Mount St. Mary's College

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For other uses, see Mount St. Mary's (disambiguation).

Mount St. Mary's College


Motto:	Deus Illuminatio Mea, Latin for God, My Light
Established:	1925
Type:	Private
Religious affiliation:	Roman Catholic
Endowment:	$65.5 million
President:	Jacqueline Powers Doud
Faculty:	287
Staff:	195
Students:	2,480
Undergraduates:	1,980
Postgraduates:	500
Location:	Los Angeles, California, USA
Campus:	Urban Chalon campus, 56 acres Doheny campus, 20 acres
Colors:	Purple and gold
Nickname:	Athenians
Mascot:	Athena
Website:	www.msmc.la.edu

Mount St. Mary's College is a private, independent, Catholic liberal arts college, primarily for women, in Los Angeles, California. The college was founded in 1925 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

For 2006, 58% of the entering freshman class are first generation college students, while women make up nearly 95% of the first-year undergraduate students admitted each year. The college's undergraduate student body is 11% African American, 18% Asian or Pacific Islander, and 46% Hispanic, Latina, or Latino of any race, mirroring the racial diversity of Southern California.

The college first held its classes at St. Mary's Academy, then located at West Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard. Today, the college has two campuses, which are just over 16 miles apart: Chalon in Brentwood and Doheny in North University Park.

According to the 2007 U.S. News & World Report listing of America’s Best Colleges, Mount St. Mary’s College is one of the highest ranked master's-granting universities in the Western United States, placing among the top twenty schools evaluated, out of 574 colleges and universities nationally.

1 Chalon campus
2 Doheny campus
3 Seal and name
4 In the Media
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Chalon campus

A night view of the Mary Chapel. The Chapel was built in 1939.

In 1928, the Sisters purchased 36 acres (150,000 m²) of land along the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains from the Rodeo Land and Water Company for $162,000. In 1947, an additional 20 acres (80,000 m²) was acquired to complete what is today the college's Chalon campus. The campus contains a blend of architecture familiar to Los Angeles, largely in the tradition of the Spanish Colonial Revival and Mission Revival styles. The unique location of the Brentwood campus, on a 1,100 foot (340 m) ridge, provides an overlook to both the J. Paul Getty Center and 40 miles (60 km) of the Pacific Ocean.

Being the college's first campus, Chalon has been home to a number of important events in the history of the college. In 1929, the College's first graduation was held on the Chalon campus. In 1952, the college granted its first baccalaureate degrees in nursing, also the first in Southern California. In 1955, the College began offering graduate degree programs.

Today, Chalon is home to the college's traditional baccalaureate programs.

[edit] Doheny campus

The Doheny Mansion, a centerpiece of the college's downtown Doheny campus.

A night view of the J. Thomas McCarthy Library, which is part of the Coughlin Learning Complex. The Complex was built in 1996.

The college grew to two campuses in 1962 when it was given 20 acres (80,000 m²), holding two city blocks of Queen Anne-style Victorian mansions, in Los Angeles next to the University of Southern California. The tranquil property was formerly owned by Edward L. Doheny and his wife, the Countess Estelle Doheny, who made their fortune in oil. The Chester Place residences were built at the turn of the century by Judge Charles Silent. The college named the campus after the Countess Doheny and her husband. Due to the Countess' desire for privacy, the Dohenys purchased all the adjacent houses and made it into a private street. The University Park campus is located in one of the oldest neighborhoods of the city.

The Doheny campus first played host to the college's Associate in Arts program when it opened in 1962. Forty years later, in 2002, the college began its first doctoral degree, in physical therapy, which joined the other graduate programs now offered at the Doheny campus.

In 1992, the college launched its Weekend College program at the Chalon campus, which primarily focuses on providing working professionals the opportunity to complete their undergraduate degree within four years by attending classes scheduled on weekends. The Weekend College program moved to the Doheny campus in 2006, joining a number of courses for the associate and graduate programs offered at Doheny on weekday evenings and on weekends, furthering the idea of accessibility introduced by Weekend College.

Doheny is home to the college's associate, daytime and evening magisteriate (graduate), Weekend College (undergraduate and graduate), and educational credential programs.

[edit] Seal and name

The official seal of Mount St. Mary's College.

The college's seal, a circular shield, was designed by Baker's Heraldic office in London. It has four divisions, each representing the college's founding. An open book at the base of the shield holds the college motto, Deus Illuminatio Mea, or God My Light. At the highest point of the shield, a lily surrounded by thorns represents the Immaculate Conception by Mary. The fleur-de-lis of France on the right symbolizes the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, established at Le Put, France, in 1650. On the left, three angel wings with the rose signify the City of Los Angeles.

Particular care is necessary in distinguishing the college's name from that of other institutions with some variant of Mount St. Mary in their name. Usage of the abbreviated form of Mount or the complete form of St. is discouraged, and the plural form of Mary is incorrect.

[edit] In the Media

Due to its isolated location and beautiful vistas and architecture, a number of movies and television shows have filmed on either the Doheny or Chalon campus of the college. The list includes, but isn't limited to: