250 Greatest Columbia Alumni

The 250 Greatest Alumni was a list published the Columbia Spectator during the course of Columbia 250, the University's celebration of its 250th birthday. The University came up with its own list of Columbians Ahead of Their Time. The Spectator's list, which includes graduates of all divisions of the University as well as Barnard College, was published in reverse order in sets of 10 with mini bios for each alumnus each Friday beginning on October 17, 2003 through the final week of April 2004, when the remaining 50 names were released in sets of 10 each day of the week. The series concluded with a commentary on methodology by then-editor-in-chief Megan Greenwell. As all things of this nature do, the list generated some controversy and numerous errors that were often pointed out in the letters to the editor. As one would expect, a number of dropouts rank highly on the list.

Articles

• Number 250 to Number One: The Process Behind the List, Columbia Spectator, 3 May 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 1-10, Columbia Spectator, 3 May 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 20-11, Columbia Spectator, 30 April 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 30-21, Columbia Spectator, 29 April 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 40-31, Columbia Spectator, 28 April 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 50-41, Columbia Spectator, 27 April 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 60-51, Columbia Spectator, 26 April 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 70-61, Columbia Spectator, 23 April 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 80-71, Columbia Spectator, 16 April 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 90-81, Columbia Spectator, 9 April 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 100-91, Columbia Spectator, 2 April 2004
• 250 Greatest Alumni: 110-101, Columbia Spectator, 26 March 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 120-111, Columbia Spectator, 5 March 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 130-121, Columbia Spectator, 27 February 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 140-131, Columbia Spectator, 20 February 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 150-141, Columbia Spectator, 13 February 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 160-151, Columbia Spectator, 6 February 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 170-161, Columbia Spectator, 40 January 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 180-171, Columbia Spectator, 23 January 2004
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 190-181, Columbia Spectator, 5 December 2003
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 200-191, Columbia Spectator, 21 November 2003
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 210-201, Columbia Spectator, 14 November 2003
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 220-211, Columbia Spectator, 7 November 2003
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 230-221, Columbia Spectator, 31 October 2003
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 240-231, Columbia Spectator, 24 October 2003
• The 250 Greatest Columbia Alumni: 250-241, Columbia Spectator, 17 October 2003