History & Campus Traditions
St. Edward’s University is an Austin landmark and has been part of the city’s history for more than a century. The medallion placed on Main Building by the Texas State Historical Survey Committee in 1973 recalls the university’s colorful history, which grew from a chance shipboard meeting of two early-American priests.
The Very Reverend Edward Sorin, superior general of the Congregation of Holy Cross and founder of the University of Notre Dame, was bound for France and Italy in 1869 when he met the Reverend Claude M. Dubuis, bishop of Galveston, bound for the first Vatican Council. Bishop Dubuis offered Father Sorin’s congregation two diocesan schools in Brownsville and Galveston. Three years later, when Bishop Dubuis learned of Mrs. Mary Doyle’s intention to leave most of her 498-acre South Austin farm to the Catholic Church to establish an “educational institution,” he invited Father Sorin to Texas.
Father Sorin came to Austin, surveyed the beauty of the surrounding hills and rivers, observed the bustling growth and potential of the fledgling frontier town, and decided this would be the home for the new Catholic school. Father Sorin founded the school a year later following Mrs. Doyle’s death. Since he was a namesake of St. Edward, the Confessor and King, Father Sorin called the school St. Edward’s Academy.
Three farm boys met for classes in 1878 in a makeshift building on the old Doyle homestead, almost a mile east of the present campus. By 1881, the school was boarding students, and was called the “Catholic Farm” because faculty and students raised cattle, grain, vegetables and fruit on its land.
The academy expanded in 1885 when the president, Reverend Peter J. Franciscus, rapidly secured a state charter, changed the name to St. Edward’s College, assembled a faculty, set forth a syllabus of studies and increased enrollment. Father Peter J. Hurth became president the following year. His era saw the first school newspaper, the organization of baseball and football teams, and approval to erect an administration building. Well-known architect Nicholas J. Clayton of Galveston designed a handsome four-story structure in Gothic Revival style to be built of Texas white limestone. The first shovel of dirt was turned on the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16, 1888, and the building a source of pride in the Holy Cross community and a grand structure for the early Southwest was completed 10 months later. It housed classrooms, offices, a dormitory, chapel, library and dining hall.
In the shadow of Main Building, the university has wildcatted for oil, trained pilots and dug its own artesian wells. In Spring 1903, a mysterious fire destroyed most of Main Building except the entrance with its massive doors, the circular walls of the back stairwell and the stone column on the northwest corner. Before the fire’s embers were cool, a crew began rebuilding. By Fall 1903, Main Building was again open for classes.
Then, in 1922, flying debris hurled by a tornado again damaged Main Building. Nearby Holy Cross Hall was splintered, a gymnasium was obliterated, the school’s power plant was leveled, and the natatorium one of the few indoor swimming pools in the Southwest was destroyed. However, students resumed classes in Main Building the next day.
In 1925, St. Edward’s renewed its charter this time as a university. Most personnel were Holy Cross Priests, who numbered 13. Four Holy Cross brothers and five laymen were on the staff. That same year, Knute Rockne, Notre Dame’s famous coach, conducted his first coaching clinic in the Southwest at St. Edward’s.
Well into the 1940s, growth was slow. The historic 1945 General Chapter of the Congregation of Holy Cross transferred St. Edward’s to the newly created U.S. Brothers Province. Brother Patrick Cain was named acting president until the arrival of Brother Edmund Hunt in 1946. Brother Hunt was the first in a progression of energetic presidents, including Brothers Elmo Bransby and Raymond Fleck, who transformed the hilltop over the next 20 years, tripling enrollment, faculty and material assets.
When thousands of World War II veterans took advantage of the G.I. Bill, the university underwent instant growth. St. Edward’s purchased war surplus classrooms to supplement permanent structures, hired additional faculty and staff, initiated a building program, and began the 1946 school year offering courses in business administration, arts and letters, engineering and science.
In 1966, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary from Monroe, Mich., were invited to the campus to staff Maryhill College for women as a coordinate institution. By 1970, Maryhill was absorbed, and St. Edward’s became co-educational.
The years since have brought significant changes to the university and its campus. The vigorous growth was spurred, in part, by high-quality academic programs designed to meet the changing needs of students and of Austin’s professional population. In 1972, St. Edward’s established CAMP, the College Assistance Migrant Program, which helps children of migrant and seasonal workers access higher education, and a professionally oriented theater program. New College, an innovative undergraduate program for adults, began in 1974. Freshman Studies was added in 1975.
The 1980s also were a time of advancement. In 1984, Patricia A. Hayes became president; she was the second layperson and first woman to lead the university. Enrollment passed another milestone in 1986, reaching 2,500 students. Highlights of the decade included the opening of the Recreation and Convocation Center and a renovation of Main Building.
By the 1990s, more than 3,000 students were enrolled, and technology was integrated into every aspect of campus and classroom life with computers in wide use.
During that decade, St. Edward’s enjoyed a tenfold increase in the endowment from $2.5 million to $25 million. Through "The Second Century" capital campaign, St. Edward’s raised $27 million, exceeding its goal by $5 million. As a result, several building projects shaped the years leading to the 21st century. The Robert and Pearle Ragsdale Center became a hub for student activities. Student apartments were added, and a joint project with the city of Austin brought a scenic pond that offers students a place to study the ecosystem.
In Fall 1999, George E. Martin became the institution’s 23rd president. He initiated efforts to attain national recognition for St. Edward’s as one of America’s best small universities.
The 1999–2000 school year also marked the beginning of new traditions at St. Edward’s including the annual blessing of the university seal, located in the Holy Cross Plaza, on the Feast of St. Edward. The event honors the school’s Catholic tradition and long association with the Congregation of Holy Cross.
Applications for admission have increased dramatically, setting new records each year since 1999. During this time, support from individuals, charitable foundations and corporations also has grown — support that nurtures the exceptional educational community at St. Edward’s.
New facilities also have been added to foster excellence in academics and on-campus living. Trustee Hall, a state-of-the-art academic building, added 15 classrooms, a 24-hour computer lab and faculty offices. The facility incorporates environmentally sound technology that reduces energy use throughout the building. Basil Moreau Hall, named in honor of the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, opened in Spring 2003. Located near the center of campus life, Moreau Hall houses up to 180 students in two traditional residence halls and 40 students in two house-style Casitas. Jacques Dujarié Hall, located next to Moreau Hall, opened in Fall 2005. Additionally, the John Brooks Williams Natural Sciences Center–North Building, a 65,000-square-foot facility, opened in Fall 2006. The university’s newest residence hall — scheduled to open Spring 2009 — will feature a dining hall, coffee shop, a combined Health and Counseling Center, and study areas.
Since 1999, St. Edward’s University has increasingly gained national recognition for its high-quality academic programs, characterized by its Holy Cross educational mission. For the fifth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report has ranked St. Edward’s among the top 25 master’s granting universities in the West in its annual “
In 2007–2008, total enrollment exceeded 5,300 students, and the university offered more than 50 undergraduate fields of study and 10 master’s degree programs. While the university’s campus, programs and leaders have changed over time, St. Edward’s has never lost sight of its mission and will continue to transform lives through personalized education while gaining recognition as one of the best small universities in the country.
CAMPUS SYMBOLS AND TRADITIONS
Edward I The Confessor, King of England, d. 1066
King Edward (known as “the Confessor” to distinguish him from King Edward the Martyr (d. 978), step-brother of his father Ethelred II “the unready”) was born in 1003. Because of the Danish overlordship in England, he was reared in the care of his uncle, the Duke of Normandy, whereby he received an excellent education. The death of his father, the murder of his two elder brothers, and the tragic condition of the country under the Danish conquerors reinforced his religious beliefs. After the expulsion of the Danes (1042), he was called to the throne. The 23 years of Edward’s reign were a time of peace. Because of his exemplary life and his boundless charity, his rule had profound influence. He endeavored through the spreading of Christian spirit, discipline and morals to bring about a rebirth of his people who had become brutalized in their devastated land. Edward, the last king of Anglo- Saxon blood, died childless, Jan. 1, 1066. On Oct. 13, 1163, his remains were laid in Westminster Abbey, which he had magnificently restored. The feast day of St. Edward is Oct. 13 and is celebrated at St. Edward’s University as Founder’s Day. A statue of St. Edward stands on the north side of Trustee Hall on an outdoor, third-floor pedestal. St. Edward’s University
Seal Blazon
Azure, cross argent on anchor and/or scepter or in saltier star or in dexter chief. In base of wavy azure a heart with two arrows argent ascending or descending in saltier between two crosses argent.
Significance: In the beginning, God created Heaven and earth — all around. Within the cosmic circle, complete and all-embracing as the very ends and limits of creating itself, St. Edward’s University, in its ideals and inspirations, in its system of unified and complete educational philosophy, encompassing the whole of man’s dual nature, fits the shield of our patria, our home and fatherland, these beloved United States of America. Upon a field serrated with the light and dark of life, is emblazoned the cross of Christianity, under which banner we joyfully pass our college days; fortunate to be led educationally forward by devoted Brothers of (that same) Holy Cross: symbolic of their own congregation and taken from their community seal is the anchor (underneath reading Spes Unica, our “only hope,” admitting no other) opposite the regal maze of our patron and namesake, the great King Edward the Confessor, saint of our illustrious ancestors, in whose language we continue to speak and learn, and in whose faith we carry forward our Christian heritage. Above the river of life-giving water, symbol of life’s onward course, is the Lone Star, representing the great state of Texas, under whose sky we live and enjoy, on whose bank we share the capital city named for the great St. Austin who is symbolized for us by the heart, shot through by twin arrows of love and learning, whose heirs we are and will continue to be.
Founder’s Day
Founder’s Day, Oct. 13, is the feast day of St. Edward, King and Confessor, the namesake of Rev. Edward Sorin, CSC, who founded St. Edward's in 1885. In the 1890s, the day was celebrated with Solemn High Mass followed by a dress parade and review of the two campus military companies: The Rifles and the Lee Cadets. Toward the end of the century, Founder’s Day was expanded to include athletic events: track and field and baseball. By 1900, an afternoon concert and evening banquet had been added. By 1925, Columbus Day and Founder’s Day were blending and the old field-day tradition was lost with the rise of football. By 1940, the day opened with High Mass, with the rest of the day given over to an elaborate noon banquet and orchestra concert.
Festival of Lights
The Festival of Lights is a tradition started by a group of students several years ago. The luminarias along the main campus drive welcome the community at a gathering in front of Main Building for a program of prayer and Christmas song celebrating the season. During the program, Main Building is dramatically bathed in light and remains so for the entire Christmas season.
Mascot, The Hilltoppers
Originally, in the days when St. Edward’s was a high school, the mascot went from the saints to the tigers. Later the mascot became a mountainman. Legend tells that during a basketball game, some time ago, a few of the baseball players showed up with a live ram. They proceeded to race it around the gym during time-outs and slow periods. The ram was such a success that eventually it became the St. Edward’s University mascot. Today, the athletic teams are known as the Hilltoppers and the ram is named Topper.
Hands Around the Grotto
“Hands Around the Grotto” celebrates World Food Day in mid-October. Each year, students, faculty, and staff gather at the Grotto as a community to raise awareness of the problem of hunger and the ways we can work at alleviating hunger in our world. This event is sponsored by the St. Edward’s Hunger Awareness Organization.
Peace Pole
The “peace pole” stands in front of the University Chapel as a symbol of our commitment to encouraging and promoting peace in a world of violence. The peace pole was given to St. Edward’s University by a Japanese woman who started to “plant” peace poles throughout the world. We gather around the peace pole on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4).
Traditions
SEU Alma Mater
Forever SEU — St. Edward’s University (Words and Music by Brother Gerald Muller, CSC)
Atop the hill our Alma Mater Symbol to all Of truth and wisdom, faith and honor, Proudly, she stands tall. Saint Edward’s blue and gold Gaze and behold ... Our Alma Mater, hail to thee Forever S-E-U.
SEU Fight Song March On: SEU Brother Gerald Muller, CSC
March on and win for SEU. March on with joy and pride! Be brave and win the victory. We’re with you at your side. March on with pride in SEU. Hilltoppers all are we! Honor your colors gold and blue And march on to victory.