Aquinas College History Timeline
| 1860 | Congregation of the Dominican sisters of Saint Cecilia Congregation was founded at the request of Bishop James Whelan, O.P. |
| 1923 | The property on which Aquinas College presently sits was purchased by Mother Scholastica Breen. |
| 1928 | Saint Cecilia Normal School began at the Motherhouse. |
| 1929 | Saint Cecilia Normal School was affiliated with the Catholic University of America. |
| 1961 | Saint Cecilia Normal School was replaced with Aquinas Junior College. • The College moved from the Motherhouse to its present location. • The College was opened to the public for the first time. • The Congregation's Prioress General, Mother Joan of Arc Mayo, acted as the College's first President. • Sister Dominica Goebel was appointed Academic Dean. She continued to be assigned to the College until her retirement in 1989. • The first 68 students registered were from nearby Saint Thomas School of Nursing. |
| 1962 | Aquinas became co-educational with the enrollment of its first male students. |
| 1964 | Sister Noreen McDowell became President of Aquinas Junior College. • Sister Noreen worked to obtain accreditation from the Southern Association of College Women. • A building campaign was launched to provide the College with a library and assembly hall. |
| 1967 | Sister Henry Suso Fletcher was appointed President of the College. • Sister Henry Suso strove to make Aquinas more known in, and of better service to the Nashville community. • Theology and Philosophy courses began to be taught. • Certificate courses were provided for parish religious education instructors. |
| 1968 | The Law Enforcement Program was begun, offering an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice. This program was seen as no longer in keeping with the needs of the community and the mission of the College, and eliminated in 1992. |
| 1970 | At the recommendation of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the College received a charter from the State of Tennessee and the Aquinas Board of Directors was formed. |
| 1971 | Aquinas received full accreditation from SACS to award the Associate Degree. |
| 1972 | An athletic field was designed and built on campus, with the first official baseball game played in March of 1974. |
| 1976 | The Aquinas Center was completed, providing the College with a physical education building for its inter-collegiate basketball team and other intramural activities. The Aquinas College Annual Benefit Dinner was begun. |
| 1983 | Aquinas began its Associate of Science in Nursing program. |
| 1993 | The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges granted Aquinas candidacy to award the Bachelor of Arts degree. |
| 1994 | Aquinas Junior College became a four-year college, changing its name to Aquinas College and offering a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (Teacher Education). |
| 1996 | The College began offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing to allow RN's with two- year degrees to complete their bachelor degree. |
| 1999 | The Bachelor of Business Administration degree was added. |
| 2001 | Aquinas began its Adult Studies program to provide both Associate and Bachelor Degrees to working adults. Classes began to be offered at additional sites in the Nashville area. The intercollegiate athletic program was eliminated. |
| 2002 | Sister Thomas Aquinas Halbmaier, current president of the college, was named President of Aquinas College. |
| 2004 | The library was moved to its new home in the recently renovated Aquinas Center. |
| 2005 | The Board of Directors of Aquinas College approved New Horizons 2015 Strategic Plan to provide the vision for the College in the coming years. |
Aquinas' Vision
In 2015, Aquinas College is nationally recognized as a model of Catholic liberal arts higher education.
Related Links
Community traditions in the St. Cecilia Congregation »