History

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 new residential village, which opened in Spring 2009, evokes a sense of urban living in the heart of campus. The village features three new residence halls and a wealth of student amenities, including a new Health & Counseling Center.

Since 1999, St. Edward’s University has increasingly gained national recognition for its high-quality academic programs, characterized by its Holy Cross educational mission. U.S. News & World Report ranked St. Edward’s among the top 25 master’s granting universities in the West in its 2009 “America’s Best Colleges” issue. Additionally, St. Edward’s was one of only 81 schools selected by The Princeton Review and Campus Compact for inclusion in the guide Colleges with a Conscience. And St. Edward’s has twice been included in The Best 201 Colleges for The Real World. In 2006, The New York Times included St. Edward’s in its “Colleges of Many Colors” list, naming it one of the most ethnically and economically diverse private universities in the country.

 

In 2008–2009, total enrollment exceeded 5,300 students, and the university offered more than 50 undergraduate fields of study and 11 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

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

 

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.

 

University Seal

The university seal represents the rich history of St. Edward’s University. Here’s a helpful guide to the meaning behind the university seal 

• Shield = Our homeland, the United States
• Cross = Christianity
• Anchor = Taken from the seal of the Congregation of Holy Cross, the founders of St. Edward’s
• Mace = St. Edward, King and Confessor; our patron for whom the university is named
• Wavy Lines = Colorado River, which runs through Austin
• Lone Star = State of Texas
• Heart Shot with Arrows = Love and learning

 

Holy Cross Plaza

Pedestrians passing through Holy Cross Plaza, for example, avoid walking on the university seal as a sign of respect for the university's founders.

 

Peace Pole

Standing in front of Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel, the pole is a symbol of the university’s commitment to encouraging and promoting peace throughout the world.

 

Red Doors

Main Building’s signature red doors have welcomed students, alumni, faculty and staff for more than 100 years.

TRADITIONS

Father Paul Foik, CSC

Students rub the nose of the plaque honoring him outside of Scarborough-Phillips Library for good luck before tests.

 

Festival of Lights

A candlelit program of prayer and song for the university and Austin communities that culminates with a dramatic lighting of Main Building.

 

Founders’ Week

A weeklong event honoring the Congregation of Holy Cross, the founders of St. Edward’s.

 

Freshman vs. Faculty Softball Game

Freshman square off against faculty and staff members during this annual spring event, which features food, beverages and live play-by-play commentary. 

 

Hillfest
An outdoor event open to all members of the university community, celebrates the beginning of the new school year with live music, food, activities and fireworks that light the Austin skyline.

 

Homecoming
Alumni, students and parents arrive on the hilltop each February for an event-filled weekend with lots of activities for students including live music and dance, a tailgate picnic, and Casino Night.

 

Medallion Ceremony

Freshmen receive university mediallions at the start of the school year to welcome them into the academic community.

 

Midnight Breakfast

Students get ready for finals week with a delicious breakfast feast, games, music and crafts.

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.