Pace at 120

Some things never change. First-year students, for instance. (Mostly.) In 1953, Pace's newest Setters lined up proudly on the steps of City Hall for their class photo—ties straightened, futures ahead of them. Seventy years later, we've traded the formal pose for the sweeping energy of Convocation.

Glow-up? Try scale-up. In 1950, Pace's graduating class was small enough to celebrate at the legendary Waldorf Astoria. These days, 3,800 students cross the stage each year. Over the decades, Commencement has called some iconic addresses home: Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and for a brief, breezy moment in the '70s, the roof of One Pace Plaza. Now we're at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where there's finally enough room for everyone.

The faces change, the fashions change, the world outside changes enormously, but the in-between moments of student life have always looked something like this. A little downtime, a little laughter, a little breathing room before whatever comes next.

Pace's Black Student Union has been a vital campus presence since 1980, built on solidarity, scholarship, and advocacy. Forty-plus years later, that founding spirit is very much alive. BSU continues to bring powerful voices to campus, including Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a recent speaker at their annual MLK Lecture. Some legacies only get stronger with time.

The classroom, then and now. In 1930, a Pace Institute classroom meant rows of students, pencils in hand, learning the fundamentals of business in black and white. Today, the tools are different, the subjects have evolved, and the room looks a little more like the world students are preparing to enter.

When Pace welcomed its first nursing students to the Pleasantville Campus in 1966, the hats were very much part of the uniform. Nearly six decades later, the caps are gone but the commitment remains—Pace is now ranked in the top 4% of nursing and health science schools in the country. Not bad at all.

In 1959, a Pace social event meant formal attire, a live band, and your best fox trot. These days, it means A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, a sea of glowing smartphones, and nobody worrying too much about their footwear. The party never stopped—it just got louder.

Pace basketball has come a long way since the 1940s (and we're not just talking about the uniforms). Prior to 1963, all Pace athletics called the New York City Campus home. Today, the Setters take the court on the Pleasantville Campus, carrying decades of competitive spirit in decidedly more aerodynamic gear.

The Setter has been part of Pace's identity almost from the start. One of the earliest was a real Irish Setter, believed to be named Red, who belonged to then-President Edward Mortola and turned up on the sidelines in the early days of the Pleasantville Campus. Eventually, that pride leapt off the leash and into costume. Some iterations were more dignified than others, until T-Bone made his official debut on the New York City Campus in 2013.