History
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"My own very deep hope is that instead of one great, undifferentiated university, we might have a group of institutions divided into small colleges—somewhat of an Oxford type—around a library and other utilities which they would use in common. In this way I should hope to preserve the inestimable personal values of the small college while securing the facilities of the great university."
—James A. Blaisdell, 1923
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The Claremont Colleges were formally established in 1925 under the direction of James Blaisdell, then President of Pomona College. In their constitution was a commitment to “found and develop new colleges and educational institutions or programs” as needs were identified and resources were made available.
Seventy-two years later, it was Dr. Henry E. Riggs, then President of Harvey Mudd College, who identified the need that would lead to the founding of Keck Graduate Institute, the seventh and newest member of The Claremont Colleges. The need was a simple one: we need scientists and engineers who can help translate basic scientific discoveries into practical applications that will improve the health of people.
In 1997, through a generous $50 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation, Keck Graduate Institute was born. Dr. Riggs became KGI’s founding President and led the institution through its first 7 years. Today, under the direction of President Sheldon Schuster, KGI is continuing to grow both in terms of its number of enrolled students and in its reputation for excellence.
KGI represents The Claremont Colleges’ first entry into graduate-level, application-based scientific research and education. It remains the only graduate institute in the country with this sole focus.
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