The College of the City of New York is a public institution in the fullest sense of the term. It is a supplement to the municipal system of common schools, and with those schools is under the control of the Board of Education. It was established in 1848 by the authority of the Legislature; its first class matriculated in the following January and graduated in 1853. It was not, however, until 1854 that the Legislature bestowed upon the Free Academy, as it was then called, full collegiate powers and privileges as regards conferring upon graduates the usual degrees in the arts and sciences. In 1866 it was admitted to the circle of the State’s colleges that are scrutinized by State Regents. At the same time was adopted the modern and more dignified name that it has since borne. The curriculum at this institute is divided into three courses, the classical, the scientific and the mechanical, each occupying four years, and preceded by a preparatory course of one year. The classical course gives especial attention to Latin and Greek, but includes one modern language. The scientific course comprises mathematics and the modern languages as the leading subjects of study. The mechanical course differs from the scientific in that it gives more prominence to the applications of mechanical science, and calls for practice in the workshop and the chemical laboratory during the whole course. There is also a post graduate course in civil engineering, extending over two years. The College of the City of New York has always been a target for the assaults of politicians, and many attempts have been made to secure its abolition on various pretexts. Through all of them, however, the institution has triumphantly marched, and under the presidency of General Alexander S. Webb it has gained increased scope and efficiency with every year. It has long been remarked that the names of its graduates are more than ordinarily prominent among the leaders of post graduate departments elsewhere. The College is situated at Lexington Avenue and Twenty Third Street. The buildings are constructed of brick, and are valued at $225,000. They contain a library of 26,180 volumes, a natural history cabinet of 7,500 specimens, and scientific apparatus to the value of $28,000. On the accession of General Webb in 1869 the College had on its rolls 27 instructors and 447 students, at a cost to the city of $125,000 a year. At the present time there are 44 instructors and 1,450 students, while the increase of the annual expense has been but $23,000. The faculty has comprised some famous names: Horace Webster was the institution’s first president and professor of philosophy, and Gerardus B. Docharty its professor of mathematics. Charles Edward Anthon was professor of history and belles lettres from 1852 until his decease in 1883. Other notable names on the roll are those of Oliver W. Gibbs, General William B. Franklin, John C. Draper, Russell Sturgis, and R. Ogden Doremus.