Parsons School of Design

   Parsons was founded in 1896 by American Impressionist painter William Merritt Chase and originally named the Chase School. In 1898, the name was changed to the New York School of Art. In 1904, Frank Alvah Parsons (ca. 1880-1938) joined the faculty and, in 1907, became an administrator. Under his direction, the school broadened its curriculum offering the first interior design, graphic design, and advertising programs in the United States. In 1909, the school was again renamed, to the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts, and in 1911 Parsons became president, a position he held until his death in 1930. Parsons's successor, William Odom, established the school's Paris Atelier in 1921 and, in 1941, renamed the school as the Parsons School of Design, in recognition of his predecessor's contributions. In 1970, the school was incorporated into the New School for Social Research and, in 2005, when its parent school was renamed, Parsons was again renamed, Parsons the New School for Design. Today, the school's fashion program is highly regarded in the fashion community.

   Parsons has produced many famous designers, among them Donna Karan, Isaac Mizrahi, Anna Sui, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Jack McCollough, and Lazaro Hernandez. Parsons has independent affiliate schools in France, South Korea, Japan, and the Dominican Republic. There are approximately 30 full-time faculty and more than 675 adjunct faculty members, with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 undergraduates and 400 postgraduate students. The school offers continuing education courses, certificate programs, and weekend and summer pre-college programs for high-school students. Parsons has been the setting for the popular Project Runway competition show on cable television since 2004.