In 1866, the Free Academy, a men's institution, was renamed the "College of the City of New York".
In 1929, the College of the City of New York became the "City College of New York".
Finally, the institution became known as the "City College of the City University of New York" when the CUNY was formally established as the umbrella institution for New York City's municipal-college system in 1961.
The names City College of New York and City College, however, remain in general use.

With the name change in 1866, lavender was chosen as the college's color.
In 1867, the academic senate, the first student government in the nation, was formed.
Having struggled over the issue for ten years, in 1895, the New York state Legislature voted to let the City College build a new campus.
A four-square block site was chosen, located in Manhattanville, within the area which was enclosed by the North Campus Arches; the College, however, quickly expanded north of the Arches.

Like President Webster, the second president of the newly renamed City College was a West Point graduate.
 The second president, General Alexander S. Webb (1835-1911), assumed office in 1869, serving for almost the next three decades.
 One of the Union Army's heroes at Gettysburg, General Webb was the commander of the Philadelphia Brigade.
 In 1891, while still president of the City College, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism at Gettysburg.
 A full-length statue of Webb, in full military uniform, stands in his honor at the heart of the campus.

The college's curriculum under Webster and Webb combined classical training in Latin and Greek with more practical subjects like chemistry, physics, and engineering.
One of the outstanding Nineteenth Century graduates of City College was the Brooklyn-born George Washington Goethals, who put himself through the college in three years before going on to West Point.
He later became the chief engineer on the Panama Canal project (1903–1914) with one of the excavation cuts named for him.
General Webb was succeeded by John Huston Finley (1863–1940), as third president in 1903.
Finley relaxed some of the West Point-like discipline that characterized the college, including compulsory religious chapel attendance.

Phi Sigma Kappa placed its sixth oldest chapter on the campus in 1896, flourishing until 1973, and whose alumni still provide scholarships to new students entering the CCNY system.

Delta Sigma Phi was founded at CCNY in 1899 as a social fraternity based on the principle of the brotherhood of man.
It was the first national organization of its type to accept members without regard to religion, race, color or creed.
The chapter flourished at the college until 1932 when it closed as a result of the Great Depression.
The founding of another national fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, took place at City College on December 1898 by Dr. Richard Gottheil who aimed at establishing a Jewish fraternity with Zionist ideals.
This chapter, however, has become defunct.
In 1866, the Free Academy, a men's institution, was renamed the "College of the City of New York". In 1929, the College of the City of New York became the "City College of New York". Finally, the institution became known as the "City College of the City University of New York" when the CUNY was formally established as the umbrella institution for New York City's municipal-college system in 1961. The names City College of New York and City College, however, remain in general use.
With the name change in 1866, lavender was chosen as the college's color. In 1867, the academic senate, the first student government in the nation, was formed. Having struggled over the issue for ten years, in 1895, the New York state Legislature voted to let the City College build a new campus. A four-square block site was chosen, located in Manhattanville, within the area which was enclosed by the North Campus Arches; the College, however, quickly expanded north of the Arches.
Like President Webster, the second president of the newly renamed City College was a West Point graduate.  The second president, General Alexander S. Webb (1835-1911), assumed office in 1869, serving for almost the next three decades.  One of the Union Army's heroes at Gettysburg, General Webb was the commander of the Philadelphia Brigade.  In 1891, while still president of the City College, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism at Gettysburg.  A full-length statue of Webb, in full military uniform, stands in his honor at the heart of the campus.
The college's curriculum under Webster and Webb combined classical training in Latin and Greek with more practical subjects like chemistry, physics, and engineering. One of the outstanding Nineteenth Century graduates of City College was the Brooklyn-born George Washington Goethals, who put himself through the college in three years before going on to West Point. He later became the chief engineer on the Panama Canal project (1903–1914) with one of the excavation cuts named for him. General Webb was succeeded by John Huston Finley (1863–1940), as third president in 1903. Finley relaxed some of the West Point-like discipline that characterized the college, including compulsory religious chapel attendance.
Phi Sigma Kappa placed its sixth oldest chapter on the campus in 1896, flourishing until 1973, and whose alumni still provide scholarships to new students entering the CCNY system.
Delta Sigma Phi was founded at CCNY in 1899 as a social fraternity based on the principle of the brotherhood of man. It was the first national organization of its type to accept members without regard to religion, race, color or creed. The chapter flourished at the college until 1932 when it closed as a result of the Great Depression. The founding of another national fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, took place at City College on December 1898 by Dr. Richard Gottheil who aimed at establishing a Jewish fraternity with Zionist ideals. This chapter, however, has become defunct.
City College of New York