Mayor Fiorello Henry La Guardia laid the cornerstone of the academy building in 1940, shortly after the opening of LaGuardia Airport.
In early 1940, the mayor convinced Casey to establish a school near LaGuardia airport, across the Grand Central Parkway.
It was founded by Jones, a well-known racing pilot of the 1920s; George Augustus Vaughn, Jr., second-ranking ace of World War I; and Lee D. Warrender, an aeronautical engineer.
The Casey Jones School educated and trained 20,000 men and women who supported the nation's successful air effort during World War II.
Following World War II, the Casey Jones school was consolidated with the Academy of Aeronautics, and returned to the civilian aviation industry.
In 1996, the college completely revised its curriculum offering, resulting in nine new academic programs, including for the first time, the Bachelor of Science and an associate degree in flight.
[2] In 1996, the college completely revised its curriculum offering, resulting in nine new academic programs, including for the first time, the Bachelor of Science and an associate degree in flight.
In 2010 a 126-foot (38 m) mural depicting early aviation that had been painted by Aline Rhonie Hofheimer in hangar F at Roosevelt Field was transferred to Vaughn and will be displayed following renovations.
Vaughn College has strong relations with aerospace industries like Northrop Grumman, NASA and Lockheed Martin.
Graduates of these programs are able to secure entry-level to mid-level management positions in small or large corporations and in airports.
The field of airport management is a unique discipline with its roots in general business, but driven by the high-tech world of aviation and transportation.
The location of the college, adjacent to LaGuardia Airport, provides a learning environment with regard to activities, resources and personnel.
Students have the option of pursuing careers with aviation-related government agencies such as the FAA or the National Transportation Safety Board.
[8] Academy Cadet Squadron, a subordinate unit of the New York City Group of the Civil Air Patrol, meets every Friday at the college.
Vaughn was recognized as having the highest upward mobility rate among 2,137 colleges in a January 18, 2017 article published in The New York Times.