The Hill Envisioned 

Colgate’s setting—its extraordinary combination of our Hill and our expansive lower park­­—has long been one of its greatest assets. Few institutions enjoy a setting of comparable beauty or one of comparable challenge. Almost one hundred and fifty years ago, we invited Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park and the greatest landscape architect of his age, to advise us on the management and improvements of the grounds. Since his visit we have relied on a parade of prestigious landscape architects and campus planning firms to help us adapt the potentials of the campus to our evolving ambitions. We all know that Colgate has been shaped by its position in the Chenango Valley. The campus plans on display in this exhibition will reveal how Colgate has also sculpted this place, giving form to our distinctive institutional spirit and to our visions of ongoing educational excellence.