Chatham University

Last updated
Chatham University
Chatham University.png
Former names
Pennsylvania Female College (1869–1890)
Pennsylvania College for Women (1890–1955)
Chatham College (1955–2007)
MottoFiliae Nostrae Sicut Antarii Lapides (Latin)
Motto in English
That our daughters may be as cornerstones, polished after the similitude of a palace.
Type Private university
EstablishedDecember 11, 1869;154 years ago (1869-12-11)
Endowment $106.6 million (2021) [1]
President Rhonda Phillips
Students2,300 (approx.)
Location
Pittsburgh
,
Pennsylvania
,
United States
Campus39 acres (16 ha)
Colors Purple and Gray [2]   
Nickname Cougars
Sporting affiliations
 NCAA Division III – PAC
MascotCarson the Cougar [3]
Website www.chatham.edu
Chatham University text logo.png

Chatham University is a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally founded as a women's college, it began enrolling men in undergraduate programs in 2015. It enrolls about 2,110 students, including 1,002 undergraduate students and 1,108 graduate students. [4] The university grants certificates and degrees including bachelor, master, first-professional, and doctorate degrees in the School of Arts, Science & Business, the School of Health Sciences, and the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment.

Contents

History

Founded as the Pennsylvania Female College on December 11, 1869, by Reverend William Trimble Beatty (the father of renowned operatic contralto Louise Homer), it was located in the Berry mansion on Woodland Road off Fifth Avenue in the neighborhood of Shadyside. Shadyside Campus today is composed of buildings and grounds from a number of former private mansions. The college was renamed Pennsylvania College for Women in 1890, and Chatham College in 1955. The latter name was to honor William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, after whom the city of Pittsburgh is named. [5] The school gained university status from the Pennsylvania Department of Education on April 23, 2007, and publicly announced its new status on May 1, 2007, changing its name to Chatham University. [6]

With elements designed for the original Andrew Mellon estate by the Olmsted Brothers, the 39-acre (16 ha) Shadyside Campus was designated an arboretum in 1998 by the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta.

In 2005 the university expanded its programs to include online advanced degree programs (bachelors, masters, doctoral) through the School of Continuing Education, now the School for Continuing and Professional Studies. Two years later, Chatham's MFA in Creative Writing program was named one of the top five Innovative/Unique Programs by The Atlantic Monthly . [7]

Chatham received some national attention in 2014 when it announced that it was engaging in a period of study "considering admitting men for the first time in that college's history," [8] resulting in "reactions of surprise and anger" from its alumnae. [9] Undergraduate men began attending in 2015. [10] The current president of Chatham University is Rhonda Phillips. Phillips is the 10th woman to serve as the university's president across its 154-year history. [11] [12]

Campuses

Chatham's original Shadyside Campus is part of historic Woodland Road. The Shadyside Campus now also includes the Chatham Eastside building, [13] which serves as the home for the health science and interior architecture programs.

The university's new 388-acre (157 ha) Eden Hall Campus is located north of the city of Pittsburgh in Richland Township, Pennsylvania; it is the home of Chatham's Falk School of Sustainability & Environment. Programs at Eden Hall Campus include a Bachelors in Sustainability, a Masters of Sustainability, an MA in Food Studies, and dual degrees in Masters of Sustainability or MA in Food Studies + Masters in Business Administration. The Eden Hall Campus was donated to Chatham University by the Eden Hall Foundation on May 1, 2008. In 2011, the university engaged the architectural team of Berkebile Nelson Immenschuh McDowell (BNIM) of Kansas City, Mo. and the landscape design firm Andropogon Associates of Philadelphia to lead the master planning process. The first phase of development was designed by the firm Mithun, was completed in 2016, and won an award for sustainable development. [14] [15]

In 2013, the Falk Foundation made its largest and final grant to the School of Sustainability & the Environment for the completion of the Eden Hall Campus. The grant was also the largest grant in the history of Chatham University. [16] [17] The School of Sustainability & the Environment was renamed the Falk School of Sustainability. The Falk Foundation made its first grant to Chatham in 1952 with the funding of Chatham's Falk Hall, named in honor of Laura Falk, wife of foundation founder Maurice Falk. [17] [16]

Chatham University grounds Chatham University - IMG 7665.JPG
Chatham University grounds
Campus labyrinth Chatham University - IMG 7653.JPG
Campus labyrinth

Accreditation

Chatham University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. [18]

Athletics

Chatham University teams, also known as the Cougars, participate as a member of the NCAA Division III. The Cougars are a member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). Chatham has both Men's and Women's varsity teams in basketball, cross country, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, squash, swimming & diving, track & field, and volleyball, with the most recent addition being men's volleyball beginning play in the spring of 2024. Men's and women's ice hockey play in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference.[ citation needed ]

The women's ice hockey team was the first NCAA women's ice hockey team in Pennsylvania.[ citation needed ]

The college mascot was previously Pennsy the Seal. The cougar mascot was adopted in 1992 and was named Carson in honor of alumna Rachel Carson in 2011. [3] In 2023, 55.6% of students participating in a non-binding referendum held by the student government voted to reinstate Pennsy the Seal as the college mascot. [19] The vote did not affect the college mascot.

Notable alumni

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Vincent College</span> Private college in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Saint Vincent College is a private Benedictine college in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846 by Boniface Wimmer, a monk from Bavaria, it is operated by the Benedictine Monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey, the first Benedictine monastery in the United States, which was also founded by Wimmer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Pittsburgh</span> Public university in Pennsylvania, U.S.

The University of Pittsburgh is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the university's central administration and around 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The 132-acre Pittsburgh campus includes various historic buildings that are part of the Schenley Farms Historic District, most notably its 42-story Gothic revival centerpiece, the Cathedral of Learning. Pitt is a member of the Association of American Universities and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". It is the second-largest non-government employer in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple University</span> Public university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

Temple University is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Baptist Temple. On May 12, 1888, it was renamed the Temple College of Philadelphia. By 1907, the institution had revised its institutional status and been incorporated as a research university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allegheny College</span> Private liberal arts college in Meadville, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Allegheny College is a private liberal arts college in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1815, Allegheny is the oldest college in continuous existence under the same name west of the Allegheny Mountains. It is a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association and the Presidents' Athletic Conference, and it is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duquesne University</span> Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US

Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of 40 students and a faculty of six. In 1911, the college became the first Catholic university-level institution in Pennsylvania. It is named for an 18th-century governor of New France, Michel-Ange Duquesne de Menneville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Park University</span> Private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Point Park University is a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Formerly known as Point Park College, the school name was revised in 2004 to reflect the number of graduate programs being offered. In 2021, it had a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,575 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Morris University</span> Private university in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Robert Morris University (RMU) is a private university in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1921 and is named after Robert Morris, known as the "financier of the American revolution." It enrolls nearly 5,000 students and offers 60 bachelor's degree programs and 35 master's and doctoral programs. Most students are from the Pittsburgh area, while 16 percent of freshmen in 2018 were from outside Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana University of Pennsylvania</span> Public university in Indiana, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is a public research university in Indiana, Pennsylvania. As of fall 2021, the university enrolled 7,044 undergraduates and 1,865 postgraduates, for a total enrollment of 9,009 students. The university is 55 miles (89 km) northeast of Pittsburgh. It is governed by a local Council of Trustees and the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. IUP has branch campuses at Punxsutawney, Northpointe, and Monroeville. IUP is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn State University Park</span> University campus in Pennsylvania

University Park, also referred to as Penn State University Park, is the name given to the Pennsylvania State University's main campus located in both State College and College Township, Pennsylvania. The campus post office was designated "University Park, Pennsylvania" in 1953 by Penn State president Milton Eisenhower, after what was then Pennsylvania State College was upgraded to university status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Western University, California</span> Public university in California, Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Western University, California is a public university with independent accreditation in California borough, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Pennsylvania Western University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Pittsburgh Medical Center</span> Global medical organization

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is an American integrated global nonprofit health enterprise that has 92,000 employees, 40 hospitals with more than 8,000 licensed beds, 800 clinical locations including outpatient sites and doctors' offices, a 3.8 million-member health insurance division, as well as commercial and international ventures. It is closely affiliated with its academic partner, the University of Pittsburgh. It is considered a leading American health care provider, as its flagship facilities have ranked in U.S. News & World Report "Honor Roll" of the approximately 15 to 20 best hospitals in America for over 15 years. As of 2016, its flagship hospital UPMC Presbyterian was ranked 12th nationally among the best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report and ranked in 15 of 16 specialty areas when including UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. This does not include UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh which ranked in the top 10 of pediatric centers in a separate US News ranking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shadyside (Pittsburgh)</span> Neighborhood of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States

Shadyside is a neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It has three zip codes and representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 8. Shadyside is drawn from the name of a 19th-century Pennsylvania Railroad station in the area, which was named for its shady lanes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Pittsburgh at Bradford</span> Public college in Bradford, Pennsylvania, U.S.

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is a state-related college in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1963, it is a baccalaureate degree-granting, regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh, conferring degrees in over 40 fields of study. In addition to its focus on undergraduate education, the campus hosts multiple research/teaching units of the University of Pittsburgh, including the Center for Rural Health Practice and the Allegheny Institute of Natural History, as well as the Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nichols College</span> Private college in Dudley, Massachusetts, United States

Nichols College is a private business college in Dudley, Massachusetts. Founded in 1815 as Nichols Academy, Nichols College offers both bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as certificate programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shady Side Academy</span> School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Shady Side Academy is an independent preparatory school located in the Borough of Fox Chapel, and in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883 as an all-male night school in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, the academy now offers a secular coeducational PK–12 program on four campuses in the city and its suburbs, including a boarding program in the Croft and Morewood Houses of its Senior School Campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Pittsburgh at Titusville</span>

The University of Pittsburgh at Titusville is a state-related college in Titusville, Pennsylvania. It is a two-year campus of the University of Pittsburgh that provides associate degrees and pre-professional tracks with the potential to transfer students to other programs for baccalaureate degrees. In the fall of 2020, Pitt-Titusville converted its academic programs into the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville Education and Training Hub. This program incorporates three entities into UPT: Northern Pennsylvania Regional College (NPRC), the university's Swanson School of Engineering, and Manchester Bidwell Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University Club (University of Pittsburgh)</span> United States historic place

The University Club is an eight-story building of the University of Pittsburgh designed by Henry Hornbostel and completed in 1923 that is a contributing property to the Schenley Farms Historic District on the school's campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It serves as a faculty club with publicly accessible dining, banquet, and conference facilities, while the upper four floors serve as undergraduate student housing referred to as University Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slippery Rock University</span> University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock University, formally Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, is a public university in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. SRU is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The university has been coeducational since its founding in 1889. SRU is fully accredited by the Middle State Commission on Higher Learning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esther Barazzone</span> American historian and college president

Esther Barazzone is an independent American consultant in higher education governance and leadership, and president emerita of Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As president of Chatham from 1992 to 2016, when she retired, she was one of the longest-serving university presidents in the U.S. She maintains roles in several organizations supporting international and U.S. higher learning, women’s leadership, and sustainability.

Leon Falk Jr. was a steel company executive and philanthropist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Falk was involved in the founding of several arts and cultural institutions in the Pittsburgh area, notably the University of Pittsburgh's Falk Clinic, Falk Laboratory School, the Pittsburgh Playhouse, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and the Chancellor's Residence for the University of Pittsburgh.

References

  1. ↑ As of June 30, 2021. NCES IPEDS Data Center: Chatham University (Report). U. S. Department of Education. November 1, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-11-24. Retrieved 2018-11-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. 1 2 "Athletics' mascot gets a new name". chatham.edu. March 31, 2011. Archived from the original on September 16, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Chatham Quick Facts". Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  5. ↑ William Pitt Family Papers, 1757-1804, DAR.1925.08, The Darlington Collection, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh
  6. ↑ Grant, Tim (2007-05-01). "Chatham gains university status". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Retrieved 2009-08-16.
  7. ↑ Delaney, Edward J. (2007). "The Best of the Best". The Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
  8. ↑ Schackner, Bill (2014-02-18). "Chatham University considers enrolling men as undergraduate students | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Post-gazette.com. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  9. ↑ Schackner, Bill (2014-02-19). "Coed possibility concerns Chatham alumnae | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Post-gazette.com. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  10. ↑ Perrine, Shannon (2015-08-26). "First male undergrads arrive at historically all-female Chatham University". WTAE.com. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
  11. ↑ "Chatham University names Rhonda Phillips its new president".
  12. ↑ "Chatham University selects economic development and sustainability expert as 10th female president". 18 April 2023.
  13. ↑ Chatham.edu Archived 2009-04-21 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ "Chatham University Eden Hall Campus - Mithun". Mithun. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  15. ↑ "Eden Hall Campus receives American Institute of Architects Award for Sustainable Design Excellence". Chatham News. 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  16. 1 2 "Chatham University Receives $15 Million Gift From the Falk Foundation" (Press release). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Chatham University. 2013-10-11. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  17. 1 2 LaRussa, Tony (2013-10-10). "Chatham gets $15M by Falk Foundation to help build Richland facility". Trib Total Media. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  18. ↑ Ltd., Info724. "Middle States Commission on Higher Education". www.msche.org. Retrieved 24 September 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ Gates, Carson; Clark, Jackie (2023-04-12). "Results from the recent CSG elections". Communiqué. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  20. ↑ DeBonis, Mike; Davis, Aaron C. (January 2, 2015). "Muriel Bowser sworn in as D.C. mayor; pledges to make city healthier, safer". The Washington Post.
  21. ↑ Sally Johnson (March 12, 1993). "Defender of the faith". The Boston Globe Magazine.

40°26′57″N79°55′33″W / 40.44917°N 79.92583°W / 40.44917; -79.92583

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.