Pre-history The property, originally named
Woodcrest, was the estate of James W. Paul, managing partner for Drexel & Company Banking (now
JP Morgan Chase) and a member of the wealthy Drexel family from Philadelphia. In 1926 the property was purchased by PhD chemist, gourmet chef, and business titan
John Dorrance, inventor of the process for making condensed soup and president of the
Campbell Soup Company. In 1953, the property was purchased by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC) and renamed "Villa Cabrini" after the organization's namesake,
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini. At first, Villa Cabrini was used as an orphanage, convent, and cloister.
Founding and growth In 1957, Sister Ursula Infante established a school in the villa. Upon opening, it was a female-only school of only thirty-seven students. The orphanage was still a part of the community and they shared the use of the buildings. The first graduating class was in 1961. Also around this same time period, Cabrini was awarded full accreditation by the Middle States Association. In the 1950s, Cabrini was only made up of a few buildings. The mansion of the college was the central point of the college, housing the students, providing a cafeteria, classrooms, library, and a chapel. In 1958, they converted the stable house, now known as Grace Hall, to include both classrooms and dormitories. Don Taylor became Cabrini College's first male president on July 1, 2014 and during his inaugural address on October 25, 2014, Taylor introduced the Cabrini 2020 Roadmap to Growth. This plan attempted to measure the college's progress and made promises that were to have occurred by 2020. The initiative promised to have 100 percent of undergraduate students participating in a Living & Learning Community, pledged that all undergraduate students would experience two or more High-Impact Coeducational Practices in their first year, and denoted a commitment to ensuring that all students encountered at least four High-Impact practices before graduation. Under Taylor's leadership, Cabrini College changed its name to Cabrini University on July 1, 2016. In 2022,
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the university faced a debt of approximately $5 million with a total budget of $45 million. Enrollment had dropped to about 1,500 students from 2,360 in the 2016–2017 academic year. In response to these challenges, the university had repeatedly eliminated staff and restructured; for example, it eliminated the position of provost, reduced the number of colleges from three to two, and laid off several tenured and tenure track faculty. Its final commencement was held on May 19, 2024, at which Kylie Kelce, a 2017 graduate of the university, and wife of retired
Philadelphia Eagles football player Jason Kelce gave the commencement address. Villanova University officially assumed ownership of Cabrini's campus on June 28, 2024.
Presidents • Ursula Infante (1957–1967) • Barbara Leonardo (1967–1968) • Gervase Lapadula (1968) • Regina Casey (1969–1972) • Mary Louise Sullivan (1972–1982) • Eileen Currie (1982–1992) • Toni Iadarola (1992–2008) – first lay president • Marie Angelella George (2008–2013) • Deb Takes (2013) – interim • Don Taylor (2014–2022) – first male president • Helen Drinan (2022–2024) – interim ==Academics==