Historic image of the first Saint Francis campus building 1890

History

See Saint Francis Evolve

From its earliest days as a teacher-training school to its current status as a degree-granting liberal arts institution, the University of Saint Francis has remained true to its core mission while always evolving with the times.


1890

Saint Francis is founded (as Saint Francis Normal School) by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration in Lafayette, Indiana. 

Historic image of the first Saint Francis building
A photo of the sisters on campus in 1940

1923

Saint Francis’ education program receives accreditation from the state of Indiana. The college starts approving students for state licensing for teaching.


1939-1940

A new charter leads to expanded programs, including four-year bachelor’s degrees in Education, Nursing, Science, Art, and Music.

Enrollment opens to laywomen. All households in the region receive a letter from Sister M. Bernarda stating, “Now, to keep our school and get it accredited by the North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges, we need a larger enrollment.”


1944

The college relocates to Fort Wayne after the Sisters purchase part of the Bass Estate and 65 acres for $65,000.

The College is formally dedicated on October 1, with Bishop John F. Noll in attendance. 


1945

The first Fort Wayne Commencement is held in June. Five lay students and 11 Sisters receive degrees.


1945-47

A downtown site, including an office, large classroom, lavatory, and storage room, is utilized for English, philosophy, music, and education classes in addition to classes held on the main campus.


1949

Trinity Hall opens after wartime complications delay construction for five years.


1952

Sister M. Evodine becomes the first resident president of the college. 


1957

The first male students register (part time); by 1959, the college becomes co-ed.


1958

Sister Rosanna Peters becomes President, serving 12 years.


1959

Students participating in a “school raising” of a new science hall are featured in a two-page photo in The Saturday Evening Post. 


1962

Bonzel and Bonaventure Halls opens. The first group of graduate students earn their master’s degrees. Saint Francis adds programs in Business Administration and Business Education. 


1964

The college hosts its first athletics-related Homecoming event. The baseball and basketball teams play their first games.

Vintage USF Basketball Team
Vintage USF Softball team

1966

New programs in Social Services are added, and the college joins the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Mid-Central Conference. 


1969

Achatz Hall of Science opens with an observatory, greenhouse, planetarium, and more. Bosco Hall opens, the first residence hall built for male students.


1970

Sister M. JoEllen Scheetz becomes president and will lead the institution for 23 years.


1975

The colleges changes its athletic teams’ nickname from the Troubadours to the Cougars.


1981

The men’s golf team wins the college’s first NAIA championship title. The college establishes a cooperative relationship with the Saint Joseph School of Nursing. 


1990

Saint Francis reaches its 100-year milestone. The Hutzell Athletic Center opens.


1993

Sister M. Elise Kriss, OSF, is inaugurated as president and will lead the institution for 27 years. 


1996

Sister Elise announces plans for a football program.


1997

Coach Kevin Donley is named the inaugural Saint Francis football coach. Professor Sufi Ahmad sculpts the St. Francis statue.


1998

The college acquires the Lutheran College of Health Professions. Saint Francis College becomes the University of Saint Francis. 


1999-2011

Saint Francis experiences an era of growth as the following facilities open to accommodate a growing student body and expanded programming: 

  • 1999: Campus Ministry Center
  • 2000: Doermer Family Center for Health Science Education and the Mimi and Ian Rolland Center
  • 2004: Padua Hall
  • 2005: Classes in Crown Point begin at St. Anthony’s Medical Center
  • 2006: Bonaventure Hall expands to include the Pope John Paul II Center and the Lee and Jim Vann Library
  • 2008: North Campus
  • 2009: Clare Hall
  • 2010: Renovations of Brookside are completed
  • 2011: Crown Point opens its own facility

2012

The Cougars men’s basketball team wins the NAIA Division II national championship, beating Walsh 67-66. Plans for a Saint Francis Downtown take hold with the purchase of the historic Scottish Rite Center and Chamber of Commerce building in Fort Wayne.


2014

Saint Francis women’s basketball wins the NAIA Division II national championship, beating Ozarks 75-68. 


2016

The Saint Francis Performing Arts Center opens in the Scottish Rite Center, which also houses the Music Technology and Media Entrepreneurship Training in the Arts (META) programs. The Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership opens in the restored Chamber of Commerce building. The Cougars football team wins the school’s first football NAIA championship, beating Baker 38-17. 


2017  

St. Elizabeth School of Nursing (Lafayette, Ind.) officials sign an education partnership agreement with Saint Francis. With the agreement, graduates receive a diploma in nursing from the St. Elizabeth School of Nursing, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from Saint Francis. 


2018

The new St. Francis Chapel opens.


2018-2019

Achatz Hall of Science and Research Center is expanded and renovated and is later renamed Achatz Hall of Science and John and Toni Murray Research Center. A new Welcome Center opened on the North Campus.


2018-2019

Achatz Hall of Science and Research Center is expanded and renovated and is later renamed Achatz Hall of Science and John and Toni Murray Research Center. A new Welcome Center opened on the North Campus. 


2020

Sister M. Elise Kriss, OSF, retires as president after 27 years. After a sabbatical, she returns to campus and assumes the role of director of community engagement. Rev. Dr. Eric Albert Zimmer becomes president in July, serving three years as the campus leader. 


2021

Saint Francis celebrates the opening of a $7 million expansion at its Crown Point site, doubling the size of the facility. New programs are added in surgical technology, radiologic technology, diagnostic medical technology and advanced medical imaging to meet high demand for graduates in those fields in northwest Indiana. 


2023

Dr. Lance Richey becomes interim president in May upon the departure of Rev. Dr. Eric Albert Zimmer. Saint Francis opens and dedicates St. Michael Hall, located on the northwest side of campus. The campus completes a $1.23 million renovation to the Doermer Family Center for Health Science Education and receives a $250,000 gift to create the Doermer Family Foundation Immersive Learning Laboratory.