 Cornell had enrolled African @-@ American students by the mid @-@ 1880s . On December 4 , 1906 , Alpha Phi Alpha , the first Greek letter fraternity for African @-@ Americans was founded at Cornell . Cornell had a very low black enrollment until the 1960s , when it formed the Committee on Special Educational Projects ( <unk> ) to recruit and mentor minority students . In 1969 , Cornell established its Africana Studies and Research Center , one of the first such black studies programs in the Ivy League . On April 1 , 1970 , during a period of heightened racial tension , the building that housed the Africana Studies center burned down . Since 1972 , <unk> , a special interest program dormitory located in North Campus Low Rise No. 10 , provides housing for many minority students . However , in 1974 , the New York State Board of Regents ordered it desegregated , and its status remained controversial for years . 
