The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kno ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

It is a

pontifical university A pontifical university is an ecclesiastical university established or approved directly by the Holy See, composed of three main ecclesiastical faculties (Theology, Philosophy and canon law (Catholic Church), Canon Law) and at least one other facu ...

of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. Catholic bishops. Established in 1887 as a graduate and research center following approval by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

, the university began offering undergraduate education in 1904. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". Its campus is adjacent to the Brookland neighborhood, known as "Little Rome", which contains 60 Catholic institutions, including

Trinity Washington University Trinity Washington University is a private Catholic university in Washington, D.C. Trinity is a comprehensive university with five schools; the undergraduate College of Arts & Sciences maintains its original mission as a liberal arts women's ...

, the

Dominican House of Studies The Dominican House of Studies is a Catholic institution in Washington, DC, housing both the Priory of the Immaculate Conception, a community of the Province of St. Joseph of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), and the Pontifical Faculty of the I ...

, and Archbishop Carroll High School, as well as the

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a large minor Catholic basilica and national shrine in the United States in Washington, D.C., located at 400 Michigan Avenue Northeast, adjacent to Catholic University. ...

. CUA's programs emphasize the

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...

, professional education, and personal development. The school stays closely connected with the Catholic Church and Catholic organizations. The residential U.S. cardinals put on the

American Cardinals Dinner The American Cardinals Dinner is an annual fundraiser that benefits The Catholic University of America (CUA). Each year, a different U.S. archdiocese hosts the Cardinals Dinner, a black-tie event which traditionally features all or most of the card ...

each year to raise scholarship funds. The university also has a long history of working with the

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

; its law school and basilica have dedications to the involvement and support of the Knights.

History

Founding

At the

Second Plenary Council of Baltimore The Plenary Councils of Baltimore were three national meetings of Catholic bishops in the United States in 1852, 1866 and 1884 in Baltimore, Maryland. During the early history of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States all of the diocese ...

in 1866, the

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...

first discussed the need for a national Catholic university. At the Third Plenary Council on January 26, 1885, bishops chose the name ''The Catholic University of America'' for the institution. In 1882, Bishop

John Lancaster Spalding John Lancaster Spalding (June 2, 1840 – August 25, 1916) was an American author, poet, advocate for higher education, the first bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria from 1877 to 1908 and a co-founder of The Catholic University of Ameri ...

went to Rome to obtain

's support for the university, also persuading his family friend Mary Gwendoline Caldwell to pledge $300,000 to establish it. On April 10, 1887, pope Leo XIII sent

James Cardinal Gibbons James Cardinal Gibbons (July 23, 1834 – March 24, 1921) was a senior-ranking American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Apostolic Vicar of North Carolina from 1868 to 1872, Bishop of Richmond from 1872 to 1877, and as ninth ...

a letter granting permission to establish the university. On March 7, 1889, the Pope issued the encyclical ''Magni Nobis'', granting the university its charter and establishing its mission as the instruction of

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and

human nature Human nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or ...

together at the graduate level. By developing new leaders and new knowledge, the university was intended to strengthen and enrich Catholicism in the United States. The university was incorporated in 1887 on of land next to the

Old Soldiers Home An old soldiers' home is a military veterans' retirement home, nursing home, or hospital, or sometimes an institution for the care of the widows and orphans of a nation's soldiers, sailors, and marines, etc. United Kingdom In the United King ...

. President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

was in attendance for the laying of the cornerstone of Divinity Hall, now known as

Caldwell Hall Caldwell Hall may refer to: ;In the United States * Caldwell Hall (Catholic University of America), a residence hall * Caldwell Hall (Pine Bluff, Arkansas), listed on the NRHP in Arkansas * Caldwell Hall (Georgia Tech), a residence hall at the Geo ...

, on May 24, 1888, as were members of Congress and the U.S. Cabinet.

Growth

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception - exterior 3

When the university first opened on November 13, 1889, the curriculum consisted of lectures in mental and

moral philosophy Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

, the

sacred scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...

s, and the various branches of

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

. At the end of the second term, lectures on

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

were added. The first students were graduated in 1889. by 1900 CUA was one of the 14 colleges that offered doctorate programs which formed the

Association of American Universities The Association of American Universities (AAU) is an organization of American research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education. Founded in 1900, it consists of 63 universities in the United States ( ...

. In 1904, the university added an

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

program. The president of the first undergraduate class was Frank Kuntz, whose memoir of that period was published by the

Catholic University of America Press The Catholic University of America Press, also known as CUA Press, is the publishing division of The Catholic University of America. Founded on November 14, 1939, and incorporated on July 16, 1941,Roy J. Deferrari ''Memoirs of the Catholic Univer ...

. The university gives an annual award named for Kuntz. Bishop and Rector Thomas J. Shahan gave a speech to the

Ancient Order of Hibernians The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH; ) is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be male, Catholic, and either born in Ireland or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New ...

in 1894 in which he advocated for Irish independence in language, culture, and politics. This resulted in the Hibernians endowing a chair of Gaelic Languages and Literature at the university. Only

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

had a similar position at the time, and this attracted the attention of

William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

. During a trip to the United States, Yeats spoke to students in McMahon Hall on February 21, 1904. In a follow-up letter to Shahan, he said: "you have surely a great university and I wish we had its like in Ireland."

Reconstruction and Civil Rights eras

Despite Washington being a Southern and segregated city when the university was founded, it admitted black Catholic men as students. At the time, the only other college in the District to do so was

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

, founded for African-American education after the Civil War. In 1895, Catholic University had three black students, all from DC. "They were simply tested as to their previous education, and this being found satisfactory, no notice whatever was taken of their color. They stand on exactly the same footing as other students of equal intellectual calibre and acquirements", according to Keane. Conaty, speaking to President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

during a visit on June 1, 1900, said that the university, "like the Catholic Church ... knows no race line and no color line." This policy was reversed in 1914, with CUA kowtowing to segregationist policies and commencing denial of admissions to Black students.

Interwar period

In 1935, the university's coat of arms was designed by

Pierre de Chaignon la Rose Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (April 23, 1871 – February 21, 1941) was an American heraldist and heraldic artist. Biography Pierre de Chaignon la Rose was born on April 23, 1871, in New York City, New York. His father was an A. F. de Chaignon la ...

. A victory parade for the

1936 Orange Bowl The 1936 Orange Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Catholic University Cardinals and Ole Miss Rebels played on January 1, 1936, in Miami, Florida. The second edition of the Orange Bowl, the game was won by Catholic Unive ...

champions went up Pennsylvania Avenue on its circular route from Union Station to campus. President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

, "on his way to church, became an unwitting parader, when the march de triumph jammed traffic in front of the White House." In 1938, due to the rise of the antisemitic priest

Charles Coughlin Charles Edward Coughlin ( ; October 25, 1891 – October 27, 1979), commonly known as Father Coughlin, was a Canadian-American Catholic priest based in the United States near Detroit. He was the founding priest of the National Shrine of the ...

and not long after

Kristallnacht () or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (german: Novemberpogrome, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) paramilitary and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation from ...

, CUA officials asked

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

and

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

to broadcast an event live from the university campus. The broadcast had little effect, participating clerics did not mention Coughlin, and barely mentioned Nazi conduct by name, while offering general support for Jews. The university began admitting Black students again in 1936, following protests from

Thomas Wyatt Turner Thomas Wyatt Turner (March 16, 1877 – April 21, 1978) was an American civil rights activist, biologist and educator. He was the first Black American to receive a PhD in Botany, and helped found both the NAACP and the Federated Colored Catho ...

, the

Federated Colored Catholics The Federated Colored Catholics (FCC), originally the Committee against the Extension of Race Prejudice in the Church, then the Committee for the Advancement of Colored Catholics, was a Black Catholic organization founded in 1925 by Thomas Wyatt T ...

and

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

(both of which Turner co-founded), and the Catholic Interracial Council.

"By 1939, 40 Black students were enrolled at the University, 31 in the School of Arts and Sciences. However, discrimination persisted in extracurricular activities, dining halls, and dorms until the mid-1940s."

Law school

In 1954, Columbus University merged with the law program of CUA to become the

Columbus School of Law The Columbus School of Law, also known as Catholic Law or CUA Law, is the law school of the Catholic University of America, a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. More than 400 Juris Doctor students attend Catholic Law ...

at the Catholic University of America, after the

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...

in 1951 challenged law schools not affiliated with a university. The CUA law school was the first professional school of the university.

Recent history

The presence of CUA attracted other Catholic institutions to the area, including colleges, religious orders, and national service organizations. Between 1900 and 1940, more than 50 international Catholic institutions rented or owned property in neighboring Brookland. During the post-World War II years, Catholic University had a dramatic expansion in enrollment, thanks to veterans making use of the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

to complete college educations. By the early 21st century, the university has over 6,000 students from all 50 states and around the world. In 2018 the university experienced some challenges as administrators worked to reduce a $3.5 million deficit. Some faculty objected to the draft plan and voted "no confidence" in the president and provost. On September 22, 2021, it was announced that John Garvey would be stepping down as President of Catholic University on June 30, 2022.

Knights of Columbus

The

and The Catholic University of America have a history of "a close and supportive relationship" that dates almost to the founding of the university. In 1899 the National Council of the K of C established a Knights of Columbus Chair of American History at the university. More than 10,000 Knights were on hand on April 13, 1904, to present a $55,633.79 check ($1,399,831.80 in 2012 dollars) to endow the chair. In December 1904 Cardinal Gibbons appealed to the Knights for more financial aid to help meet operating costs after some investments went sour. The Order gave nearly $25,000. By 1907 the financial situation of Catholic University had improved but was still shaky. Every Knight was asked to contribute $1 a year for a five-year period, and in December 1913, a $500,000 endowment was established. In 1920 the order contributed $60,000 toward the Catholic University gymnasium and drill hall, which later was adapted for use as the Crough Building housing the School of Architecture. In 2006, the Knights announced an $8,000,000 gift to the university to renovate Keane Hall and rename it as McGivney Hall, after the Knights' founder,

Michael J. McGivney Michael Joseph McGivney (August 12, 1852August 14, 1890) was an Irish-American Catholic priest based in New Haven, Connecticut. He founded the Knights of Columbus at a local parish to serve as a mutual aid and fraternal insurance organization, p ...

. The building, which was vacant, now houses the Washington session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, which was funded by the Knights and established at the

adjacent to the CUA campus in 1988. A $1,000,000 trust was established in August 1965 to fund the Pro Deo and Pro Patria Scholarship, providing twelve undergraduate scholarships annually to the university. In 1989 the Knights voted a $2,000,000 birthday gift to the U.S. bishops on their bicentennial, to be given to Catholic University and used to fund special projects jointly chosen by the university and the Knights. Part of it was used to build the Columbus School of Law.

Papal visits

CUA is the only American university to have been visited by three popes and is one of only two universities to have any visits by a pontiff.

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

visited on October 7, 1979. On April 16, 2008,

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

gave an address at the campus about Catholic education and academic freedom.

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

visited on September 23, 2015, during his trip to the United States, where he celebrated Mass on the east portico of the

Campus

Blimp over The Catholic University of America

The CUA campus is in the residential community of Brookland in Northeast Washington; its main entrance is 620 Michigan Ave., NE. The campus is bound by Michigan Avenue to the south, North Capitol Street to the west, Hawaii Avenue to the north, and John McCormick Road to the east. It is three miles (5 km) north of the Capitol building. CUA Mall

The tree-lined campus is . Romanesque and modern design dominate among the university's 48 major buildings. Between McMahon and Gibbons halls and alongside the

runs The Mall, a large strip of grass often used by Ultimate Frisbee players and sunbathers.

Conte Conte may refer to: * Conte (literature), a literary genre * Conte (surname) * Conté, a drawing medium * Conte, Jura, town in France * Conté royal family, a fictional family in Tamora Pierce's Tortallan world * Conte, the title of Count in Italy ...

Circle is in the middle of Centennial Village, a cluster of eight residential houses. The Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center opened in the spring of 2003, bringing student dining services, the campus bookstore, student organization offices, an 800-person ballroom, a convenience store, and more student services under one roof. The John K. Mullen Library completed a $6,000,000 renovation in 2004. The

is on the main campus and has a building with mock courtrooms, a library, chapel, classrooms, and offices.

Theological College A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

, the United States' national Catholic seminary, is affiliated with CUA, sending students there for their studies. Also located near campus is the

St. John Paul II Seminary St. John Paul II Seminary is a Catholic diocesan minor seminary located at 145 Taylor Street in northeast Washington, D.C. The seminary is owned and administered by the Archdiocese of Washington and was founded in 2011 by Cardinal Donald Wuerl. ...

, a minor seminary for the

Archdiocese of Washington The Archdiocese of Washington is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. Its territorial remit encompasses the District of Columbia and the counties of Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, P ...

but also serving nearby dioceses and hosting seminarians from dioceses around the country. Students from the minor seminary study for their undergraduate philosophy degrees at the university. Several organizations of

religious life Consecrated life (also known as religious life) is a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by those faithful who are called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way. It includes those in institutes of consecrated life (religious and se ...

also have seminaries nearby—including the Josephites,

Carmelites , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

Oblates of Mary Immaculate The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary Congregation of Papal Right, religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a France, French priest born in Aix-en-Provence ...

, and

Paulists Paulists, or Paulines, is the name used for Roman Catholic orders and congregations under the patronage of Paul of Thebes the First Hermit. From the time that the abode and virtues of Paul of Thebes were revealed to Antony the Abbot, various comm ...

—all of which send students to CUA. In April 2004, CUA purchased of land from the

Armed Forces Retirement Home The Armed Forces Retirement Home refers to one of two facilities, one in Gulfport, Mississippi, the other in Washington, D.C., that house veterans and active duty members of the United States Armed Forces. Current status In 1991 Congress incorp ...

. It is the largest plot of open space in the District and makes CUA the largest university in D.C. by area. There are no plans for the parcel other than to secure it for future growth. In 2007, CUA unveiled plans to expand its campus by adding three new dormitories to the north side of campus. The first of these, the seven-story Opus Hall, was completed in 2009 in the university's traditional Collegiate Gothic style. It houses 420 upper-class students and is Washington's first LEED-certified dormitory. Opus Hall is the first residential community to house both male and female students since the 2007 adoption of a single-sex dormitory policy. CUA demolished Conaty and Spellman dormitories, which allowed for the development of Monroe Street by Bozzuto contracting. In partnership with the university, Monroe Street Market and the Brookland Arts Walk opened in 2014. A CUA Barnes & Noble bookstore opened on Monroe. New apartments in the development allow older students the opportunity to reside off campus within walking distance of the university. The campus is served by the Brookland-CUA station on the Red Line of the

Washington Metro The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,Google Books search/preview

. Near the campus are the offices of the

and the

Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in AmericaG. Martin Moeller Jr"S15 Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America".''AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington''. Part 3. JHU Press, 2012. p. 290-91. is a Franciscan complex at 14th an ...

Satellite campuses

In 2015 CUA began a partnership with the

Australian Catholic University Australian Catholic University (ACU) is a public university in Australia. It has seven Australian campuses and also maintains a campus in Rome. History Australian Catholic University was opened on 1 January 1991 following the amalgamatio ...

to effectively own and operate a second campus in Rome, Italy. It is housed in a former convent and includes a chapel. Before being sent home during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, 35 students were at the campus. In 2020, a partnership with

Pima Community College Pima Community College (PCC) is a public community college in Pima County, Arizona. It serves the Tucson metropolitan area with a community college district consisting of five campuses, four education centers, and several adult education learnin ...

created a satellite campus in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

. In 2021, a new site in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...

, occupying 18,500 square feet on the second floor of Catholic Charities USA's headquarters building was opened to offer a number of noncredit certificate programs.

Green initiatives and sustainability

CUA has environmental sustainability programs, including participation in Earth Day, Casey Trees tree planting, and Campus Beautification Day. CUA's newest building, Opus Hall, is

LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...

-compliant, and the school buys 30% of its electricity from green sources. CUA participated in the 2010 College Sustainability Report Card rating. In 2009, the School of Architecture and Planning introduced a Master of Science program in sustainable design.

Academics

Catholic University has 12 schools: * School of Architecture and Planning *School of Arts and Sciences * Tim and Steph Busch School of Business *

School of Canon Law The School of Canon Law is the only faculty of Catholic canon law in the United States. It is one of the twelve schools at The Catholic University of America, located in Washington, D.C.School of Engineering Engineering education is the activity of teaching knowledge and principles to the professional practice of engineering. It includes an initial education ( bachelor's and/or master's degree), and any advanced education and specializations tha ...

* Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art * Conway School of Nursing *School of Philosophy *

Metropolitan School of Professional Studies The Metropolitan School of Professional Studies is one of the twelve schools at The Catholic University of America, located in Washington, D.C.

*National Catholic School of Social Service * School of Theology and Religious Studies Caldwell Hall CUA rear

It also has 21 research centers and facilities as well as serving as home to the

, established in 1939. The 12 schools offer

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

degrees (or appropriate professional degrees) in 66 programs and

Master's Degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

s in 103 programs.

Undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

degrees are awarded in 72 programs by six schools:

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

and planning,

arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...

and

sciences Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

, and

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

. Undergraduates combine a liberal arts

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

in arts and sciences with courses in a major field of study. The Metropolitan School provides programs for adults who wish to earn baccalaureate degrees or participate in continuing education and certificate programs on a part-time basis. Catholic University is the only U.S. university with an ecclesiastical faculty of canon law (established by the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

in 1923) and is one of the few U.S. universities with ecclesiastical faculties of

and

sacred theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the s ...

. Theological College, the university

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

, prepares men for the priesthood. The School of Theology and Religious Studies is a member of the

Washington Theological Consortium The Washington Theological Consortium is an ecumenical organization of Christian theological schools and interfaith partners located in Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Members cooperate to deepen ecumenical unity in theologic ...

. The Catholic University of America announced on January 8, 2013, the creation of a School of Business and Economics. Previously housed in the School of Arts and Sciences as ''Department of Business and Economics'', the university's board of trustees voted in December 2012 to confirm the creation of the school commencing January 1, 2013, after a three-year process of discernment, evaluation, and planning. In fall 2013, the School of Library and Information Science became a department of the School of Arts and Sciences, giving the university its present composition. Ninety-eight percent of full-time faculty have doctoral or terminal degrees and 68% teach undergraduates. Of the full-time faculty, 59% are Catholic. In 2018, every tenured and tenure track professor of biology received funding from the

National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...

, which is "quite rare in any university". CUA was one of the fourteen founding members of the

, although it withdrew its membership in 2002, citing a conflict with its mission. In addition, it has been recommended by the Cardinal Newman Society in ''

The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College (also termed as The Newman Guide) is a college evaluation tool published annually by the Cardinal Newman Society to assist students in choosing a Catholic college or university. It includes a list of ...

''. It was described as one of the 25 most underrated colleges in the United States.

Research centers and facilities

According to the

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...

, CUA spent $25.5 million on research and development in 2018. Over time, several national Catholic scholarly associations became based at the university, including the Catholic Biblical Association of America, publisher of the ''

Catholic Biblical Quarterly The ''Catholic Biblical Quarterly'' is a refereed peer-reviewed theology journal published by the Catholic Biblical Association of America (CBA) (CBA) in January, April, July, and October. It was established in 1939 and its circulation in 2010 w ...

'', and (for many years) the American Catholic Philosophical Association. The university is also home to the

. Research institutes located here include: * McMahon Hall of The Catholic University of America

Center for Advanced Training in

Cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life Cell may also refer to: Locations * Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery ...

and

Molecular Biology Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...

*Center for Advancement of

Catholic Education Catholic education may refer to: * Catholic school, primary and secondary education organised by the Catholic Church or organisations affiliated with it * Catholic university, private university run by the Catholic Church or organisations affilia ...

*Center for American Catholic Studies *Center for

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

Studies *Center for

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

Studies *Center for

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

and

Byzantine Studies Byzantine studies is an interdisciplinary branch of the humanities that addresses the history, culture, demography, dress, religion/theology, art, literature/epigraphy, music, science, economy, coinage and politics of the Eastern Roman Empire. T ...

*Center for

Pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

al Studies *Center for the Study of

Culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

and

Values In ethics and social sciences, value denotes the degree of importance of something or action, with the aim of determining which actions are best to do or what way is best to live (normative ethics in ethics), or to describe the significance of dif ...

*Center for the Study of

Early Christianity Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish ...

*Center for the Study of

Energy In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat a ...

and Environmental Stewardship *Center for Ward Method Studies *Homecare and

Telerehabilitation Telerehabilitation (or e-rehabilitation is the delivery of rehabilitation services over telecommunication networks and the internet. Telerehabilitation allows patients to interact with providers remotely and can be used both to assess patients ...

Technology Center *Institute for

Astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...

and

Computational Science Computational science, also known as scientific computing or scientific computation (SC), is a field in mathematics that uses advanced computing capabilities to understand and solve complex problems. It is an area of science that spans many disc ...

s *Institute for

Biomolecular A biomolecule or biological molecule is a loosely used term for molecules present in organisms that are essential to one or more typically biological processes, such as cell division, morphogenesis, or development. Biomolecules include large ...

Studies *Institute for Christian Oriental Research *Institute for

Communications Law Communications law refers to the regulation of electronic communications by wire or radio. It encompasses regulations governing broadcasting, telephone and telecommunications service, cable television, satellite communications, wireless telecommu ...

Studies *

Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies The Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies (IPR) is an interdisciplinary institute and center of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., Washington, District of Columbia, DC. History The Institute for Policy Research ...

(formerly the Life Cycle Institute) *Institute for

Sacred Music Religious music (also sacred music) is a type of music that is performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. It may overlap with ritual music, which is music, sacred or not, performed or composed for or as ritual. Relig ...

*Institute for

Social Justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...

*Institute of

Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

al Arts *Latin American Center for Graduate Studies in Music *

Vitreous Vitreous may refer to: Materials * Glass, an amorphous solid material ** Vitreous enamel, a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing * Vitreous lustre, a glassy luster or sheen on a mineral surface Biology * Vitreous body, ...

State Laboratory

Libraries

The university offers facilities at John K. Mullen of Denver Memorial Library, the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives, as well as separate libraries on the campus for architecture and planning, biology, music, nursing, and physics. A special autonomous library, the Oliveira Lima Library (sometimes referred to as the Ibero-American Library), houses one of the largest collections of rare books on history and literature of

Portuguese Brazilian Portuguese Brazilians ( pt, luso-brasileiros) are Brazilians whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Portugal. Most of the Portuguese who arrived throughout the centuries in Brazil sought economic opportunities. Although present since t ...

culture outside of Brazil.

Pima Community College

In 2019, a partnership with

was announced whereby students could earn an associate degree from Pima and a bachelor's degree in business management from Catholic University. Over the course of the program, two-thirds of courses will be taken remotely and one-third will be taken on the Pima campus. Some local business leaders will serve as adjunct professors. Between 20 and 25 students will initially be admitted to the program, which has a total four year cost of $32,000. Catholic University officials recognized that most Hispanics in the United States are Catholics but historically have not had access to Catholic higher education in their areas. According to a university press release, an analysis by Catholic University found that of "the 25 U.S. cities with the largest total increases in the Hispanic population, nine have no Catholic college or university in close proximity." Given this, in 2017, Catholic University began exploring partnerships with existing institutions in the Southwest. Several cities with large populations of Hispanics and Catholics were considered when then-Tucson Mayor

Jonathan Rothschild Jonathan Rothschild (born 1955) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 41st mayor of Tucson, Arizona from 2011 to 2019. From 2001 to 2011, Rothschild was managing partner at the law firm Mesch Clark Rothschild. Early life and edu ...

heard of Catholic University's desire to open a satellite campus. He called the university's provost and then connected the provost with the bishop.

Academic freedom

The university continues to be under censure by the

American Association of University Professors The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership includes over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations. The AAUP's stated mission is ...

for academic freedom violations and continues to ban certain speakers from campus.

Dismissal of Professor Charles Curran

In 1967, a tenured professor of theology Reverend

Charles E. Curran Charles E. Curran (born March 30, 1934) is an American moral theologian and Catholic priest. He currently serves at Southern Methodist University as the Elizabeth Scurlock University Professor of Human Values. Biography Curran grew up in Roches ...

was fired for his views on birth control but was reinstated after a five-day faculty-led strike. In 1986, the Vatican declared that Curran could no longer teach theology at Catholic University after the Curia department in charge of promulgating Catholic doctrine, headed by

Josef Ratzinger Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereig ...

, decided he was unfit. The areas of dispute included publishing articles that debated theological and ethical views regarding divorce, artificial contraception, masturbation, pre-marital intercourse, and homosexual acts. As noted in the

report, "Had it not been for the intervention of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Professor Curran would undoubtedly still be active in the university's Department of Theology, a popular teacher, honored theologian, and respected colleague." Curran's attorneys argued that CUA did not follow proper procedures or its policy statements in handling the case. In response, CUA claimed that the Vatican's actions against Curran trumped any campus-based policy or tenure rules. In 1989, Curran filed suit against Catholic University, claiming unlawfully termination. Curran's case was ultimately dismissed; the court found Catholic University had the right to fire Curran for teaching theology from a viewpoint that contradicted to the school's religion. In 1990, the

(AAUP) defended Curran and censured Catholic University's administration for failing to adhere to the AAUP's Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure. The AAUP found that "unsatisfactory conditions of academic freedom and tenure have been found to prevail" at The Catholic University of America. , the administration of Catholic University remains on the list of censured institutions. AAUP censure is a purely symbolic designation that does not effect an institution's accreditation or the standing of AAUP members and prospective members on the faculty at a school whose administration remains under censure. The administration of Catholic University has consistently reached out to the AAUP to explore lifting the censure. The two conditions for having the censure removed are inviting Curran, whose license to teach Catholic theology had been suspended by the Vatican, back to campus and changing the university's "Statement on Academic Freedom". President

David M. O'Connell David Michael O'Connell (born April 21, 1955) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Trenton in New Jersey since 2010. He is a member of the Congregation of the Mission and a past presi ...

refused to do either, stating, "Every American university has a right to govern itself according to its own identity, mission, standards, and procedures." The Vatican's decision regarding Curran's qualifications to teach Catholic theology was made unilaterally and is unlikely to change unless Curran's stances come into compliance with church teachings. The Catholic University of America's bylaws require the school to comply with relevant Vatican policies and designates that the Archbishop of Washington D.C., who is chosen by the Vatican, is ''ex officio'' the school's chancellor. This system makes it extremely unlikely Catholic University will amend the school's charter and come into compliance with the current conditions expressed by the AAUP for lifting their censure of the school's administration. PopeBenedictatCUA

Speaker policy

The university as a policy does not allow outside guests to speak on campus to any audience if they have previously expressed an opinion on abortion or other serious issues conflicting with the Catholic Church's teaching. Applying this policy in 2004, CUA was criticized for rescinding

Stanley Tucci Stanley Tucci Jr. ( ; born November 11, 1960) is an American actor and filmmaker. Involved in acting from a young age, he made his film debut in John Huston's ''Prizzi's Honor'' (1985), and continued to play a variety of supporting roles in film ...

's invitation for a seminar about Italian cinema, because he had lent past support for

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...

. The next year, in 2005, the school was criticized for initially rejecting an application for recognition of a student chapter of the NAACP; one of the reasons officials cited in its rejection was the national organization's pro-choice stance. In 2006 the CUA administration barred a student-run on-campus performance of

Eve Ensler V, formerly Eve Ensler (; born May 25, 1953), is an American playwright, performer, feminist, and activist. V is best known for her play ''The Vagina Monologues''.

's ''

The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores cons ...

''. In 2009, the school made its speaker policy more stringent, prohibiting all candidates for political office from speaking on campus. Representatives of both Democratic and Republican clubs on campus have criticized the decision.

Demographics

The student population in 2019 was 5,059. Approximately 91% of undergraduates receive some form of financial aid. There are slightly more female students at 53%, and a 1:7 faculty to student ratio. 83.8% of full-time faculty have a terminal degree.

Student life

There are over 100 registered student clubs and organizations at CUA for a wide variety of interests including athletics, academics, social, Greek life, service, political and religious. Annual events include week-long Homecoming celebrations, the Mr. CUA competition, and several dances including the Beaux Arts Ball, the Mistletoe Ball, and the Athletes Ball. In addition to radio station WCUA, other campus media outlets include ''The Crosier'', a scholarly publication concerning Catholic social teaching, ''The Tower'', the campus' independent weekly newspaper, and ''CRUX'', a literary magazine. Although Catholic University states that it does not have any Greek life on campus, it has three Greek social organizations and one Greek service organization. Catholic University Greek life includes

Alpha Delta Gamma Alpha (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἄλφα, ''álpha'', or ell, άλφα, álfa) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph , which ...

the national Catholic social fraternity–Kappa chapter and Kappa Tau Gamma the local Christian social-service sorority. Although not officially recognized by the university, the Sigma-Psi chapter of the

Kappa Sigma Kappa Sigma (), commonly known as Kappa Sig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international fraternities with currently 318 active chapters and colo ...

fraternity received an official charter in 2014. The members are all students of the university and are active on and around the campus. The national service fraternity,

Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Phi Omega (), commonly known as APO, but also A-Phi-O and A-Phi-Q, is a coeducational service fraternity. It is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of over 25,0 ...

, has a chapter (Zeta Mu) on campus as well. Former

Phi Kappa Theta Phi Kappa Theta (), commonly known as Phi Kap, is a national social fraternity that has over 35 active chapters and colonies at universities across 21 U.S. states. The fraternity was founded on April 29, 1959, at Ohio State University in Columbu ...

DC Omega chapter is inactive. The CUA Student Association is the university's undergraduate student government. It includes the General Assembly, an advocacy body, and the Student Fee Allocation Board which serves as the steward of the Student Activity and Club Sports Fee. The graduate student government is a separate entity and was not affected by the changes during the 2006–2007 academic year.

Music and drama

The music and drama programs, as part of a class, stage productions each semester, performances ranging from Broadway productions to plays and operas. Catholic University students also participate in a Symphony orchestra and choral groups, including

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

groups Take Note, RedLine, and the Washingtones. There have been several songs associated with the university over the years. The most recent fight song, written by Steve Schatz, was adopted in 2002. The original fight song, "The Flying Cardinals", dates back to before the 1930s. There are two alma maters, considered to be the university's official songs. The first, "Hail CUA" was set to music composed by

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, cellist and conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is be ...

and was adopted in 1920. The other, Guardians of Truth by Fr. Thomas McLean, actually came in 2nd place in the 1920 competition but was widely adopted in the ensuing years. Albert Von Tilzer, composer of ''

Take Me Out to the Ball Game "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song ...

'', wrote two songs for the university, ''We're Rooting For You'' and ''CU Will Shine Tonight''. The earliest sports song, ''Through the Town'', dates from 1916. ''Drink a Highball'' was a popular song during

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

. In honor of the university's 125th anniversary, an hour-long nostalgic musical revue was performed.

Campus ministry and religious life

84% of undergraduates and 59% of graduate students self-identify as Catholic. The campus ministry has two groups of ''student'' ministers: the "resident ministers" who live in residence halls and focus primarily on upperclassmen and the "house members", who focus on

freshmen A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...

. The Friday Night Planning Committee works with the house members to plan activities for Friday nights that are alcohol-free. Campus ministry also coordinates university liturgies, plans and runs retreats, and operates the online Prayernet.

Athletics

Burgee of Catholic University of America

Catholic (CUA) athletic teams are called the Cardinals. The university is a member of the

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA), primarily competing in the

Landmark Conference The Landmark Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the eastern United States in the states of Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, plus Washington, D.C. ...

for most of its sports since the 2007–08 academic year. They are also associate members of the

New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the northeastern United States in the states of Connecticut and M ...

for football, and the

Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference The Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference (MARC) is a men's and women's College rowing (United States), intercollegiate rowing conference. History The Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference was established in January 2009 by nine charter member schools: Bryn Ma ...

for rowing. The team colors are

red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

(PMS 1805) and

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

. The first recorded football game was played against Mount Saint Mary's College on November 28, 1895, but records indicate earlier track and field events. The university beat the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment. ...

at the second

Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game in th ...

in 1936, 20–19. They also tied the Arizona State Teachers College at Tempe (now Arizona State University) in the 1940 Sun Bowl. The basketball Cardinals played in the 1944 NCAA basketball tournament, finishing as the Eastern Fourth Place team in the eight-team era of the tournament. They lost to runner-up

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

63-38 in the regional semifinals, and

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...

55-35 in the regional consolation game. CUA competes in 25

NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their stu ...

intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.

Non-varsity sports

Students field club teams in sports including

cheerleading Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...

and

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

. *The

team competes in the

Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference The Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference (DVCHC) is a collegiate hockey conference associated with the Collegiate Hockey Federation (CHF) and independent women's university teams. The conference has men's teams that compete within divisions ...

(DVCHC) of the ACHA and plays at the

Fort Dupont Ice Arena A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

in Washington, D.C. The team won the

Mason-Dixon Collegiate Hockey Association The Mason-Dixon Collegiate Hockey Association (MDCHA) is an ACHA Division III club ice hockey league that comprises smaller colleges and universities in the Mid-Atlantic region USA. Division III club hockey offers smaller colleges and universitie ...

(MDCHA) Championship in 2009, the

Blue Ridge Hockey Conference The East Coast Collegiate Hockey Association (ECCHA) was an American Collegiate Hockey Association, ACHA college ice hockey conference in the Southeast region of the United States. The ECCHA was created in August of 2001 as Blue Ridge Hockey Con ...

(BRHC) Championship in 2015, and the DVCHC Patriot Division Championship in 2019. *The men's club

team competes in Division 2 of the Chesapeake Conference in the National College Lacrosse League. The team has secured the NCLL Division 2 National Championship for 2015, 2016, and 2017. *The men's

team competes in the Potomac Rugby Conference of the

NSCRO National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) formerly the "National Small College Rugby Organization" is a rugby union governing body in the United States. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, NCR was created in 2007 by Chip Auscavitch and Steve Cohen to supp ...

. *The women's

team competes in the Capital Rugby Union of the

. *The

team competes in the

Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (MAISA) is one of the seven conferences affiliated with the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association that schedule and administer regattas within their established geographic regions. MAISA organiz ...

of the ICSA.

Notable alumni and faculty

There are many notable alumni of The Catholic University of America, particularly in the arts, in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and in public service. Graduates include

cardinals Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

s, and

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

s. CUA's current total of alumni exceeds 83,000, including 12 living

. In 1942, Catholic University became the first university to award a doctorate in geology to an

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

Marguerite Williams Marguerite Thomas Williams (born Marguerite Thomas; December 24, 1895 – August 17, 1991) was an American geologist. She was the first African American to earn a doctorate in geology in the United States. Early years and education Marguerite Th ...

University rectors and presidents

# Bishop John J. Keane (1887–1896) # Bishop Thomas J. Conaty (1896–1903) # Bishop Denis J. O'Connell (1903–1909) # Bishop Thomas J. Shahan (1909–1927) # Bishop

James Hugh Ryan James Hugh Ryan (December 15, 1886 – November 23, 1947) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as rector of the Catholic University of America (1928–1935) and as bishop and later archbishop of the Archdiocese o ...

(1928–1935) # Bishop Joseph M. Corrigan (1936–1942) # Bishop Patrick J. McCormick (1943–1953) # Bishop Bryan J. McEntegart (1953–1957) # Bishop William J. McDonald (1957–1967, last Rector) #

Clarence C. Walton Clarence Cyril Walton (June 22, 1915 – April 13, 2004) was the 10th president of The Catholic University of America and the first layman to hold the position. He was also the first to hold the title 'president' and not 'rector.' Early life Cla ...

(1969–1978, first President) #

Edmund D. Pellegrino Edmund Daniel Pellegrino (June 22, 1920 - June 13, 2013) was an American bioethicist and academic who served as the 11th president of The Catholic University of America (CUA) from 1978 to 1982. For 35 years, Pellegrino was a distinguished profess ...

(1978–1982) # William J. Byron (1982–1992) # Patrick Ellis (1992–1998) # Bishop

(1998–2010) # John H. Garvey (2010–2022) # Peter Kilpatrick (2022–present)

Board of trustees

CUA was founded by the nation's bishops, and they continue to have a presence on the board of trustees. There are 48 elected members, and the bylaws stipulate that 24 must be clerics, 18 of which must be members of the bishops' conference. Of the 51 total trustees (including the university president), 24 are

s (including seven

). In addition, there are one

religious sister A religious sister (abbreviated ''Sr.'' or Sist.) in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to pr ...

and two

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in p ...

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{Authority control 1887 establishments in Washington, D.C. Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. Catholic universities and colleges in Washington, D.C. Educational institutions established in 1887 Pontifical universities Pope Leo XIII Private universities and colleges in Washington, D.C.