Saint Francis University
Type | Private, Catholic |
---|---|
Established | 1847 |
Endowment | $34.1 million[1] |
President | Father Gabriel Zeis, TOR |
Academic staff | 241 |
Undergraduates | 1,832 |
Postgraduates | 617 |
Location | |
Campus | Rural, 600 acres (243 ha) |
Athletics | 22 teams |
Colors | Red and White |
Nickname | Red Flash |
Website | francis.edu |
Saint Francis University is a four-year, coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Loretto, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1847 and conducted under the tradition of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular. The university is situated on 600 acres (243 ha) in the forests and farmland of Loretto.
Overview
Located in Loretto, Pennsylvania, Saint Francis University enrolls approximately 1,832 undergraduate students, of which 40.7% are male and 59.3% female; and 617 graduate students.[2] The university offers 25 undergraduate and 7 graduate majors to its students including a Doctor of Physical Therapy.[3] The university maintains an average graduation rate of 69.9%.[2] Saint Francis University has 22 men's and women's sports teams and competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level.
The current president of the university is Fr. Gabriel Zeis, TOR.
Mount Assisi Friary, which is the former mansion of industrialist Charles M. Schwab, is on the grounds of Saint Francis University.
Also contained in the grounds is the main building for the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art which has a number of smaller facilities across the local region.
Immergrün Golf Course is a semi-private 9-hole regulation length 3,234 yards par 36 course on rye grass located on the campus of Saint Francis University at 105 Saint Elizabeth Street, Loretto, PA 15940. Telephone 814-471-9650. Immergrün has never been altered since it was built by Donald Ross for Charles M. Schwab in 1917.[4]
Also on the campus are The DiSepio Institute for Rural Health and Wellness[5], the Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas (CERMUSA) a research and applied technology center.[6], and The Institute for Contemporary Franciscan Life. [7]
Academics
Saint Francis University is consistently ranked among the top private universities within the state of Pennsylvania. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Saint Francis University the "51st Best University in the Mid-Atlantic states to gain a Masters Degree as well as "The 46th Best University in the North (Tier 1)". The most notable Masters Degree programs are the Masters of Business Administration (MBA)and the Masters of Physician Assistant Sciences program which is consistently ranked among the top 3% in the nation. In addition to these rankings, Saint Francis University released statistics that show 98% of graduates of the university start graduate school or a job within nine months of graduation.
The average student attending Saint Francis University is ranked within the top 20% of his/her graduating class upon freshman orientation.
Saint Francis University also runs a campus at Ambialet, France.[8]
History
Saint Francis College was established in 1847 by six Franciscan Friars from Ireland who were given land in Loretto by Bishop Michael O'Connor to establish a school.[3] The University was one of the first Catholic Universities in the United States and the first Franciscan college in the nation. Although it originally only admitted males, it became one of the first Catholic Universities to become co-educational. Loretto is the site of the first English-language Roman Catholic Church settlement established west of the Allegheny Front, in what is now the United States, by Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin in 1799.
In 2001, Saint Francis College was accredited with university status and renamed to Saint Francis University.
Athletics
Athletically, Saint Francis competes in the NCAA's Northeast Conference. Their nickname is the Red Flash. The University has a total of 22 varsity sports teams, with nine men's teams and 13 women's programs all competing in NCAA Division I. Men's sports include basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, and track & field competing in the Northeast Conference and volleyball, which competes in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA); while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball which compete in the Northeast Conference and field hockey which competes in the Atlantic 10 (A-10) Conference. In addition to this, there are also two club sport teams, ice hockey and baseball.
Notable alumni
- Tony Bova (1917-1973) – Pittsburgh Steelers 1942–1947. 1943 1st in National Football League in yards per catch
- Jeff Bower - Former general manager of New Orleans Hornets, head coach of Marist College men's basketball team[9]
- Captain Paul Boyton (1848-1924) known as the Fearless Frogman, author, inventor, and a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He crossed the English channel in 24 hours (1875). Boyton opened the first "permanent" amusement park in Chicago in 1894, Sea Lion Park on Coney Island, New York in 1895, and Chutes Park in San Francisco, California in 1895.
- Robert Conway – Vice Admiral United States Navy
- Dominic Joseph Mike Ryba (1903-1971) – Known as the "One Man Team". He was a right-hander and played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1935–1938) and Boston Red Sox (1941–1946). He pitched in the 1946 World Series.[10]
- Calvin Fowler (1940-2013) – 1968 Olympic Gold Medal as co-captain Men's Basketball, ABA professional basketball player.
- James P. Gallagher - Former president of Philadelphia University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- John Handrigan, Professional Golfer, semi pro hockey player
- Ashley Harlan, current wife of Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
- Mike Iuzzolino - Former basketball player, played in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks in 1991-1993.
- Fred R. Klenner (1907-1984) - Author and ground breaking medical researcher in Vitamin C studies. Received both BS and MS in biology from Saint Francis University.
- John Michael Kudrick is an Eastern Catholic prelate and the current bishop of Parma for the Byzantines.
- Scott Layden – Former president and general manager of the New York Knicks NBA basketball team and former general manager of the Utah Jazz.[11]
- David Magarity- Head Women's basketball coach of U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Former Head Men's Basketball Coach at St.Francis and Marist
- Brennan Manning (christened Richard Francis Xavier Manning) – Popular Christian author (e. g., The Ragamuffin Gospel), friar, priest, contemplative, and powerful speaker.
- John McCarthy (1916-1998), College football All-American in 1941 at Saint Francis University and former starting quarterback in National Football League.
- Thomas J. Meredith – Dell CFO, Motorola Executive Vice President and CFO, Sun Microsystems Vice President and Treasurer.
- Bob Moore- Former Director of Media Relations for NFL Kansas City Chiefs. Current Team Historian.
- John Naioti (1921-1990) - Pittsburgh Steelers 1942 and 1945 National Football League
- Steve Oroho - is an American Republican Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey Senate since January 8, 2008, where he represents the 24th Legislative District.
- Tadeusz Piotrowski - Author and Sciologist
- Teresa S. Polley – President and Chief Operating Officer of the Financial Accounting Foundation, the organization responsible for the oversight, administration and finances of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), and their Advisory Councils.
- Kevin Porter – Former American professional basketball player, held the record for the most assists in one game with 29 assists.
- Charles M. Schwab (1862-1939) – Steel Industrialist - In 2011 Schwab was inducted into the inaugural class of the American Metal Market Steel Hall of Fame <http://www.amm.com/HOF-Profile/CharlesSchwab.html> for his lifelong work in the US steel industry.
- Brian Sell – Distance runner and member of the USA 2008 Olympic men's marathon team.[12]
- Kent John Chabotar is a professor of political science and the current president of Guilford College.
- Maurice Stokes (1933-1970) – Professional Basketball player (Basketball Hall of Fame)
- Thomas Joseph Tobin current Bishop of Providence
- Norm Van Lier (1947-2009) – "Stormin' Norman" NBA Basketball player for Chicago Bulls
- Russell Zguta - Author and professor of Eastern Slavic culture
See also
References
- ^ As of June 30, 2011. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2011 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2010 to FY 2011" (PDF). 2011 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ a b Saint Francis University Fast Facts
- ^ a b History of Saint Francis University
- ^ http://www.immergrungolfclub.com/
- ^ http://www.francis.edu/DiSepioInstitute.htm?ekmensel=c580fa7b_18_0_10778_6
- ^ http://www.cermusa.francis.edu/default.asp
- ^ http://francis.edu/institute-for-contemporary-franciscan-life/
- ^ http://francis.edu/semester-in-france/
- ^ "Marist Names Jeff Bower Head Men's Basketball Coach". Press Release. Marist Athletics. 4/10/2013.
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(help) - ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rybami01.shtml?redir
- ^ NBA.com Scott Layden
- ^ http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Sell_Brian.asp
External links
- Saint Francis University
- Universities and colleges in Pennsylvania
- Educational institutions established in 1847
- Roman Catholic Universities and colleges in Pennsylvania
- Franciscan universities and colleges
- Council of Independent Colleges
- National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities members
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- Universities and colleges in Cambria County, Pennsylvania