in Oyster Bay, New York. In 1971, the university moved to its present Old Westbury site in Nassau County, Long Island – an estate, known as "Broad Hollow," formerly owned by agriculturist, industrialist, sportsman and philanthropist F. Ambrose Clark.
The first president of the Old Westbury campus college was John D. Maguire, who had been a religion professor at Wesleyan University and a civil rights activist. He aimed to create a university devoted to social justice and racial equality.
In 1986, L. Eudora Pettigrew became president of Old Westbury, becoming the first African-American college president in the SUNY system.
In 2023, the college gained status as a university, becoming the "State University of New York at Old Westbury".
== Academics ==
There are over 50 degree programs available at the university.
Of the university's 166 full-time professors, approximately 80% hold the highest degree in their discipline. Eight members of the faculty have been named Distinguished Teaching or Service Professors by …
