Regis University - Establishment

Establishment

Regis University was established by a group of exiled Italian Jesuits in 1877 in Las Vegas, New Mexico. That institution was named Las Vegas College.

In 1884, the Bishop of Denver invited the Jesuits to create a college at Morrison where Sacred Heart College was opened. In 1887, the two colleges merged and moved once again to the present location of Regis University. The name from then on was College of the Sacred Heart. In 1921 it adopted the name of Regis College in honor of Saint John Francis Regis, a 17th century Jesuit who worked with prostitutes and the poor in the mountains of Southern France. In 1991, it was renamed Regis University and consists of three colleges: Regis College, the College for Professional Studies, and the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions.

Regis University, in accordance with its Jesuit heritage, has a long tradition of charitable service, which includes the well known Father Woody Projects, which originated with the Archdiocese of Denver. These include the well-known Father Woody Christmas Party for the homeless.

Regis College is a small, liberal arts, undergraduate/graduate, selective school located on the Lowell Campus. Its approximately 1,600 students are high school graduates from over 40 states.

Regis University operates a radio station, KRCX Other media programs include a weekly student-run newspaper, the Highlander. The school also fields 12 varsity athletic teams the Rangers. Regis competes at the NCAA Division II level and is part of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). Men's basketball coach, Lonnie Porter, has the record for most won games as a basketball coach in Colorado history (505).

Many students participate in service learning activities by volunteering with various organizations throughout the Denver area. According to the University's former president, Fr. Michael Sheeran, the goal of Regis University is to educate "leaders in service to others." The University also boasts a 16-year consecutive ranking as a top school in the Western United States.

Regis University played host to the rock icon, Jimi Hendrix, as well as the British rock band Queen (band), that played their first concert in the United States (April 16, 1974).

Regis academic programs have expanded, including partnerships with the University of Ireland, Galway; and with ITESO, the Jesuit University of Guadalajara, Mexico, for the first online bilingual joint MBA degree program.

Father Michael Sheeran, S.J. stepped down as the university's president, effective June 1, 2012. Taking Sheeran's place is Fr. John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J. Fr. Fitzgibbons is the 24th president of Regis University.