International House of New York

Coordinates: 40°48′49″N 73°57′43″W / 40.81361°N 73.96194°W / 40.81361; -73.96194
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
International House New York
Endowment$34 million[1]
Employees
75
Websitehttp://www.ihouse-nyc.org
International House
New York, New York
Coordinates40°48′49″N 73°57′43″W / 40.81361°N 73.96194°W / 40.81361; -73.96194
Area1.5 acres (0.61 ha)
Built1924
ArchitectLouis E. Jallade; Marc Eidlitz and Sons
Architectural styleItalianite
NRHP reference No.99001129[2]
Added to NRHPSeptember 10, 1999

International House New York, also known as I-House, is a private, independent, non-profit residence and program center for postgraduate students, research scholars, trainees, and interns, located at 500

Morningside Heights, Manhattan, New York City
.

The I-House residential community typically consists of 700+ students and scholars from over 100 countries annually, with about one-third of those coming from the United States. The residential experience includes programming designed to promote mutual respect, friendship, and leadership skills across cultures and fields of study. International House has attracted prominent guest speakers through the years, from

The original entrance to International House is inscribed with the motto written by John D. Rockefeller Jr.: "That Brotherhood May Prevail"; the piazza (The Abby O'Neill Patio) of its entrance opens onto Sakura Park, the site of Japan's original gift of cherry trees to New York City in 1912.

The 500 Riverside Drive building, designed in the Italianite style by architects Louis E. Jallade and Marc Eidlitz and Sons, was built in 1924 and was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as International House in 1999.[2]

History

The initial impetus for forming I-House occurred when, after a chance encounter with a lone graduate student from China on the steps of Columbia University in 1909,

John D. Rockefeller III, David
and Peggy Rockefeller, David Rockefeller Jr., Abby M. O'Neill, and Peter M.O'Neill.

International House was one of the first of many international houses in a global movement to create a diverse environment for international students seeking to further their education.

Alberta, Canada; Auckland, New Zealand; and London, England.[5]

The chairman of the board of trustees is longtime diplomat and businessman Ambassador

The Ford Foundation and foreign correspondent for The New York Times
.

Controversy

In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, The New York Times reported that I-House ordered its South Building residents to vacate within one week after a staff member tested positive for the virus and one resident died from complications of the virus, leaving 300-500 students and young professionals, many of whom had recently arrived in the United States, without housing.[6] I-House reportedly told its residents that New York state's newly implemented COVID-19 eviction moratorium did not apply to its residents, because they had signed a contract stating I-House was not a "traditional landlord."[7] Though I-House stated that it was working to help identify alternative housing options for its residents, as well as waiving fees and refunding security deposits, I-House was criticized from both a moral and public health standpoint.[8]

Trustees and board members

Current chairman of the board

Honorary trustees

Chairman of the executive committee

  • Peter O'Neill

Past chairmen of the board

Past honorary chairman

Notable alumni

Auditorium inside I-House

An estimated 65,000 individuals have lived in I-House from around the world. Among the notable alumni are:

See also

References

  1. ^ "International House 990 Form" (PDF). Foundation Center. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  3. ^ http://www.ihouse-nyc.org/s/707/start.aspx international house
  4. ^ http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-11670514-international_house-i I House description
  5. ^ "International Houses Worldwide". International House. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  6. ^ "New York Has Roughly 5% of Coronavirus Cases Worldwide". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  7. ^ "New York Has Roughly 5% of Coronavirus Cases Worldwide". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  8. ^ Asma-Sadeque, Samira. "Panic as NY int'l dorm orders students out amid COVID-19 lockdown". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 9 May 2023.

External links