Mapping out organizational history

From the single original institution of higher education, known as the New School for Social Research, to the seven distinct divisions under the umbrella brand of The New School today, divisions, schools and programs have come and gone...and come back again. Some have undergone cosmetic facelifts, changing names once or twice, while others have undergone major reconstructive surgery, emerging as barely recognizable with a new mission and sense of purpose.

As can be imagined, the task of documenting these changes over the last, almost 100 years, was a time-consuming, meticulous venture. 

The resulting web illustrates not just the intricacies of organizational history and identity, but how these different moments in history can inform the present and the future. The formation of an institutional identity, much as with personal identity, is a process constantly in flux and poses the question: What will The New School 2040 look like? Will there even be an institution called The New School in 2040?

<<Download a PDF copy of The New School's organizational history HERE>>

The visualization of The New School's history and accompanying timeline is made possible through The New School's digital archives. It is the original course catalogs and archival resources that allowed me to feel somewhat justified in marking the organizational changes where and when I did and provided me with a backstory and context to changes that would have otherwise seemed perfunctory and "merely" administrative.The digital access to these historical documents shed light on the rich, varied, and at times befuddling history of The New School's organizational makeup.

The devil really does live in the details. And in this case, it dwells within the descriptions, introductions, and salutations of the course catalogues. I only regret not having the resources to do justice to the full backdrop of The New School history, and to--yes, believe it or not--the drama behind what may have seemed the most mundane of administrative matters.

For now, I hope this project will serve as a resource for anyone wishing to get a better grasp of how The New School came to be today, while also realizing that it will not be The New School of tomorrow!