Nazareth College (Michigan)
Encyclopedia
Nazareth College was a Catholic
college in Kalamazoo, Michigan
that operated from 1924 until 1992.
O’Brien announced the formation of the O’Brien scholarship and the opening of Nazareth College. In 1914, Margaret Packard became the first recipient of the O’Brien scholarship and Nazareth’s first graduate in 1918 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Sister
Mary Celestine Connors served as Acting Dean of the college from 1918–1932 when she became the college’s first President, a post she held until 1938.
by the State of Michigan as a four year liberal arts
college
.
Joseph Albers of the Lansing Diocese. Also in 1959, construction began on Connors Hall. Originally named Immaculata Hall, it was renamed in honor of Sister Mary Celestine Connors. In 1962, the Administration building was begun closely followed by Dooley Hall in 1963. Dooley Hall was initially called Madonna Hall
. The name change was to honor Dr. Thomas Dooley. He served in Laos
during the Vietnam War
and later returned to help the people there. He posthumously received a Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work in that country. Work on Dillon Hall and the library was completed in 1967.
The next major addition to the physical campus
was the completion of the Athletic Center in 1989, though it was never truly finished. This provided the students with a much needed outlet for physical fitness and activities as well as contributing to the college sponsored varsity sports for men in soccer, basketball and baseball; and for women in volleyball
, basketball
and softball
. It surely also contributed to the victory of the women’s volleyball team in 1991 at nationals
.
in Centerville
, Lake Michigan College
in Benton Harbor, and Kellogg Community College
in Battle Creek.
studies, biology
, business administration, computer
information management
, elementary education, English
, fine arts, fine arts management
, human services
, learning disabilities, liberal studies, medical technology
, natural science
, nursing
, pharmaceutical and medical services representative, pre-medical
pre-dental
and pre-veterinary, secondary education
, social psychology
, and social work
.
Department. Borgess Medical Center purchased the athletic center and has converted it into Borgess Health and Fitness Center. Unfortunately a purpose for the administration building and the library could not be found and they were torn down in 1995 and 1996, respectively.
The college seal, that was inlaid in the main floor of the administration building, was saved and is now on display on the grounds of former campus. It is located on the west side of the main entrance road to Nazareth, close to where the administration building was.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
college in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
that operated from 1924 until 1992.
Origins
Nazareth Academy opened in 1897 and based on the charter that was issued, it provided for the future extension of the school to the collegiate level. On May 7, 1913, MonsignorMonsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
O’Brien announced the formation of the O’Brien scholarship and the opening of Nazareth College. In 1914, Margaret Packard became the first recipient of the O’Brien scholarship and Nazareth’s first graduate in 1918 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Sister
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
Mary Celestine Connors served as Acting Dean of the college from 1918–1932 when she became the college’s first President, a post she held until 1938.
Chartering
Under the auspices of the Most Reverend Michael James Gallagher, Bishop of Detroit, Nazareth College was chartered in 1924 at Nazareth, Michigan by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Nazareth. At that time the college was granted its Articles of IncorporationArticles of Incorporation
The Articles of Incorporation are the primary rules governing the management of a corporation in the United States and Canada, and are filed with a state or other regulatory agency.An equivalent term for LLCs in the United States is the Articles of Organization...
by the State of Michigan as a four year liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
.
Construction
A seven million dollar campus construction project was begun in the 1950s. In 1959, groundbreaking began on Albers Hall, named after BishopBishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Joseph Albers of the Lansing Diocese. Also in 1959, construction began on Connors Hall. Originally named Immaculata Hall, it was renamed in honor of Sister Mary Celestine Connors. In 1962, the Administration building was begun closely followed by Dooley Hall in 1963. Dooley Hall was initially called Madonna Hall
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
. The name change was to honor Dr. Thomas Dooley. He served in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and later returned to help the people there. He posthumously received a Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work in that country. Work on Dillon Hall and the library was completed in 1967.
The next major addition to the physical campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
was the completion of the Athletic Center in 1989, though it was never truly finished. This provided the students with a much needed outlet for physical fitness and activities as well as contributing to the college sponsored varsity sports for men in soccer, basketball and baseball; and for women in volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
. It surely also contributed to the victory of the women’s volleyball team in 1991 at nationals
Nationals
Nationals may refer to:* Washington Nationals, a major league baseball team in Washington, DC* Potomac Nationals, a minor league baseball team in Woodbridge, VA* Syracuse Nationals, a 1939-1963 professional basketball team...
.
Change in admissions
In 1971 the decision was made to admit men to the college, thus changing the campus culture forever. By the late 1980s, twenty-three undergraduate majors and two graduate programs were being offered. Nazareth College was also noted for its night and weekend classes designed to meet the needs working adult students. Off-campus programs were located at Glen Oaks Community CollegeGlen Oaks Community College
Glen Oaks Community College is a community college located in the village of Centreville, Michigan, USA in Saint Joseph County.-History:In 1965, Nora Hagen donated a considerable amount of land in Sherman Township to Glen Oaks and, soon after, Glen Oaks was approved by the state as a credible...
in Centerville
Centerville Township, Michigan
Centerville Township is a civil township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,095 at the 2000 census.- Communities and landmarks :...
, Lake Michigan College
Lake Michigan College
Lake Michigan College is a regional two-year community college located in Berrien County, Michigan. The main campus is located in Benton Township, Michigan, on US-31/Napier Avenue, and regional campuses are located in Benton Harbor, Bertrand Crossing , and South Haven. The main campus is bordered...
in Benton Harbor, and Kellogg Community College
Kellogg Community College
Kellogg Community College , is a public college, which was founded in 1956, is a two-year institution of higher learning which provides academic, occupational, general, and lifelong learning opportunities on campus in Battle Creek, Michigan, as well as at off-campus sites and online. The college...
in Battle Creek.
Degree offerings
In 1987 it offered bachelor degree programs in: accounting, AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
studies, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, business administration, computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
information management
Information management
Information management is the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information...
, elementary education, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, fine arts, fine arts management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, human services
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
, learning disabilities, liberal studies, medical technology
Medical technology
Medical Technology encompasses a wide range of healthcare products and is used to diagnose, monitor or treat diseases or medical conditions affecting humans. Such technologies are intended to improve the quality of healthcare delivered through earlier diagnosis, less invasive treatment options and...
, natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
, nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
, pharmaceutical and medical services representative, pre-medical
Pre-medical
Pre-medical is a term used to describe a track an undergraduate student in the United States pursues prior to becoming a medical student...
pre-dental
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
and pre-veterinary, secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
, social psychology
Social psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. By this definition, scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all...
, and social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
.
Closure
The Nazareth College Board of Trustees announced their decision to close the college in April 1991. The college closed slowly and gracefully over the course of the next 18 months, allowing many students to finish their degrees. Ownership of the physical college campus reverted back to the Sisters of Saint Joseph. The Sisters wanted to find a purpose for the buildings that fit with their mission of service. Connors, Dooley and Albers Halls have been leased to Kalamazoo County Human ServicesPublic health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
Department. Borgess Medical Center purchased the athletic center and has converted it into Borgess Health and Fitness Center. Unfortunately a purpose for the administration building and the library could not be found and they were torn down in 1995 and 1996, respectively.
The college seal, that was inlaid in the main floor of the administration building, was saved and is now on display on the grounds of former campus. It is located on the west side of the main entrance road to Nazareth, close to where the administration building was.