Brooklyn College, 1937.

Established in 1930—with origins in earlier educational institutions—Brooklyn College was the first public coeducational liberal arts college in New York City. The college's current campus was planned by architect Randolph Evans to include a central quadrangle anchored by a library building with a tall tower, surrounded by Georgian style structures. While students attended classes in Downtown Brooklyn, ground was broken in Midwood on October 2,1935. Both of the buildings were completed within two years. While a downtown campus remained in service until 1975 (closed during the financial crisis of that decade), the south Brooklyn campus became the main facility. It was envisioned by its founders as an instrument of advancement for the city's working class and the children of its immigrant communities. The school became a member of the City University of New York system in 1961. Famous alumni include politicians Bernie Sanders, Shirley Chisholm, and Barbara Boxer, actor Jimmy Smits, and writer Frank McCourt.