刚刚当选为首任非裔总统的奥巴马，也是哥伦比亚大学历史上出的首位总统。哥大校长Lee Bollinger为此专门向校友和学生们发信庆贺。
Dear Columbian,
Yesterday’s election was historic, of course, and all of us who have graduated from Columbia have special reason for excitement. We note with pride that Barack Obama ’83CC will be not only the first African-American but also the first Columbia degree-holder to occupy the Oval Office.
At Columbia we think continually about our role in helping to prepare remarkable men and women for leadership. With one alumnus, David Paterson ’78CC, now serving as Governor of New York and another elected to the nation’s highest office, we are reminded of the University’s core commitment to public service and its tradition of producing outstanding leaders for our nation and our world.
You can read more about President-elect Barack Obama and Columbia in this Columbia news announcement. Whatever our political inclination, we can all take pride in having a Columbian in the White House.
All the best,
Lee C. Bollinger ’71LAW
President
Columbia University
哥大与美国政治渊源颇深，西奥多罗斯福和富兰克林罗斯福都曾经在哥大短期学习过法律，而艾森豪威尔在竞选总统前也担任过哥大校长。不过说到真正拥有哥大学位的总统，奥巴马还是第一个——他是哥大的本科学院哥伦比亚学院1983年的校友。
这让我对其他常青藤名校的情况产生了兴趣。查了一下维基百科，总结如下：
- 耶鲁堪称总统摇篮，越战以来一共出过福特、老布什、克林顿和小布什四位总统。1972年到2004年之间的每一次总统选举中，在两党的总统和副总统候选人共4人里，都至少有1人是耶鲁校友；
- 哈佛的总统校友则有曾就读哈佛学院的约翰肯尼迪和副总统戈尔，而小布什也曾经在哈佛商学院就读；
- 普林斯顿出了威尔逊和麦迪逊（James Madison）两位总统；
- 宾州大学出过一位总统，即第九任总统威廉亨利·哈里森（William Henry Harrison）。