St. Mary’s School of Nursing / Junior College Records

Brief: Founded ca. 1887 as part of the St. Mary’s Hospital, became a Junior College in 1963, and merged with the College of St. Catherine (CSC) in 1986.

Detailed: In 1887, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet took over the operation of the St. Mary’s Hospital founded 20 years earlier by the Sisters of Mercy. During a cholera epidemic, the Sisters were having difficulties meeting the hospital’s staffing needs, so they started their own school of nursing, graduating a first class of three students in 1903. The school later received national accreditation and, by 1928, a “Class A” rating from the American College of Surgeons. At this time, the name changed from ‘Training School for Nurses’ to ‘School of Nursing’. In 1942 the program is put under the control of the College of St. Catherine, but by 1957 is once again independent. In the 1950’s and 60’s, as numbers of students skyrocketed, there arose a need for two year junior and community colleges as alternatives to four year programs. Lead by Sister Anne Joachim Moore, the school began formulating two-year degree plans for medical and allied professions. Saint Mary’s Junior College became the first junior college in the nation exclusively devoted to health care in 1963. At this point, the school developed its enduring mission to provide access for underserved students to associate-degree education in health care. By decision of the boards of directors of the two schools, St. Mary’s merged with the College of St. Catherine in 1986 and is now commonly known as the 'Minneapolis Campus'. In this merger, the boards and administrative departments were consolidated and new programs were formed from affiliated departments. Classes were originally held at St. Mary’s Hospital and later conjunctionally with the College of St. Catherine. In 1964 the Junior College took over the old Nurses home and eventually grew into the St. Mary’s Campus of the College of St. Catherine.