Refers to the eight prestigious universities with a long history in the eastern United States. They are named for the ivy that grows on their campus walls. These eight universities are: Brown University, built in Rhode Island in 1764; Columbia University, built in New York City in 1754; Dartmouth University, built in New Hampshire in 1769; Cornell University, built in New York State in 1865; Harvard University, built in Massachusetts in 1636; Pennsylvania University, built in Pennsylvania in 1740; Princeton College, built in New Jersey in 1746; and Yale University, built in Connecticut in 1701.