We're Not in Ithaca

We’d like to set the record straight: we got here first. Cornell College was founded in 1853, 12 years before the similarly named university got its start.

A few notes on Cornell v. Cornell: 

• The two institutions were not named for the same person, but our namesake (William W. Cornell) and theirs (Ezra Cornell) were distant cousins.

• The college has about 1,200 undergraduate students. The university: more than 13,000.

• College faculty teach one course at a time and up to six courses a year. University faculty teach about two classes a semester, and around four courses a year.

• The college holds two national wrestling team titles; the university holds zero.

• Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York, which was named for a Greek island. Cornell College is in the heart of Mount Vernon, Iowa, which got its name from George Washington’s home in Virginia.

• Winters in Ithaca are cold and snowy. Winters in Mount Vernon, on the other hand, are … snowy and cold.

• The mascot for our athletic teams is a ram; theirs is a bear.

• Both campuses involve steep inclines. Hence the nicknames “The Hilltop” (us) and “The Hill” (them).

• Both campuses feature buildings funded by the Olin Foundation: Olin Hall (both campuses) and Olin Library (the university).

• Ithaca is approximately 225 miles from New York City. Mount Vernon is approximately 211 miles from Chicago. Coincidence? Yes.