Amherst College Main Quad

Amherst College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1821 and is the third oldest institution of higher education in Massachusetts. Amherst was originally an all-boys school until 1974 and is an exclusively undergraduate institution. This small, highly-selective school only has about 2,000 students has many notable alumni including: Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States; Harlan F. Stone, the 12th Chief Justice of the United States; novelist David Foster Wallace; and the former President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta. The Main Quadrangle is the heart of the college campus. Academic and residential buildings surround the green lawn, which is the traditional setting for the commencement ceremony. Although you are allowed to walk through campus, please be respectful of students and faculty attending this historic college.