Albertus Magnus College was founded in 1925 by the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs. The dedication speaker was James Rowland Angell, the president of nearby Yale University. All classes and offices were first housed in Rosary Hall, a Palladian-style mansion that has since been converted for use as the institution's main library. The college's first chaplain, Rev. Arthur Chandler, stated that the college's initial goal was to educate women "to become thinkers and leaders and the noble among the ladyhood of the future." By 1940 the campus had expanded to its current 50 acre size and absorbed a variety of surrounding gilded-era mansions for use as dormitories and office space. The school became known for its strict liberal arts curriculum that required four years of Latin or Greek study. Originally a women's college, the institution became coeducational in 1985 to some controversy. The 1980s also brought a series of construction projects to the campus, including new classroom space and a new athletic center. The first graduate program, a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, was offered in 1992.
Organization
Albertus Magnus is presided over by a board of trustees. A 1969 reorganization of this leadership opened 80% of spots to secular personnel while continuing to reserve 20% for members of the Dominican Sisters of Peace.
Academics
In addition to undergraduate majors, minors and concentrations, including pre-professional preparation, there are graduate programs in art therapy, mental health counseling, addiction counseling, leadership, liberal studies, fine arts in creative writing, human services, business administration, education, and management and organizational leadership. As of 2014, the university has a 71.1% acceptance rate with a student body that is 35% male and 65% female.
Campus
The main campus is located about two miles from the central campus of Yale University in a residential area known as Prospect Hill near the border with Hamden. The neighborhood is on Prospect Street just above Edgerton Park and near East Rock. The college uses several of the area's historic 19th century mansions as residence halls and administrative buildings. A number of these are contributing properties of the Prospect Hill Historic District.
Athletics
Albertus Magnus College teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Falcons are a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.
