Our Heritage

General Seminary's mission, to educate and form leaders for the church in a changing world, has been a central focus throughout its long history. Chartered by General Convention in 1817, General's very name was chosen to reflect the intention of its founders: that it would serve the entire Episcopal Church. Church leaders, with a burst of national vision, conceived a theological institution that would belong to the whole Episcopal Church, where students from all parts of the country would come to prepare for ordination.
 
An important milestone occurred in 1819.  Clement Clarke Moore, who would later become a professor at General, but who is best known as the author of the poem which begins, "’Twas the night before Christmas," gave a large parcel of land, an apple orchard, to the Church on condition that a seminary be built there. The land stood on the west side of Manhattan close to the Hudson River. East Building, the Seminary's first home, was erected in 1827 and was joined in 1836, by West Building, built  to house 60 students (both are shown in this illustration, with West Building on the right).The Seminary's location in New York City quickly proved to be a great asset and defining characteristic.
 
Throughout its history General has continuously sought to realize its mandate to be a seminary of the whole church, and the vision of what that means has been broadened to include the ecumenical community, the Anglican Communion, the City of New York, our country, and our world. Toward the end of the 19th century Dean Eugene Augustus Hoffman began an ambitious building program, dubbed in the press as “Dean Hoffman’s Grand Design.” By erecting a series of brick dormitories, faculty apartments, and a classroom building around the perimeter of the block, the plan created a magnificent garden quadrangle or  “Close,“ after the fashion of English universities. At its center was the jewel of the Dean’s design, the Chapel of the Good Shepherd. Between the 1930’s and 60’s several other more modern buildings were added including a new library.

General has graduated over 7,000 men and women during its long history. Living alumni/ae total approximately 2,400. Our graduates serve primarily in the Episcopal Church. In recent decades many students who plan ministries as lay persons have joined those preparing for ordained ministry here.

Click here for a more detailed looked at General Seminary’s interesting past.