CUNY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE

The chairman of the Social Sciences department at Hostos Community College penned this letter to Governor Hugh Carey asking him to prevent the closure of Hostos and the merger with Bronx Community College. Professor Peter Roman argues that the college is a crucial part of the South Bronx community, that its success depends on its proximity to people who need it, and that a closure or merger will actually create more costs for the city than savings by depriving the most vulnerable New Yorkers of avenues out of poverty and dependency.

In 1975, in response to the New York City fiscal crisis, Hostos Community College was slated to merge with Bronx Community College in order to dramatically cut spending. It was this threat that led to the second iteration of organizing to save Hostos. Determined to preserve Hostos for the South Bronx as a place for students to pursue a bilingual higher education, students, faculty, staff, and community groups joined forces to keep Hostos open for the community.