Commemorating 100 Years of Collaboration

Celebrating 100 Years Together

August 27, 2025

The Claremont Colleges are celebrating a century of collaborative excellence, with 2025 marking the 100th anniversary of the consortium’s founding as envisioned by James A. Blaisdell through the Claremont Group Plan. Over the 2025–2026 academic year, we will commemorate this historic milestone with a series of activities and events that honor our shared legacy and look to our vibrant future.

Throughout the year, you’re invited to explore the pivotal moments that have shaped the consortium’s identity through a variety of engaging experiences, including special events, a digital timeline, commemorative video, community-wide decor, and more. These efforts will spotlight the distinct missions, cultures, and contributions of our seven member institutions and celebrate the collaborative spirit that unites them.

Join us in reflecting on 100 years of innovation, integration, and excellence and in imagining the century ahead.

Sincerely,
Harriet B. Nembhard
President, Harvey Mudd College
Chair, Council of Presidents – The Claremont Colleges

Harriet Nembhard photo

The Claremont Colleges are celebrating a century of collaborative excellence, with 2025 marking the 100th anniversary of the consortium’s founding as envisioned by James A. Blaisdell through the Claremont Group Plan. To honor this momentous milestone, Special Collections & Archives invites you to the Library’s newest exhibit, “Snapshots: The Founding of The Claremont Colleges,” which highlights pivotal moments that have helped shape the consortium’s identity via the development of each of the seven colleges.

Through an array of carefully selected bibliographic, photographic and ephemeral materials, you will journey through the establishment of Pomona College (1887), Claremont Graduate University (1925), Scripps College (1926), Claremont McKenna College (1946), Harvey Mudd College (1955), Pitzer College (1963) and Keck Graduate Institute (1997). 

Details
July 1, 2025 – December 12, 2025
Exhibit on view during Library building hours.
North Lobby Gallery, Honnold 2, The Claremont Colleges Library
800 N. Dartmouth Ave., Claremont, CA 91711

Graduates of The Claremont Colleges (TCC) are a unique blend of entrepreneurial trailblazers and principled leaders whose business ventures generate meaningful change. From founding billion-dollar biotech firms that revolutionize healthcare to advancing sustainable agriculture and ethical technology, TCC graduates bring a liberal arts-informed ethos to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Curious how TCC alumni are shaping the future? Explore the Innovation, Impact, and Leadership in the 21st Century document to discover defining statistics from 100 years of The Claremont Colleges.

Innovation, Impact, and Leadership in the 21st Century (PDF Download)

A Brief History of The Group Plan of the Claremont Colleges chronicles the history of The Claremont Colleges and James A. Blaisdell’s Group Plan, which united seven independent institutions under a shared vision. It highlights key milestones in their growth, from founding to present, showing how the Colleges combined the benefits of small campuses with the resources of a major university.
An eBook copy is currently available through the Internet Archive – it requires a free account to check it out.

Students at The Claremont Colleges benefit from the diverse mission, character, and culture of the five undergraduate and two graduate institutions as well as the seamless integration of the academics, and extracurricular programs that make up this truly unique consortium.

The Claremont Colleges Brochure

Graduates of The Claremont Colleges make their mark across a wide spectrum of fields. They launch biotech ventures that improve patient care, advance sustainable agriculture, build ethical technology, and serve in government to shape sound public policy. This series profiles alumni whose work reflects the intellectual rigor, civic purpose, and interdisciplinary spirit nurtured at The Claremont Colleges. Follow along as we highlight leaders who draw on a liberal‑arts foundation to turn ideas into impact on campus, in their communities, and around the world.

Explore Alumni Profiles Here

As The Claremont Colleges celebrate our centennial, we are honored to share two commemorative films that reflect on our history, our community, and the enduring spirit that has shaped this consortium for a century.
 
The first, Celebrating 100 Years, is a short film that captures the founding vision, milestones, and distinctive evolution of The Claremont Colleges. Through archival imagery and contemporary perspectives, it traces how a bold idea, creating a community of independent institutions linked by shared values, became one of the most respected models in higher education.
 
The second film offers a look back at the recent Town and Gown celebration, where faculty, staff, and members of the local community gathered to honor this milestone. The event brought our campuses and our surrounding community together, underscoring a century-long tradition of collaboration, connection, and shared purpose.
 
Together, these videos invite viewers to reflect on 100 years of innovation and to look ahead to the opportunities that will define our next century.
 
Celebrating 100 Years 
 
 
Town & Gown 2025
 
 

The Claremont Colleges Timeline

Pomona College was the first of the seven institutions that comprise The Claremont Colleges.

1887 Founding of Pomona College

1919 Enrollment: 685

Enrollment was 685 as Pomona added new programs like Geology.

1925 Founding of Claremont Graduate University

Claremont Graduate University, originally "Claremont Colleges," an institution devoted entirely to graduate study institution devoted entirely to graduate study.

1925 Establishment of the Group Plan of The Claremont Colleges

Articles of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State marking the historic beginning of the Group Plan of The Claremont Colleges on October 14, 1925.

1926 Founding of Scripps Colleges

Scripps College was the third of the seven institutions that comprise The Claremont Colleges.

1946 Founding of Claremont McKenna College

First known as Claremont Undergraduate School for Men, Claremont McKenna College was the fourth of the seven institutions that comprise The Claremont Colleges.

1955 Founding of Harvey Mudd College

Harvey Mudd College is the nation's top liberal arts college of engineering, science and mathematics.

1961 Naming of The Claremont Colleges

The Associated Colleges adopts the name, The Claremont Colleges

1963 Founding of Pitzer College

Pitzer College is known for its interdisciplinary liberal arts education emphasizing social justice, intercultural understanding, and environmental sensitivity.

1965 TCC Enrolment: 2,973

The Claremont Colleges’ growth reflects six campuses and expansion in new facilities and residential halls.

1971 The Council of The Claremont Colleges established.

The Claremont University Center and Graduate School reorganized to enhance long range planning and development.

1992 TCC Enrollment: 4,528

The internationally renown reputation of The Claremont Colleges results in continued growth.

1997 Keck Graduate Institute founded

Keck Graduate Institute is founded with a commitment to education focused on new pathways in biotechnology and healthcare.

2000 Claremont University Consortium is separated from Claremont Graduate University

On July 1, 2000, the central support arm of the Claremont University Center was separated from Claremont Graduate University...

2025 The Claremont Colleges celebrate 100 years of collaboration

2025 TCC Enrollment: 8,101