is a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York. It was named after Alexander Hamilton, because it is located where he originally built his home, the Hamilton Grange Mansion. Hamilton was probably best known for being one of our nation’s Founding Fathers; but he wore many hats during his extensive career. He was a military officer and war hero, lawyer, member of the Constitutional Convention, political philosopher, initiator and author of The Federalist Papers, and the first United States Secretary of Treasury. Hamilton had his mansion built in 1802, and named it after his grandfather’s estate in Scotland. The Grange is also rumored to have been Hamilton’s response to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. The Hamilton Grange Mansion is now a National Historic Landmark and National Monument. It serves the public as a museum and visitor center; and although it has been moved and changed several times, it was recently restored and displays many artifacts from the Hamilton family.

Hamilton Heights, is also home to the City College of New York. The CCNY, as it is also called, was the first free public institution of higher education in the United States. The college was founded by Townsend Harris in 1847. Harris called the college the Free Academy of the City of New York; he created the prep school and college for children of immigrants and the poor. His wanted to make an institution that granted acceptance based solely on academic merit. In many ways, Harris succeeded; in fact CCYN, has been nicknamed the, “Harvard of the proletariat.” The nickname was given not only because it gave low income students the chance to go to college; it also educated ten students who went on to become Nobel Prize winners.

Considering CCNY’s history as the first free public higher learning institution, it is no wonder that it achieved many other firsts. CCNY, was the first college to create a student government, the Academic Senate of 1867. It is home to Delta Sigma Phi, the first national fraternity to accept members without discriminating based on religion, race, color, or creed; and it was the first college to established a degree-granting evening program, through the School of Education.

Today, CCNY continues its tradition of educating low income students through Macaulay Honors College. This program gives qualifying students free tuition, a cultural passport that gets them free or discounted admission into New York City’s cultural institutions, a notebook computer, and an academic expense account. In addition to their degree courses, the students are required to take certain specially developed honors courses. This program keeps Harris’ dream alive, and provides a bright future to many students who might not have otherwise been able to attend college. CCNY could tutor other colleges in how to reach out to our nation’s underprivileged scholars.

Hamilton Heights tutors want every student to reach their educational goals. If your student is struggling in school, a Hamilton Heights tutor can help. Every student deserve the chance to succeed.