Focus on Innovation Perpetuates the CIA’s Leadership in
Culinary Education
Hyde Park, NY – The Culinary Institute of America—the
college that has launched the careers of thousands of culinary leaders around
the world—is celebrating seven decades of
education excellence.
The New Haven Restaurant Institute opened its doors in New
Haven, CT on May 22, 1946. The first and only school of its kind in the United
States, the college was founded in an effort to train returning World War II
veterans in the culinary arts. The Institute opened its doors with 50 students
and a faculty consisting of a chef, a baker, and a dietitian.
That school changed its name to The Culinary Institute of
America in 1951, and in 1972 the college relocated to the bluff high atop the
Hudson River in Hyde Park, NY. Today, the CIA has grown into the
world’s premier culinary college—and this week marks its 70th anniversary. The
campus community celebrated the milestone with an impressive anniversary cake
made by students. Adding to the CIA pride in the local community, the Franklin
Delano Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge in Poughkeepsie was lit in the college’s
green and gold school colors.
The CIA’s original director, Connecticut attorney Frances
Roth, may have never worked in a restaurant, but she was one of the most influential
pioneers in culinary education. She was determined to establish a school that
would become “the culinary center of the nation.” With support from co-founder
Katharine Angell, wife of then-Yale University President James Rowland Angell,
Mrs. Roth turned her passion into a new vision for educating chefs.
Only one college has advanced the food professions and the American
diet for 70 years. The CIA vigorously carries forward this legacy of leadership
in its education programs, research, and service—and through the global impact
of more than 49,000 alumni.
Since its founding, the CIA has offered education programs distinguished by their quality, innovation, and resources. Instruction
emphasizes hands-on learning in small class settings, and key initiatives have
included the creation of student-staffed restaurants,
the introduction of courses in nutritional cooking and wine studies, the
addition of management studies, and the CIA’s unique curriculum that assures
students build their knowledge and skills in the ideal learning sequence.
To address the growing responsibilities of foodservice
professionals, the CIA has continually advanced its education programs,
beginning with its introduction of the first associate degree program in culinary arts in 1971. The college added a second major in baking and pastry
arts in 1990, and introduced the first-ever bachelor’s degrees in Culinary Arts
Management or Baking and Pastry Arts Management in 1993. The CIA has since
added bachelor’s degree majors in Culinary Science and Applied Food Studies, and bachelor’s concentration topics in
advanced baking and pastry; advanced wine, beverage, and hospitality; Asian
cuisine; intrapreneurship; and Latin cuisine.
CIA programs are routinely recognized internationally for
their excellence. This excellence is backed by extraordinary faculty and
facilities at campuses in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.
The college’s newest facility, The Culinary
Institute of America at Copia, opens this fall in
downtown Napa, CA.
The college also operates The Food Business School (FBS) as
the executive education center of the CIA. The world’s first business school
dedicated to food entrepreneurship and innovation, FBS offers programs both
online and at facilities in California and New York.
With the support of the foodservice and hospitality
industry, the CIA continues to lead the way, inspiring excellence the world
over.
Photo Caption and Hi-Res Image:
The Culinary Institute of America marked its 70th
anniversary with a cake made by students and decorated in school colors. The
CIA, then known as the New Haven Restaurant Institute, held its first classes
on May 22, 1946 in New Haven, CT. The college moved to Hyde Park, NY in 1972,
and has since grown to include campuses in California, Texas, and Singapore. (Photo credit: CIA/Phil Mansfield)
View hi-res image >
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier
culinary college. Dedicated to driving leadership development for the
foodservice and hospitality industry, the independent, not-for-profit CIA
offers associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts;
bachelor’s degree majors in management, culinary science, and applied food
studies; and executive education through its Food Business School. Its
conferences and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food
industry in the areas of health & wellness, sustainability, world cuisines
& cultures, and professional excellence & innovation. The college also
offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its
worldwide network of 48,000 alumni includes leaders in every area of
foodservice and hospitality. The CIA has campuses in New York, California,
Texas, and Singapore.
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