College of Mount Saint Vincent
Encyclopedia
For the university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, see Mount Saint Vincent University
The College of Mount Saint Vincent is a Catholic
liberal arts college
located in the northeast corner of the Riverdale
section of The Bronx
, New York
, adjacent to the Yonkers border. It is the northernmost location in New York City. It was founded by the Sisters of Charity of New York
.
Today, the school serves 1,800 students, with professional undergraduate programs in nursing, business, communication, and education. In addition, the college offers a strong liberal arts undergraduate curriculum with distinctive strengths in biology, biochemistry, English, psychology, and sociology. The College also offers graduate degree programs in nursing, business, TESOL and education.
The college is the peak of the educational network under the care of the Sisters of Charity of New York
, one of several Sisters of Charity
congregations of Catholic women that trace their lineage back to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.
, and from the geographic high point along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan
known as McGowan's Pass
. When New York City
began acquiring land for Central Park
in 1855, the school purchased the 70 acres (283,280.2 m²) "Fonthill
," the estate of famed Shakespearean actor Edwin Forrest
, in the Riverdale neighborhood in what has been called The Bronx
since New York City
's consolidation in 1898. The picturesque castle that was the centerpiece of Forrest's estate is still used as the College's Office of Admission and Financial Aid and forms the architectural symbol of the college. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
In 1911, the Academy became a degree-granting institution. In 1974, the College of Mount Saint Vincent became a co-educational institution as it began admitting men.
Over the past decade, the College of Mount Saint Vincent has grown to twice its former size. In 2006, the College and nearby Manhattan College
decided to end a program under which they offered certain subjects jointly.
In March, 2008, the dismissal of two employees prompted a student protest movement, particularly about one of those employees and demanding a greater student voice in decision making.
Mount Saint Vincent University
Mount Saint Vincent University is a university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was established in 1873 and is locally referred to as The Mount.-History:...
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
located in the northeast corner of the Riverdale
Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
section of The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, adjacent to the Yonkers border. It is the northernmost location in New York City. It was founded by the Sisters of Charity of New York
Sisters of Charity of New York
The Sisters of Charity of New York is a religious congregation of women in the Catholic Church whose primary missions are education and nursing and who are dedicated in particular to the service of the poor.-History:...
.
Today, the school serves 1,800 students, with professional undergraduate programs in nursing, business, communication, and education. In addition, the college offers a strong liberal arts undergraduate curriculum with distinctive strengths in biology, biochemistry, English, psychology, and sociology. The College also offers graduate degree programs in nursing, business, TESOL and education.
The college is the peak of the educational network under the care of the Sisters of Charity of New York
Sisters of Charity of New York
The Sisters of Charity of New York is a religious congregation of women in the Catholic Church whose primary missions are education and nursing and who are dedicated in particular to the service of the poor.-History:...
, one of several Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....
congregations of Catholic women that trace their lineage back to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.
College History
The college was founded in 1847 as the Academy of Mount Saint Vincent, a school for women. It took its name from Saint Vincent de Paul, the 17th Century French priest who worked with the poor and founded the original Sisters of CharitySisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....
, and from the geographic high point along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
known as McGowan's Pass
McGowan's Pass
McGowan's Pass is a topographical feature of Central Park in New York City, just west of Fifth Avenue and north of 102nd Street. It has been incorporated into the park's East Drive since the early 1860s...
. When New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
began acquiring land for Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in 1855, the school purchased the 70 acres (283,280.2 m²) "Fonthill
Fonthill Castle and the Administration Building of the College of Mount St. Vincent
Fonthill Castle and the Administration Building of the College of Mount St. Vincent are two historic buildings located at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in The Bronx, New York, New York....
," the estate of famed Shakespearean actor Edwin Forrest
Edwin Forrest
Edwin Forrest was an American actor.-Early life:Forrest was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of Scottish and German descent. His father died and he was brought up by his mother, a German woman of humble origins. He was educated at the common schools in Philadelphia, and early evinced a taste...
, in the Riverdale neighborhood in what has been called The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
since New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's consolidation in 1898. The picturesque castle that was the centerpiece of Forrest's estate is still used as the College's Office of Admission and Financial Aid and forms the architectural symbol of the college. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980.
In 1911, the Academy became a degree-granting institution. In 1974, the College of Mount Saint Vincent became a co-educational institution as it began admitting men.
Over the past decade, the College of Mount Saint Vincent has grown to twice its former size. In 2006, the College and nearby Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
decided to end a program under which they offered certain subjects jointly.
Notable alumni
- Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, President of the Philippines, 1986–1992, first female elected head of state in Asia and tagged as one of the icons of democracy in the world
- Noreen CulhaneNoreen CulhaneNoreen M. Culhane is the eldest of seven children born to Irish immigrants James Culhane and Maria Ann O’Connor. She is currently the Executive Vice President, Global Corporate Client Group, for the New York Stock Exchange . She is responsible for the Exchange’s worldwide efforts to attract new...
, Executive Vice President, New York Stock ExchangeNew York Stock ExchangeThe New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010... - Gail Dinter-GottliebGail Dinter-GottliebGail Dinter-Gottlieb B.Sc., Ph.D. is an American university administrator who served as the 14th president and vice-chancellor of Acadia University until February 2008....
, president of Acadia UniversityAcadia UniversityAcadia University is a predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level...
in Wolfville, Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the... - Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones, author of The Spy Wore Red The Countess of Romanones Commands a Dazzling Cast in Her Second Memoir
- Bernard McGuirkBernard McGuirk* Bulleted list itemBernard J. McGuirk is the executive producer of the Imus in the Morning radio program. He was born and raised in the South Bronx, New York, where he also worked in his younger years as a taxicab driver...
, executive producer of the Imus in the MorningImus in the MorningImus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
radio and television program - Bernardo Moronta, Radio Program Director and Air Personality
- Ethelinda SolivenEthel Soliven TimbolEthel Soliven Timbol is a journalist and was the lifestyle editor of the Manila Bulletin, published in the Philippines. She was born 22 January 1940, the ninth child of Congressman Benito Soliven and Pelagia Villaflor Soliven. She is the youngest sister of journalist Maximo V. Soliven.She finished...
, Prominent PhilippinePhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
Journalist and Lifestyle Editor. - Miriam NaveiraMiriam NaveiraMiriam Naveira Merly is a Puerto Rican jurist who served in the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico from 1985 to 2004. Naveira was the first female ever to serve on the court as well as the only female Chief Justice .-Biography:Naveira was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1934...
, first and only female Chief JusticeChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
on Supreme Court of Puerto RicoSupreme Court of Puerto RicoThe Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of Commonwealth law. As the highest body of the judicial branch of the Puerto Rican government, it is analogous to one of the... - Stephanie Espinosa, Radio Personality El Zol 95.7 Miami
- Betty BroderickBetty BroderickElisabeth Anne "Betty" Broderick is a former American socialite convicted of the November 5, 1989 murder of her former husband Dan Broderick and his second wife, Linda Kolkena...
, former San Diego socialite who murdered her ex-husband Dan Broderick and his second wife, Linda Kolkena in 1989.
Notable faculty and staff
- James Haley - Biologist, N.S.F. grant recipient
- Joseph SkellyJoseph SkellyDr. Joseph Morrison Skelly is an Associate Professor of History at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx, NY. His education includes a BA from the University of Notre Dame MA, and PhD from the University College Dublin...
- noted author and Bronze StarBronze Star MedalThe Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
recipient; veteran of the current war in Iraq; frequent contributor to National ReviewNational ReviewNational Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the... - Ron ScappRon ScappRon Scapp is a noted American educator and author. His work focuses on urban education, educational leadership and policy, and teacher empowerment. He also writes on topics as varied as homelessness, American theater and continental philosophy.-Career:Dr...
- noted educator and author of "Teaching Values" and other works
Library
The mission of the Elizabeth Seton Library is to provide traditional and innovative resources and services for members of the academic community and to work actively in promoting information literacy and stimulating intellectual curiosity. The library is named after Saint Elizabeth Seton, the first native-born American to be canonized. Elizabeth Seton founded the Sisters of Charity whose spirit infuses the life of the College.Cultural references
- The 2008 film Doubt was filmed at the College of Mount Saint Vincent.
Controversies
On May 10, 2007, local news station WABC-TV Eyewitness News reported alleged a number of fire code violations at the College. President Charles Flynn issued a statement in the school's website in response to the allegations.In March, 2008, the dismissal of two employees prompted a student protest movement, particularly about one of those employees and demanding a greater student voice in decision making.