Mercyhurst University history

The college received its charter on October 5, 1928, after Mother Egan convinced the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that the Sisters of Mercy were a living endowment for the college and worth just as much as a monetary endowment.

With the addition of the college gates in 1950, the Mercyhurst campus became a city landmark.

In 1963, the college prep department separated to form Mercyhurst Preparatory School, which is located behind the university.

On February 3, 1969, the board of trustees voted to make Mercyhurst a coed college.

Mercyhurst opened its first graduate program (administration of justice) in 1978, and today offers dozens of options for master's degrees and graduate certificates.

In addition to pace-setting growth on the main campus, in 1991, Mercyhurst purchased the 100-year-old Redemptorist Seminary in nearby North East.

The Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center opened in February 1996.

Then, in fall 2002, the $7.5 million Audrey Hirt Academic Center opened on the southeast edge of campus, a building funded largely through the college's $22.8 million capital campaign.

Established in 2003, the Mercyhurst University Public History Program admits approximately 4-5 students every fall.

On October 10, 2004, the Erie Times-News published a story stating that former president Doctor William Garvey molested grade school boys while serving as a basketball coach at St John the Baptist Catholic Church in Erie.

In August 2005, the $5 million Michele and Tom Ridge Health and Safety Building was dedicated at Mercyhurst North East.

Victor had served as president of Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, since 2006.

Opened in September 2012 is the Center for Academic Engagement, a four-story, 31,000-square-foot (2,900 m) building that will be set into the rolling hill north of Hammermill Library and feature a skywalk over East Main Drive to connect the two facilities.

The Board of Trustees of Mercyhurst University appointed Michael T. Victor, J.D., LL.D., as the 12th president of Mercyhurst University on May 19, 2015.

On August 16, 2018, Mercyhurst University opened a $25 million residence hall.

Kathleen A. Getz, Ph.D., took office in July 2021 as Mercyhurst’s 13th president and the first woman to hold that role in more than 50 years.