Ground was broken on September 21, 1965, in a ceremony that featured President Eisenhower and his friend, Bob Hope.
In March 1979, the liberal arts college, which had a total enrollment of only 460 students and was experiencing financial difficulties, was acquired by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
[citation needed] Students and faculty were given the opportunity to transfer to RIT's main campus for the 1982–83 school year.
As a result, there were eventually unsuccessful lawsuits by the school's alumni and by the local organizations which had played a key role in the college's founding.
An archive of Eisenhower College material, donated by former professors and alumni, was stored at the campus library as of 2006.