The University of Mary (UMary or simply Mary) 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 ...
,
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
university near
Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck () is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the state's second-most populous city, after Fargo. The city's population was 73,622 in the 2020 census, while its metropolitan popula ...
. It was established in 1959 as Mary College.
The university is the largest degree-granting institution in western North Dakota. It has study-abroad campuses in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and
Arequipa
Arequipa (; Aymara and qu, Ariqipa) is a city and capital of province and the eponymous department of Peru. It is the seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and often dubbed the "legal capital of Peru". It is the second most populated city ...
,
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
, and also operates academic programs at satellite locations in
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
(Fargo, downtown Bismarck, Watford City, Grand Forks),
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
,
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
,
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
, and
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. It is endorsed by ''
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 ...
'', and is recognized as a college of distinction, with notable programs in Education, Business, and Nursing. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing exam results (i.e.
NCLEX
The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is a nationwide examination for the licensing of nurses in the United States, Canada and Australia since 1982, 2015 and 2020 respectively. There are two types, the NCLEX-RN and the NCLEX-PN. Aft ...
) ranked the University of Mary’s nursing program as #1 regionally and #1 of 2,061 nursing programs nationwide in 2019, and again in 2021 as #1 of 2,145 nursing programs nationwide.
History
The University of Mary has its origins in a boarding school founded in Bismarck,
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of No ...
, in 1878 by
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
sisters.
In 1885, the sisters founded
St. Alexius Hospital, adding a College of Nursing in 1915. In 1944, the sisters formed the Convent of the Annunciation, independent of the motherhouse in
St. Joseph, Minnesota. The convent was renamed Annunciation Priory in 1947.
First buildings
In the early 1950s, the sisters requested that celebrated
Bauhaus
The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...
architect
Marcel Breuer
Marcel Lajos Breuer ( ; 21 May 1902 – 1 July 1981), was a Hungarian-born modernist architect and furniture designer.
At the Bauhaus he designed the Wassily Chair and the Cesca Chair, which ''The New York Times'' have called some of the most im ...
design a new priory building.
At the time, Breuer was finishing the new abbey and several university buildings at
Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville
Saint John's Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Collegeville Township, Minnesota, United States, affiliated with the American-Cassinese Congregation. The abbey was established following the arrival in the area of monks from Saint Vincent Archab ...
in
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
. In 1955, Breuer accepted the commission
only after visiting the site, meeting with the sisters, and being "overwhelmed by the power and presence of the landscape setting and the mission."
Breuer's designs used native granite prairie stone, complex concrete shapes, and a juxtaposition of light and shadow.
The first buildings were a convent, dining hall, and classrooms. The school was officially founded as a women's college in 1959 as Mary College.
Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel was consecrated in 1963 in the second phase of construction.
As the school grew, it endeavored to preserve the spirit of Breuer's modernist prairie architecture while implementing new programs and new buildings by lesser-known architects.
Coeducation and university status
Mary College rapidly expanded and became fully co-educational in the 1960s. It achieved university status — becoming the University of Mary — in 1986. The University of Mary is the only private, Catholic university in North Dakota. It has been accredited by the
Higher Learning Commission
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...
since 1969. Since its incorporation in 1959, the university's enrollment has grown from 69 to more than 3,800. Its undergraduate programs have grown from nursing and education to 65+ degrees, ranging from accounting to Catholic studies.
In 1986, the university began offering master's degrees in nursing, management, and education. It has added master's programs in business administration, counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy, public administration, project management, clinical exercise physiology, kinesiology, speech-language pathology, music, Catholic studies, and bioethics. Doctorates are currently offered in education, nursing, business, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.
2000 and later
In 2001, the University of Mary unveiled its vision as "America's Leadership University." In 2005, the master's degree in physical therapy was replaced by a Doctor of Physical Therapy — the university's first doctorate. The first 26 candidates in this program received their entry-level clinical doctorate in 2006. Since then, doctorates have been added in Education, Nursing, and Occupational Therapy.
The University of Mary has expanded options in order to make education accessible to working adults and to support lifelong learning in the region and beyond. University of Mary Online offers accelerated undergraduate and graduate programs for the adult learner. Today, the University of Mary has 14 satellite campuses in the Upper Midwest and beyond, including the Butler Center in downtown Bismarck, Fargo Center in Fargo, North Dakota, and Billings Center in Billings, Montana. Since 2005, the University of Mary has offered bachelor's and master's programs online.
In 2006, UMary initiated the Gary Tharaldson School of Business. Named for
Gary Tharaldson, a North Dakota hospitality entrepreneur and industry innovator, the new school was designed to bridge the gap between the academic and business world. The flagship facility that houses the Gary Tharaldson School opened in September 2008.
In December 2008, the university announced that a 33-year-old Catholic priest, Father James Patrick Shea, had been named as its new president. At the time and for nearly a decade afterwards, he was the youngest college or university president in the United States.
From the fall of 2009 to the Spring of 2010, the University of Mary searched for a facility as the base for its
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, Italy program. It found one a ten-minute bus ride from the city center, on the Via del Casaletto. The first students to study in this Rome program traveled from the United States in the Fall of 2010.
The Catholic Studies Program, an initiative of Shea, was also launched in the fall of 2010. On October 19, 2010, the program was named in honor of Bishop
Paul Albert Zipfel
Paul Albert Zipfel (September 22, 1935 – July 14, 2019) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Bismarck in North Dakota from 1997 to 2011. Zipfel served as an auxiliary bisho ...
, sixth bishop of the
Diocese of Bismarck
The Diocese of Bismarck ( la, Dioecesis Bismarckiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in North Dakota. The current bishop of the diocese is Bishop David Kagan. It is a suffragan diocese in the eccles ...
, North Dakota. The Catholic Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program designed to explore the Catholic Church's contributions to and influence on human thought and culture, past and present. The program invites students of any faith who wish to deepen their knowledge of Catholicism's rich history and living tradition.
The University of Mary has 1,130 employees, with a full-time teaching faculty of more than 300. Annual revenues in 2021 were $81.9 million.
Campus
The University of Mary is a rural campus located about south of Bismarck and was built on a high prairie bluff overlooking the "Capital City." The campus includes 24 buildings. Several of the original buildings on campus were designed by architect
Marcel Breuer
Marcel Lajos Breuer ( ; 21 May 1902 – 1 July 1981), was a Hungarian-born modernist architect and furniture designer.
At the Bauhaus he designed the Wassily Chair and the Cesca Chair, which ''The New York Times'' have called some of the most im ...
.
The
Harold Schafer
Harold Schafer (February 1, 1912 – December 2, 2001) was a North Dakota businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded the Gold Seal Company, the original maker of '' Mr. Bubble''. He also was a major benefactor in the tourist town of ...
Leadership Center is home to a leadership program that the university offers. The upper floor usually holds conferences and meetings while the lower floor is home to IT training centers.
The Benedictine Center for Servant Leadership is one of the oldest buildings on campus, since it previously served as the library and a priory for the Sisters. It primarily houses the university's administrative offices, including the Offices of the President, Academic Affairs, Undergraduate Admissions, UMary Online, Public Affairs, Financial Aid, the Registrar, Student Accounts, Student Success Center, Student Development, Career and Testing Services, M-Card Office, and the Business Office. It is also home to the Liffrig School of Education and Behavioral Sciences, three residence halls (below), and the Hauer Family Theater.
St. Joseph's Hall for Men is a men's faith-based residence hall. Boniface Hall is a women's residence hall. St. Scholastica's Hall for Women is a women's faith-based residence hall. Roers Hall is a freshman women's residence housing the Saint Scholastica community on its third floor.
Welder Library was built in 1990 and is named for the university's president emerita,
Sister Thomas Welder
Sister Thomas Welder, OSB (born Diane Marie Welder; April 27, 1940June 22, 2020) was an American educator, academic administrator, and Benedictine nun. Born and raised in North Dakota, she entered Annunciation Monastery in 1959, at age 19. She ...
. The library houses 61,000 print volumes, more than 340,000 eBooks, 3,600 multimedia items, and databases providing access to over 60,000 journals. The library building is also home to the humanities division of the School of Arts and Sciences.
Greg Butler Hall is a women's residence hall located just southeast of the Welder Library. Hillside Hall is a women's residence hall located just northeast of the Welder Library. An outdoor track and baseball field are located east of both halls.
The McDowell Activity Center (MAC) is the center of the athletics department and includes offices and lockers on the lower level and a weight room. The main use for this center is for the men's and women's basketball teams and the women's volleyball team. The McDowell Activity Center is located just north of Hillside Hall. The Tschider Center for Health Sciences occupies one wing of this building, and provides both office and classroom space for the human performance programs.
The Lumen Vitae University Center (LVUC) serves as a community gathering space for students and faculty. The campus restaurant, the Crow's Nest, offers 24/7 dining. The Bookstore and Marauders Mart are located near the Crow's Nest.
The Harold J. Miller Center is one of the oldest buildings on campus and houses science, math, occupational therapy, and a computer lab. This building is connected to the east side of University Hall. Arno Gustin Hall includes the main auditorium for the campus The Clairmont Center houses the music department as well as some classrooms and Heskett Hall, which is a small performing stage and home to a few lecture classes. The Casey Center for Nursing Education houses the nursing and physical therapy departments. In addition, the information desk is located here as well as a lounge just east of the information area. Tennis courts are accessible just outside the north end of this part of the building. In addition, there are practice fields for football, softball, soccer, track & field, and baseball on campus.
On April 25, 2019, construction began on the new school of engineering which will be housed in the renovated University Hall.
Deichert and Boyle Halls are student apartments located at the far north end of campus. Just beyond Deichert Hall, on the northernmost side of campus, lie "The Cloisters." The Cloisters is available to only upper and graduate level students. The Cloisters consists of three buildings, two suite-styled apartments and a student commons/campus pub. The two apartments are named after the Benedictine heritage sites
Subiaco (women's) and
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley, Italy, west of Cassino and at an elevation of . Site of the Roman town of Casinum, it is widely known for its abbey, the first h ...
(men's). The student commons/campus pub is named "Chesterton's," in honor of the famous Christian essayist of the 20th century,
G.K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936) was an English writer, philosopher, Christian apologist, and literary and art critic. He has been referred to as the "prince of paradox". Of his writing style, ''Time'' observed: "Wh ...
.
File:Length_of_campus.jpg, The University of Mary campus with a view of Apple Creek and the Missouri River below
File:Lumen-Vitae-Entrance-Hero.jpg, North entrance to the Lumen Vitae University Center
File:LVUC_inside_2.jpg, Inside the Lumen Vitae University Center's main atrium
File:LVUC_inside.jpg, A view from one of the balconies in the Lumen Vitae University Center
File:UMARY_FoundersHall.jpg, A view from the stage of Founders Hall, the University's main ballroom, prepared for a banquet
File:Hospitality_Dining_Room.jpg, One of the private dining rooms available for internal and external events at the University
File:UMARY_grotto_night.png, The University of Mary's Grotto dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as seen at night
File:Mary_Statue_Close_at_Night.jpg, The University of Mary's Grotto dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary
File:Chesterton's_University_of_Mary.jpg, A view of the University of Mary's pub, "Chesterton's" named after G.K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936) was an English writer, philosopher, Christian apologist, and literary and art critic. He has been referred to as the "prince of paradox". Of his writing style, ''Time'' observed: "Wh ...
File:Our_Lady_of_Annunciation_Chapel.jpg, A view of the main chapel at the University of Mary, Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel
File:Reservation_Chapel.jpg, A small prayer chapel for reposition of the Blessed Sacrament in Our Lady of Annunciation Chapel
File:RoersHall_Slideshow1.jpg, Roers Hall, the freshmen women's residence hall
File:Welder_Library_and_the_Gary_Tharaldson_School_of_Business.jpg, Welder Library and the Gary Tharaldson School of Business at sunset
File:Welder_Library.jpg, A view out of the large windows of Welder Library
File:UMARY_Fieldhouse.gif, A view of the expansive University of Mary Fieldhouse
Athletics
The University of Mary is a member of the
NCAA Division II
NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
and the
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the western Midwestern United States. Nine of its ...
.
The University of Mary athletics teams are known as the
"Marauders," and the team colors are blue and orange. The Marauders field teams in 18 varsity sports, including golf, football, basketball, swimming, soccer, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, cross country, volleyball, baseball, softball, wrestling, and tennis. In 2018–19, the Marauders also launched an
American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is a college ice hockey association. The ACHA's purpose is to be an organization of collegiate affiliated non-varsity programs, which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes qualit ...
hockey team, finishing its inaugural season 39-6-2.
File:University of Mary Marauders Football.jpg, Marauders Football takes the field.
File:UMARY_Volleyball.jpg, Marauders Volleyball match in the Marauders Activity Center
File:Devon_Douglas.jpg, Marauders Basketball's Devon Douglas winning the NCAA Slam Dunk Contest
File:UMARY_Track_and_Field.jpg, Marauders indoor track competition in the UMary Fieldhouse
File:UMary Hockey.jpg, Marauders Hockey player races for the puck
File:UMARY_Softball.jpg, Marauders Softball sliding safe into base
File:UMary_Wrestling.jpg, UMary wrestling against a rival school in the Marauders Activity Center
File:UMary_Women's_basketball.jpg, Marauders Women's Basketball sets up for a shot down low
File:UMary_Track_and_Field_Sprint.jpg, UMary Men's Track and Field in the UMary Fieldhouse
File:UMary_Swimming.jpg, Marauders Women's Swimming competition
Notable alumni
Michael Wobbema
Tim Miles
Timothy Sean Miles (born August 20, 1966) is an American college basketball coach who is the current head coach of the San Jose State Spartans men's basketball team. Miles previously served as the head coach of North Dakota State University, Colo ...
Mary Wakefield
Todd Hendricks
Todd Hendricks (born August 13, 1968) is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver, running back, and kick returner. Hendricks played professionally for several seasons in the Austrian Football League's highest lev ...
Kevin Cramer
Kevin John Cramer (born January 21, 1961) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator for North Dakota since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he represented North Dakota's at-large congressional district ...
Blair Thoreson
Pat Heinert
Ruth Buffalo
Ruth Anna Buffalo is an American people, American politician serving as a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives from the 27th District, serving from December 1, 2018. She is the first Native American Democratic Party (United States) ...
Marquice Williams
Jerry Klein
Jerry J. Klein (born November 21, 1951) is an American politician. He is a member of the North Dakota State Senate
The North Dakota Senate is the upper house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly, smaller than the North Dakota House of R ...
Erin Oban
Erin Oban is an American politician from the state of North Dakota. She is a member of the North Dakota Senate for the 35th district and the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party.
Early life
Oban earned a Bachelor of Science in mat ...
See also
*
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mary, University of
University of Mary
The University of Mary (UMary or simply Mary) is a private, Benedictine university near Bismarck, North Dakota. It was established in 1959 as Mary College.
The university is the largest degree-granting institution in western North Dakota. It ...
Educational institutions established in 1955
Benedictine colleges and universities
Buildings and structures in Bismarck, North Dakota
Education in Burleigh County, North Dakota
Catholic Church in Arizona
1955 establishments in North Dakota
Catholic universities and colleges in North Dakota
Roman Catholic Diocese of Bismarck