Wikipedia

Rosemont College

Rosemont College is a private Catholic university in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1921 as a women's college by the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, the undergraduate program opened to male students beginning in fall 2009. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).[1] Rosemont also offers a range of master's degrees through its school of graduate studies and school of professional studies.[1] In March 2025, leadership of Rosemont College and Villanova University announced that Rosemont would merge into Villanova, serving as a secondary campus.[5]

Rosemont College
MottoLatin: Levavi oculos meos in montes
Motto in English
I will lift my eyes up to the hills
TypePrivate university
Established1921
Religious affiliation
Roman Catholic (Society of the Holy Child Jesus)
Academic affiliations
ACCU
MSA
NAICU
CIC
PresidentJim Cawley
Students951[1][2]
Undergraduates512 (fall 2022)[3]
Postgraduates308 (fall 2022)[4]
Location
Rosemont
,
Pennsylvania
,
U.S.

40°01′58″N 75°19′37″W / 40.0328°N 75.3270°W / 40.0328; -75.3270
CampusSuburban
ColorsMaroon and gray
NicknameRavens
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division III – UEC
MascotRaven
Websiterosemont.edu

History

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Founded in 1921 by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, Rosemont College is an independent university in the Catholic tradition[6] located on the Philadelphia Main Line in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In the fall of 2009, the traditionally women's undergraduate college began accepting male students.

One of the oldest Catholic women's colleges in the region, Rosemont originally "had a reputation for educating the daughters of more well-to-do Catholics."[7]

Rosemont's first chairman of the board was Cardinal Dougherty, who was instrumental in gaining Rosemont its first accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools by personally guaranteeing the college's financial solvency.[7]

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen was likewise involved in the early life of the college, describing Rosemont as "the finest girls' college in the United States."[7]

During World War II, Rosemont students aided the war effort by selling war bonds serving as air-raid wardens while the college hosted Villanova College's summer programs as Villanova's campus was in use during the summers by the United States Navy.[7] However, Rosemont evolved over the course of the twentieth century; "As views on women changed, the original—what some would call convent—atmosphere gradually moved toward more freedom for students to come and go, later curfews, and greater interaction with college men."[7]

In 1957, United States Senator John F. Kennedy (35th U.S. President) visits Rosemont and speaks to students and faculty in Main Building, Rathalla.[8]

In 1963, Rosemont students insisted that the college begin bringing non-Catholic speakers to campus, and by the early 1970s, the college ceased holding religious retreats due to lack of attendance.[7]

On November 13, 2024, The Philadelphia Inquirer published a report on the financial health of 13 small Philadelphia-area colleges.[9] Rosemont scored second-to-lowest on the report's financial health index.[10] On March 31, 2025, Rosemont and Villanova University announced that Rosemont would merge with Villanova. The transition will begin in 2027 and be completed in 2028, after which the college will be known as "Villanova University, Rosemont Campus.[11]

Academics

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The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.[12]

Undergraduate College

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The traditional Undergraduate College confers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Science degrees in twenty-five majors, as well as thirty-one minors, nine undergraduate education certification programs, and one premedical post baccalaureate certificate. It offers an 11:1 student to faculty ratio with an average class size of 13.[13] Each program offers an in-depth study of a particular subject area, as well as a breadth of study in the liberal arts in addition to at least one internship, volunteer effort, or service learning opportunity.

Academic partnerships

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Rosemont College has developed inter-institutional cooperative partnership agreements with Villanova University, Eastern University, Arcadia University, Cabrini College, Chestnut Hill College, Gwynedd Mercy University, Holy Family University, Immaculata University, and Neumann University. These agreements allow for cross-registration and the sharing of library resources between the institutions.

Rosemont also offers study abroad programs and internships.

Education

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Rosemont offers teacher certification programs at the undergraduate and graduate level with a reported outcome of 100% job placement rate for undergraduate education graduates.[14]

Medical school & health professions
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Rosemont offers a seven-year BA/BS/MD Fast Track medical program with Drexel University College of Medicine in which students study for three years at Rosemont and after passing the required scores on the MCAT, move onto Drexel College of Medicine. The institution also offers an 8-year BA/BS/MD Early Assurance medical program. These programs report an outcome of a 95% acceptance to medical, nursing and osteopathic programs for qualified science graduates.[15]

School of Professional Studies

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The School Professional Studies is designed for working adults and offers online programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. It offers accelerated degree programs, certificates, and corporate training. These programs are completed in five-week sessions, normally meeting once a week for four hours. The accelerated graduate courses are completed in seven-week sessions or over a weekend.

At the undergraduate level, there are nine online A.A., B.A., and B.S. Professional Studies degree options, and fifteen concentrations or credentials fully embedded within the degree.

School of Professional Studies: Graduate Programs

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At the graduate level, there are eight online Professional Studies master degree options, and 12 online graduate certificates. Many of the School of Professional Studies master programs offer an online graduate certificate fully embedded within the online degree offering graduates multiple graduate credentials within a degree program.

Forbes Advisor ranks Rosemont College as fifth in the nation for the best online master's in Homeland Security,[16] making it the highest ranking program the college offers. In 2023, the School Of Professional Studies also ranked as one of the Best Online Master's degree programs for Homeland Security[17] and Organizational Leadership[18] by Online Master's Degree.

School of Graduate Studies

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The traditional School of Graduate Studies offers nine master degree options, five post baccalaureate certifications, and one graduate certificate. Many Graduate Studies programs are offered exclusively on campus. The School of Graduate Studies also offers three hybrid online and on-campus programs, and five fully online master level education programs.

The M.F.A. in Creative Writing was listed as an "M.F.A. Program to Watch" by Publishers Weekly in 2015.[19]

Writer's Studio

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Rosemont also offers a number of non credit master classes, workshops and writer's retreats that are open to the public.

Athletics

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Rosemont, known athletically as the Ravens, is a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the United East Conference (UEC). Rosemont was a charter member of the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC), which merged into the UEC in July 2023.

Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer; tennis and outdoor track & field (in 2023–24); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, golf, volleyball, outdoor track & field (in 2023–24) and lacrosse (in 2023–24). Rosemont's Athletic Complex is home to a fully gray synthetic turf multi-purpose field, the first all gray field in the United States. The baseball team played its first season during the institution's centennial.[20] The teams will transition to club-sports beginning in 2026.

Campus

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Rosemont College is in the Rosemont census-designated place,[21] and in Lower Merion Township.[22]

Built in the University Gothic style, the 58-acre campus is located in the Main Line area of greater Philadelphia in the historic residential neighborhood of Rosemont. Unlike other local Catholic colleges, Rosemont rejected cloistered buildings and convent motifs in favor of a campus with "modestly-sized buildings arranged around a gentle rise in the landscape."[citation needed]

Connelly Hall

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In May 1925, the cornerstone of Connelly Hall, named after the Society of the Holy Child Jesus foundress Cornelia Connelly, was laid and was built with a courtyard overlooking a large field which became known as Connelly Green.[23] In 2006, Connelly Hall was modernized and expanded to 30,000 square feet.[24]

Mayfield Hall

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The current Mayfield Hall stands where the Sinnott family's stables once were. [citation needed] The stables were repurposed in 1921 to house a science lab, an art studio, and an auditorium. [citation needed] By 1929, there was a growing need for additional dormitory and dining space. To meet this demand, a plan was devised to retain the back portion and foundation of the stables, adding a new front and upper floors. [citation needed] The residence was named for Mayfield School, East Sussex, where Cornelia Connelly is buried. In 2021, the building underwent extensive renovations, re-opening in August 2022 after a $7.5 million restoration project.[25] Parts of the original stables are still visible.

Gertrude Kistler Memorial Library

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The Gertrude Kistler Memorial Library was founded in 1926 by Mr. & Mrs. Sedgwick Kistler in honor of their daughter, Gertrude.[26] The library serves as a research center and hosts the college's archives.[27]

In 2010, Kimmel Bogrette completed a major expansion of the library. As part of the renovation, "Eleanor's Café" was added, named in honor of Eleanor M. Weisbrod, who funded the library upgrade in memory of her sister, Sr. Helen Mary Weisbrod, SHCJ.[28]

Immaculate Conception Chapel

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The Immaculate Conception Chapel is one of only two chapels in the United States whose stained-glass windows depict only women,[29] a project conceived by Rosemont's second president, Mother Mary Ignatius Carroll.[30] The windows were crafted by Willet Stained Glass Studios, located in Germantown, PA. The sisters who helped select the saints carefully considered how each depiction would influence and inspire future students.[31]

Main Building: Rathalla

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The Main Building, the Joseph Sinnott Mansion — also known as Rathalla ("home of the chieftain on the highest hill" in Gaelic)[citation needed] — served as the first classrooms and student housing for Holy Child College. It was originally built as a summer home for whiskey distiller Joseph F. Sinnott. Completed in 1891, the home was designed by architects Edward P. Hazlehurst and Samuel Huckel.[32] The building was heavily influenced by the Gothic chateaux of the Loire Valley.[33] In 1927, the Sisters of the Holy Child of Jesus acquired Rathalla for $1.00.[34] The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[35]

Rotwitt Theater & McShain/Brown Science Building

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The McShain/Brown Science Building, named for John McShain and alum Dorothy McKenna Brown, was originally built in 1953. McShain's daughter, Sr. Pauline "Polly" McShain, SHCJ, graduated from Rosemont in 1958.[36] The facilities were renovated in 2014. The renovations included upgrades to the mechanical and electrical systems, as well as a full modernization of the space.[37]

In 2014, Rosemont College's McShain Performing Arts Center was renamed the Rotwitt Theater in recognition of the support from Jeffrey and Dianne Rotwitt.

Sharon Latchaw Hirsh Community Center

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In 2019, Kimmel Bogrette completed the design and planning for a major renovation and expansion of Rosemont College's Cardinal Hall, which was renamed in honor of the college's outgoing president Sharon Latchaw Hirsch. Construction for the 75,000 square-foot facility cost $11 million. It features an indoor campus commons that serves as a gathering space for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.[38]

Notable alumnae

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Rosemont College Fast Facts, Rosemont College, 2015, archived from the original on March 17, 2015, retrieved March 18, 2015
  2. ^ "Rosemont College". usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  3. ^ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=rosemont+college&s=all&id=215691#enrolmt
  4. ^ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=rosemont+college&s=all&id=215691#enrolmt
  5. ^ "Villanova University and Rosemont College Enter Into Merger Agreement". Villanova University. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  6. ^ "About Rosemont". Rosemont College. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
  7. ^ a b c d e f David R. Contosta, "The Philadelphia Story: Life at Immaculata, Rosemont, and Chestnut Hill." In Catholic Women's Colleges in America, edited by Tracy Schier and Cynthia Russett. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002.
  8. ^ https://rosemont.edu/college/academics/commencement/
  9. ^ Brubaker, Susan Snyder | Harold (2024-11-13). "Some small, private colleges like Rosemont and La Salle are in fragile financial health, an Inquirer analysis of 13 schools found". https://www.inquirer.com. Retrieved 2025-04-01. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  10. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  11. ^ "Villanova University and Rosemont College Enter Into Merger Agreement | Villanova University". www1.villanova.edu. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  12. ^ "Middle States Commission on Higher Education". Msche.org. 2010-09-21. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
  13. ^ "Come Visit Rosemont College". rosemont.edu. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  14. ^ https://rosemont.edu/best-online-graduate-education-programs-2025/
  15. ^ https://rosemont.edu/college/academics/undergraduate-college/partnerships/health/
  16. ^ https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/law/best-masters-homeland-security-online/
  17. ^ "Best Online Master's Degree Programs in Homeland Security for 2023". OMD. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  18. ^ "Best Online Master's in Organizational Leadership: Top Schools for 2023". OMD. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  19. ^ Spring 2015 M.F.A. Update: M.F.A. Programs to Watch, Publishers Weekly, retrieved March 19, 2015
  20. ^ Rosemont College's field is going gray, Main Line Media News, June 26, 2013, retrieved March 18, 2015
  21. ^ "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Rosemont CDP, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2024-04-10. Rosemont Colg
  22. ^ "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP (INDEX): Lower Merion township, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. p. 1 (PDF p. 2/5). Retrieved 2024-04-10. Rosemont Colg
  23. ^ "Cornelia Connelly Hall · Buildings & Grounds at Rosemont College · Rosemont College Archives". rosemontarchives.omeka.net. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  24. ^ "Rosemont College, Connelly Residence Hall". Kimmel Bogrette Architecture + Site. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  25. ^ "Rosemont College Re-Opens Historic Mayfield Hall at Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony after $7.5 Million Restoration - News - Publications - About - Rosemont College". www.rosemont.edu. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  26. ^ "The tragedy of Gertrude Kistler". lockhaven.com. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  27. ^ "Gertrude Kistler Memorial Library". Rosemont College. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  28. ^ https://kimmel-bogrette.com/portfolio/rosemont-college-gertrude-kistler-memorial-library/
  29. ^ Snyder, Susan (February 11, 2016). "At Rosemont College, tragic women studied". Philly.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  30. ^ A stained-glass tribute to holy women, The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 4, 2015, archived from the original on March 19, 2015, retrieved March 18, 2015
  31. ^ https://rosemontarchives.omeka.net/exhibits/show/buildings---grounds-at-rosemon/immaculate-conception-chapel
  32. ^ "Joseph Sinnott Mansion - American Aristocracy". americanaristocracy.com. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  33. ^ "Joseph Sinnott Mansion - American Aristocracy". americanaristocracy.com. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  34. ^ "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System.
    Note: This includes Sr. Mary Stella Kelly and Brenda Reigle. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Joseph Sinnott Mansion" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-05-24.
  35. ^ https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/80003582
  36. ^ Cook, Bonnie L. (2019-03-13). "Sister Pauline McShain, 90, educator and philanthropist". https://www.inquirer.com. Retrieved 2025-04-01. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  37. ^ https://kimmel-bogrette.com/portfolio/rosemont-college-ritwitt-theater/
  38. ^ https://kimmel-bogrette.com/portfolio/rosemont-college-the-sharon-latchaw-hirsh-community-center/
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