Saint Mary's College of California

Saint Mary's College of California
Name	Saint Mary's College of California
Established	1863
Type	Private
Religious affiliation	Catholic (Lasallian)
Endowment	$215.8 million (2020)
President	James A. Donahue
City	Moraga
State	California
Country	United States
Campus	Suburban, 420 acres
Students	3,439 (Fall 2021)
Faculty	303 (Fall 2021)
Colors	Red, Blue, Silver
Nickname	Gaels
Affiliations	Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Saint Mary's College of California. It is a private Catholic Lasallian educational institution founded in 1863 by the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. The college is located in the San Francisco Bay Area town of Moraga and is known for its distinctive Great Books Seminar-style liberal arts curriculum and its NCAA Division I athletic programs. Saint Mary's provides a comprehensive education grounded in the Lasallian tradition to a diverse student body within a residential campus setting.

History

The institution was originally established in San Francisco in 1863 as a boys' school by the Archdiocese of San Francisco under Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany. In 1868, oversight was transferred to the De La Salle Christian Brothers, a religious teaching order founded by Saint John Baptist de La Salle. After the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the college relocated to Oakland before moving to its permanent, 420-acre campus in the Moraga Valley in 1928. Key figures in its development include Brother Albert Rahill, who served as president for over two decades and oversaw significant expansion. The college became coeducational in 1970 and has since evolved into a comprehensive institution with a nationally recognized Core Curriculum.

Academics

Saint Mary's is organized into four schools: the School of Liberal Arts, the School of Science, the School of Economics and Business Administration, and the Kalmanovitz School of Education. It is best known for its mandatory Great Books Seminar program, a hallmark of its Core Curriculum that engages all undergraduates in reading and discussing original works by authors like Plato, Augustine of Hippo, and Simone de Beauvoir. The college offers over 40 undergraduate majors and programs, including highly regarded degrees in Business Administration, Biology, and Psychology. Graduate programs include the noted Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and advanced degrees in Education, Business, and Leadership. The college is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Campus

The main campus spans 420 acres in the suburban Moraga Valley, approximately 20 miles east of San Francisco. Notable buildings include the iconic Saint Mary's College Chapel, with its distinctive Spanish Colonial Revival bell tower, and the modern Brother Alfred Brousseau Hall for the sciences. The campus features the Saint Mary's College Museum of Art, housed in the former Augustinian seminary building, and the Hearst Art Gallery. Residential life is centered around traditional halls like Aquinas Hall and De La Salle Hall, as well as apartment-style villages. The grounds include the Grotto, a tranquil prayer space, and extensive athletic facilities.

Student life

Student life is active with over 60 clubs and organizations, including a strong Associated Students of Saint Mary's College government. The college hosts annual traditions like the Gael Games and the De La Salle Week celebration. A significant number of students participate in community engagement and service-learning programs through the Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action. Greek life is represented by several national fraternities and sororities. The campus ministry organizes Retreats and liturgical events, reinforcing the Lasallian mission. On-campus housing is guaranteed for all four years, fostering a strong residential community.

Athletics

The Saint Mary's athletic teams, known as the Gaels, compete in NCAA Division I as members of the West Coast Conference. The men's basketball program, under longtime coach Randy Bennett, has achieved national prominence with multiple appearances in the NCAA Tournament and has produced professional players like Matthew Dellavedova and Patty Mills. Other notable programs include rugby, which competes in the California Conference, and soccer, baseball, and volleyball. The team's home games are played in the University Credit Union Pavilion.

Notable alumni and faculty

Prominent alumni include former Major League Baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth, Academy Award-winning film editor Richard Halsey, and U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell. Distinguished faculty have included the poet and National Book Award finalist Brenda Hillman, philosopher and Great Books scholar Brother Camillus Chavez, and theologian Michael C. McCarthy. The college's Master of Fine Arts program has been led by notable writers such as Marilynne Robinson and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

Category:Universities and colleges in California Category:Lasallian educational institutions Category:Educational institutions established in 1863