Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio) traces its roots to the Athenaeum, founded by Bishop Edward Fenwick in 1831. Its administration was taken over by the Society of Jesus in 1840, who renamed it St. Xavier College. The college moved from downtown Cincinnati to its present campus in 1919. In 1930 the college was renamed Xavier University. Below is a brief timeline of important events in the university's history.
Brief Timeline of Xavier
- 1831 October 17: Bishop Edward Fenwick founded the Athenaeum, a college dedicated to religion and liberal arts. It was the first Catholic institution of higher learning in Ohio and the predecessor of Xavier University.
- 1840: The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) assumed responsibility of the Athenaeum at the request of Cincinnati Archbishop Purcell. The Jesuits rename the school St. Xavier College. John Elet, SJ, serves as the first Jesuit president of the college. After renovations, the school opened on November 3, 1840.
- 1841: First night classes held
- 1842: St. Xavier College granted a charter for 30 years by the state of Ohio.
- 1843: First degrees awarded.
- 1854: The boarding school closes.
- 1869: General Assembly of the State of Ohio passes an Act of Incorporation for the college.
- 1869: The course catalog distinguishes for the first time between the academic and collegiate departments.
- 1882: St. Xavier Church fire.
- 1887: The first student newspaper, The Collegian, is published. It ran for only five issues.
- 1911: Land is purchased from the Avondale Athletic Club in Avondale to build a new suburban campus.
- 1914: The college began offering summer classes for women religious who were teachers.
- 1916: Majors and minors are introduced and required for graduation.
- 1916: First mention of a pre-medical course appears in the University Catalog.
- 1918: The Evening School opens enrollment to women.
- 1919: The college moves to the Avondale campus. The high school returns downtown and the evening school remains downtown.
- 1920: Hinkle Hall, Alumni Science Hall (now Edgecliff Hall) are built.
- 1924: Elet Hall is built and serves as the first dormitory for students since 1854.
- 1925: The school adopts the Musketeer mascot and the motto "All for One and One for All."
- 1926: Schmidt Hall is built.
- 1930 August 4: St. Xavier College becomes Xavier University.
- 1936: ROTC inaugurated at Xavier.
- 1946: The University establishes the Graduate Division.
- 1950: Benjamin J. Allen becomes Xavier's 1st known Black graduate
- 1950: Xavier football wins the Salad Bowl over Arizona State
- 1958: Men's basketball won the National Invitational Tournament by defeating the University of Dayton.
- 1969: Xavier becomes fully coeducational when the undergraduate day school opens enrollment to women in September 1969.
- 1970: Women are allowed to live in residence halls (first in Kuhlman Hall) on campus.
- 1972: Nonreligious men are appointed to the Board of Trustees for the first time.
- 1973: Football discontinued.
- 1980: Xavier acquired Edgecliff College, which the Sisters of Mercy opened in 1935 as Our Lady of Cincinnati College for women.
- 1992: Ethics, Religion and Society program created.
- 2001: Michael J. Graham, SJ, becomes president.
- 2010: Williams College of Business’s Smith Hall and the James E. Hoff, SJ, Academic Quad dedicated.
- 2011: Began offering online graduate courses.
- 2011: Justice Hall (formerly named Bishop Edward Fenwick Place) dedicated.
- 2013: Transitioned from A-10 to Big East.
- 2014: Introduction of Seeking Integration and Wisdom: The Xavier Way.
- 2014: The Xavier Student Commitment approved.
- 2015: Major renovation of Alter Hall
- 2015: Barbara Howard, Esq., class of 1976, becomes the first woman chair of the Board of Trustees.
- 2018: Our Lady of Peace Chapel installed.
- 2019: College of Nursing established.
- 2019: Women’s soccer earned their first NCAA Tournament win in program history and took home a Big East Championship.
- 2020: Health United Building officially opened in January.
- 2020: Instruction moves to the remote learning environment on March 23, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2021: Colleen Hanycz, PhD, becomes Xavier University's first permanent layperson and first woman president.
- 2023: College of Osteopathic Medicine established.
A more thorough chronology of Xavier's history through the 1980s is available in Exhibit, the Institutional Repository.
