Ursuline College history

In 1874, six Ursulines formed the foundation in Youngstown.

Over the institution's first several decades, Cleveland experienced tremendous growth, causing the school to relocate to a less commercial portion of the city in 1893.

The school in Westgate-on-Sea was established in 1904 when a group of Ursuline Sisters fled Boulogne-sur-Mer with a number of their pupils.

In 1922, the college relocated to University Circle in eastern Cleveland, where thirty students enrolled in the first year.

In 1926, Western Reserve University acquired the building that housed Ursuline College for Women, and the women's college relocated to Cleveland Heights.

In 1941, after those schools closed, Villa Angela Academy continued as an all-girls secondary school.

In 1946, at the invitation of then-Archbishop Richard Cushing, a group of Ursuline Sisters returned to Boston to open Ursuline Academy on Arlington Street to 45 students.

Since the first class graduated from the school on Arlington Street in Boston in 1947, Ursuline Academy has embodied the mission and vision of the Ursuline Order and the inspiration of St Angela Merici.

In 1957, The Ursuline Order acquired a 28-acre estate in Dedham, Massachusetts; a site which has since been continually upgraded and further developed.

In 1968, the College was separately incorporated as an independent, non-profit organization with the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland continuing to serve as the institution's religious sponsor.

In January, 1969, the Board of Trustees for the College was formed.

A new open-space concept school building opened in 1972.

In 1975 St John College's nursing program was transferred to Ursuline, where it has become Ohio's oldest and largest private nursing program.

In 1982, Ursuline College began offering graduate programs with the inauguration of a Master of Arts in Educational Administration.

In 1990 the college established the first liberal arts core curriculum in the United States based on the ways in which women learn.

In 1995, following the sudden closure of the neighbouring St Augustine’s College (a Catholic independent day and boarding school for boys), the school became coeducational.

In 1997 Ursuline College began offering an accelerated nursing degree program for working adults (UCAP). Ursuline College also has accelerated degree programs for students who already have an RN, or a bachelor's degree in something other than nursing, but are interested in earning a BSN degree.

The murders inspired the Ursulines’ 1999 corporate stance calling for the closing of the United States Army School of the Americas that trained officers who ordered the killings.

Ursuline sponsorship was formalized in 2006.

Saint Angela Center was opened to meet health care needs of elderly and infirm sisters; it was granted licensure by the State of Ohio in 2007.

Ursuline missionary service continued uninterrupted through 2014, with the tenures of 14 sisters.

In 2015 two new buildings were opened: the Parker Hannifin Center for Creative & Healing Arts and the Sister Diana Stano Athletic Center.