Responsible Office: President's Office Approved By: President's Council Approved Date: 9/15/2017 Effective Date: 2/13/2020 Category: General Information Description/Purpose: This section provides a brief history of the University. Details: Michael McGuire, a captain in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, led his family and comrades to the western frontier of Pennsylvania in 1785. McGuire, a devout Catholic, sought a church and resident pastor for the new community. In 1799, Father Demetrius Gallitzin, a Russian prince who would become the first priest to receive orders in America, moved to the settlement and named it Loretto. In 1847, Bishop Michael O'Connor of Pittsburgh gave the Franciscans of Roundstone, Ireland, land in Loretto to establish a school in his diocese. Six Franciscan Brothers moved into a log cabin in Loretto and began to teach. Saint Francis Academy was chartered in 1858, empowering it to offer college courses. In 1920, the institution was granted a university charter, allowing for graduate courses. Saint Francis College applied for Middle States accreditation in 1931, with initial accreditation occurring in 1939. Meanwhile, the campus grew with the construction of Raymond Hall in 1928 and Schwab Hall in 1931; the latter was completed through donations from alum and steel magnate Charles M. Schwab. In 1942, a disastrous fire completely destroyed Old Main, which housed living quarters, classrooms, offices, and library, and chapel. The College temporarily moved its operations to the 346-acre Schwab estate, which the "Friends of Saint Francis" had purchased at auction for $32,500 and donated to the Franciscans. After World War II, enrollment grew and the College became co-educational, with 20 women entering the College in 1947. The 1950s saw the construction of four residence halls, Torvian Dining Hall, the Immaculate Conception Chapel, and Saint Francis Monastery. Another fire, in 1958, completely destroyed Padua Hall, which contained the library, laboratories, classrooms, offices, bookstore, and post office, but did not halt expansion. The College's infrastructure developed dramatically in the 1960s with construction of new buildings including the library, then known as the Pius XII Memorial Library, the Saint Joseph Center, the Father John Sullivan Science Hall, the John F. Kennedy Student Center, the new Scotus Hall, and several residence halls. The first Masters program, a Master of Arts degree in Industrial Relations, was established in 1961. The Faculty Senate was established at this time to allow for more formal participation by faculty in the administration of the College. The Board of Trustees, with lay members, replaced a Board of Control comprised exclusively of Franciscan friars. The 1970s saw the construction of the Maurice Stokes Athletics Center and the transformation of the former gymnasium into the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art. The College developed Masters degree programs in Education and Pastoral Ministry and established the Department of Continuing Education and the Small Business Development Center. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, academic offerings increased, as did community service, with the establishment of the Dorothy Day Center. The 1990s saw the introduction of several new graduate and undergraduate programs and the construction of Christian Hall. On January 1, 2001, Saint Francis College became Saint Francis University, reflecting the University's dramatically expanded course and program offerings. Shortly thereafter, the University's academic departments were divided into a school structure. The 2000s saw the campus physical structure continue to reflect this academic expansion with the construction of the Joseph and Marguerite DiSepio Institute for Rural Health and Wellness, the Science Building, and the renovation of Sullivan Hall and Schwab Hall. Approval: Faculty Senate: 05/11/2020 |