--- title: Photos From a New York City 'Genius School,' 1948 description: In the 1940s, LIFE visited a 'genius school' in New York -- a school filled with kids who just happened to enjoy stratospheric IQs canonical: https://time.com/3600311/life-goes-to-genius-school-1948/ author: Ben Cosgrove article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-11-01T15:28:14.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:42:46.012Z og:title: Photos From a New York City 'Genius School,' 1948 og:description: In the 1940s, LIFE visited a 'genius school' in New York -- a school filled with kids who just happened to enjoy stratospheric IQs og:url: https://time.com/3600311/life-goes-to-genius-school-1948/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbf2f610e79378c0e/69876a560b72e3f21e6dc181/141121-genius-school-01.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Genius School 1948 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Photos From a New York City 'Genius School,' 1948 twitter:description: In the 1940s, LIFE visited a 'genius school' in New York -- a school filled with kids who just happened to enjoy stratospheric IQs twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbf2f610e79378c0e/69876a560b72e3f21e6dc181/141121-genius-school-01.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # LIFE Goes to 'Genius School,' 1948 by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Nov 1, 2014 3:28 PM UTC  Caption from LIFE. Sandy, 7, lectures science club on hobby, explains behavior of neutrons in uranium. Diagram was left by previous lecturer, a chemist. Caption from LIFE. Sandy, 7, lectures science club on hobby, explains behavior of neutrons in uranium. Diagram was left by previous lecturer, a chemist.Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Nov 1, 2014 3:28 PM UTC The phrase “genius school” has been tossed around quite a bit over the past few years, especially after Cornell University won an international contest to create a [high-tech mecca](http://www.now.cornell.edu/nyctech/) in New York City. Slated to open in 2017 on Roosevelt Island, a narrow, 150-acre slab of land smack in the middle of the East River, the campus is expected to attract thousands of top-flight students, teachers and researchers from all over the world to work on green technology, computer programming and urban planning (among other disciplines) while pumping billions of dollars back into the New York economy. Other New York-based schools lost out on the big prize but — with financial help from the city — are planning their own counterparts to Cornell’s mid-river jewel. New York University, for example, is planning an urban sciences center that will operate out of a disused Metropolitan Transit Authority building in Brooklyn, while Columbia has plans for new engineering institute that will be funded in part with a $15 million gift from the city. In Gotham, it seems, geniuses will soon be as thick on the ground as pigeons, tourists and out-of-work actors. But this is not the first time New York has played host to a “genius school.” In fact, seven decades ago, the city housed just such a venture at [Hunter College](http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/main/) — a school filled not with post-adolescent megaminds and college-age uber-geeks, but 450 apparently well-adjusted, engaged kids who just happened to enjoy IQs _averaging_ around 150\. (Post-graduate students, by comparison, generally fall in the 120-130 range.) As LIFE noted in a March 1948 feature on the school: --- > “” --- --- > “” --- --- > “” --- Here, LIFE.com presents photos from the feature in the magazine, as well as pictures that never ran in LIFE. Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter at [@LizabethRonk](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk).  Caption from LIFE. Sandy, 7, lectures science club on hobby, explains behavior of neutrons in uranium. Diagram was left by previous lecturer, a chemist. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. A study of time is made by 6-year-olds. Addressing class, Lucy (standing, left) tells what she found out in library about old-fashioned candle clocks as her remarks are copied on the blackboard with other students' observations. The students are critical of each other's work and often double check in the library. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Building with blocks, instead of aimlessly stacking them, 4-year-olds work together to construct an apartment building with doormen, tenants and garage. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Little Roy spins a yarn for friends. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Little Roy spins a yarn for friends. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Little Roy spins a yarn for friends. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Little Roy spins a yarn for friends. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Playing chess, David (wearing glasses) moves a piece for Lennie. Both are 7 and a half. David learned the game from his father, then he taught Lennie how to play. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE Directing orchestra, 10-year-old girl gets a lesson in conducting from teacher. Students also have a choral society. Three-year-olds have rhythm bands. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Ralph, 11, likes to study human skull. He plans to become a doctor. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Practical conversation in French by 9-year-olds. Here waiter asks gentleman to approve the wine, as lady consults French menu. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Smart new hairdo is designed by two little 5-year-olds, Joan (left) and Florence. They also like to make candy and cookies in the school's miniature kitchen. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A public "genius school" for 3-to-11-year-olds at New York's Hunter College, 1948. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Taking book from library, 5-year-old Johnny, who taught himself to read, selects The Ring of the Nibelung, which looks interesting to him. Library has wide choice of simpler books like the Bobbsey Twins, but bright children tire of these quickly, abandon them in favor of poetry, biography, science and politics. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. In a hallway of New York's Hunter College two 3-year-olds stop to talk. Little girl carries poster inviting students to see the latest block exhibit. 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