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Merrimack College
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Merrimack College is a college located in North Andover, Massachusetts.
North American foundation of the order was founded in 1796 when Irish friars arrived in Philadelphia. Michael Hurley was the first American to join the Order the following year. Friars established schools, including universities throughout the Americas, including the only two Augustinian institutions of higher learning in the U.S.
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Merrimack College is a college located in North Andover, Massachusetts.
The Augustinians in North America
The North American foundation of the order was founded in 1796 when Irish friars arrived in Philadelphia. Michael Hurley was the first American to join the Order the following year. Friars established schools, including universities throughout the Americas, including the only two Augustinian institutions of higher learning in the U.S. Villanova University in Villanova, PA and Merrimack College in North Andover, MA. High Schools were also founded in the U.S. including: Austin Preparatory School|Reading MA, Malvern Preparatory School Malvern PA in 1842, St. Rita of Cascia High School in Chicago, IL by 1909, St. Augustine High School San Diego, CA in 1922, Villanova Preparatory School Ojai, CA in 1925;Cascia Hall Preparatory School Tulsa, OK in 1926;Monsignor Bonner High School Pennsylvania in 1953; St. Augustine College Preparatory School New Jersey in 1959 and in 1962 Providence Catholic High School in Illinois.
The educational and spiritual traditions of the Order of Saint Augustine (1244 CE) enrich each of the academic communities.
History
Merrimack College was founded in 1947 in North Andover, Massachusetts, by the Order of St. Augustine O.S.A.
The Augustinians, at the invitation of Richard Cushing, then Archbishop of Boston, established the College as a direct response to the needs and aspirations of local G.I.'s returning home from World War II.
Merrimack College is a tribute to the man who, more than anyone else, made it all possible, the Reverend Vincent A. McQuade. A native Lawrencian, Reverend McQuade, led the College to eventually become a showcase of the Merrimack Valley, approximately north of Boston.
Since that time, the now Merrimack College has graduated nearly 22,000 students; has grown to nearly 40 buildings including a 125,000-volume library; four classroom buildings; including the state-of-the-art Gregor Johann Mendel, O.S.A., Science, Engineering and Technology Center; the , state-of-the-art Sakowich Campus Center which opened in 2001; the Rogers Center for the Arts; the S. Peter Volpe Athletic Center; Austin Hall, which houses administrative offices; the Collegiate Church of Christ the Teacher; the college's newest residence building, Santagati Hall, named in honor of Merrimack's former president; student apartment buildings, townhouses and residence halls; the Louis H. Hamel Infirmary and the Hennigan Center in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Students at Merrimack College now come from all across the United States and around the globe.
Mission
Merrimack College, a small,comprehensive, modern Catholic center of higher learning in the Northeast, reflects in its policies the teaching traditions of the founding Order of St. Augustine: to provide, in a Christian, values-sensitive environment, the opportunity for its students to develop a mature intellectual, cultural, social, emotional, and moral awareness; to combine professional training of high-quality with a commitment to an integrated liberal arts component in all courses of study; to act as a major educational resource for individuals and for the Merrimack Valley community.
Overview
Merrimack College is a small private, liberal arts, Catholic college in North Andover, Massachusetts, located on Route 114. It was founded in 1947 by Augustinians. Approximately 2,000 students from more than 26 states and 17 countries are enrolled at Merrimack, approximately 80% of whom reside on campus. The vast majority of the student body hails from the New England states. The college has a number of ongoing programs to increase enrollment of students of color, which is currently at 10%.
Merrimack has been listed as one of 369 of the most interesting schools in the country in the Newsweek/Kaplan America’s Hottest Colleges 2007 guide. Also, The Princeton Review recognized Merrimack as one of 222 of the best schools in the Northeast. Both publications made note of Merrimack’s academic strengths, student body, and specialty programs.
Merrimack College boasts over 30 majors, including new programs in biotechnology, dancing, criminology, sports management and a new honors program.
The construction of Deegan and Santagati halls brought the percentage of resident students to 80%.
Activities are within walking distance. Though downtown Andover is roughly fifteen minutes away by foot, the majority of students simply drive or get a ride elsewhere to perform errands. There are currently three sororities, Alpha Sigma Tau, Theta Phi Alpha, and Zeta Tau Alpha, and three fraternities, Phi Kappa Theta, Tau Kappa Epsilon, and Theta Delta Chi.
The Merrimack Beacon, founded in 2002, functions as Merrimack's student-run news source. Prior to the Merrimack Beacon, the student-run newspaper was known as The Merrimack Argus. Its web site is located here The school's yearbook is called the Merrimackan.
Academics
The pedagogical emphasis on active learning at Merrimack involves students and faculty in intensive interaction to build understanding through conversation and dialogue on civilizational issues. Through active learning, students also develop critical skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking, thinking, judgment, research, mathematics, and computing -- the tools of conversation and inquiry. With this preparation and background, students will be well prepared for the 21st century, when individuals will need a broad range of knowledge and skills to succeed. They will have the tools to meet new situations, to bring coherence and insight to chaotic and diverse events, and to engage others in dialogue to further enhance their communities and lives together.
Athletics
Merrimack offers 160 varsity sports for men and women. The only NCAA Division I sport at Merrimack is men's ice hockey. The Warriors participate in the highly competitive Hockey East conference. NCAA Division II sports include men's and women's soccer, lacrosse, and basketball. There is also men's American football and baseball, men's and women's tennis, field hockey and volleyball. Highlights of Merrimack athletic history include the 1978 men's hockey team Division II national championship, and the 1994 women's softball team Division II national championship. In 2006, Merrimack football became Northeast 10 Co-Champions and received their first NCAA Division II playoff bid to go on to win their first NCAA playoff game. Merrimack College has started a rugby program in the 2007 season, and is now a full-time squad in the New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU) and in USA Rugby.
The College’s combination of academic and athletic success has garnered Merrimack the #3 ranking in the country among NCAA Division II schools in the Top 100 Collegiate Power Rankings that are published by the National College Scouting Association. In addition, Merrimack finished 95th in the overall NCSA Power Rankings across all three NCAA divisions.
Merrimack's teams are known as the "Warriors". The symbol, or mascot, was formerly a Native American warrior; the use of this mascot was criticized by members of the college community as being disrespectful, or insufficiently sensitive to Native American culture. Following a contentious debate among students, alumni, faculty, and the college administration, the mascot was changed to an Ancient Greek warrior, modeled after a Spartan. The teams play at the on-campus Volpe Center, which has a hockey arena and basketball arena.
Notable alumni
- Greg Classen, NHL Hockey player for the Nashville Predators (2000-2003)
- Christopher G. Fallon, (B.S. 1975), member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 1996 - present)
- John Jakopin, NHL Hockey player for the Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins & San Jose Sharks (1997-2003)
- Bill Burt, Sportswriter and radio personality
- David Habeeb, Gay rights activist
- Thomas J. Kinton Jr., CEO and Executive Director of Massachusetts Port Authority
- Mike Macklin, TV News Reporter and WHDH-7 Political Correspondent
- David J. McGillivray, President of DMSE,;Boston Marathon Race Director; author and motivational speaker
- Steve McKenna, NHL Hockey player for the LA Kings, Minnesota Wild, NY Rangers & Pittsburgh Penguins (1996-2004)
- James Murphy, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (2001 to present)
- Matt Foy, NHL Hockey player for the Minnesota Wild (Present)
- Charlie Day, Charlie Kelly from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- Adam Shepard, author, Scratch Beginnings
- Bob Unanue, CEO Goya Foods
- Anthony Lively, CFO Enterprise International
- Carl Yastrzemski, Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player, Played for the Red Sox. Received honorary degree, did not earn a B.S. '66
- Jim Hrivnak, NHL Player for the Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets and St Louis Blues (1989-1994).
- Mike McMahon, Sportswriter and television/radio personality.
- Chuck Dukas, Dancing with the Stars and The Price is Right
Points of interest
External links
- International Cooperative Web Site for Schools in the Tradition of St. Augustine
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