The identity of Colgate University is shaped as much by its traditions as the individuals who carry them forward. One of those individuals is Professor Luke Bierman ’79, the A. Lindsay O’Connor Chair of American Institutions in the Department of Political Science, who returned to his alma mater as an educator.
When applying to universities as a student, Bierman was drawn to Colgate by its remote location — a stark contrast to his hometown in central New Jersey. While Colgate is still considered remote today, Bierman emphasized that this feeling was heightened by the rarity of having cars, cellphones or computers on campus. Colgate’s location was seen as a strength for forging a tight-knit community.
As a student, Bierman carved out his own academic path within the Division of Social Sciences, creating a personalized major that focused on history and political science courses. At the time, Colgate’s student population included approximately 2,400 students, with around 600 in Bierman’s graduating class. Approximately 2,000 students occupied the campus at a given time, as students were required to take one semester off and complete a summer requirement. Bierman emphasized that understanding Colgate in the ’70s requires looking beyond academics to elements of daily life.
While some of Colgate’s current traditions felt familiar, Bierman pointed to a student experience that has faded over time due to campus expansion. At the heart of a daily routine during Bierman’s tenure as a student was the traverse up the hill where Persson Hall is now. Without Persson as we know it today, or the steps that lead up to it, upperclassmen literally walked up the grassy knoll from where they lived in apartments, on Broad Street or in town.
“The physical differences in the campus make for differences. We all bonded around the idea that we had to walk up the hill at least once a day. We didn’t have steps that had no snow on them — we just had a hill,” Bierman said.
The winter became a challenge for students, who occasionally held onto a rope for support when climbing up the hill during Colgate’s colder months. These physical challenges of navigating campus reinforced a niche shared experience that shaped student life. Without Colgate’s current cruisers or plethora of cars on campus, students walked to class and rarely ever left the town of Hamilton.
Bierman shared that this fact made voyages beyond Hamilton more memorable, recalling a moment during his sophomore or junior year when his friends attended a concert in Syracuse. An unlikely gathering place — Burger King on a street corner in Manlius, N.Y. — became popular for students who attended the concert.
“Everybody who had gone to that concert stopped there because we didn’t have fast food — we didn’t have a restaurant like that here,” Bierman said. “And it was a big deal to [travel to Syracuse]. That was an enormously big deal.”
Bierman shared that the town of Hamilton also looks quite different from when he was a student. Broad Street was dominated by fraternity housing and most businesses in town were bars plus a Grand Union grocery store.
While the physical campus and student experience have changed, Bierman emphasized the clear threads connecting the school’s past and present. Colgate’s emphasis on a well-rounded, exploratory education through the liberal arts has remained a constant aspect of academic life.
“Every semester I took at least one science class,” Bierman said. “The idea of a broad education was incredibly important, and I think that has not just influenced my life, but how I approach what I’m talking to students about.”
At the same time, the classroom itself has evolved. Technology has played a critical role in influencing both teaching and learning, developing significantly since Bierman’s time as a student. Bierman also noted that the connections between faculty and students look different as well. It was very common to see Colgate faculty and their families enjoying Hamilton’s center, in contrast to the current landscape for faculty housing, where Bierman explained that more seem to commute to Hamilton to teach.
He shared that because most faculty members lived in town, they were incredibly accessible to students. For example, students would see and interact with professors at the Grand Union in town.
“I remember there was a political science [professor] named Harry Behler, and he would come in for his eight o’clock class. He would milk his cows, come in and then go back to finish milking his cows,” Bierman said. “It was very community-oriented in that way — we knew what people were doing. We saw people in town — it wasn’t just [that] we saw them in the classroom.”
It was in this tightly connected, highly engaged campus where student activism began to take form. These moments were core memories for Bierman, whose experiences were shaped by issues the student population was directly facing. Bierman’s older sister graduated as a member Colgate’s first class of women in 1973, and her husband graduated as a member of the class of 1972, which reflected a different time and sensibility. For example, in 1971, while they were students, Colgate’s commencement ceremony included a passionate act of activism.
“[In 1972], the speaker was William Rogers at the height of the Vietnam War, and he was a Colgate graduate who was, I think, the Secretary of State at the time,” Bierman said. “When he stood up to give the commencement address, many in the class stood up and turned their backs to him.”
These new graduates were subject to the draft for the Vietnam War, and used the capstone of their college experience to show their disapproval with U.S. involvement. Bierman shares that these sorts of things seem to be different on campus today.
When asked to share his advice for students, Bierman’s advice leaned on the word “interesting.” For Bierman, the word encapsulates the lesson he hopes students will take with them beyond Colgate.
“What makes [things] worthwhile and what keeps you motivated is to really have an interesting life, and that’s different for different people,” Bierman said. “Don’t be afraid to try stuff and figure out what you want to do.”
Bierman emphasized that this mindset is at the core of Colgate’s liberal arts education. While practical concerns such as career paths or financial stability matter, a willingness to explore, take risks, pursue your passions and be curious will lead to a more meaningful life. Bierman has prioritized finding what interests him throughout his life — a true testament to the lasting impact of a Colgate education.
“I’ve lived in a lot of different places; I’ve done a lot of different things. A lot of that is the liberal arts background that motivated me to try to be and do interesting things [and] meet interesting people,” Bierman said.
This philosophy led Bierman to write a speech for the President of the United States, work with experts in their fields and explore jobs he never imagined he would do. All of these experiences exposed him to topics that he has become interested in and passionate about.
From navigating a remote campus without modern conveniences to teaching students, Bierman’s journey reflects the enduring impact of a Colgate education. What began as an attraction to a place in the middle of nowhere has evolved into a lifetime commitment to embracing curiosity and helping others do the same.
