Anna Maria College is a
private Roman Catholic college in
Paxton, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1946 as a
women's college, but has been
coeducational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
since 1973. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
History
Anna Maria College was founded in 1946 as a
women's college by the
Sisters of Saint Anne
The Sisters of St. Anne (S.S.A.) is a Roman Catholic religious institute, founded in 1850 in Vaudreuil, Quebec, Canada, by the Blessed Marie Anne Blondin, S.S.A., to promote the education of the rural children of the Province of Canada. Their ...
, after receiving formal approval from
Richard Cushing
Richard James Cushing (August 24, 1895 – November 2, 1970) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970 and was made a cardinal in 1958. Cushing's main role was as fundraiser and builder ...
, the
Archbishop of Boston
The Archdiocese of Boston ( la, Archidiœcesis Bostoniensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the New England region of the United States. Its territorial remit encompasses the whole of ...
. The original campus was in
Marlborough, Massachusetts. In 1951, the college moved to its present location in Paxton. Four years later, accreditation by the
New England Association of Schools and Colleges was issued.
In 1973, Anna Maria College became
coeducational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
, and a year later, began graduate degree programs. On April 3, 1980, the Sisters of Saint Anne parted ways from running the school, and a Board of Trustees was established.
In 2004, the College established the
Molly Bish
Molly, Mollie or mollies may refer to:
Animals
* ''Poecilia'', a genus of fishes
** '' Poecilia sphenops'', a fish species
* A female mule (horse–donkey hybrid)
People
* Molly (name) or Mollie, a female given name, including a list of person ...
Center for the Protection of Children and the Elderly.
Academics
Anna Maria College has an average annual enrollment of around 1,500 students, which consist of mostly undergraduate and graduate students, as well as some continuing education learners Rooted in the traditions of Catholic education, the college combines liberal arts and sciences education with career preparation.
The College is divided among six academic schools: the School of Business; the School of Education; the School of Justice and Social Sciences; the School of Fire and Health Sciences; the School of Visual and Performing Arts; and the School of Humanities.
Athletics
Anna Maria College has thirteen
Division III athletic teams, known as the AMCATS, in the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), including men's baseball, basketball, ice hockey, cross country, football, lacrosse, and soccer; and women's basketball, cross country, field hockey, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. The school is a member of the
Great Northeast Athletic Conference
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III.
History Chronological timeline
* 1995 - In 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic ...
(GNAC). Football is played in the
Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC). Anna Maria was also a charter member of the
Commonwealth Coast Conference
The Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division III. Member institutions are located in New England in the states of Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, with a Connec ...
(CCC), which it competed in from 1984 to 2011 before joining the GNAC.
Notable faculty
*
Craig Blais (English)
*
Mark Eshbaugh (art)
*
Thomas Lewis (art)
*
Brian Mitchell (history)
Notable alumni
*
Geraldo Alicea, member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
*
Catherine Cool Rumsey
Catherine Cool Rumsey is an American politician and was a Democratic member of the Rhode Island Senate representing District 34 from 2013 to 2014.
Education
Cool Rumsey earned her BS in sociology from Nazareth College and her MS in quality ...
, member of the
Rhode Island Senate
The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of ...
*
James M. Cummings, sheriff of
Barnstable County
Barnstable County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 228,996. Its shire town is Barnstable. The county consists of Cape Cod and associated islands (some adjacent islands are in Dukes ...
*
Ed Davis, Police Commissioner of the
Boston Police Department
The Boston Police Department (BPD), dating back to 1854, holds the primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest municipal police department in the United States. The ...
*
Brendan Doherty
Brendan Doherty (born March 14, 1959) is a former Rhode Island State Police Superintendent and the 2012 Republican nominee for Rhode Island's 1st congressional district. Doherty was employed at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island as the Dire ...
, Superintendent of the
Rhode Island State Police
The Rhode Island State Police (RISP) is an agency of the US state of Rhode Island responsible for statewide law enforcement and regulation, especially in areas underserved by local police agencies and on the state's limited-access highways. Its ...
*
Shawn Dooley, member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
*
James J. Dwyer, member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
*
William B. Evans, Police Commissioner of the Boston Police Department
*
Raymond Hull, member of the
Rhode Island House of Representatives
The Rhode Island House of Representatives is the lower house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the upper house being the Rhode Island Senate. It is composed of 75 members, elected ...
*
Brian Patrick Kennedy
Brian Patrick Kennedy (born January 3, 1961, in Westerly, Rhode Island) is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives representing District 38 since January 2003. Kennedy served consecutively fro ...
, member of the
Rhode Island House of Representatives
The Rhode Island House of Representatives is the lower house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the upper house being the Rhode Island Senate. It is composed of 75 members, elected ...
*
Lise Thibault
Lise Thibault DStJ (; born 2 April 1939) is a Canadian politician who served as the 27th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec from 1997 to 2007. She later spent six months in jail for misuse of public funds, which she was ordered to repay the governme ...
(honorary), Lieutenant Governor of
Quebec
*
Frederica Williams, President of the
Whittier Street Health Center
*
Steven Xiarhos, member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
References
External links
*
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Anna Maria College
Educational institutions established in 1946
Former women's universities and colleges in the United States
Universities and colleges in Worcester County, Massachusetts
Catholic universities and colleges in Massachusetts
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities