Fashion Institute of Technology (New York, N.Y.)
Dates
- Existence: 1944-
Biography
The Fashion Institute of Technology was the brainchild of the educator Mortimer C. Ritter and the menswear manufacturer Max Meyer. The school opened in 1944 on the top two floors of the High School of Needle Trades. By 1951, there was enough support for the institute as well as students enrolled to warrant a degree program at FIT. That year, the school was granted the right to award an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree. FIT received accreditation in 1957 and introduced a variety of courses, including Liberal Arts. During the 1960s, the curriculum grew to include interior design, advertising, and photography as subjects taught at the school. The following decade saw the school expanding to provide Bachelor's (in 1975) and Master's (1985) degree's, after years of lobbying State University Board of Education. FIT can boast about being the first to offer unique degrees in fields taught no where else in the U.S., such as Toy Design and Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design. There are 48 degree programs in total at FIT as of October 2020.
Places
Found in 47 Collections and/or Records:
Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion records
Office of the President records
Photographs, probably 1950s, 1 of 2, 1950-1959
Random assortment of photographs of students, events, and classes that took place at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Some are dated, while other undated photographs are possibly from the 1950s. Some photographs seem to have been taken with the intention of creating advertising or publication materials.
Photographs, probably 1950s, 2 of 2, 1950-1959
Random assortment of photographs of formal events, student socials, and classes that took place at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Some are dated, while other undated photographs are possibly from the 1950s. Some photographs seem to have been taken with the intention of creating advertising or publication materials. Several photographs of groups of students visiting the United Nations, Rockefeller Center, and the Museum of Modern Art.
Photographs, probably 1960s, 1960-1969
Random assortment of photographs and contact sheets of events and classes that took place at the Fashion Institute of Technology in the 1960s. Some photographs seem to have been taken with the intention of creating advertising or publication materials.
Photographs, probably 1970s, 1970-1979
Random assortment of photographs. Several copies of a photograph of Madeline Wilson, FBM 1970, who was the runner-up for Miss Black America. Photograph of a group of students at the Carnegie Mansion in period costume. Photograph of students holding signs displaying the names of their departments. Contact sheet of janitorial staff and a woman and man with a dog exiting a building.
Photographs, probably 1980s, 1980-1989
Random photographs of students on campus, in classes, and at events. One photograph of a WFIT radio DJ.
Photographs, undated, undated
Random assortment of photographs and contact sheets of events and classes that took place at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Dates probably fall between the 1960s to the 1980s.
Ramona Ramos papers, 1952-1953, 1952-1953
3 folders of Ramona Ramos' school work when she was a student at FIT. Includes sketches, examples of sewing, biographies of designers, paper patterns, report on millinery history, machine skills course work, and collages.