College of Mount Saint Vincent history

In 1859, the Academy and the Motherhouse moved to Riverdale, N.Y., establishing the Mount Saint Vincent campus overlooking the Hudson River.

The Indian Residential School system was established in 1867 with the goal of assimilating Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian society through its church-run, government-funded institutions.

Established in 1873 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, Halifax (as the order was known at the time), Mount Saint Vincent was one of the few institutions of higher education for women and girls in Canada at a time when women could not vote.

In 1911, the Academy’s charter was amended to change its name to the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

By 1912, the Sisters recognized the need to offer greater opportunity through university education and adopted a plan to establish a college for young women.

The first class graduated with the bachelor’s degree in 1914.

The Alumni Association, which was founded in 1921, assists in working towards the mission and objectives of Mount Saint Vincent University.

In 1943, the college began working in conjunction with St Vincent's Hospital in New York City to provide a nursing education program for its students.

Also in 1964, the Mount granted its first degrees in Fine Arts.

In 1967, MSVU began admitting men as students.

In 1974, the College of Mount Saint Vincent became a co-educational institution, as it began admitting men.

The Mount began offering a new baccalaureate nursing program in 1975.

In 1976, the College Emeritus program was started to provide courses for mature students.

In 1988, almost 80 years after the college first amended its charter to confer Master of Science degrees.

At the end of the decade, in 1989, the honors program was established.

From its establishment until the closure of the last federally-run school in 1996, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were placed in residential schools across Canada.