A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Here's What NYU Students Looked Like In The 1920s

In this January 1929 photo, a group of fencers practice on on top of an academic building on Washington Square East. In the distance you can see Judson Memorial Church on the south side of the Square, and the NYU freshman dorm which would make headlines 80 years later as the perch for undergrad paparazzi snapping shots of Jude Law. The fencing team went on to great success in the 20th century, losing only four matches from 1966-1974. — Photo via NYU

Published Mar 3, 2013

Modified Mar 3, 2013

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2025. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Today NYU may be known for their Village-eating expansion and charging tuition so high that students are forced into prostitution to afford it. But once upon a time—the 1920s, to be specific—the University was abustle with traditional collegiate scenes of spirited team sports. Today we're taking a look through some of the University's archival photos from the Jazz Age... about twenty years after this photo of NYU frat boys partying it up with banjos and bongs was taken.