A 1976 flyer from Hostos Professor Emeritus Dr. Gerald Meyer’s “Save Hostos” collectionA 1976 flyer from Hostos Professor Emeritus Dr. Gerald Meyer’s “Save Hostos” collection is on display as part of the Museum of the City of New York’s exhibit titled, “New York at Its Core.”

Following a decision in the 1970s by the Emergency Financial Control Board (EFCB) to close Hostos Community College and merge it with Bronx Community College, the late Hostos Professor Ramón Jiménez formed the Community Coalition to Save Hostos (CCSH). One of the coalition’s first major actions was to hold a demonstration in front of the midtown headquarters of the EFCB and put pressure on it to rescind the decision to close Hostos. Another Hostos group that played an integral role in saving the College was the Save Hostos Committee (SHC), which was chaired by Professor Meyer and supported by six subcommittees. Ultimately, through the actions of community groups and clergy members, as well as Hostos faculty, students and staff, the College was saved in 1976.

The “New York at Its Core” exhibit covers four centuries of New York City history. The exhibit has been five years in the making and presents a compelling story of New York’s rise from a striving Dutch village to today’s preeminent global city. The EFCB flyer helps to document the fiscal crisis and highlight the unique role that Hostos played in the local community.

The Museum of the City of New York is located at 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street and is open daily from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. You can find out more information here.

The flyer and other archived photos will be included in a new book by New York University Professor Kim Phillips-Fein set for release in 2017 titled, “Fear City: The New York City Fiscal Crisis and the Rise of the Age of Austerity.”

About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. It serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique Student Success Coaching Unit provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.

Hostos offers 29 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 24 colleges.