St. Edward's University
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St. Edward's University is a small, private Roman Catholic institution of higher learning located south of Town Lake in Austin, Texas. The university is known for offering a quality liberal arts education and for its picturesque campus situated on a hill overlooking the city of Austin. The campus's most notable landmark is the recognizable Main Building.
History
The school was founded by the Rev. Edward Sorin, CSC , Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross, who also founded the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Father Sorin established the institution on farmland south of Austin in 1878 and named it St. Edward's Academy in honor of his patron saint, Edward the Confessor and King. It is affiliated with the Congregation of the Holy Cross.In 1885, the president, Rev. P.J. Franciscus, strengthened the prestige of the Academy by securing a charter, changing its name to St. Edward's College, assembling a faculty, and increasing enrollment. Subsequently, St. Edward's began to grow, and the first school newspaper, the organization of baseball and football teams, and approval to erect an administration building all followed. Well-known architect Nicholas J. Clayton of Galveston, Texas was commissioned to design the College's Main Building. The structure was built four-stories tall in the Gothic Revival style and was constructed with local white limestone.
In the spring of 1903, a mysterious fire destroyed the majority of the Main Building, but it was restored by the fall. In 1922, the Main Building sustained damage from a tornado that caused significant damage all over the campus.
In 1925, St. Edward's received its university charter. Most of the personnel at the time were Holy Cross priests. Women arrived at St. Edward's in 1966 as students for Maryhill College, a coordinate institution. By 1970, Maryhill was absorbed and St. Edward's became co-educational.
By 1971, the university carried bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration. Also added were the College Assistance Migrant Program (1972); a professionally oriented theatre arts curriculum (1972); an innovative degree program for adults called New College (1974); and Freshman Studies (1975).
In 1984, Dr. Patricia Hayes became the first woman and only the second layperson to lead St. Edward's University. In 1990, enrollment reached 3,000 for the first time. This decade also ushered in a revised undergraduate curriculum, and capital and technological improvements.
The campus is also host to alleged ghosts, and is second on the list of most haunted places in Texas.
Student body
Although nearly 88% of freshmen live in on-campus housing, St. Edward's is predominantly a commuter school, with only 39% of all undergraduates living on-campus.Academic programs
St. Edward's offers a wide variety of majors in twenty different departments. The school focuses on liberal arts, although most scientific and mathematic disciplines are offered as well. The curriculum focuses on ethics and critical thinking, with a series of "cultural foundation" courses required for undergraduates. Besides the undergraduate curriculum, St. Edward's offers graduate degrees and a special adult education program called the "New College".St. Edward's also boasts an impressive drama department, which features a U/RTA contract with the Actors' Equity Association, allowing students who successfully complete the requirements of a Membership Candidate Program to become eligible to join Actors' Equity Association. St. Edward's is the only undergraduate theatre program in the country with this affiliation. In 2005, actor Ed Begley Jr. brought his play, César & Ruben to St. Edward's University for its Texas premiere.
Athletics
The University is a member of the NCAA and competes under Division II in Men's Baseball, Women's Softball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Cross-country, Golf and Soccer. St. Edward's also offers various intramural and club sports. St. Edward's sports teams and mascot are the Hilltoppers.It is a founding member of the Heartland Conference.
The Dallas Cowboys football team has used the campus for pre-season training.
Notable alumni
- John H. Bauer - executive vice president of Nintendo of America Inc.
- Russell Byrd - video game designer for Iguana Entertainment, co-founder of Inevitable Entertainment
- John Carlsen - video game tools engineer for Iguana Entertainment, founder of Syncopated Software
- Tim Russ - actor, Security Chief Tuvok on
- Silvestre Revueltas - Mexican composer, attended in 1917 and 1918.
External links
- [St. Edward's University]
- [http://www.stedwards.edu/stufinan/index.htm St. Edward's University Financial Services
- [St. Edward's University] from the Handbook of Texas Online
- [Maps and aerial photos]
- * Street map from [Google Maps] or [Yahoo! Maps]
- * Topographic map from [TopoZone]
- * Aerial image or topographic map from [TerraServer-USA]
- * Satellite image from [Google Maps] or [Microsoft Virtual Earth]
Gallery
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