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SUNY Plattsburgh
Motto:	A Superbus Preteritus, A Validus Posterus A Proud Past, A Strong Future
Established	1889
Type:	Public
President:	John Ettling[1]
Staff:	270
Students:	6214 [1]
Undergraduates:	5567 [1]
Postgraduates:	650 [1]
Location	Plattsburgh, New York, USA
Campus:	Micropolis, 256 acres (1 km²) maintained [2]
Former names:	Plattsburgh Normal and Training School
Colors:	Red and White
Mascot:	Cardinal Burghy
Athletics:	18 varsity teams
Website:	www.plattsburgh.edu

The State University of New York College at Plattsburgh (also known as SUNY Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh State, or Plattsburgh State University) is a selective, four-year, public liberal arts college in Plattsburgh, New York.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Founding of the Plattsburgh Normal 1.2 Opening of Normal Hall 1.3 Fire of 1929 1.4 State University of New York 2 Campus 3 More information 4 Notable alumni and former students 4.1 Performing Arts 4.2 Literature 4.3 Broadcasting 4.4 Politics 5 Notable faculty and staff 6 Campus media 7 Trivia 8 References 9 External links

After decades championing for the cause of a Normal School, or teachers college, for Plattsburgh, influential businessmen and former state politician Smith M. Weed formally proposed a bill on January 12, 1888.^[3] With the strong backing of Assemblyman General Stephen Moffitt, the Plattsburgh Normal School bill was passed by both houses of the New York State Legislature and signed into law by Governor David B. Hill in June 1889.^[4] The Board of Directors adopted official by-laws for Plattsburgh Normal and Training School on September 2, 1889.^[5]

At a meeting held on June 28, 1889, it was decided that the location of the new normal school would be on land known as "the former athletic grounds", bounded on the north by Court Street, on the east by Wells Street, on the south by Brinkerhoff Street, and on the west by Beekman Street.^[6] However these original plans were dropped in favor of a larger plot created by combining land on each side of Court Street west of Beekman Street, so that "Court Street, one of the finest residence streets in the village, leads directly to the main entrance".^[7] This is the same location where Hawkins Hall now rests on the current campus of SUNY Plattsburgh.^{modern map}

The impressive structure, known as "Normal Hall", was constructed by Brown Brothers of Mohawk, New York, who also built the Court House in downtown Plattsburgh.^[8] Normal Hall was used both for classes and as a dormitory.

Plattsburgh Normal and Training School officially opened with its first day of classes on the morning of September 3, 1890.^[9] The school's first principal was Fox Holden, former Superintendent of the Plattsburgh Union Graded Schools.^[7] Holden served for only three years, from 1890 until the first graduating class in 1892.

On January 26, 1929, a fire completely destroyed the Plattsburgh Normal School. The fire started in the boiler room on a cold Saturday morning. Aided by high winds, the entire structure was fully engulfed in flames within a half-hour. Six children were rescued from the school by faculty members.

Classes resumed the following Wednesday at City Hall in downtown.^[10] By June of 1930 plans were presented for a new structure to replace Normal Hall. The new building would be twice as long and boast three times the capacity of the original building. Among its many modern features was a 1,000 seat auditorium.

The new structure was completed in 1932 and was named Hawkins Hall in honor of George K. Hawkins, the principal of Plattsburgh Normal School from 1898 to 1933.^[2]

Plattsburgh Normal School was renamed SUNY Plattsburgh when it joined the State University of New York system with its establishment in 1948. When the school became part of the SUNY system, it changed from a two-year teacher's institution to a selective, four-year, public liberal arts college.

During the 1960s and 1970s SUNY Plattsburgh, as well as the whole State University of New York system, underwent rapid growth.^{[citation needed]} Many of the more modern buildings on campus were constructed during this time period, including the Angell College Center, Feinberg Library, and several high-rise dormitories.

The primary campus of the State University of New York at Plattsburgh is located in the city of Plattsburgh, in upstate New York. The campus is near Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains, in a region known as the Champlain Valley. The closest major city outside of Plattsburgh is Burlington, Vermont, which is less than 20 miles "as the crow flies" but takes an hour to travel via ferry. The closest major city within New York is Albany (headquarters of the SUNY system), 140 miles to the south. SUNY Plattsburgh also has a strong connection with Canada, due to the Canadian border being just 20 miles north and the city of Montreal just over 50 miles away.

The Plattsburgh campus includes thirty-six buildings on 256 acres^[2], generally located in an area just west of the intersection of Broad Street and Rugar Street. The center of campus is Amity Plaza, a large outdoor courtyard surrounded by many of the most essential buildings on campus, including the Angell College Center, Myers Fine Arts Building, and Feinberg Library.^[11] The iconic focal point of Amity Plaza is the massive metal sculpture of two people shaking hands, which represents amity between the United States and Canada.^[12]

The most distinctive academic building on campus is Hawkins Hall, located on Beekman Street between Broad Street and Cornelia Street. Hawkins Hall replaced the original Plattsburgh Normal School which burned to the ground at that same location in 1929. The oldest building on campus is Champlain Valley Hall, while MacDonough Hall is the oldest dormitory. Other dorms line Rugar Street, including six 9-story high-rises.^[11]

Several key athletic facilities are located 1/4 mile west of the main campus at the Field House Complex. Among these facilities is the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena, the 3,500 seat home to Cardinal Hockey. SUNY Plattsburgh also has a number of other remote sites, ranging from Valcour Educational Conference Center in nearby Peru, New York to a Branch Campus located in Queensbury, New York (near Glens Falls).

SUNY Plattsburgh offers degree programs, primarily at the Bachelor's level, in over 60 areas of study. The college is home to approximately 6,000 students and 300 faculty.

Plattsburgh maintains the original goals of the Plattsburgh Normal School in the form of a well-regarded education department and a nursing program. All degree programs are offered within three academic divisions: Arts and Science; Education, Health and Human Services (including the SUNY Plattsburgh Auditory Research Laboratories); and the School of Business and Economics.

SUNY Plattsburgh is also notable for its pioneering environmental science program, its communications and media program, its national championship hockey team, and its large art museum.

Plattsburgh State was the first college in the SUNY system to offer an environmental science program; one of the best in North America^{[citation needed]}, which is popular with the many students who choose to attend Plattsburgh for its close proximity to the Adirondack Mountains. The region provides further advantages for students enrolling in Plattsburgh's Bachelor's program in Expeditionary Studies. Many SUNY Plattsburgh students are avid skiers and snowboarders as evidenced from the popular Adirondack Experience Program or ADX. ADX often facilitates trips to Whiteface Mountain and Titus Mountain.

The Men's Hockey and Women's Hockey teams are perennial powerhouses in the NCAA's division III. The men's team has won the national championship title several times, with the women's hockey team making it to the Frozen Four numerous times, finally winning the National Title in 2007. The Plattsburgh State Art Museum is considered a "Museum Without Walls" and includes the Rockwell Kent Gallery (repository of the bulk of the work of American painter Rockwell Kent), a large open-air sculpture park, and a number of works by other well-known artists including Pablo Picasso and Auguste Rodin. The college also offers an extensive Canadian Studies program through the Center for the Study of Canada. About 1,200 students — approximately 20 percent of the undergraduate population—have taken required Canadian Studies courses, the highest percentage of any college in the United States.^[13]

• Dave Annable - Television actor best known for his roles on Reunion and Brothers & Sisters.^[14][15] Named the #7 'Sexiest Men Alive' by People Magazine in 2007.^[16]
• Tom Chapin - Grammy Award-winning musician. Class of 1966.^[17]
• Tim Robbins - Academy Award-winning film actor best known for his roles in Bull Durham and The Shawshank Redemption^[18]

• Nancy Kress - Science fiction writer best known for her Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novella Beggars in Spain. Class of 1969.^[19][20]

• Dawn Fratangelo, Emmy Award-winning correspondent for NBC News. Class of 1982.^[21][22]

• Anthony D. Weiner - U.S. Congressman representing New York's 9th District. Class of 1985.^[23][24][22]

• Eliza Kellas - Renowned educator and suffragist. Former principal of Emma Willard School and co-founder of Russell Sage College. Kellas served at Plattsburgh Normal School from 1891 to 1901, reaching the position of Preceptress (equivalent to Dean of Students).^[25]
• Jacques Lemaire - Former NHL ice hockey player, elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. Lemaire was an Assistant Coach for Cardinal Hockey during the 1981-1982 season.^[26][27]

• Cardinal Points - Student-run newspaper.
• Plattsburgh State Television - Student run television station.
• WQKE 93.9FM - Student run radio station named The Quake focusing on underground music of all genres.

• Often mistaken for Hawkins Hall, the structure on the left side of the current SUNY Plattsburgh seal is the central tower of the original Normal Hall (1889-1929).
• Peter Frampton's classic rock hit song Do You Feel Like We Do, from the best-selling album Frampton Comes Alive! was recorded live on the campus of SUNY Plattsburgh on November 22, 1975.^[28] This Student Association sponsored concert was held at Memorial Hall.
• On July 10, 1976, the campus of SUNY Plattsburgh served as the official staging area for the United States Olympic Team before leaving for the 1976 Summer Olympics in nearby Montreal, Canada. President Gerald Ford visited the college campus to address the 425 Olympic athletes outside the Field House.^[29][30]
• In 1904, Plattsburgh Normal College was shut out by Potsdam Normal College in a collegiate basketball game by a score of 123-0.^[31]
• During the early 1990s, Playboy magazine ranked SUNY Plattsburgh as one of the top party schools in the nation.^{[citation needed]}
• SUNY Plattsburgh served as the filming location for two documentary films: 1982's Academy Award-winning If You Love This Planet and parts of 2003's The Yes Men.

• Skopp, Dr. Douglas Richard^[3] (1989). Bright With Promise: From the Normal and Training School to SUNY Plattsburgh: 1889-1989; A Pictorial History. Norfolk, VA: Donning Press. 

• SUNY Plattsburgh
• Student Association
• Past Presidents and Principals of Plattsburgh State
• Collection of photographs of Plattsburgh Normal School ^{(Courtesy SUNY Plattsburgh Special Collections via the North Country Digital History Project of NNYLN)}
• Cardinal Points
• Plattsburgh State Television
• WQKE "The Quake"
• SUNY Plattsburgh Trivia

Coordinates: 44°41′36″N, 73°27′59″W

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