From a small hilltop in Ithaca in 1865, Cornell has reached into many corners of the world for some 14 decades to share its knowledge and skills across national boundaries. And for many years the world has come to East Hill as illustrated by the appearance of students from more than 120 countries enrolled at the University. Cornell became global before the word globalization became popular. In these pages, we have tried to capture some of the history of Cornell's steps toward becoming what some have called a transnational university. The challenge to capture in print that extensive and far-reaching history was taken up by the Cornell Association of Professors Emeriti (CAPE). Its members recognized the importance of involving in the story many of those who experienced those adventurous years that laid the foundation for this global university.