Adelphi University

Adelphi University traces its roots to 1863 with the founding of the Adelphi Academy, a private preparatory school located at 412 Adelphi Street in Brooklyn, New York . The academy was formally incorporated in 1869 and quickly gained a reputation for its innovative curriculum, particularly in physical culture and early childhood education . In 1893, Dr. Charles H. Levermore became principal of the academy and, recognizing that Brooklyn lacked a liberal arts college, worked to establish a degree-granting institution . Through the efforts of Timothy Woodruff (former Lieutenant Governor of New York State), Adelphi College was granted a charter by the New York State Board of Regents on June 24, 1896—one of the earliest charters granted to a coeducational college in New York . Classes began that September with 57 students and 16 instructors .

In 1912, the college voted to become an institution exclusively for women, a status it maintained until after World War II . Facing overcrowding in Brooklyn, the college purchased 68 acres in Garden City, Long Island, in 1928 and moved to its current campus in 1929, occupying three buildings designed by McKim, Mead & White (Levermore Hall, Blodgett Hall, and Woodruff Hall) . During the Great Depression, Adelphi faced financial receivership in 1937, but under President Paul Dawson Eddy, the institution was saved through curriculum reform and community engagement .

In 1943, Adelphi established the first Central Collegiate School of Nursing in New York State, responding to the critical need for nurses during World War II . First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated two new federally funded dormitories for nursing students in 1944 . After the war, Adelphi readmitted men in 1946, returning to its coeducational roots to serve veterans under the G.I. Bill . The School of Social Work was founded in 1949 .

The institution was granted university status by the New York State Board of Regents in 1963, becoming Adelphi University . In 1966, the Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies (later the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology) was established as the world's first university-based professional program in clinical psychology . The university established ABLE (Adult Baccalaureate Learning Experience) in 1973, one of the earliest adult education baccalaureate programs in the nation, and created a pioneering Learning Resource Program for students with learning disabilities in 1979 .

The university faced significant turmoil in the mid-1990s when President Peter Diamandopoulos and most of the board of trustees were dismissed by the New York State Board of Regents following allegations of misconduct and financial impropriety . Since that time, Adelphi has experienced a renaissance under subsequent leadership, investing millions in campus infrastructure, hiring more than 280 new faculty members, and consistently earning recognition for academic quality and value . The university has been named a "Best Buy" by the Fiske Guide to Colleges for over a decade and is regularly ranked among top universities by Forbes and U.S. News & World Report . In 2023, Adelphi relocated its Manhattan Center to Downtown Brooklyn, with plans to open a new Graduate and Professional Center in Manhattan in early 2026 . Christopher Storm, PhD, was named interim president in June 2025 .