3 Upstate NY Colleges (Saint Rose, Wells, and Cazenovia) Close. Why?

We are sad to say goodbye to three legendary colleges in Upstate New York.  The College of Saint Rose (Albany), Cazenovia College (Cazenovia), and Wells College (Aurora).  In total these three colleges alone have been schools of higher education in Upstate New York for almost 500 years!

This gallery takes a biographical look at each of these colleges.  They have had a great past, and now a final curtain.  But, why?  Well, this gallery is not intended to be a full dissertation on the economic woes facing each location.  But, rather, this gallery is merely a look back at the college's history, what happened to cause it to close (news reports and official college administration statements are included), and where do each of them go from here?  (Wells and Cazenovia are prime locales for investment, and the College of Saint Rose will now have 87 properties that are empty within the city limits of Albany).

This writer has a sentimental connection to each of them.  I lived in the Pine Hills neighborhood next to the College of Saint Rose for many years.  I spoke at Cazenovia College when I was on a speaking tour for my Upstate New York books.  And I have walked the pathways of Wells College on numerous trips to the Finger Lakes region and Aurora itself.  I have fond memories of each.

Again, there is no need to parse out why these colleges have closed.  That is for the experts.  But, each deserves to be remembered by us all.

And that is the purpose of this gallery....