75 Years of the FCRH Honors Program
Founded in 1950, the Honors Program at Fordham College Rose Hill is celebrating its 75th anniversary during the 2025-2026 academic year.
To celebrate this milestone, an exhibit showcasing the program’s rich history is on display in the Special Collections Exhibit Hall of the Walsh Library in the spring of 2026. This exhibit draws upon items from the University’s Archives and Special Collection.
Exhibition items range from Fordham University yearbooks and Fordham Ram newspaper articles to Honors Program print material and photographs, spanning the period from the early 1950s to the present day. The varied collection serves as a testament to the Honors Program’s growth within Fordham and the University’s transformation over time – preserving valuable historical items to display for all in the Fordham community to appreciate.
Navigate this page: Signature Events | Faces of the Program | Historic Timeline
75 Years of the Honors Program Exhibition
March 2 – May 31, 2026
Special Collections Exhibit Hall
4th Floor, Walsh Library
Fordham University
This exhibit was curated by Emily Caro (FCRH’28), Honors Program administrator, Gabriella DiMeglio, Archives and Special Collections Manager at Fordham University Library, and Olena Nikolayenko, Professor of Political Science and the FCRH Honors Program director. The Honors Program thanks Linda LoSchiavo, Director of Libraries, and other Walsh Library staff for their support of this project.
75 Years of the Honors Program March panel discussion
Monday, March 2, 1 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
O'Hare Room, Walsh Library
Olena Nikolayenko, professor of political science and Director of the FCRH Honors program moderated the panel discussion and explained the purpose of the exhibit. The panel discussion featured faculty members that spoke about the history of the program. Read more from the Ram.
75 Years of the Honors Program Alumni Reception
Monday, March 2, 6p.m. - 8.pm.
Cafe Atrium on the 2nd floor, Leon Lowenstein Building
Lincoln Center Campus
Honors Program 75th Anniversary Reception
Saturday, May 30, 2:30 - 4 p.m.
Special Collections O'Hare Room, Fourth Floor, Walsh Family Library
Come back to celebrate 75 years of the Honors Program! Reconnect with fellow Honors alumni, meet students, and learn about the current program.
Fordham Honors Program Recent and Current Students
The Fordham College at Rose Hill Honors Program: A Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1841 | Fordham College at Rose Hill is founded. |
| 1950 | Honors Program is founded, with Reverend Victor R. Yanitelli as its first director. |
| 1953 | The first Honors class — a group of six students — graduates. |
| 1957 | Fordham's bookstore is acquired to become Alpha House, an Honors-only space. |
| 1962 | The Honors Program becomes the first Fordham class to be inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. |
| 1974 | Fordham becomes a co-ed university. |
| 1974 | The Honors Program begins to accept women, following the closure of Thomas More College — Fordham's former coordinate college for women. |
| 2006 | The first Honors Program reunion is held, with over 100 alumni in attendance. |
| 2006 | Fordham Honors students attend the first annual AJCU Honors Conference at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. |
| 2023 | The Honors Program launches a new curriculum, built around the vision of fostering "a community of scholars for justice." |
| 2023 | The FCRH Honors Program sponsors its first-ever GO! project, sending students on an immersion trip to Mexico. |
| 2024 | The Honors Program sets up its first endowment. |