College of Saint Mary history

The College of Saint Mary of the Springs formally opened in 1924, as a Catholic women's college in Columbus, Ohio.

In 1927, their efforts were rewarded when St Mary’s became Maryland’s first junior college, affording students the unique opportunity to complete four years of high school and two years of college at the same institution.

The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, an international Catholic teaching order founded in France in 1680 by Saint John Baptist de La Salle, purchased Saint Mary’s College from the Diocese of Winona in 1933.

Enrollment increased with World War II's conclusion in 1945, and the College of Saint Mary of the Springs's students became much more active in community service projects.

In 1947, the Maryland Commission on Higher Education slated St Mary’s Female Seminary-Junior College for dissolution although it was fully accredited and had begun admitting male students.

In November 1950, the sisters purchased 80 acres (320,000 m) of land for $150,000 next to a dirt road named 72nd Street and what would become Mercy Road.

A decision to become a coeducational institution in 1969, starting with a very small class of women; subsequently to the achievement of a complete balanced mix of genders within the student body;

Meeting New Educational Goals In 1984, Saint Mary’s expanded its offerings to meet a more diverse population with new educational goals.

In 1995, Saint Mary’s College was renamed Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.