Holy Names University: a Timeline

1868
Foundation of Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Lake Merritt Campus, Oakland, CA

1880
Empowered by the State of California to grant higher degrees

1908
Name of the institution changes to Convent and College of the Holy Names

1916
Secular students admitted to college-level classes for the first time, and the Alumnae Office opens with its new constitution decreeing that the annual meeting should coincide with Founders’ Day, May 10

1917
Holy Names Junior College formally inaugurated

1925
The senior college opens

1929
First Baccalaureate degrees awarded

1930
The first College of the Holy Names’ teacher candidates were credentialed by the State of California

1949
College of the Holy Names becomes one of the Charter members of WASC

1955
The co-educational Graduate Division formally established

1957
The entire college moves from Lake Merritt to the new campus on Mountain Boulevard

1960
Raskob Learning Institute opens

1969
The Kodály music education program opens

1971
The College name changes to Holy Names College and becomes totally co-educational

1977
An interdisciplinary, team-taught program in Humanistic Studies becomes the cornerstone of the undergraduate curriculum

1981
The Weekend College (WECO) opens, offering working adults classes on Friday nights and Saturdays – the first such program west of the Rockies for working adults

1987
The writing across the cirriculum program is adopted to ensure that development in writing is a component of all undergraduate programs

1994
The Valley Center for the Performing Arts opens, providing the campus and community with a state-of-the-art facility