Founded in 1964, it was created through the extraordinary acts of philanthropy and vision of two women: Elizabeth Boldgett Hall and her mother, Margaret Kendrick Blodgett. Mrs. Blodgett gave the land that is now the college's main campus and established a foundation to support to the construction and growth of a new educational institution on that property.

Simon's Rock offers students an early opportunity to become full time college students providing an essential alternative for bright, highly motivated students whose high schools can no longer meet their needs. In 1979 Simon's Rock become a unit of Bard College because of the vision of Dr. Leon Botstein. Dr Botsein himself entered the University of Chicago at the age of 16 and became the president of Franconia College at age 22. He believed in the importance of Simon's Rock vision and believed that Bard and Simon's Rock had much in common, including commitments to innovation, to quality undergraduate education in the liberal arts and sciences, to a curriculum that combines the best of the classical and progressive educational traditions and to contributing to the reform of American secondary education.