In the fall of 1868. a new university opened on East Hill, overlooking the tiny village of Ithaca in upstate New York. Cornell University had a humble beginning with one building and only 412 students. Today, the university includes over 700 buildings, 14 colleges and schools, and enrolls over 20,000 students.
Cornell: Birth of the American University chronicles the founding of one of the great institutions of learning in the United States, focusing on the two extraordinary men, Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, whose individual dreams and ambitions united to create a school that transformed Ithaca and the course of American higher education forever.
Produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Brian Frey, Cornell: Birth of the American University utilizes historical film footage and dozens of rare photos from the Cornell University archives to create a compelling look at the birth of an American legend.