Xavier University of Louisiana (
XULA), located in New Orleans,
LouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college with the distinction of being the only
historically blackHistorically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
Roman Catholic institution of higher education. From its founding Xavier has embraced a special mission to serve the African American Catholic community; however its doors have always been open to qualified students of every race and creed. Today 25.1 percent of its enrollment is not African American and 74.3 percent are not Catholic.
More than one-half of Xavier students are from Louisiana (58.2%), primarily from the New Orleans area. Non-local enrollment continues to increase with students coming from 40 other states – most notably Texas (7.5%) and Georgia (4.9%). Five foreign countries are represented on campus. Student life is enriched by the social and cultural setting of New Orleans, and by campus activities designed to enhance personal growth, interpersonal skills, and leadership in such areas as community service, the environment, cultural concerns, and social justice.
A premier university for educating African-American students in the sciences, Xavier is a national leader in placing African American students into medical school as well as first in awarding African Americans baccalaureate degrees in the physical sciences, the biological/life sciences, and physics. The College of Pharmacy is one of just two pharmacy schools in Louisiana. XULA ranks among the top three colleges in the nation in graduating African Americans with
Pharm.D.A Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional doctorate degree in pharmacy. In some countries, it is a first professional degree, and a prerequisite for licensing to exercise the profession of pharmacist.-Kenya :...
degrees.
History
Located in New Orleans, the small liberal arts college dates back to 1925, when St. Katharine Drexel and the
Sisters of the Blessed SacramentThe Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament was founded in 1891 by Saint Katharine Drexel. Originally called the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People, the religious order is commonly known today as the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.-History:The Third Plenary Council of...
founded the coeducational secondary school from which it evolved. St. Katharine, supported by the interest of a substantial inheritance from her father, banker-financier
Francis DrexelFrancis Anthony Drexel was a Philadelphia banker.-Biography:He was born on June 20, 1824 to Francis Martin Drexel. He had two brothers, Anthony Joseph Drexel and Joseph William Drexel.He married Hannah J...
, founded and staffed many institution throughout the U.S. in an effort to help educate Native Americans and Blacks.
In 1987, Pope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
addressed the presidents of all U.S. Catholic colleges at Xavier. |
Aware of the serious lack of Catholic-oriented education available to young Blacks in the South, St. Katharine came to New Orleans and established a high school on the site previously occupied by
Southern UniversitySouthern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
. The High School continues on today as
Xavier University Preparatory SchoolXavier University Preparatory School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans....
, known as Xavier Prep. A Normal School, offering one of the few career fields (teaching) open to Blacks at the time, was added two years later. In 1925 Xavier University became a reality when the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences was established. The first degrees were awarded three years later. In 1927, a College of Pharmacy was opened.
Recognizing the university's need for a separate identity and room to expand, St. Katharine bought a tract of undeveloped land for a campus on the corner of Palmetto and Pine Streets in 1929. Construction of the U-shaped, gothic administration building (now a city landmark) was completed in 1933.
In January 2006, former U.S. president Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
visited the post-KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
campus.
In August 2010, standing U.S. President Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
made an historic visit to the campus for a speech marking the five-year anniversary of KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. Back in 2006 the University bestowed an Honorary Degree on then-Senator Obama. |
Through the years, as needs dictated, the campus gradually filled out, with the addition of a library—which now houses music—in 1937, the gymnasium (1937), St. Michael's men's dormitory (1955), the Student Center (1962), women's dormitories: St. Joseph's (1965) and Katharine Drexel (1969), the House of Studies (1967); the College of Pharmacy (1970), the Norman C. Francis Academic/Science Complex (1988), the new Library/Resource Center and College of Pharmacy addition (1993), and Peter Claver women's dormitory (1994). Xavier South, a multi-story office building, was purchased in 1990. The Living Learning Center, a co-ed residence hall for upperclassmen and the Norman C. Francis science complex addition were completed in 1998. A new student center called the University Center was opened in 2003. It replaces the previous Student Center built in 1962, and now houses the bookstore (previously housed at Xavier South) & the post office (previously housed in the Administration building). An additional dormitory for upperclassmen, the Saint Martin Deporres hall was also opened in 2003. The previous Student Center was recently knocked down to make way for the new Qatar Pharmacy Pavilion, which opened in the Fall of 2010. Construction has begun on the St. Katharine Drexel Chapel. The Chapel will replace the Chapel, now housed in the Administration Building, and will fulfill St. Katharine's vision for a freestanding house of worship and meditation on the campus.
The campus of Xavier University of Louisiana is often referred to as Emerald City, due to the various buildings on campus that have green roofs. These include the Library/Resource center, the Norman C. Francis science addition, the University Center, the Living Learning Center, the Saint Martin Deporres hall and the Katherine Drexel hall.
In April 2006, the Middle Eastern country QatarQatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
donated $17.5 million to assist the university in Hurricane recovery and expanding the school's College of Pharmacy. |
The Sisters remain a vital presence on campus today, providing much-needed staffing and some financial assistance, but today Xavier is governed by a multicultural Board of Trustees. Xavier's president,
Dr. Norman C. FrancisNorman C. Francis , is the president of Xavier University of Louisiana. He has been Xavier's president since 1968, making him the longest-tenured current leader of an American university...
, himself a Xavier graduate, is a nationally-recognized leader in higher education.
Athletics
Xavier is a member of the
National Association of Intercollegiate AthleticsThe National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA) and the
Gulf Coast Athletic ConferenceThe Gulf Coast Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA's Division I. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, USA....
(GCAC). Its men's teams participate in basketball, cross-country and tennis. Its women's teams participate in basketball, cross-country, tennis and volleyball.
Notable alumni
External links