Manhattanville University is a

private university Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they often receive tax breaks, public student loans, and government grants. Depending on the count ...

Purchase, New York Purchase is a hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set ...

, United States. Founded in 1841 as a school at 412

Houston Street Houston Street ( ) is a major east–west thoroughfare in Lower Manhattan in New York City, New York. It runs the full width of the island of Manhattan, from FDR Drive along the East River in the east to the West Side Highway along the Hudson ...

Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...

, it was initially known as the "Academy of the Sacred Heart". In 1917, the academy received a charter from the

Regents In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

of the

State of New York New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

to raise the school officially to a collegiate level, granting degrees as the "College of the Sacred Heart". In 1937, it became known as "Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart", and from 1966 to 2024 as "Manhattanville College". In 1952 it moved to its current location in the hamlet of Purchase, New York, a suburb north of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Purchase is inside the town and village of Harrison in

Westchester County Westchester County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The county is the seventh most populous cou ...

. Approximately 1,100 undergraduate and 900 graduate students attend Manhattanville, with students coming from 45+ countries and 35+ American states. The architectural and administrative centerpiece of the Manhattanville campus is Reid Hall (1864) which was named after

Whitelaw Reid Whitelaw Reid (October 27, 1837 – December 15, 1912) was an American politician, diplomat and newspaper editor, as well as the author of ''Ohio in the War'', a popular work of history. After assisting Horace Greeley as editor of the ''New-Yo ...

, publisher and owner of the ''

New-York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' (from 1914: ''New York Tribune'') was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s ...

'', one of the leading newspapers in the nation for a century. Next to Reid Hall stand academic buildings on one side and on the other residence halls around a central quad designed by the landscape architect

Frederick Law Olmsted Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, Social criticism, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the U ...

, also the designer of New York's landmark

Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...

in the 1850s and 1860s. Other historic buildings include: the Lady Chapel; the President's Cottage known as the Barbara Debs House; the old Stables; and Water Tower.

History

The Academy of the Sacred Heart (1841–1917)

Manhattanville University traces its origins to an Academy of the Sacred Heart founded over 175 years ago on the Lower East Side of

. In August 1841 the

Society of the Sacred Heart The Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (; ), abbreviated RSCJ, is a Catholic centralized religious institute of consecrated life of pontifical right for women established in France by Madeleine Sophie Barat in 1800. History Madeleine Soph ...

(RSCJ), a Catholic religious order dedicated to the education of young women, established an academy at 412 Houston Street, near the corner of Mulberry Street, in the tightly packed warren of narrow streets in the southeast corner of

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

Island facing the

East River The East River is a saltwater Estuary, tidal estuary or strait in New York City. The waterway, which is not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island, ...

. This location was chosen, in part, due to its proximity to Old Saint Patrick's Cathedral. In September 1844 the boarding school moved to Ravenswood in the Astoria section of

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

. Archbishop John Hughes counted "upon Ravenswood becoming the leading Academy for young Ladies" in the Archdiocese of New York. However, within two years the location proved too remote. Of particular concern was that students were often deprived of the Mass.

John McCloskey John McCloskey (March 10, 1810 – October 10, 1885) was an Catholic Church in the United States, American Catholic prelate who served as the first American-born Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, Archbishop of New York from 1864 until his ...

, the newly installed coadjutor bishop of New York, would personally travel there when he could, but even he "could not supply for all their spiritual needs." In 1847, the growing Academy relocated to the former estate of Jacob Lorillard in the village of Manhattanville on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in what was then a rural village. It occupied this site from 1847 to 1952 and it is from this location that the university derives its current name. At that time, the village of Manhattanville was still eight miles north of New York City, which clustered around the south end at the Battery of

Manhattan Island Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the smallest county by area in the U.S. state of New York. Located almost entire ...

. By the time of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, (1861–1865), the Manhattanville Academy counted 280 girl pupils. The academy was always diverse with a substantial proportion of the student body consisting of recent immigrants from

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. In 1880, the academy began offering a two-year post-high school program for its young women students, foreshadowing a future in higher education. Over the next century New York City expanded, transforming the area from a farming village to a neighborhood in West Harlem. The Convent Avenue campus was located between 130th and 135th streets. The western border was Convent Avenue and its eastern border St. Nicholas Terrace. In 1949 proceedings began to incorporate the campus into the existing City College campus. Today it is known as the South Campus of City College. The final remaining buildings from the Manhattanville era are Park Hall (then known as Benziger) and Mott Hall (the Parish School during Manhattanville's time).

The College of the Sacred Heart (1917–1937)

In the early 20th century, higher education opportunities for women increased as many formerly academies, seminaries, institutions and lower schools transitioned to the status of colleges. Shortly before the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

declared war on the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

and entered the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, on March 1, 1917, the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Manhattanville received a Provisional Charter from the Regents of the State of New York to offer undergraduate degrees as "The College of the Sacred Heart". The first baccalaureate degrees were granted in 1918. The Absolute Charter was signed May 29, 1919. As the college grew, the city of New York also expanded northward, toward the far north end of Manhattan Island towards the

Harlem River The Harlem River is an tidal strait in New York City, flowing between the Hudson River and the East River and separating the island of Manhattan from the Bronx on the United States mainland. The northern stretch, also called the Spuyten Duyvi ...

transforming the surrounding area from a rural village to diverse residential/commercial communities of Manhattan bordered by the

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

and

Morningside Heights Morningside Heights is a neighborhood on the West Side of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Morningside Drive to the east, 125th Street to the north, 110th Street to the south, and Riverside Drive to the west. Morningsi ...

neighborhoods. In 1935, The College of the Sacred Heart was accredited by the prestigious

Association of American Universities The Association of American Universities (AAU) is an organization of predominantly American research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education. Founded in 1900, it consists of 69 public and private ...

. The name was officially changed to "Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart" in 1937.

Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart (1937–1966)

Racial justice (Manhattanville Resolutions)

In the 1930s, the Manhattanville student body consisted of approximately 200 female students. Though small, the college made headlines across the country for taking a strong position promoting racial equality decades before the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s, into the 1960s and 1970s. In May 1933, students created the " Manhattanville Resolutions" a document that pledged an active student commitment to racial justice. This commitment was tested when the first Negro woman student was admitted to the college in 1938. Alumnae response to a racially integrated but all-female student body was mixed and somewhat controversial for a time. While the vast majority of letters praised Manhattanville for its courageous action, college president Grace Dammann viewed the negative responses as an opportunity to open hearts and minds. At the annual Class Day reunion on May 31, 1938, she delivered a passionate speech entitled "Principles Versus Prejudices." She stated that education is the key to rising above prejudices.

"The more we know of man's doing and thinking throughout time and throughout the world's extent, the more we understand that beauty and goodness and truth are not the monopoly of any age nor of any group nor of any race."

The speech went on to be published in several national publications and established Manhattanville as a leader in higher education and human rights. When Dammann died suddenly in 1945, ''The New York Times'' obituary summarized her life's work with the headline, "Mother Dammann, College President: Head of Manhattanville Since 1930 Dies--Champion of Racial Equality." Manhattanville would continue its work in social action first through the National Federation of Catholic College Students and to this day with the Duchesne Center for Religion and Social Justice and the Connie Hogarth Center for Social Action. Mary Louise (Mamie) Jenkins, RSCJ was the first African American student to graduate from Manhattanville and June Mulvaney was the first African American student to major in Russian at Manhattanville.

Growth

As was the case for many colleges following World War II, neighboring

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...

(CCNY-part of the

City University of New York The City University of New York (CUNY, pronounced , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven ...

) struggled to accommodate the growing college student population on its campus. In 1946, the

Mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The Mayoralty in the United States, mayor's office administers all ...

formed a special commission to investigate the resource needs of the city's public education institutions. Their recommendations would have particularly extensive ramifications for the future of the neighboring Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart. In February 1949, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' reported that City College was campaigning to acquire the Manhattanville campus to expand their facilities. The same month, CCNY distributed a pamphlet, entitled "No Other Place to Go: A City College Plea for Purchase of the Manhattanville Property". The

New York City Board of Estimate The New York City Board of Estimate was a governmental body in New York City responsible for numerous areas of municipal policy and decisions, including the city budget, land-use, contracts, franchises, and water rates. Under the amendments eff ...

agreed and deeded the campus to City College via the legal process of condemnation and eminent domain. In September 1949, the Manhattanville Board of Trustees purchased the

Estate, north of the city in suburban

. The next two years saw condemnation proceedings work through the

New York State Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...

system. Manhattanville was eventually given near $8.8 million ($8,808,620) for the Manhattan campus and buildings. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the new campus near Harrison, in

on May 3, 1951. The new campus with its buildings were renovated and other construction was completed in October 1952.

Manhattanville College (1966–2024)

With additional facilities and space to grow, the student population increased from 400 women students in 1950 to 700 students by 1960. Over the course of the next decade, the student population doubled once again, reaching 1,400 students by 1970. Manhattanville was a microhistory of the societal transformation in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, higher education, and American society as a whole during the 1960s. In 1966, the college's board of trustees voted to amend the school charter and remove the words "of the Sacred Heart" from the official college name. This marked an important moment in the

secularization In sociology, secularization () is a multilayered concept that generally denotes "a transition from a religious to a more worldly level." There are many types of secularization and most do not lead to atheism or irreligion, nor are they automatica ...

of the college. Between 1966 and 1970, the Manhattanville administration oversaw the gradual removal of Catholic symbols and traditions from the campus. Although the college had been operated by an independent board of trustees since its founding in 1841, it was strongly identified with the Church and these changes were difficult for the community. By 1969, the college's charter was expanded to include the admitting education of both women and men. The first coeducational freshman class entered Manhattanville in August 1971. In 1973, the student academic experience evolved due to an important campus study funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Interviews with the Manhattanville community led to the development of the Portfolio System, a personalized and guided self-assessment charting the development of each student. Today the ATLAS program continues this tradition. In 1965, the college introduced its first graduate program, a Masters of Arts in Teaching and in 1993, the first graduate programs in business were offered. The first doctoral program was introduced in 2010 with the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the School of Education. In 2012, Manhattanville's Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Degree Program was formally approved.

Manhattanville University (2024–present)

On April 3, 2024, Manhattanville College became Manhattanville University. The change was made possible, in part, because of an update in 2022 to the state Board of Regents' definition of a university. On April 29, 2024 It was announced that Manhattanville University would maintain Wells College's transcripts, business records, and other important artifacts after its closure.

Presidents

Since its chartering as a college in 1917, Manhattanville has had 16 presidents, including acting presidents, one of whom also served as interim president for a period of time: # Mary Moran (1917–1918) #Ruth Burnett (1918–1924) # Charlotte Lewis (1924–1930) # Grace Dammann (1930–1945) # Eleanor O'Byrne (1945–1965) #Elizabeth McCormack (1966–1974) # Harold Delaney (1974–1975) # Barbara Knowles Debs (1975–1985) # Jane C. Maggin (acting) (1981–1982) # Marcia Savage (1985–1995) # Richard Berman (1995–2009) # Molly Easo Smith (2009–2011); Robert Hall (acting) (2011) # Jon Strauss (2011–2016) # Michael E. Geisler (2016–2022); Louise Feroe (acting; interim) (Summer 2021; 2022–2023) # Frank Sanchez (2023–Present)

Current campus

Reid Estate (1860–1949)

Manhattanville purchased its current 100-acre campus in 1949. The first European owner of the parcel of land was Ben Holladay who bought the estate in the 1860s and named its Ophir Farm after a silver mine in Nevada. The Holladay family built a mansion called Ophir Hall, family chapel, and several outbuildings. However, after several family deaths and financial difficulties, Ben Holladay left the estate in 1873. In 1888

and his wife Elisabeth Mills Reid purchased the property. Whitelaw was editor of '' The New York Tribune'' and served various political positions including ambassador to France and England. Elisabeth was the daughter of Darius Ogden Mills, founder of The Bank of California. The Reids remodeled the existing Ophir Hall and outfitted it with the latest home luxuries, including electricity. However, shortly before completion, faulty wiring sparked a fire that destroyed the home on July 14, 1888. The Reids rebuilt under the direction of the famed architectural firm of

McKim, Mead & White McKim, Mead & White was an American architectural firm based in New York City. The firm came to define architectural practice, urbanism, and the ideals of the American Renaissance in ''fin de siècle'' New York. The firm's founding partners, Cha ...

. This home was designed in the style of a gothic castle and built onto the existing foundation. The Castle was completed in 1892. A three-story addition including the East Library and West Room was completed in 1912. Whitelaw Reid died while serving as the ambassador to England in 1912. Elizabeth Mills Reid died in 1931 and the contents of the house were auctioned in 1935. In 1947 the Reid family placed the estate for sale. Reid Castle was dedicated to Elisabeth Mills Reid on September 19, 1969. In 1974 the U.S. Department of the Interior placed the building on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its historical and architectural significance.

Purchase Campus (1952–present)

After moving from Manhattan, the new Manhattanville campus relocated to suburban

in Westchester County. The new campus was completed in 1952. The six original buildings on the new campus were Reid Hall; the library; Benziger Dining Hall; Brownson Hall, the main classroom building; Pius X Hall, the music building; and Founder's Hall, a dormitory. All six of these buildings are still in use today. The increasing student population led to the addition of a second dormitory (Spellman Hall) in 1957. The Kennedy Gymnasium, also completed in 1957, was made possible through a grant from the Lieutenant Joseph Kennedy Jr. Foundation. The

Kennedy family The Kennedy family () is an American political family that has long been prominent in American politics, public service, entertainment, and business. In 1884, 35 years after the family's arrival from County Wexford, Ireland, Patrick Joseph "P ...

dedicated the gymnasium in honor of their daughter, Kathleen, Marchioness of Hartington. The dedication for both the Kennedy Gymnasium and Spellman Hall were held October 27, 1957, and was presided over by Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York. In attendance were Joseph P. Kennedy, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy ‘11, Jean Kennedy Smith ‘49, and Ethel Skakel Kennedy ‘49. Edward M. Kennedy delivered the dedication speech. For the first decade in Purchase, the campus worship space was located in the West Room of Reid Castle. The new chapel was completed in 1963. It was named in honor of the longest serving president of the college, Eleanor O’Byrne, RSCJ. The two newest dormitories on campus, Dammann Hall and Tenney Hall, were completed in 1966. In 1991, forty-eight faculty and staff housing units added a new dimension to the Manhattanville campus community. On September 26, 2006, the Manhattanville community dedicated the Ohnell Environmental Center. The center includes a classroom housed within a LEED-compliant, non-invasive structure designed by

Maya Lin Maya Ying Lin (Chinese: 林瓔; born October 5, 1959) is an American architect, designer and sculptor. Born in Athens, Ohio to Chinese immigrants, she attended Yale University to study architecture. In 1981, while still an undergraduate at Yal ...

, architect of the Vietnam War Memorial. The project also included a restoration of the Holladay Stone Chapel, which features new stonework and a glass roof providing a unique reflective space on campus. In 2008 the Berman Center was completed. This building currently houses the Communication and Media Department, the Berger Art Gallery, the student-run radio station MVL; the school newspaper, Touchstone; a dance studio and a fitness center. The past several years have seen a variety of campus renovations including improvements to the library, dining facilities, gym, athletic fields, tennis courts and campus walkways. In 2012 the institution opened Heritage Hall, a permanent exhibition of Manhattanville's history. This walkway is located between Reid Hall and Benziger Hall.

Academics

Manhattanville offers the

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

, and

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students pursuing a professional education in the visual arts, Fine art, or performing arts. In some instances, it is also called a Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA). Background ...

degrees to undergraduate students and the

Master of Arts in Teaching A Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) or Master of Science in Teaching (MST) is a professional master's degree that prepares an individual for primary or secondary teaching in a specific field of studies. The degree is generally a pre-service degre ...

Master of Education The Master of Education (MEd or M.Ed. or Ed.M.; Latin ''Magister Educationis'' or ''Educationis Magister'') is a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum an ...

, Master of Professional Studies,

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

, and

Doctor of Education Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded ...

degrees to graduate students. Undergraduates can choose from 45 majors and minors, while graduate students can explore 75 graduate degrees and advanced certificates. Students are also free to design special majors or engage in dual majors.

Graduate programs

The old chapel at Manhattanville College

In addition to its 45 majors and minors of undergraduate study, Manhattanville University offers 75 graduate master's degrees and certificates and an Ed.D. in the School of Education. The university also offers Master's of Science degrees, a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...

, and a range of dual degree programs. The Institute for Managing Risk and the Women's Leadership Institute provide academic resources skills and events to serve the needs of individuals, organizations and businesses.

School of Nursing and Health Sciences

In 2019 the school began exploring the possibility of opening a nursing school as the nearby College of New Rochelle had permanently closed. In fall 2020 in the midst of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, Manhattanville opened its nursing school. During its first year, in 2020, Manhattanville's School of Nursing and Health Sciences admitted more than 120 nursing students. In January 2021, the institution added a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program that welcomed its first students in the fall 2021. The school offers two degrees in nursing: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) for traditional 4-year and transfer students as well as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing for second-degree students who hold a bachelor's degree. In 2021, Manhattanville announced that it reached an agreement with Concordia College to acquire the school's Radiologic Technology (Rad Tech) program and the Rad Tech students from Concordia transferred to Manhattanville to complete their degrees. The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Radiologic Technology is a 122-credit program accredited by the ''Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology'' (JRCERT) and registered with the New York State Department of Education (NYSED). In November 2021, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences received accreditation from the

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is a nursing education accrediting agency in the United States. The CCNE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The commission's headquarters are in Washington, D.C. CCNE acc ...

(CCNE) for its Bachelor of Science programs in Nursing. In addition, as of November 2021, the school has a 100 percent pass rate for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), meaning all recent graduates from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Manhattanville who have taken the test have passed the national licensure exam.

Manhattanville Library Rare Book and Manuscripts Room

The Rare Book and Manuscripts Room preserves both manuscripts and printed materials from the Manhattanville University Library. The rare book collection consists of approximately 2,400 titles that span the history of the book in the United States and Europe. Subject fields represented include history, religion, literature, biography, and philosophy. The collection also includes other formats such as periodicals, Jewish pamphlets, government documents, maps, and manuscripts. Particularly noteworthy are five

incunabula An incunable or incunabulum (: incunables or incunabula, respectively) is a book, pamphlet, or broadside (printing), broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. The specific date is essentiall ...

, and several bound manuscript volumes. The latter include individual collections of psalms and prayers intended as an aid to private devotion, known as the ''Books of Hours''. The most notable of these is the ''Horae Beatae Mariae Virginis, Cum Calendario''—also known as the ''Manhattanville Book of Hours''.

Pius X School of Liturgical Music

The Pius X School of Liturgical Music was opened in 1916 and closed in 1960. It was founded by Justine Ward, who had developed teaching methods for Gregorian chant emulating the techniques of the monks in Solesmes, and by Georgia Stevens, a musician and nun. Faculty over the years included Ward, Achille Bragers and André Mocquereau. Thousands of music teachers studied at the school, including Cecilia Clare Bocard and Thomas Mark Liotta. The school's namesake was

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...

, a devotee of sacred music who initiated reform of the

liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

in the 20th century. In 1959,

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers wa ...

attended a concert on the college's campus as part of research for

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...

. In 2010 a Gregorian Chant, held in Pius X Hall, as part of Inauguration festivities for a previous President, saw a packed auditorium of alumni, students, and faculty, continuing on the tradition of the Pius X School of Liturgical Music.

Student life

Housing

Manhattanville has four three-story residence halls, all located on the east side of the Quad. From North to South, they are Founder's Hall, Spellman Hall, Dammann Hall, and Tenney Hall. *Founder's Hall offers single and double rooms with bathrooms shared between two neighboring rooms. Founder's is also home of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. *Spellman Hall offers single, premium single, and double rooms with community bathrooms on each floor. Spellman is mainly reserved for first-year students, unlike the other three halls which house mainly upper-class students. Spellman is also home of Campus Safety and the Student Affairs offices. *Dammann and Tenney Halls offer suite-style rooms for either four or six students, with a shared living room and bathroom. Six-person suites contain two doubles and two singles, while four-person suites contain two regular singles and two premium singles.

Athletics

Manhattanville is a member of NCAA Division III, competing primarily in the

Skyline Conference The Skyline Conference is an List of NCAA conferences, intercollegiate athletic conference based in the New York City area that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division III, Division III. The league was orig ...

, the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (men's & women's hockey), and the NECC (Woman's Field Hockey). The department has added ten teams since 2007 and currently sponsors 22 varsity sports: men's and women's basketball, cross country, hockey, indoor track, lacrosse, outdoor track, and soccer; baseball, softball, men's and women's golf, field hockey, women's volleyball and men's and women's tennis. Manhattanville was a charter member of the Skyline Conference, but would eventually leave to join the

MAC Freedom Conference The MAC Freedom, in full Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom, is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division III, Division III. It is one of the three conferences that ope ...

in 2007. In May 2018, Manhattanville announced that they would leave the MAC and return to the

for the 2019–20 academic year.

Publications

The national literary magazine ''Graffiti'' is published at Manhattanville. In addition, MFA program publishes the literary journal, ''Inkwell''. The most recent issue was published in 2021.

Notable alumni

* Karen Akers – singer, actress, Theatre World Award winner and Tony Award nominee ''(

Nine 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Hindu–Arabic digit Circa 300 BC, as part of the Brahmi numerals, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bot ...

, Grand Hotel,

Heartburn Heartburn is a burning sensation felt behind the breastbone. It is a symptom that is commonly linked to acid reflux and is often triggered by food, particularly fatty, sugary, spicy, chocolate, citrus, onion-based and tomato-based products. Ly ...

The Purple Rose of Cairo ''The Purple Rose of Cairo'' is a 1985 American period fantasy romantic comedy film, written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in Depression-era New Jersey, it stars Mia Farrow as a film lover who flees her abusive husband (Danny Aiello) after ...

)'' * Kathleen Sullivan Alioto – educator, politician, Chairperson of the Boston School Committee * Ann Bermingham – professor emeritus of art history at the University of California, Santa Barbara * Cecilia Clare Bocard, S.P. – musician and composer of works for organ, piano, and chorus * Jamaal Bowman – educator and congressman for New York's 16th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives * Matt Braunger – actor, writer and stand-up comedian ''(

MADtv ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series created by David Salzman, Fax Bahr, and Adam Small. Loosely based on the humor magazine '' Mad'', ''Mad TVs pre-taped satirical sketches were primarily parodie ...

)'' * Sarah Brownson – writer, daughter of Orestes A. Brownson *

Meg Bussert Meg Bussert (born October 21, 1949) is an American actress, singer and a university professor. Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois,The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...

'', ''

Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and score by Frederick Loewe. The plot features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every 100 years; on ...

'', ''

Camelot Camelot is a legendary castle and Royal court, court associated with King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described ...

'') * Sila Calderón – politician, businesswoman, and former Governor of

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

* Adele Chatfield-Taylor – president and CEO of the American Academy in Rome, 1988–2013 * Sook Nyul Choi – children's author * Christine Choy – documentary film maker ('' Who Killed Vincent Chin?'') * Mary T. Clark, RSCJ – academic, scholar of the history of philosophy and civil rights advocate * Carlon Colker, M.D. – physician and dietary supplement industry consultant * James Badge Dale – film and television actor ('' 24'', ''

Rubicon The Rubicon (; ; ) is a shallow river in northeastern Italy, just south of Cesena and north of Rimini. It was known as ''Fiumicino'' until 1933, when it was identified with the ancient river Rubicon, crossed by Julius Caesar in 49 BC. The ri ...

'') * James de Givenchy – jewelry designer and owner of the jewelry company, Taffin *

Rosario Ferré Rosario Ferré Ramírez de Arellano (September 28, 1938 – February 18, 2016) was a Puerto Rican writer, poet, and essayist.

– writer, poet, essayist, professor at the

University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Universidad de Puerto Rico;'' often shortened to UPR) is the main List of state and territorial universities in the United States, public university system in the Commonwealth (U.S. i ...

* Anita Figueredo – surgeon and philanthropist * Lindsay Barrett George – award-winning illustrator and author of children's books * Katharine Gibbs – founder of Gibbs College, for-profit institution founded in 1911 * Mindy Grossman – CEO of HSN, Inc., ranked #22 in ''Fortune''s Top People in Business, 2014 * Mary Hamilton (activist) – Freedom Rider,

Congress of Racial Equality The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States that played a pivotal role for African Americans in the civil rights movement. Founded in 1942, its stated mission is "to bring about ...

field secretary, appelant in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, '' Hamilton v. Alabama (1964)'' * Jane Briggs Hart – aviator * Marion S. Kellogg – first woman vice president of

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston. Over the year ...

* Rose Kennedy – mother of U.S. President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

* Ethel Skakel Kennedy – widow of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy; founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center * Joan Bennett Kennedy – writer, musician, former wife of U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy * Janice Lachance – CEO of the

Special Libraries Association The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is an international professional association for librarians, library and information professionals working in business, government, law, finance, non-profit, and academic organizations and institutions. Af ...

and former Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management * Mickey Lang – professional ice hockey player for the

Toronto Marlies The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies are owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, a c ...

* Maria Elena Lagomasino – CEO of Asset Management Advisors, an affiliate of SunTrust Banks; director of

The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation founded in 1892. It manufactures, sells and markets soft drinks including Coca-Cola, other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages. Its stock is lis ...

; former chairman and CEO of

JP Morgan JPMorgan Chase & Co. (stylized as JPMorganChase) is an American multinational finance corporation headquartered in New York City and incorporated in Delaware. It is the largest bank in the United States, and the world's largest bank by mar ...

Private Bank; 2007 Hispanic Business Woman of the Year * Sean Lavery – composer; Director of Liturgical and Music Development at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Ozamiz in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

; Director of Sacred Music at

St Patrick's College, Maynooth St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth (), is a pontifical Catholic university in the town of Maynooth near Dublin, Ireland Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mou ...

, Ireland *

Hildreth Meiere Hildreth may refer to: Places * Hildreth, California * Hildreth, Nebraska * Hildreth Cemetery in Lowell, Massachusetts Other uses * Hildreth (name) {{Disambiguation, geo ...

– architectural artist, muralist and mosaicist; first woman to win the Fine Arts Medal of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

* Daryl A. Mundis – senior trial attorney at

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

for the

Slobodan Milošević Slobodan Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Слободан Милошевић, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the President of Serbia between 1989 and 1997 and President of the Federal Republic of Yugos ...

trial *

Rosemary Murphy Rosemary Murphy (January 13, 1925 – July 5, 2014) was an American actress of stage, film, and television. She was nominated for three Tony Awards for her stage work, as well as two Emmy Awards for television work, winning once, for her perfo ...

– film, stage, and television actress ''(

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a 1960 Southern Gothic novel by American author Harper Lee. It became instantly successful after its release; in the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' ...

, Walking Tall, Eleanor and Franklin)'' * Josie Natori – president of The Natori Company * Eileen Niedfield, Medical Mission Sisters nun, physician, and medical missionary (attended but graduated elsewhere). * Olga Nolla – poet, journalist, resident writer at Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) * Kitty Pilgrim – Emmy, Peabody, and duPont award-winning

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

News anchor and correspondent * Mary Perkins Ryan – Catholic writer and educator * Nancy Salisbury RSCJ – educator and academic * Dalmazio Santini – composer * Carol Sauvion – executive producer and director, '' Craft in America'', Peabody Award-winning, Emmy-nominated, PBS documentary series * Jane D. Schaberg – feminist biblical scholar; professor of Religious Studies and Women's Studies at the

University of Detroit Mercy The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Cath ...

* Phyllis Shalant – children's fiction and non-fiction author *

Eunice Kennedy Shriver Eunice Mary Kennedy Shriver (née Kennedy, July 10, 1921 – August 11, 2009) was an American philanthropist. Shriver was a member of the Kennedy family by birth, and a member of the Shriver family through her marriage to Sargent Shriver, wh ...

– founder and honorary chairman of the

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries. Special Ol ...

; executive president of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation *

Maria Shriver Maria Owings Shriver ( ; born November 6, 1955) is an American journalist, author, a member of the prominent Shriver and Kennedy families, former First Lady of California, and the founder of the nonprofit organization The Women's Alzheimer's M ...

– former first lady of California, noted journalist and activist * Barbara Boggs Sigmund – former mayor of

Princeton, New Jersey The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...

* Tina Sloan – film and television actress (''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...

'') *

Jean Kennedy Smith Jean Ann Kennedy Smith (February 20, 1928 – June 17, 2020) was an American diplomat, activist, humanitarian, and author who served as United States Ambassador to Ireland from 1993 to 1998. She was a member of the Kennedy family, the eighth of ...

– diplomat and former U.S. Ambassador to

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

* Nan A. Talese – editor *

Brittany Underwood Brittany Underwood (born July 6, 1988) is a Colombian American actress, director, and singer. She is known for her roles as teenagers Langston Wilde on the daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live'' and Loren Tate on the Nick at Nite/ TeenNick ser ...

– actress and singer (''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as ...

'' and '' Hollywood Heights'') * Carmen Marc Valvo – designer *

Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt (born Maria Mercedes Morgan; 23 August 1904 13 February 1965) was an American socialite. Vanderbilt was the mother of fashion designer and artist Gloria Vanderbilt and maternal grandmother of television journalist Anders ...

– socialite, grandmother to

Anderson Cooper Anderson Hays Cooper (born June 3, 1967) is an American broadcast journalist and political commentator who anchors the CNN news broadcast show ''Anderson Cooper 360°''. In addition to his duties at CNN, Cooper serves as a correspondent for ''6 ...

* Barbara Farrell Vucanovich – U.S. House of Representatives, Nevada 2nd District * Patricia Nell Warren – novelist ('' The Front Runner''), essayist, lesbian and gay rights activist * Marion G. Wells – founder and president of the Marion G. Wells Foundation * Kathleen Wilber – professor of gerontology,

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

File:Yvonne T Maddox and Maria Shriver.jpg, Maria Shriver (at right) in 2008 File:Gloria Vanderbilt 1959.JPG, Gloria Vanderbilt 1959 File:Rose Kennedy 1967.JPG, Rose Kennedy 1967 File:Sook Nyul Choi Photo.jpeg, Sook Nyul Choi, children's author File:Kitty Pilgrim photograph.jpg, Kitty Pilgrim, CNN anchor

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{Coord, 41, 1, 55.42, N, 73, 42, 56.01, W, type:edu, display=title Liberal arts colleges in New York (state) Universities and colleges in Westchester County, New York Harrison, New York Private universities and colleges in New York (state) Universities and colleges established in 1841 1841 establishments in New York (state) Former Catholic universities and colleges in the United States Sacred Heart universities and colleges Former women's universities and colleges in the United States