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Holy Names University

Holy Names University (HNU) was founded by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in 1868 on the shores of Lake Merritt. In 1957, the campus was moved from Lake Merritt to a wooded, sixty-acre site in the Oakland Hills. An academic community committed to the full development of each student, Holy Names offers a liberal education rooted in the Catholic tradition, empowering a diverse student body for leadership and service in a complex world.

HNU students can choose from 19 bachelor’s degree programs, eight master’s degree programs and five degree completion programs (for adults). Holy Names University is consistently ranked as one of the most diverse universities in the country and received the highest accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (2005 – 2015).

The Holy Names campus provides a close-knit, supportive environment that allows for rigorous learning and personal development. Students experience close partnerships with distinguished faculty and learn to question, experiment, research and sharpen professional skills that they will use throughout their lives. Students also have many chances to have fun, volunteer, assume leadership roles, and express their creativity.

The unique location of HNU offers a breathtaking, panoramic view of Oakland, San Francisco and the Bay Area. Nestled in the Oakland hills, the campus provides a safe haven and an extremely beautiful atmosphere for study. In addition, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system makes it easy to reach museums, sporting events, and world-class performing arts within minutes from the campus.

President William J. Hynes

Dr. William J. Hynes started his tenure as the 17th president of Holy Names University this August. He is a distinguished teacher, scholar, and educational leader. He holds the Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Chicago in the History of Christian Thought, another M.A. in Catholic Theology from Marquette University, his BA from Conception College, and Certificates from both Harvard University and the University of Geneva. A year-long NEH Fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill allowed him to work with Charles Long, a pre-eminent scholar of African-American religious history.

Dr. Hynes has served successfully as President of St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, Vice-President of Academic Affairs at St. Mary’s College of California, and Dean of the College at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. He has held faculty appointments at all these institutions and taught undergraduates and graduate students for more than 20 years. Hynes is the author of three books. He is concluding work on a fourth book on the Principles of Entrepreneurship based upon interviews with 25 entrepreneurs. His previous book, Mythical Trickster Figures with William Doty, was cited by The Times Literary Supplement as “an admirable successor” to Paul Radin’s classic study.

Dr. Hynes and his spouse, Margie Shurgot Hynes, are well-known to the San Francisco Bay Area community, where they resided from 1990 to 2000. While in the Bay Area, Ms. Shurgot held executive fundraising positions with the San Francisco Symphony, the Campaign to Restore the War Memorial Opera House, and California College of the Arts.

Valley Center for the Performing Arts

The Valley Center for the Performing Arts is a unique performance and convening facility at Holy Names University. It houses two separate theatres; large audiences up to 390 can be accommodated in the Regents’ Theatre, while smaller, more intimate groups use the Studio Theatre with movable seating for up to 125 participants. A feature common to both venues is the flexibility to customize either theatre according to specifications.

These theatres are equipped with industry-standard lighting, a versatile sound system suitable for plays, films, lectures and reading, and acoustics that satisfy the most exacting musicians and audiences. Individual sound amplification devices can be used everywhere in the center. On-site amenities include risers, orchestra shells, concert grand pianos and podiums. The backstage area includes a green room, two large dressing rooms and a secured spaced for storing musical instruments and props. Climate controlled throughout, the building has offices and classrooms which can be sued for rehearsals, practice areas or for break-out groups.

Designed with attention to audience comfort, presentation requirements and technical versatility, everything about the center is convenience and user-friendly: staff, parking, audience drop-off, wheel chair access, street-to-stage loading dock, and accessibility to major freeways. The Valley Center has quickly gained the reputation among businesses and performing organizations as a well-designed, professionally equipped center.