The story
Foundation
St. Ambrose was founded as a seminary and school of commerce for young men in 1882, known as St. Ambrose Academy. It owes its beginning to the first Bishop of Davenport, John McMullen, 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. McMullen died of cancer in 1883, and Aloysius Schulte was named the first president of St. Ambrose at the age of 23.
The school was moved to Locust Street in 1885, where the central part of the present-day Ambrose Hall was built. Located in a secluded grove of oak trees, the site was far removed from the city. 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 start of the 20th century, a clearer division was being made between the high school academy and the college program. In 1908, the name of the institution was officially changed to St. Ambrose College to express 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 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 to 1931 some of the academy students were boarded on the campus.
Growth
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 H.L. McLaughlin Master of Business Administration program. Its graduate offerings have since expanded to 14 programs.
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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 Health and Human Services), and Arts and Sciences.
In 1997, St. Ambrose began offering its first doctoral program, the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA).
In May 2024, the university announced a partnership with fellow Catholic institution Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids that would allow students from both institutions to freely take classes at them. At the time of the announcement, a merger was "being explored for the future." Three months later, in August 2024, it was announced that the university would merge with Mount Mercy.
From Wikipedia’s article on St. Ambrose University, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4