Yale and the Slow Death of Quotas

It’s accepted as gospel—or at least reliable urban legend—that at nearly every Ivy League school in the mid-20th century, there were limits on the number of Jews admitted each year. The Jewish population, it is said, was capped at 10% of the student body. But was that really true?

Episode 4 of Gatecrashers investigates the real story of Jewish quotas, examining the practice at Yale University. You’ll hear reflections from Sen. Joe Lieberman (Yale ‘64), Benjamin Zucker (Yale ‘58), and Tim Oppenheimer (Yale ‘67, and father of Gatecrashers host Mark Oppenheimer). You’ll also hear from former Yale admissions director Henry “Sam” Chauncey, who shares what he was told when he started his job in 1957, and Dan Oren, author of Joining the Club: A History of Jews at Yale.

When did Jewish quotas start at Yale, and when—and how—did they finally end? Listen and find out:

Previous episodes:

Ep. 3: Dartmouth and the Jews Who Loved It

Ep. 2: Princeton and the Dirty Bicker of 1958

Ep. 1: Columbia and its Forgotten Jewish Campus

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the full series at tabletmag.com/gatecrashers. Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at (917) 310-0456‬.