The college born from a desperate attempt to save another
In short: Amherst College exists because its predecessor was failing. Founded in 1821 as a lifeboat for Williams College, it evolved from a secondary school into a premier liberal arts powerhouse. Today, it remains defined by a radical open curriculum where students have the total freedom to design their own intellectual path.
Amherst College was established in 1821 by Zephaniah Swift Moore, the then-president of Williams College. At the time, Williams was struggling to remain financially viable. Moore believed Williamstown was an unsuitable location for a college and sought to relocate the institution. When the move failed, he instead founded Amherst as a distinct entity. Interestingly, fifteen of the forty-seven original students at Amherst were followers of Moore who migrated from Williams, representing about one-third of Amherst's inaugural class.
The college's identity is still intertwined with its origins. While Williams alumni long clung to an apocryphal legend that Amherst had stolen their library books, the story was officially declared false by Williams president Harry C. Payne in 1995. However, the connection remains visible in the academic regalia: Amherst's hoods are lined with purple—Williams' official color—featuring a white stripe to signify its birth from the older institution.
Amherst is now recognized as a leader in academic freedom. It operates an open curriculum with no core requirements or distribution mandates, allowing students to choose from 42 major programs or create unique interdisciplinary majors. This philosophy of intellectual autonomy is bolstered by a 7:1 student-faculty ratio and a history of firsts, including the nation's first undergraduate neuroscience program in 1973 and the first undergraduate departments in American Studies and Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought.
The institution has undergone significant cultural shifts, transitioning from a religiously conservative Calvinist environment in the 19th century to a secular, coeducational model by 1975. It has also moved toward greater inclusivity, adopting an open-access policy in 2013 and ending legacy admissions in 2021 to diversify its student body.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Amherst College
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