Morris College history

In 1915, the Bachelor of Arts degree was conferred on the first two graduates.

Robert Morris University traces its history to 1921, when it opened its doors as the Pittsburgh School of Accountancy.

In 1935 the school took the name of Robert Morris, the Founding Father and Pennsylvanian known as the “Financier of the American Revolution.”

In September 1960 the University of Minnesota Morris opened its doors and began fulfilling its institutional vision to be an affordable, undergraduate, intentionally small, residential, public liberal arts college.

On August 14, 1961 the word “Negro” was removed from the school’s charter, thus opening enrollment to all ethnicities.

The college first opened its doors to students in 1968 after Henderson Hall, the first building on campus, was completed.

In the seventieth year of its history, on December 13, 1978, Morris College achieved the goal of full accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

In 1982, Morris was the 42nd historically black college or university (HBCU) to become a member of the United Negro College Fund.

After two decades of leadership, President Masten retired in 1986 and Doctor Edward J. Yaw became the second president of CCM. Under his leadership, the college continued to grow.

Expansion of the campus continued in 1994 with the construction of two additions that joined the three academic buildings.

In 2004, the college broke ground for the renovation and expansion of the Student Community Center.

By the Fall 2005 Semester, the building was open for students to enjoy.

Also in 2012, the college purchased a one-story commercial building on Route 10 in Randolph as its first major expansion in nearly four decades.

In 2015, the Media Center, located within the LRC, was renovated and renamed in honor of late Assemblyman Alex DeCroce.

In early 2016, the college opened its Music Technology Center, a state-of-the-art facility that houses the digital media technology, drama, media technology, music and music recording academic programs.

In 2017, the college became the first community college in New Jersey to gain designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.

Also in 2018, the college developed two new academic programs in animation and virtual reality to meet the demand for employees in these rapidly growing areas.