[8] The college was founded in 1935 on the estate of namesake William S. Hofstra (1861–1932), a lumber entrepreneur of Dutch ancestry, and his second wife Kate Mason (1854–1933).

In her will, Kate Mason provided the bulk of their property and estate to be used for a charitable, scientific or humanitarian purpose, to be named in honor of her husband.

Calkins remarked to Brower that he had been looking for a site to start an institution of higher education, and the three men agreed it would be an appropriate use of the estate.

The first day of classes at Nassau-Hofstra Memorial College was September 23, 1935, with 150 students enrolled and an equal divide between men and women.

[15] Hofstra Stadium served as the site of the first-ever NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship game in 1971.

[18] Hofstra's original logo was a seal created by professor of art Constant van de Wall in 1937.

Used with the permission of the monarch of the Netherlands, the seal also included the Dutch national motto Je Maintiendrai, meaning "I stand steadfast" in French.

In 1939, the Dutch ambassador to the United States left behind a flag of the Netherlands before he returned to his country for World War II, which influenced Hofstra's school colors, university seal and coat of arms.

[20] Hofstra also pays homage to its Dutch heritage with a miniature windmill structure near the admissions building and the planting of thousands of tulips in the springtime.

[23] The Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary at Hofstra University has a collection of diverse trees and reflecting its Dutch origin, and displays an array of rare and colorful tulips in the Spring.

[24] The campus has approximately 117 buildings on 244 acres (99 ha), and is located in the Uniondale section of Hempstead, a mile east of the town center.

[39] The Stuart and Nancy Rabinowitz Honors College,[40] whose admissions policy is more selective than that of the university as a whole,[41] offers rigorous educational opportunities for high-achieving students.

The School for University Studies provides a program for students whose abilities are not reflected in standardized test scores; while New Opportunities at Hofstra (NOAH) is designed for students whose educational progress to date has been restricted by limited educational opportunities or economic status.

[citation needed] In the fall of 2011, the university welcomed the first class of students to its new Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine.

Under NCAA rules, any football players who chose to transfer to other schools were eligible to play immediately, and not subjected to normal residency waiting periods.

Jenkins, the school's all-time leading scorer, ranked fifth in the nation at 23.3 points per game last season (as of 22 February 2011[update]) and was the front-runner to win Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year honors.

Established in 1935 and supported by the student activity fee and advertising,[57] it is published in tabloid format every Tuesday evening each semester, with additional content available online.