The Catholic University of America

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The Catholic University of America
Image:Cua_shield.jpg
Motto Deus Lux Mea Est (God Is My Light)
Established 1887
Type Private
Chancellor Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl
President The Very Rev. David M. O'Connell, C.M.
Students 5,510
Undergraduates 2,587
Postgraduates 2,923
Location Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Address 620 Michigan Ave, Washington, DC, 20064
Telephone 202-319-5000
Campus Urban
Colors Athletic = Red & Black Academic = Gold & Silver
Nickname CUA
Mascot Cardinal
Affiliations Roman Catholic Church
Website http://www.cua.edu


The Catholic University of America (abbreviated "CUA"), located in Washington, DC, is unique as the national university of the Roman Catholic Church and as the only higher education institution founded by U.S. Roman Catholic bishops. Established in 1887 following approval by Pope Leo XIII as a graduate and research center, the university began offering undergraduate education in 1904.

Programs emphasize the liberal arts, professional education, and personal development. The American Cardinals Dinner is put on by the residential US Cardinals each year to raise scholarship funds for CUA. It also has a long history of working with the Knights of Columbus.

Contents

[edit] The University

[edit] History

See main article History of The Catholic University of America


The proposal to create a national Catholic university in America reflected the rising size and influence of nation’s Catholic population and also an ambitious vision of the Church’s role in American life during the 19th century.

In 1882 Bishop John Lancaster Spalding went to Rome to obtain Pope Leo XIII's support for the University and persuaded family friend Mary Gwendoline Caldwell to pledge $300,000 to establish it. The original mission of the university was to teach Catholicism and human nature together at the graduate level. By developing new leaders and new knowledge, the University would strengthen and enrich Catholicism in the United States.

Many of the founders of the CUA held a vision that included both a sense of the Church’s special role in United States and also a conviction that scientific and humanistic research, informed by the Faith, would only strengthen the Church. They sought to develop an institution like a national university that would promote the Faith in a context of religious freedom, spiritual pluralism, and intellectual rigor.

When the University first opened for classes in the fall of 1888, the curriculum consisted of lectures in mental and moral philosophy, English literature, the Sacred Scriptures, and the various branches of theology. At the end of the second term, lectures on canon law were added and the first students were graduated in 1889. In 1904, an undergraduate program was added and it quickly established a reputation for excellence. A survey conducted in 1912 by the federal Bureau of Education placed CUA among the best institutions in the nation at preparing undergraduates for graduate studies.

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 which gave the neighborhood the nickname 'Little Rome.' The period after World War II saw the rise of Catholic visibility in America, and particular prominence for CUA. During the first post-war years, Catholic University experienced a dynamic expansion in enrollment thanks to the G.I. Bill of Rights.

Today there are over 6,000 students on campus from all 50 states and from around the world. The University boasts a world class faculty and in recent years has welcomed King Abdullah II of Jordan, former Polish president Aleksander Kwaśniewski, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and actor Ben Stein to speak.

[edit] Student Life

There are over 100 registered student clubs and organizations at CUA for a wide variety of interests including athletics, academics, social, service, political and religious. The office of University Center, Student Programs and Events maintains an up to date directory of student organizations.

Student Government includes the Undergraduate Student Government with its Legislative, Academic, Judicial and Treasury branches and the Graduate Student Association. Annual events include weeklong Homecoming celebrations, the Mr. CUA competition and a number of dances including the Beaux Arts Ball, the Mistletoe Ball and the Athletes Ball. In addition to the radio station WCUA other campus media outlets include CUA-TV, the campus television station, The Tower, the campus' main weekly newspaper, and CRUX, a literary magazine.

While the University welcomes students of all faiths, 84% of undergraduates and 59% of graduate students self-identify as Catholic. Campus Ministry has two groups of student ministers, the Resident Ministers who live in residence halls and minster primarily to upperclassmen and The House members, whose focus of ministry is freshmen.

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, provides faith formation including R.C.I.A., and operates the online Prayernet.

In addition to the very talented students who put on concerts, plays and recitals, outside acts often perform. The DuFour Athletic Center has hosted The Alarm, Black 47, Gavin DeGraw, Brandi Carlile and Howie Day. Comedic acts include Ben Stein and Big Al Goodwin.

[edit] Athletics

The Cardinals were originally known as the Red and Black, after the colors they wore, and came to be known as the Cardinals (often the Flying Cardinals, occasionally the Fighting Cardinals) in the mid-1920's. 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.

CUA sponsors 21 NCAA Division III sports teams. The school competes in football in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, and in men´s baseball, softball, women's volleyball and field hockey, and both men's and women's teams in cross country, soccer, basketball, swimming, lacrosse, tennis, and both indoor and outdoor track and field, in the Landmark Conference. Students also field club teams in sports including horseback riding, ice hockey, and rugby. Student also row on the club crew team. CUA competed in Division I, where they won a national championship in boxing, until the academic year of 1981-82, when they decided to move to Division III.

CUA's Mascot, the Cardinal
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CUA's Mascot, the Cardinal

The men's basketball team won the 2001 NCAA Division III National Championship and was the only program in Division III to reach the Sweet Sixteen five consecutive seasons, from 1998-2002. They also reached the postseason in 1993 and 1996. The football team has appeared in two major bowl games (the 1936 Orange Bowl, which they won and the 1940 Sun Bowl) and has made three consecutive trips to the Division III playoffs. The baseball team advanced to the NCAA Division I Tournament in 1977. The track & field team has produced three national champions, while the swimming program has two individual national titles as well. The volleyball team made its first NCAA tournament appearance in 2001 and followed it up in 2002, while the field hockey team advanced to the 2001 ECAC Southern Region championship game. The men's swim team has won four Capitol Athletic Conference titles and three National Catholic Division III championships, while women's swimming has won a Catholic Division III title and softball has an ECAC Southern Region title.

Wally Pipp, A.B. 1914, played for the New York Yankees and lost his position as starting firstbaseman to Lou Gehrig at the beginning of Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games. Ripley's Believe It or Not! once featured Edward Lynch, LL.B. 1924, for making 98 tackles in a single football game.

[edit] Campus

CUA from the air, with the dome of the National Shrine in the foreground
Enlarge
CUA from the air, with the dome of the National Shrine in the foreground

The CUA campus is located in the residential community of Brookland in Northeast Washington, DC; its main entrance is located at 620 Michigan Ave., NE. The campus is bound by Monroe Avenue to the South, North Capitol Street to the West, Hawaii Avenue to the North, and John McCormick Road to the East and is 3 miles north of the U.S. Capitol Building.

The tree lined campus is 193 acres in size. Romanesque and modern design dominate among the university’s 55 major buildings. Between McMahon and Gibbons Halls and along side the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception runs The Mall, a large strip of grass that is often the site of kickball games and sunbathers. Conte Circle is in the middle of Centennial Village, a cluster of 8 residential houses.

The Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center was 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 all under one roof. The John K. Mullen Library completed a $6,000,000 renovation in 2004, significantly improving the lighting and aesthetics of the interior and allowing the classical architecture to better shine through.

The Columbus School of Law is located on the main campus and is self contained in its own building with mock courtrooms, a library, chapel, classrooms and offices. On the Pryzbyla Center side of the building is the Law School Lawn, where the Ultimate Frisbee team can often be found. Theological College, the United States' national seminary, is located across Michigan Avenue from the main campus and sits between the Dominican House of Studies, a seminary for the Order of Preachers, and offices for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

The Mall, with the National Shrine in the background
Enlarge
The Mall, with the National Shrine in the background

In April of 2004, the University purchased 49 acres of land from the Armed Forces Retirement Home. The parcel is the largest plot of open space in the District and makes CUA the largest university in DC by land area. There are currently no plans for the parcel other than to secure the property for future growth.

The Campus is served by the Brookland-CUA station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro. Union Station, Capitol Hill and the Smithsonian museums are only a few minutes ride away. Nearby campus is the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, the Franciscan Monastery, Trinity University and the offices of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

A map is available to locate the buildings on campus. Also see the List of buildings at The Catholic University of America.

[edit] Academics

Catholic University has 11 schools and the Metropolitan College in addition to 21 research centers and facilities. The 11 schools offer Doctor of Philosophy degrees (or appropriate professional degrees) in 41 programs and Master's Degrees in 90 programs. Undergraduate degrees are awarded in 83 programs by six schools: architecture and planning, arts and sciences, engineering, music, nursing and philosophy.

Undergraduates combine a liberal arts curriculum in arts and sciences with courses in their major fields of study. Metropolitan College provides programs for adults who wish to earn baccalaureate degrees or participate in continuing education and certificate programs.

Catholic University is the only U.S. university with an ecclesiastical faculty of Canon law and is one of the few U.S. universities with ecclesiastical faculties of philosophy and sacred theology. Theological College, the university seminary, has prepared men for the priesthood in many dioceses of the United States.

Over 98% of professors have doctoral or terminal degrees and 74% teach undergraduates. Of the full time faculty, 59% are Catholic. Faculty experts regularly appear in the news media.

[edit] Undergraduate Offerings

School of Architecture and Planning

  • Bachelor of Science
  • Dual Degree with Civil Engineering
  • Master in Architecture

School of Arts and Sciences

*Indicates areas of study that are also offered with Secondary Education Minor

School of Engineering

Benjamin T. Rome School of Music

School of Nursing

  • Bachelor of Science
  • B.S.N. Degree Completion Program for RNs

School of Philosophy

  • Program of Concentration
  • Pre-Law Program of Concentration

Pre-Professional Studies

[edit] Graduate Offerings

School of Architecture and Planning


School of Arts and Sciences

  • Master of Fine Arts


School of Canon Law


School of Engineering


Columbus School of Law


School of Library and Information Science

  • Post-Master's Certificate
  • Master of Science in Library Studies


Benjamin T. Rome School of Music


School of Nursing

  • Post-Master's Certificate
  • Masters of Science in Nursing
  • Doctor of Nursing Science


School of Philosophy

  • Master of Arts
  • Licentiate in Philosophy
  • Doctor of Philosophy


School of Theology and Religious Studies

  • Graduate Certificate
  • Master of Arts in the History of Religions (with the Consortium of Washington Universities)
  • Master of Arts/Master of Science

National Catholic School of Social Service

[edit] Schools

  • School of Architecture and Planning
    • Randall Ott, Dean
  • School of Arts and Sciences
    • Lawrence R. Poos, Dean
  • School of Canon Law
    • Reverend Monsignor Brian E. Ferme, Dean
  • School of Engineering
    • Charles C. Nguyen, Dean
  • School of Library and Information Science
    • Martha Hale, Dean
  • Benjamin T. Rome School of Music
    • Murry Sidlin, Dean
  • School of Nursing
    • Nalini Jairath, Dean
  • School of Philosophy
    • Reverend Kurt Pritzl, O.P., Dean
  • National Catholic School of Social Service
    • James A. Zabora, Dean
  • School of Theology and Religious Studies
    • Reverend Monsignor Kevin W. Irwin, Dean
  • Metropolitan College
    • Sara Thompson, Dean


[edit] Research Centers and Facilities

[edit] Notable alumni

For a more comprehensive list of alumni, see the List of notable CUA alumni.

There are many notable alumni of The Catholic University of America, particularly in the arts, in the Church and in public service. Graduates include numerous cardinals, bishops, priests and nuns.

Members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate, ambassadors, governors, state legislators, mayors, and judges have also attended CUA. Additionally, many notable actors, playwrights, and columnists are alumni in addition to film, theatrical and television producers. Others include CEOs, scholars and university presidents.

[edit] University Rectors and Presidents

  1. Bishop John J. Keane (1887–1896)
  2. Bishop Thomas J. Conaty (1896–1903)
  3. Bishop Denis J. O’Connell (1903–1909)
  4. Bishop Thomas J. Shahan (1909–1927)
  5. Bishop James Hugh Ryan (1928–1935)
  6. Bishop Joseph M. Corrigan (1936–1942)
  7. Bishop Patrick J. McCormick (1943–1953)
  8. Bishop Bryan J. McEntegart (1953–1957)
  9. Bishop William J. McDonald (1957–1967, last Rector)
  10. Clarence C. Walton, Ph.D. (1969–1978, first President)
  11. Edmund D. Pellegrino, M.D. (1978–1982)
  12. Rev. William J. Byron, S.J. (1982–1992)
  13. Brother Patrick Ellis, F.S.C. (1992–1998)
  14. Very Rev. David M. O'Connell, C.M., J.C.D. (1998–present)

[edit] Board of Trustees

See main article Board of Trustees of The Catholic University of America.

CUA was founded by the nation's bishops, and they continue to have a strong presence on the Board of Trustees to this day. Of the 51 trustees (includes President David M. O’Connell) 24 of them are bishops and 8 are cardinals. In addition, there is one nun and two priests making a majority of the board comprised of clergy or religious.


[edit] External links


Student Media:


Student Government:


Student Organizations


Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Bridgewater • Catholic† • Eastern Mennonite‡ • Emory & Henry • Guilford • Hampden–Sydney • Hollins‡ • Lynchburg‡ • Randolph–Macon • Randolph–Macon Woman's‡ • Roanoke‡ • Sweet Briar‡ • Virginia Wesleyan‡ • Washington & Lee
† football-only member  ‡ no-football member
Colleges and Universities in the District of Columbia
American • Catholic • Corcoran • Gallaudet • George Washington • Georgetown • Howard • National Defense • SAIS • Southeastern • Strayer • Trinity • UDC
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