New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University celebrating 125 years

The upcoming celebration offers a chance to reflect on the rich history of the NYSCC and envision the future of this extraordinary institution. Save the dates and join the celebration!

Since its founding in 1900, the NYSCC at Alfred University has stood as a unique example of a public-private partnership in higher education. Known for attracting globally renowned artists and scientists as faculty, the program has made its mark in ceramics, glass, electronic integrated arts, and materials sciences, producing exceptional alumni in engineering and groundbreaking artists across all media.

The roots of Alfred University date back to December 5, 1836, with the founding of the Alfred Select School—a co-educational institution that offered equal rights and privileges to its initial 37 students (22 women and 15 men). This milestone set the stage for a long legacy of higher education in Alfred, NY, which was formalized with Alfred University's charter in 1857. Originally centered on liberal arts and teacher education, the university expanded its offerings over the years to include business, industrial mechanics, and the arts. A pivotal moment in 1900 marked the establishment of the New York State School of Clay-Working and Ceramics, a critical step in the university’s evolution.

The Connection Between Place and Innovation

Alfred, NY, was selected as the home for the NYSCC largely due to its rich clay deposits and proximity to clay-working industries, such as the Celadon Terra Cotta Company and the Alfred Clay Company. Terra cotta had become a prominent material in both art and engineering. In the United States, terra cotta significantly influenced architectural development and was integral to advancements in water and sewage systems. In the late 1800s, the quality of the local clay was recognized for ornamental sculpting work, which inspired the founding of the Celadon Terra Cotta Company — named for the greenish hue the clay produced when salt-fired.

“Clay in one form or another constitutes the great mass of modern fire-proof building material, and the larger part of general constructive material is derived from the same source,” states an early founding document from Alfred University Research and Archives (AURA). “The wisdom of locating the school at an established seat of learning and in close proximity to clay-working industries must be apparent to all!”

The establishment of the NYSCC also reflected a growing national need for technical education. On April 11, 1900, Governor Theodore Roosevelt signed New York State Law 1900 Chapter 383, officially creating the New York State School of Clay-Working and Ceramics as a statutory college. The law cemented a unique public-private partnership, a vision championed by Alfred University President Boothe Colwell Davis and alumnus John Jake Merrill in an effort to expand the university’s enrollment ties into a national need for technical education. Charles Fergus Binns, the first director of the school, introduced an innovative curriculum blending arts and engineering with a focus on ceramics. Binns served in this role until 1931, leaving a lasting impact on the institution.

A Legacy of Excellence and Impact

As the NYSCC celebrates 125 years, it remains a beacon of creativity and innovation, continuing to inspire groundbreaking innovation in art, engineering, and education. From its inception, the NYSCC has balanced technical expertise with artistic expression. Its contributions to art, science, and industry have been transformative. As one early document highlights, “No branch of study can stand alone. The student of clay-working should be educated in collateral departments of science and art. For this work Alfred University offers splendid advantages.” The foundational partnership between university and ceramics college laid the groundwork for what continues to define the dynamic, collaborative, and synergistic nature of the school.

With a throughline of materials-based programs, the New York State College of Ceramics cherishes the past and embraces the future, adopting new technology as it develops within the context of traditional knowledge. Students are empowered to engage from the start in independent research through applied learning and professional practice and receive mentorship from dedicated connections with research centered faculty.

Today, the NYSCC is home to Alfred University’s School of Art & Design, the Inamori School of Engineering, and Scholes Library.

The School of Art & Design houses some of the oldest American programs in ceramic art, video, and sonic arts. Its undergraduate and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs are recognized among the nation’s best, with its ceramics MFA consistently ranked at the top. The Institute for Electronic Arts is dedicated to the integration of electronic media within the fine arts disciplines through a focus on art making, research, and education. The National Casting Center comprises two comprehensive state-of-the-art facilities: one specializing in Metal Casting and the other in Glass Casting. The School of Art & Design is home to a number of galleries and exhibition spaces showcasing artwork by Alfred University students and faculty as well as established and emerging artists working in New York, the United States and abroad.

“The school’s innovative multi-media curriculum approach blends material mastery with conceptual rigor. Faculty members are internationally acclaimed artists and art historians who mentor students in developing distinctive voices, methodologies, and critical frameworks creating thought leaders and innovators in their fields,” remarked Lauren Lake, dean of the School of Art & Design/Performing Arts Division.

“By fostering creative excellence and critical inquiry, the NYSCC School of Art & Design remains at the forefront of shaping the global conversation on art, design, and their histories, setting the standard for education and innovation in the arts.”

The Inamori School of Engineering offers seven engineering undergraduate majors and six graduate majors and is the only institution of higher education in the country to offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in glass science engineering. The PhD in Glass Science and Engineering, added in 1992, was only the third of its kind in the world.

Since its opening in 1900, the NYSCC has supported research for industry. Research activity was more formalized in 1946 when the Alfred University Research Foundation was established, with most of the research conducted within the NYSCC. In addition to extensive support for industry, the NYSCC has conducted research for numerous federal and state projects. The Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology—one of 15 state-supported Centers for Advanced Technology— helps NYS-based firms by providing financial support to offset short-term analytical programs, sponsored research, internships and workforce development initiatives.

“Most people may not realize they are surrounded by inventions from the New York State College of Ceramics,” said Gabrielle Gaustad ’04, who earned a bachelor’s degree in ceramic engineering from Alfred University and who also serves as vice president for Statutory Affairs and associate provost for research.

“From the glass on every Apple iPhone, to ultra-high temperature ceramics for space travel, to EnChroma color blindness correcting lenses, our faculty, staff, and alumni are making significant impacts in their fields. It is an incredibly exciting and impactful time to be an engineer,” Gaustad said. “The challenges facing the world today are daunting, but every single one is an opportunity for innovative solutions; engineers play a critical role in moving us forward. Looking to the future, whether it is our biomaterials engineers creating new prosthetics or hip replacement materials for an aging population or our ceramic engineers helping SpaceX land on Mars, the future is sure to be full of additional impactful discoveries that started at the New York State College of Ceramics.”

Scholes Library—one of two libraries on campus; the other is Herrick Library—is a special academic library that serves as an information resource for the NYSCC, as well as for the greater international arts and sciences research community. The library has an unparalleled collection of materials on ceramic art, science, engineering and technology, as well as extensive holdings in photography, sculpture, art history, glass art, electronic media and other areas of art and design. The Special Collections at Scholes Library comprise a variety of rare, valuable, unique, and/or fragile items—including traditional books, artist books, zines, folios—and other materials that relate to art and engineering. Research and pedagogy in the NYSCC are known for being hands-on and material focused. Every student in the NYSCC and across all of Alfred University is provided their very own personal librarian to help support them with their research.

“Scholes Library of Ceramics is a unique intersection where art and engineering meet; very few libraries bring together these particular disciplines in one space. It is unusual for a campus of our size to have two libraries, including one entire specialized library dedicated to supporting research, teaching, and learning in art and engineering,” said Brian Sullivan, dean of libraries.

“Scholes Library is the proud steward of the history and story of the evolution of ceramics, both in art and engineering, with an eye towards ongoing and ever unfolding future developments. Recognized as an international resource for ceramics, Scholes Library welcomes questions and visitors—both virtually and in person—from researchers all over the world.”

The Future is Now

As Alfred University celebrates the past 125 years of the New York State College of Ceramics, it looks to a future in which the NYSCC continues to thrive and grow, educating new generations of students, exploring and creating new fields of art and design, and developing impactful research and new technologies in the fields of engineering. The relationship between NYSCC and Alfred University will continue to provide multiple opportunities for cross-disciplinary work between art, engineering and the additional disciplines provided by other academic units on the campus.

 “Part of the unique heritage of the New York State College of Ceramics rests on Charles Fergus Binns’ insistence on reciprocal relationships between ceramic arts and engineering,” Gaustad commented. The NYSCC “will continue to work in the spirit of Binns’ vision, offering students opportunities for educational growth through intersections of the arts and engineering.”