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Brief History of St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University, named for the mighty river that forms the border between the United States and Canada, was founded in 1856 by leaders of the Universalist Church, who were seeking to establish a seminary somewhere west of New England and were enthusiastically courted by the citizens of Canton. The denomination, which has since merged with the Unitarian faith, was part of the liberal wing of Protestantism, championing such ideas as critical thinking and gender equality—attributes that surfaced in the new seminary, which was progressive in its teaching philosophy and coeducational from the beginning. St. Lawrence takes pride that it is the oldest continuously coeducational institution of higher learning in New York State.

The University as it exists today was created as a “Preparatory Department” to provide a foundation for theological study. That department became today ’s liberal arts University , while the seminary closed in 1965 with the Unitarian/Universalist consolidation. St. Lawrence has no affiliation with any religious sect.

As the 19th century drew to a close, St. Lawrence’s academic rigor was recognized with a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and campus life expanded with new interest in athletics and co-curricular programs, a student government formed and organizations for music, drama and the literary arts began to draw attention.

Early in the 20th century, the University’s graduate program in education opened; it has since served thousands of school teachers, counselors and administrators. Following a difficult period during the Great Depression and World War II, the student body increased quickly, and with it the phy sical plant. A 10-building campus serving around 750 students in the early 1940s became a 30-building campus serving 2,000 students within 25 years, partly through acquisition of the adjacent state school of agriculture campus when that facility relocated across town. The mid-60s saw the birth of one of St. Lawrence’s most important and distinctive assets, its international programs.

Since the late 1990s and into the first decade of the 21st century, the University has experienced a renaissance characterized by transformative facilities improvements, by extensive incorporation of technology in the support of pedagogy, by expanded interdisciplinary programs to meet the demands of the next millennium, by a dramatically improved and strong market position for prospective students, by unprecedented philanthropic and volunteer support from the alumni and by creative programs to strengthen the economic infrastructure of the region the University loves so dearly.

The University held a year-long celebration of its Sesquicentennial in 2005-2006. The theme of the observance was recognition and celebration of the teaching-learning dynamic that is at the center of the University’s work. The community examined factors that have influenced teaching and learning, such as the Universalist heritage, the commitment to coeducation and to ethnic diversity, the role of location and of the University connection to other nations and cultures, and the recognition that learning happens in all phases of campus life, with co-curricular programming central to student
engagement and service. The University brought a sesquicentennial focus to existing events, both on campus and throughout the nation, and in written materials. Those participating in, or observing, the Sesquicentennial came away with a better understanding of St. Lawrence’s identity and why St. Lawrence is the place it is today. Laurentians consider history the foundation of the future. The Sesquicentennial helped inspire future dedication to and investment in St. Lawrence University.