Joining the City University of New York

In 1961, Brooklyn College became a member of the City University of New York. Except for student fees, the college continued to provide a free education for those who met stringent entrance requirements. In 1965, after the CUNY board demanded "fealty" from the CUNY college presidents in the matter of imposing tuition, Gideonse resigned.

The next 10 years were the most tumultuous in the college’s history. The Vietnam War, combined with the demands of emerging ethnic and racial empowerment movements, led to almost weekly protests. The Quadrangle, once dominated by Gideonse’s "keep off the grass" signs, became a dustbowl. Francis P. Kilcoyne, Harold C. Syrett and George A. Peck followed one after the other as presidents of the college.

In keeping with the spirit of the times, in 1970 CUNY instituted an open-admissions policy that granted any New York City resident, regardless of his or her academic credentials or ability, the right to attend a CUNY school. As a result, enrollment at Brooklyn College swelled to more than 30,000 students in only a few years. This led to severe space and budget concerns, inherited by John Kneller, the college’s sixth president. From 1970 to 1978, Kneller faced the severe problems that culminated with the 1975 budget emergency. The college closed its downtown campus and began "retrenchment"—cutting back of tenured faculty.