Free academy of new york

Founded in 1847 in New York City by wealthy businessman Townsend Harris, it was a prep school and college to educate male children of immigrants who seldom had credentials to get admitted to established colleges. It was the first in the US of what became a system of minicipal-supported colleges. The curriculum included drawing, and Peter Paul Duggan became a Professor of Drawing. In 1866, the school was renamed College of the City of New York and subsequently City University of New York (CUNY). Source: Wikipedia,http://en.wikipedia.org;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_College_of_New_York/wiki/City_College_of_New_York; AskART biography