Saint Mary's College (Indiana)


Saint Mary's College is a Catholic women's liberal arts college in Notre Dame, Indiana. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, the name of the school refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Saint Mary's offers five bachelor's degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Additionally, Saint Mary's College offers two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a doctorate. All programs that fall under the graduate degrees are co-educational.

History

In 1843, four Sisters of the Holy Cross came from Le Mans, France, to share in the apostolate of education with the priests and brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross, who had been sent by the bishop of Vincennes, Indiana to open a college in northern Indiana. In 1844, the sisters opened their first school in Bertrand, Michigan, about six miles from Notre Dame; it was a boarding academy with pre-collegiate grades. In 1855 the school moved to its present site. The main building and a former blacksmith shop used as a office were drawn by oxen to the new location.
Ellen Ewing Sherman, wife of General William Tecumseh Sherman was a cousin of Mother Angela Gillespie, directress of Saint Mary's Academy. In 1864, Ellen took up temporary residence in South Bend, Indiana, to have her young family educated at the University of Notre Dame and St. Mary's. At the age of fifteen, Mary Ellen Quinlan, who later became the mother of playwright Eugene O'Neill, attended Saint Mary's Academy and graduated with honors in music, playing Chopin's Polonaise for piano, op. 22, at the commencement.
Saint Mary's College eventually grew from the Academy. A typewriting course was introduced in 1886; students practiced on Remington typewriters. In 1915 a course in auto mechanics was offered in hopes that students would become "intelligent" drivers. It was taught by Miss Mary Callahan, who had taken a course at a Studebaker plant in Detroit, and John Seibert, the college chauffeur. Studebaker executive A.R. Erskine donated a vehicle for hands-on instruction.
In 1945 Saint Mary's Academy moved to the former Erskine estate on the south side of South Bend. Saint Mary's College is located across the street from the University of Notre Dame. Saint Mary's was the first women's college in the Great Lakes region.
Today the school offers five bachelor's degrees and, beginning in 2015, four master's degrees. There are approximately 120,000 living alumnae. Proposals to merge with University of Notre Dame in the early 1970s were rejected by Saint Mary's College, and Notre Dame became coeducational on its own in 1972. The College resides within the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.

Presidents

The Saint Mary's College Women's Choir, a select 40-voice ensemble under the direction of Nancy Menk, regularly commissions and performs new works for women's voices. In February 2005, the Choir appeared before the national convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Los Angeles, performing in the Wilshire Christian Church and the new Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Choir tours nationally every other year, and regularly performs with the University of Notre Dame Glee Club in joint performances of major works with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. In March 2011, the choir traveled to China to sing at colleges and universities in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Suzhou. They have appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall in 1999 and 2001, and returned there in November 2005 to perform music by Gwyneth Walker for women's voices and orchestra. The Women's Choir has recorded four compact discs on the ProOrgano label: Ave, Ave!, recorded in 1997, Amazing Day!, recorded in 2002, Anima Mea!, recorded in 2004 and Across the Bar, recorded in 2007.

Athletics

The college, a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III school, and a member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, sponsors eight varsity teams: tennis, volleyball, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, golf, softball and cross-country.
Saint Mary's women also may participate in the intramural program and/or clubs in a variety of sports. Its club sports program offers recreational opportunities through competition and instruction. The clubs are open to all Saint Mary's students, although membership requirements vary with each club. Many offerings are coeducational with the University of Notre Dame. Saint Mary's sponsored clubs are cheerleading, dance, and volleyball teams. Other clubs co-sponsored with the University of Notre Dame are equestrian, figure skating, gymnastics, skiing, water polo, field hockey, ice hockey, Ultimate, and cycling.
Angela Athletic Facility expands opportunities for campus-wide recreation activities. Indoor facilities include basketball/volleyball and racquetball courts, and a fitness center with treadmills, stairmasters, spin bikes, and many Cybex weight machines. Outdoor facilities include a new six-court outdoor tennis facility, softball and soccer fields, volleyball and basketball courts, areas for cross country skiing, and a beautiful nature trail for hiking or jogging.
The Saint Mary's College athletic mascots are the Belles. In 1975, Saint Mary's began to form intercollegiate varsity sports. They did not, however, begin 'playing' until 1977 when the tennis team played to an 8-1 NAIA match victory. It was there that the college competitors unveiled new team T-shirts with "Belles" emblazoned across the front.

Campus and buildings

The campus features buildings in a variety of architectural styles and periods. Highlights include the Le Mans and Holy Cross Halls. Dedicated in 1926, Le Mans Hall is the second oldest building on campus and serves as the administration building and a residence hall. Holy Cross Hall, also a residence hall, was dedicated in 1906 and is the oldest building on campus.

Academic and administrative facilities

Angela Athletic Facility

The recreation and athletic facility houses tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts in a gym area with seating for 2,000. Racquetball courts and space for gymnastics and for fencing are adjacent to the main gym. Architect Helmut Jahn designed the building. The building was dedicated in 1977 and is named for Mother Angela Gillespie, CSC, the first American to head Saint Mary's Academy, which became Saint Mary's College. Mother Angela oversaw the school moving from Bertrand Township, Michigan, to its present location in 1855. She was not a president of Saint Mary's College. Side note: There was an Angela Hall on campus that was used as the athletic facility as well as for plays, commencement and other activities. It was dedicated in May 1892 and razed in 1975.

Cushwa-Leighton Library

Designed by noted Indianapolis architect Evans Woollen III, the principal and founder of Woollen, Molzan and Partners, the two-story, rectangular-shaped library was one of the five winners of the AIA/ALA Library Building Award for 1983. The facility was designed to fit the specific setting and serves as the closing element to a secondary quadrangle of the college campus. Its modern design borrows shapes and colors from the surrounding buildings and includes a contemporary treatment of a Gothic building with a steeply-sloped roof, gables, a tower, dormers, and brick exterior. The periodical room is the library's most prominent space. Study areas of various sizes are built around the interior perimeter; the library stacks are placed at the building's core. The library also includes a decorative tower that functions as a secondary building and houses offices, meetings rooms, a staff lounge, and storage space. The library has a seating capacity of 540 and provides access to more than 268,000 books and audiovisual materials and more than 900 current print periodical subscriptions. The library also subscribes to more than 200 electronic periodical titles and numerous electronic indexes to journal articles. Dedicated in 1982, the building is named for Margaret Hall Cushwa and Mary Lou Morris Leighton.

Haggar College Center

Originally dedicated in 1942 as Alumnae Centennial Library, the building was later the student center where the snack bar was located. The building now houses administrative offices and Information Technology. It is named in honor of the Haggar Foundation of Dallas, which provided the lead gift for the renovation to a student center in 1983. The Haggar family has strong ties to the college. Joseph M. Haggar Sr. and his Rose Haggar are parents and grandparents of several Saint Mary's alumnae.

Havican Hall

This is a former elementary school building on campus operated by Sisters of the Holy Cross, which was open between 1951 and 1970. It was called St. Mary's Campus School. It now houses the Department of Nursing and the Early Childhood Development Center. Named for Mother Rose Havican, who graduated from Saint Mary's in 1915. She was Superior General of the Congregation from 1943 to 1955.

Holy Cross Hall

This residence hall is the oldest college building on campus. It was dedicated in 1903 and is named for the congregation that founded Saint Mary's College. Both Holy Cross and Le Mans Halls were built under the leadership of Mother Pauline O'Neill, the first president of Saint Mary's College. Mother Pauline, known as "the builder," is also responsible for installing Lake Marian and erecting the stone front entrance to Saint Mary's College.

Le Mans Hall

Dedicated in 1926, Le Mans is the second oldest college building. Le Mans Hall is named for a city in northwest France where Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Holy Cross and the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Le Mans Hall is the administration building and a residence hall. Note that Le Mans is two words. Le Mans Tower is the bell tower at the center of Le Mans Hall. At the top of the tower sits a cross. Le Mans Tower is to Saint Mary's College what the Golden Dome is to the University of Notre Dame, a symbol of the institution. Commencement is held each May on Le Mans Green, the south lawn in front of Le Mans Hall.

Madeleva Hall

Originally constructed in 1966, Madeleva Hall underwent a substantial interior renovation that was completed in August 2009. The building currently houses the mathematics and education departments and has faculty offices, classrooms, an auditorium, and student gathering spaces. Arkos Design was the architect and interior designer for the renovation. The building is named for Sister M. Madeleva Wolff, CSC, president of Saint Mary's College from 1934 to 1961.

McCandless Hall

Residence hall dedicated in 1965 and named for Marion McCandless, Class of 1900. She was the first executive director of the Alumnae Association, from 1927 to 1955. She resided at Saint Mary's from 1927 until her death in 1972.

Noble Family Dining Hall

The Noble Family Dining Hall is located in the Student Center, though the dining hall was constructed before the rest of the center. The dining hall was named in 1997 in honor of Myron and Rosie Noble, parents of Wendy Noble Heidle '87 and Heidi Noble Drysdale '92. Myron Noble was a Saint Mary's College trustee from 1992 to 2004 and Myron and Rosie Noble were on the Parents Council from 1989 to 1992. The Noble Family Dining Hall was dedicated in 2003 and the Student Center was dedicated in 2005.

O'Laughlin Auditorium

O'Laughlin holds 1,300 people. It is the second largest venue in St. Joseph County. O'Laughlin is even larger than DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at the University of Notre Dame. It is named for Sister Francis Jerome, CSC. Sister Francis served Saint Mary's as vice president under Sister M. Madeleva Wolff, CSC, and was a professor of Greek and Latin. Her bequest of $500,000 was designated for the construction of a fine arts building.

Opus Hall

Opus is an apartment-style residence hall on campus for seniors only. Built in 2004, it can house up to 72 seniors. It is named for Opus Corporation, a Gerald Rauenhorst family enterprise. His daughter and granddaughter are alumnae of the college.

Regina Hall

Regina Hall was built on the site of the 1915 Astronomy Observatory, which had not been used to its fullest potential as students were not allowed out of the residence halls after dark. Regina was established in 1965 as a convent for the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. The building was leased to the college as a residence hall in 1969. The college purchased the building in 1994. It was almost all single rooms until the space was remodeled around 2001 to include single, double, and quad.

Riedinger House

Built in 1939 as a laboratory house for the Department of Home Economics. It now serves as a guest residence for alumnae/special College guests. Monsignor John J. McGrath, president of the college from 1968 to 1970, lived in the house when he was president. It was named for first mother-daughter legacy family: Adaline Crowley Riedinger, was the first alumna to send her daughter, Mary Adalaide Riedinger to Saint Mary's College.

Science Hall

Originally science classes were held in Academy Hall until Collegiate Hall was built in 1903. Science Hall was completed in 1955. Between 1985 and 1987, a $6.5 million transformation doubled the size of the structure. In the spring of 2010, the college announced receiving $9 million from philanthropists MaryAnn and Clay Mathile to fund a major renovation of Science Hall. It is the largest private gift in the college's history. Their daughter Jennifer Mathile Prikkel '95 donated an additional $1 million to the project, resulting in a combined gift of $10 million.

Spes Unica Hall

The building, which opened for classes in the fall of 2008, boasts a clean design and modern classroom, laboratory, and office spaces along with well-appointed common areas where students and faculty can gather. The hall houses 13 departments, the Career Crossing Office and the three Centers of Distinction: the Center for Academic Innovation, the Center for Spirituality and the Center for Women's Intercultural Leadership. Ballinger Architects of Philadelphia and Architecture Design Group of South Bend designed the building, and construction began in the fall of 2006.

Notable faculty