Albertus Magnus College History

In 1924, the Dominican Sisters of Saint Mary of the Springs, now known as the Dominican Sisters of Peace, purchased an estate at 700 Prospect Street in New Haven, Connecticut to establish New England’s first Catholic, residential, liberal arts college for women. They named their new institution Albertus Magnus College, after St. Albert the Great, the thirteenth century medieval scholar, philosopher, theologian, and bishop. The College’s charter was signed on July 13, 1925, and the first classes were held in Rosary Hall on September 24, 1925.

Since its founding in 1925, Albertus Magnus College has acquired several historic mansions that are now used for student housing and College administration. Buildings that have been constructed exclusively for Albertus are Dominican Hall, a dormitory; Aquinas Hall, the main academic building; the Hubert Campus Center, the hub of campus social activity which was first constructed in 1970 and renovated in 2019; the Cosgrove, Marcus, Messer Athletic Center, the home of Falcon Athletics; and the Mary A. and Louis F. Tagliatela Academic Center, a state-of-the- art venue that houses science laboratories, nursing facilities, and an atrium that is frequently used for College events.

As Albertus grew and evolved, it extended its reach through the expansion of its Continuing Education program. In 1973, Albertus was a pioneer in launching Begin Again, its first flexible evening program for adult learners. In 1975, the Board of Trustees voted to omit the words “of women” from the College’s charter to allow the awarding of degrees to men through the Office of Continuing Education. In 1985, after sixty years of being an exclusively female undergraduate institution, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to make Albertus Magnus College fully co-educational across all its academic programs.

In 1992, the College offered its first graduate program, the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies. In the years that followed, Albertus has introduced new graduate and undergraduate programs and developed on-ground, blended, and online learning options. Today, Albertus offers its academic programs through the Traditional Undergraduate Program, Adult Degree Program, and Graduate Programs.

Today, Albertus is proud of its commitment to making accessible a practical, liberal arts-based education rooted in Dominican values expressed through the four Dominican pillars of study, prayer, community, and service. Designated as the most diverse Catholic college in New England and achieving Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Status in fall of 2023, Albertus Magnus College celebrates its diverse and multi-talented student body. The College remains ever true to its Dominican heritage and its dedication to the search for truth in all its dimensions.

Shield of Albertus Magnus College

Designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose, a prominent designer of American academic heraldry in the twentieth century, the symbol of Albertus Magnus College consists of two shields: the black and white cross and shield of the Dominican Order, and the family shield of the House of Bollstadt to which it is said St. Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus) belonged. The Bollstadt family shield is depicted by a silver hunting horn, “interpreted as the horn of plenty filled with the treasures of knowledge which are distributed by the college”, on a field of red which represents love. Altogether, the coat of arms of Albertus Magnus College symbolized “knowledge, coupled with love, fostered in the Order of Preachers” which is “poured out on the students of Albertus Magnus College.”