Saint Ambrose University

St. Ambrose University
Motto	Faith Learning Justice
Established	1882
Type	Private, Roman Catholic Coeducational liberal arts
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
President	Sr. Joan Lescinski, CSJ
Academic staff	356
Admin. staff	308
Students	3567
Undergraduates	2752
Postgraduates	815
Location	Davenport, Iowa, United States 41.54°N 90.58°W / 41.54; -90.58
Campus	Small city
Colors	Navy blue and white
Nickname	Fighting Bees/QueenBees
Affiliations	National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
Website	www.sau.edu

St. Ambrose University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport. It is located in a residential area of Davenport, Iowa.

History

Foundation

St. Ambrose was founded as a seminary and school of commerce for young men in 1882. It owes its beginning to the first bishop of Davenport, The Most Reverend John McMullen, DD, who founded it under the auspices of the Diocese of Davenport. The affiliation remains strong today.

For its first three years, classes were held in two rooms of the old St. Marguerite’s School, located on the grounds of what is now Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. Bishop McMullen died in 1883, and Reverend "A.J." Aloysius Schulte, a mere 23 years old, was named St. Ambrose’s first president.

Ambrose Hall

The school was moved to the Locust Street campus in 1885, when the central part of the present Ambrose Hall was built. Located in a secluded grove of oak trees, the site was far removed from the city itself, intentionally far it seems, from the “corrupting effects of town life.” That same year, St. Ambrose was incorporated as “a literary, scientific and religious institution.” The articles of incorporation stated, “No particular religious faith shall be required of any person to entitle him to admission to said seminary.”

By the turn of the century a clearer division was being made between the high school program, or the “academy,” and the college program. In 1908 the name of the institution was officially changed to “St. Ambrose College” to more clearly reflect the institution's mission. Night school classes were inaugurated in 1924, and the first session of summer school was held in 1931.

During World War II, the United States Navy chose St. Ambrose College as a location for the training of many of its officers. For a short time regular classes ceased, and the campus became a training ground for the Navy’s V-12 squads.

St. Ambrose Academy

The high school program, St. Ambrose Academy, was founded at the same time as the college and housed in the college's buildings. From 1886-1931 some of the academy students were boarded on the campus. The Rev. Ambrose Burke, who would become the college's president in 1940, was named the academy's first principal in 1929. In 1955 it was determined that Davenport should have a central Catholic high school and that St. Ambrose and Immaculate Conception academies should be merged. They moved to their new quarters at Assumption High School in 1958. This move provided additional space on campus for continued growth.

Growth

Former logo

In 1968, St. Ambrose became fully coeducational, although women had been taking classes on campus ever since the 1930s.

St. Ambrose began offering graduate classes in 1977 with the master of business administration program. Its graduate offerings have since expanded to 15 programs.

On April 23, 1987, St. Ambrose College became St. Ambrose University at the direction of the Board of Directors. The university was organized into the Colleges of Business, Human Services (now Education and Health Sciences) and Arts and Sciences.

In 1997 St. Ambrose began offering its first doctoral program, the doctor of business administration (DBA).

Students and faculty

The university enrolls 3,567 students, as of Fall 2011. 2,752 of these students were undergraduates and 815 were graduate students. The student body is approximately 60 percent female and 76 percent of students study full time. Over half (55 percent) of undergraduate students live on campus. 11.4 percent of students identify themselves as belonging to a minority group.

The university employs 356 faculty members, and 308 staff. The student-faculty ratio is approximately 10 to 1.

Sr. Joan Lescinski, CSJ replaced Dr. Edward Rogalski as president in 2007, becoming the first woman to hold that office.

Academics

For a university of its size, St. Ambrose boasts a strong variety of undergraduate and graduate academic programs. With a strong emphasis on the liberal arts, undergraduate students must take a wide variety of general education courses in philosophy, theology, arts/humanities, and the sciences. Notable programs include one of the only undergraduate criminalistics programs in Iowa, an ACCEL program for adult learners. Among the school's graduate degree programs are masters' degrees in occupational therapy (the only one of its kind in Iowa), social work, and doctorate degrees in physical therapy and business administration.

Accreditation

St. Ambrose University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. In its review of 2008, the Association recommended a 10-year approval for St. Ambrose.

Athletics

St. Ambrose is home to 11 women's and 11 men's intercollegiate sports. Varsity teams are known as the St. Ambrose Queen Bees or the Saint Ambrose Fighting Bees, respectively. Women's programs include Basketball, Cross Country, Dance, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track, Volleyball, Cheerleading, and Bowling. Men's programs include Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track, Volleyball, Cheerleading, and Bowling. Saint Ambrose is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Conference. Football teams participate in the Mid-States Football Association; Men's Volleyball participate in the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference.

Architecture

Christ the King Chapel

• Ambrose Hall, designed by Victor Huot, is the oldest building on campus and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Alumni House, located off campus on Brady Street and houses the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The Rogalski Center, constructed in 2004, houses a food court, ball room, and administrative offices, among others. Its function is comparable to that of a student union.
• Christ the King Chapel, designed by Cincinnati architect Edward J. Schulte, has a prominent tower of white brick and was built in 1952.
• The St. Ambrose University Library was designed in 1995 by Evans Woollen of Woollen, Molzan and Partners. The Library was opened in March 1996.

Notable alumni

• Bishop William Lawrence Adrian, Bishop of Nashville
• Fr. Edward Catich, calligrapher, artist, author
• Bishop David Choby, Bishop of Nashville
• Duffy Conroy, assistant coach with the Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball team
• Abbey Curran, American beauty queen who represented Iowa at Miss USA 2008 and was the first contestant with Cerebral Palsy to compete. She also made an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and CBS 'The Early Show'.
• Bishop Maurice John Dingman, Bishop of Des Moines, Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award laureate
• Bishop Robert Dwayne Gruss, Bishop of Rapid City
• Lester Hearden, NFL player for the Green Bay Packers
• Msgr. Cletus Madsen, taught music at Saint Ambrose, involved in the Liturgical Movement in the United States
• James Conroyd Martin is the author of Push not the River
• Msgr. Marvin Mottet, advocate for social justice causes, Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award laureate
• Gene Osborn, radio broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals and other professional and college sports teams.
• Stephen A. Roell, President of Johnson Controls, Inc.
• Bishop Lawrence Donald Soens, Bishop of Sioux City
• Dave Zuidmulder, NFL player for the Green Bay Packers

See also

• Saint Ambrose
• Diocese of Davenport
• Finlandia Hymn
• KALA (FM)
• Pacem in Terris Award

External links

• Saint Ambrose University Website