McGraw Tower

In October 1997, a pumpkin was placed on the lightning rod of McGraw Tower at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Due to attempts to identify the pumpkin, speculation on how it was placed, and the unknown identity of the culprit, the pumpkin acquired national news coverage as well as a dedicated website with a webcam. It was nicknamed the Great Pumpkin Mystery by some news outlets. The pumpkin stayed on the top of the tower until March 1998, when it was accidentally knocked down by a crane cage during a rehearsal for its removal. After its recovery by the university's provost, it was freeze-dried and held in a glass case in various areas of the university until it decayed fully. The pumpkin continued as a part of university legend, with its anniversary marked in 2007 and 2017, as well as another pumpkin being placed on the tower during renovations in 2023.

The Cornell Chimes is a 21-bell chime in McGraw Tower on the central campus of Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York, United States. The chime originally had nine bells, donated by Jennie McGraw. They first rang at the University's opening ceremonies on October 7, 1868, and have since marked the hours and been used for chiming concerts. The tower, long called "the Library Tower", was renamed in 1961. Whether the new name was intended to honor Jennie McGraw or her father, trustee John McGraw, was not specified at the time.

Uris Library is a library on the campus of Cornell University, located at the southwest corner of the Arts Quad overlooking Libe Slope. The oldest library building at Cornell, Uris Library also houses the A. D. White Library, "a library within a library", named after the university's first president, Andrew Dickson White. The building included McGraw Tower that became a symbol of Cornell.

Andrew Dickson White (November 7, 1832 – November 4, 1918) was an American historian and educator who cofounded Cornell University and served as its first president for nearly two decades. He was known for expanding the scope of college curricula. A politician, he had served as state senator in New York. He was later appointed as an American diplomat to Germany and Russia, among other responsibilities. He was one of the founders of the conflict thesis, which states that science and religion have historically been in conflict, and tried to prove it over the course of approximately 800 pages in his History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom.

The Cornell University Library is the library system of Cornell University. As of 2014, it holds over 8 million printed volumes and over a million ebooks. More than 90 percent of its current 120,000 periodical titles are available online. It has 8.5 million microfilms and microfiches, more than 71,000 cubic feet (2,000 m3) of manuscripts, and close to 500,000 other materials, including motion pictures, DVDs, sound recordings, and computer files in its collections, in addition to extensive digital resources and the University Archives. It is the sixteenth largest library in North America, ranked by number of volumes held.

Sage Chapel is the non-denominational chapel on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York State and serves as the burial ground for many contributors to Cornell's history, including the university's founders, Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, and their wives. The building was a gift to the university of Henry William Sage and his wife.: 46  The chapel is located on Ho Plaza, across from Willard Straight Hall and next to John M. Olin Library, John McGraw Tower, and Barnes Hall.

Justin Morrill Hall, known almost exclusively as Morrill Hall, is an academic building of Cornell University on its Ithaca, New York campus. As of 2009 it houses the Departments of Romance Studies, Russian Literature, and Linguistics. The building is named in honor of Justin Smith Morrill, who as Senator from Vermont was the primary proponent of the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act of 1862 which greatly assisted the founding of Cornell University. Morrill Hall was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

Willard Straight Hall is the student union building on the central campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Conceived as a memorial to Willard Dickerman Straight, its construction was initiated by his widow, Dorothy Payne Whitney Straight, with the aim of enriching student life. Designed by architect William Adams Delano in a Gothic Revival style and built from local "llenroc" bluestone, the hall opened in November 1925 after 20 months of construction. From its inception, the building has housed social, cultural, and recreational spaces for students, and its policies have been set by a student-led governing board. The hall has been the site of notable events in Cornell’s history, including the April 1969 protest by African-American students during a period of racial tension on campus, which influenced the creation of the University Senate, changes to the Board of Trustees, a new judicial system, and the establishment of the Africana Studies and Research Center. It has continued to serve as a hub for student activities, evolving to include dining facilities, performance and meeting spaces, and offices for student organizations.

Barnes Hall is a student-services building located in the center of the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York. It was built in 1887 in a Romanesque style and has 21,618 sq ft.

The Ezra Cornell statue is a monumental statue in Ithaca, New York, United States. Located on the Arts Quad of the Cornell Central Campus, the monument honors Ezra Cornell, the co-founder and namesake of Cornell University. The statue, designed by Hermon Atkins MacNeil, was dedicated in 1919.

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS or A&S) is a division of Cornell University. It has been part of the university since its founding, although its name has changed over time. It grants bachelor's degrees, and masters and doctorates through affiliation with the Cornell University Graduate School. Its major academic buildings are located on the Arts Quad and include some of the university's oldest buildings. The college offers courses in many fields of study and is the largest college at Cornell by undergraduate enrollment.

Sage Hall was built in 1875 at Cornell University's Ithaca, New York campus. Originally designed as a residential building, it currently houses the Johnson Graduate School of Management.