Romaire Beardon
Romare Bearden, renowned collage artist, graduated from NYU in 1945 with a B.S. in education. At NYU, Bearden regularly submitted cartoons to the campus humor magazine, The Medley, and at one point served as the magazine's art editor. Bearden's artistic career proved highly successful, prompting prominent scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. to call Bearden "the father of African-American modernism."
Labor Day Parade
In 1912, hundreds of women marched in the city's Labor Day parade rally in Washington Square to proclaim their rights as workers and citizens.
Martin Luther King
On February 10, 1961, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke to a capacity crowd at the Hall of Fame Playhouse located at the University Heights campus. Dr. King lectured on "The Future of Integration" and urged non-violent protest. He emphasized the need for "persistence," and the inevitability of "sacrifice, suffering, and struggle" associated with achieving justice.
Carol Heiss
In 1960, NYU undergraduate Carol Heiss won the first gold of only three first-place medals for the United States at the 1960 Winter Olympic Games. Upon her return to New York City, the sophomore English major was greeted by a ticker tape parade on Broadway, attracting a crowd of 250,000 people.
First Women
In October 1873, the first women students at NYU enrolled in the School of Art, where they received an "instructional" form of classes with no degrees. Women were admitted to other schools in the following order: Graduate Department, 1888; School of Pedagogy, 1890; Law School, 1890; Washington Square College, 1914; University College (at the University Heights campus), 1959.
Havana
In December 1999, NYU became the first U.S. film school to screen works in Havana. Tisch School of the Arts was the first American film school to be invited to screen works at the Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano, a major showcase for Latin American filmmakers that draws an audience of 500,000.
James Weldon Johnson
In 1934, James Weldon Johnson became the first African-American professor at NYU. Johnson, already well known for his extensive writings, came to the University as professor of Creative Literature and Education. Johnson taught several courses, including one titled "Racial Contributions to American Culture."
