Marian University (Wisconsin) - History

History

Marian University opened as Marian College of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin on September 8, 1936, with 17 full-time and 25 part-time students, and eight faculty. The Sisters of St. Agnes founded the college in response to a Wisconsin Department of Instruction decision that nuns were not allowed to teach in public schools while wearing their religious habits.

Marian became accredited in elementary education in 1941. The first graduating class in August 1941 had eight nun graduates. The first lay students graduated in 1942. Marian had 86 full-time and 145 part-time students in 1950, who attended classes in a convent next to St. Agnes Hospital. Although founded as a women’s college, the superintendent of Fond du Lac schools attended art and music classes with his wife in 1940. Increasing enrollment caused the college to move to its current 100 acres (40 ha) campus in the mid 1960s, and the college became co-educational in 1970.

The school became accredited by the North Central Association for a Master's of Arts program in 1987, and was approved for a Ph.D. program in Leadership Studies in 2002.

On May 1, 2008, Marian College of Fond du Lac changed its name to Marian University to reflect an expansion of its programs and classes and to position the institution for continued growth.

Marian University comprises seven schools: the School of Arts, Humanities and Letters; the School of Business; the School of Criminal Justice; the School of Education; the School of Mathematics and Natural Science; the School of Nursing; and the School of Social and Behavioral Science.

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