The Academy of the Sacred Heart (1841–1917) Manhattanville University traces its origins to an Academy of the Sacred Heart founded over 175 years ago on the Lower East Side of
New York City. In August 1841 the
Society of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ), a Catholic religious order dedicated to the education of young women, established an academy at 412 Houston Street, near the corner of Mulberry Street, in the tightly packed warren of narrow streets in the southeast corner of
Manhattan Island facing the
East River. This location was chosen, in part, due to its proximity to
Old Saint Patrick's Cathedral. In September 1844 the boarding school moved to Ravenswood in the
Astoria section of
Queens. Archbishop
John Hughes counted "upon Ravenswood becoming the leading Academy for young Ladies" in the Archdiocese of New York. However, within two years the location proved too remote. Of particular concern was that students were often deprived of the Mass.
John McCloskey, the newly installed coadjutor bishop of New York, would personally travel there when he could, but even he "could not supply for all their spiritual needs." In 1847, the growing Academy relocated to the former estate of Jacob Lorillard in the village of Manhattanville on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in what was then a rural village. It occupied this site from 1847 to 1952 and it is from this location that the university derives its current name. At that time, the village of Manhattanville was still eight miles north of New York City, which clustered around the south end at the Battery of
Manhattan Island. By the time of the
American Civil War, (1861–1865), the Manhattanville Academy counted 280 girl pupils. The academy was always diverse with a substantial proportion of the student body consisting of recent immigrants from
Latin America and
Europe. In 1880, the academy began offering a two-year post-high school program for its young women students, foreshadowing a future in higher education. Over the next century New York City expanded, transforming the area from a farming village to a neighborhood in West Harlem. The Convent Avenue campus was located between 130th and 135th streets. The western border was Convent Avenue and its eastern border St. Nicholas Terrace. In 1949 proceedings began to incorporate the campus into the existing City College campus. Today it is known as the South Campus of City College. The final remaining buildings from the Manhattanville era are Park Hall (then known as Benziger) and Mott Hall (the Parish School during Manhattanville's time).
The College of the Sacred Heart (1917–1937) In the early 20th century, higher education opportunities for women increased as many formerly academies, seminaries, institutions and lower schools transitioned to the status of colleges. Shortly before the
United States declared war on the
German Empire and entered the
First World War, on March 1, 1917, the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Manhattanville received a Provisional Charter from the
Regents of the State of New York to offer undergraduate degrees as "The College of the Sacred Heart". The first baccalaureate degrees were granted in 1918. The Absolute Charter was signed May 29, 1919. As the college grew, the city of New York also expanded northward, toward the far north end of Manhattan Island towards the
Harlem River transforming the surrounding area from a rural village to diverse residential/commercial communities of Manhattan bordered by the
Harlem and
Morningside Heights neighborhoods. In 1935, The College of the Sacred Heart was accredited by the prestigious
Association of American Universities. The name was officially changed to "Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart" in 1937.
Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart (1937–1966) Racial justice (Manhattanville Resolutions) In the 1930s, the Manhattanville student body consisted of approximately 200 female students. Though small, the college made headlines across the country for taking a strong position promoting racial equality decades before the
Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s, into the 1960s and 1970s. In May 1933, students created the "
Manhattanville Resolutions" a document that pledged an active student commitment to racial justice. This commitment was tested when the first Negro woman student was admitted to the college in 1938. Alumnae response to a racially integrated but all-female student body was mixed and somewhat controversial for a time. While the vast majority of letters praised Manhattanville for its courageous action, college president
Grace Dammann viewed the negative responses as an opportunity to open hearts and minds. At the annual Class Day reunion on May 31, 1938, she delivered a passionate speech entitled "Principles Versus Prejudices." She stated that education is the key to rising above prejudices."The more we know of man's doing and thinking throughout time and throughout the world's extent, the more we understand that beauty and goodness and truth are not the monopoly of any age nor of any group nor of any race."The speech went on to be published in several national publications and established Manhattanville as a leader in higher education and human rights. When Dammann died suddenly in 1945,
The New York Times obituary summarized her life's work with the headline, "Mother Dammann, College President: Head of Manhattanville Since 1930 Dies--Champion of Racial Equality." Manhattanville would continue its work in social action first through the National Federation of Catholic College Students and to this day with the Duchesne Center for Religion and Social Justice and the Connie Hogarth Center for Social Action. Mary Louise (Mamie) Jenkins, RSCJ was the first African American student to graduate from Manhattanville and June Mulvaney was the first African American student to major in Russian at Manhattanville.
Growth As was the case for many colleges following World War II, neighboring
City College of New York (CCNY-part of the
City University of New York) struggled to accommodate the growing college student population on its campus. In 1946, the
Mayor of New York City formed a special commission to investigate the resource needs of the city's public education institutions. Their recommendations would have particularly extensive ramifications for the future of the neighboring Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart. In February 1949,
The New York Times reported that City College was campaigning to acquire the Manhattanville campus to expand their facilities. The same month, CCNY distributed a pamphlet, entitled "No Other Place to Go: A City College Plea for Purchase of the Manhattanville Property". The
New York City Board of Estimate agreed and deeded the campus to City College via the legal process of condemnation and eminent domain. In September 1949, the Manhattanville Board of Trustees purchased the
Whitelaw Reid Estate, north of the city in suburban
Westchester County. The next two years saw condemnation proceedings work through the
New York State Supreme Court system. Manhattanville was eventually given near $8.8 million ($8,808,620) for the Manhattan campus and buildings. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the new campus near
Harrison, in
Purchase, New York on May 3, 1951. The new campus with its buildings were renovated and other construction was completed in October 1952.
Manhattanville College (1966–2024) With additional facilities and space to grow, the student population increased from 400 women students in 1950 to 700 students by 1960. Over the course of the next decade, the student population doubled once again, reaching 1,400 students by 1970. Manhattanville was a microhistory of the societal transformation in the
Catholic Church, higher education, and American society as a whole during the 1960s. In 1966, the college's board of trustees voted to amend the school charter and remove the words "of the Sacred Heart" from the official college name. This marked an important moment in the
secularization of the college. Between 1966 and 1970, the Manhattanville administration oversaw the gradual removal of Catholic symbols and traditions from the campus. Although the college had been operated by an independent board of trustees since its founding in 1841, it was strongly identified with the Church and these changes were difficult for the community. By 1969, the college's charter was expanded to include the admitting education of both women and men. The first coeducational freshman class entered Manhattanville in August 1971. In 1973, the student academic experience evolved due to an important campus study funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Interviews with the Manhattanville community led to the development of the Portfolio System, a personalized and guided self-assessment charting the development of each student. Today the ATLAS program continues this tradition. In 1965, the college introduced its first graduate program, a
Masters of Arts in Teaching and in 1993, the first graduate programs in business were offered. The first doctoral program was introduced in 2010 with the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the School of Education. In 2012, Manhattanville's Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Degree Program was formally approved.
Manhattanville University (2024–present) On April 3, 2024, Manhattanville College became Manhattanville University. The change was made possible, in part, because of an update in 2022 to the state Board of Regents' definition of a university. On April 29, 2024 It was announced that Manhattanville University would maintain
Wells College's transcripts, business records, and other important artifacts after its closure.
Presidents Since its chartering as a college in 1917, Manhattanville has had 16 presidents, including acting presidents, one of whom also served as interim president for a period of time: • Mary Moran (1917–1918) • Ruth Burnett (1918–1924) • Charlotte Lewis (1924–1930) •
Grace Dammann (1930–1945) •
Eleanor O'Byrne (1945–1965) • Elizabeth McCormack (1966–1974) • Harold Delaney (1974–1975) •
Barbara Knowles Debs (1975–1985) • Jane C. Maggin (acting) (1981–1982) • Marcia Savage (1985–1995) • Richard Berman (1995–2009) •
Molly Easo Smith (2009–2011); Robert Hall (acting) (2011) •
Jon Strauss (2011–2016) • Michael E. Geisler (2016–2022); Louise Feroe (acting; interim) (Summer 2021; 2022–2023) ==Current campus==