NYIT Day Proclaimed in 1958

At NYIT's first Founders Dinner in 1958, New York City Mayor Robert Wagner Jr. proclaimed the day "New York Institute of Technology Day." Wagner's official proclamation is held by Lyndon B. Johnson (center), a senator from Texas at the time and future 36th president of the United States. To Johnson's left is Alexander Schure, Ph.D., Ed.D., NYIT's first president, and to his right is former NYIT trustee Michael Grace.

The mayoral proclamation was significant because it showed the college had drawn the attention of New York City movers and shakers. Schure helped to formulate NYIT's mission of providing career-oriented, professional education, access to opportunity for all qualified students, and applications-based research that benefits the entire world. In the '50s, these values were well-received in the marketplace, as they continue to be today. By the 1958-59 academic year, NYIT had more than 300 students, thanks to rapid enrollment growth.

This content is part of The Box's "60 Years in 60 Days" series in celebration of NYIT's 60th anniversary in 2015.