Clarke College
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Clarke College is a four year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is one of three four year institutions in the city of Dubuque, and is one of three Catholic colleges in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
History
The school was founded as Saint Mary's Academy by Mother Mary Frances Clarke - who had founded the order of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - in 1843 as a boarding school for local girls. This would be one of the first such schools built west of the Mississippi River. During this time the school operated out of several different locations.
In 1881 the school was moved to Seminary Hill. At this time it was renamed Mount St. Joseph Academy and College. Since that time it has remained at this location, along what today is known as Clarke Drive. Mount St. Joseph became a liberal arts school in 1901, and the first Bachelor's degree was awarded in 1904. In 1910 the school was chartered by the state of Iowa, and became a four year college in 1913. The North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools accredited Mount St. Joseph in 1918. The Academy closed in 1928, and the college was given its current name of Clarke College in honor of Mary Francis Clarke.
In 1964 Clarke College began a graduate program, and the first Master's degrees were awarded in 1967. The school was one of the first in Iowa to offer a program in Computer Science. For a number of years, Clarke College was an all female school, until the spring of 1979 when the school was made into a coeducational institution.
On May 17, 1984 the school experienced a disastarous fire that destroyed four of its main buildings. One of the buildings destroyed was the Sacred Heart chapel. The school launched a project to replace the buildings. In 1986 the new library, music performance hall, chapel, bookstore, administrative offices and central atrium were dedicated. The glass atrium has become a symbol of the school.
Recently, Clarke College President Sr. Catherine Dunn, who has served as President for 23 years, announced that she intends to step down. On February 2, 2006 the college's board of trustees announced that Joanne Burrows, SC (Sisters of Charity) Ph.D will be the next President of Clarke College. Burrows will become the 15th President of the school on July 1, 2006.
External links
Sources
- Clarke College. History / Heritage. Article (http://www.clarke.edu/info/history.htm) from the Clarke College web site. Date Accessed: August 9, 2005. 2005: Dubuque, Iowa. Clarke College.