Vassar College
Vassar College
(văs`ər), at Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; coeducational; chartered 1861 by Matthew VassarVassar, Matthew, 1792–1868, American philanthropist, founder of Vassar College, b. England. He emigrated to the United States with his father in 1796. In 1811, after his father's successful brewery in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
..... Click the link for more information. , opened 1865 as Vassar Female College, renamed 1867. A leading institution of higher education for women, it pioneered in music and physical education and had the first department of euthenics, devoted to applying scientific principles to living conditions. The school became coeducational in 1969. Vassar owns an extensive art collection; its Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center opened in 1993. There is also a fine library with collections relating to printing and literature.