Colby-Sawyer is a college that has grown and changed in response to the changing times and the educational needs of students. The college had its origin in 1837 when a legislative charter was granted to eleven New London citizens for the purpose of establishing a school in the town. In May of 1838, the Academy welcomed its first students who began what was to become a cherished tradition of education. The original New London Academy Building was donated by the college to the town of New London in 1999 and today serves as the community's town hall.
Susan Colby served as the first teacher and principal. She later married James B. Colgate of New York, but remained actively involved with the school's progress. Each generation of Susan Colby Colgate's family has been identified with the life of the college. Colgate Hall, the central classroom and office building on campus, was the gift of her daughter, Mary Colgate. This special relationship with the Colby family was formally recognized in 1878 when the New London Academy was renamed Colby Academy.
In 1928, after ninety years as a coeducational academy, Colby Academy became a junior college for women. Under the strong leadership of President H. Leslie Sawyer, Colby Junior College became widely recognized and acquired a national reputation. Enrollment grew and new buildings were constructed to meet the growing number of applicants to the college's programs. In 1943 the College Charter was amended to allow for the introduction of baccalaureate programs. As these programs were gradually expanded, more and more students enrolled and the character of the college shifted as women began to move in increasing numbers into the baccalaureate programs. In 1975 the college was renamed Colby-Sawyer in honor of its first president and in recognition of its enlarged mission. In 1989, the Board of Trustees voted to admit both men and women, returning the college to its coeducational roots.
Dr. Sawyer served as president until his retirement in 1955. For the next 30 years his successors contributed to further growth and expansion, each on leaving as individual stamp on the college as a scholar and educator. Presidents Eugene M. Austin (1955-1962) and Everett M. Woodman (1962-1972) shaped the development and diversity of the student body and had a vision for the future during a period of unusual prosperity.
The college began its transition to a senior institution during the administration of Louis c. Vaccaro (1972-1978) and completed this change under the presidency of H. Nicholas Muller, III, (1978-1986). Dr. Muller was instrumental in the establishment of the new Library/Learning Center which won awards for its innovative design and today provides an environment which is extraordinarily conducive to study and learning.
Peggy A. Stock (1986-1995), sixth president of the college, increased enrollment, completed a successful capital campaign, and constructed or renovated several buildings, including Rooke Hall.
Anne Ponder served as the seventh president of Colby-Sawyer College from 1996 to 2005. She led the largest capital campaign in college history, raising more than $40 million for endowment, capital projects, and academic support. Earlier in her tenure, President Ponder led a drive to return a historic building, now named Lethbridge Lodge, to campus for student use, extended the college's contiguous landholdings to 200 acres, and built two new residence halls, Danforth and Lawson Halls.
In August 2006, Thomas C. Galligan Jr., the former dean and professor of law at the University of Tennessee College of Law, took office as the college's eighth president. Following a nationwide search, President Galligan was selected unanimously by the Board of Trustees.
