D'YOUVILLE KICKS OFF CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Monday, December 10, 2007
D’YOUVILLE KICKS OFF CENTENNIAL YEAR
Seven Foot Bronze Statue of St. Marguerite to Be Unveiled in April
BUFFALO – D’Youville College kicked off its year- long centennial celebration with a combination Christmas/Centennial party on Wednesday, December 12 in the College Center on campus.
The event for members of the college community started at 3:30 p.m. with local dignitaries making presentations at 4:30.
Founded by the Grey Nuns as the first college for women in Western New York and chartered by New York State in 1908, it has evolved from a very small college into a coeducational institution with an international reputation and approximately 3000 students.
D’Youville is named for the founder of the Grey Nuns, Saint Marguerite d’Youville, an 18th century Canadian woman whose love of God inspired her to spend her life meeting the needs of society and helping the poor. The college continues her work through education and teaching students how to lead compassionate, productive and responsible lives.
The year-long celebration will include a special Ecumenical Service in January and a series of “Fireside Chats on campus held throughout the year. A Mass and dinner will be held at St. Joseph’s Cathedral on September 20.
A highlight of the centennial will be the unveiling and dedication of a seven foot bronze statue of St. Marguerite d’Youville on April 4. Created and designed by local artist David Derner, it will be permanently placed on the front lawn of the Koessler Administration Building on Porter Avenue. Bishop Kmiec is scheduled to bless the statue at the unveiling.
For much of the past century, D’Youville has been known for educating teachers and nurses. The college established the area’s first undergraduate nursing program in 1942 and introduced majors in sociology and business during the 1930s. Part of the college’s tradition is the creation of programs that meet the needs of society and the student.
Today the private college, governed by a board of trustees, continues that tradition and has expanded its offerings dramatically. D’Youville offers undergraduate, master’s level, post-graduate and doctoral programs in a wide variety of academic majors as well as advanced certificate programs in health related professions.
The Buffalo based college added majors in health care including five year programs in physician assisting, occupational therapy, dietetics and special advanced degree programs in nursing. A physical therapy major introduced in the late 1980s along with occupational therapy quickly became two of the most popular majors at D’Youville. International business, another five year program is offered as well as business management and accounting. A seven year doctor of chiropractic program is available and a variety of majors in teacher education attract students nationally and internationally.
All of D’Youville’s undergraduate academic programs require students to take a strong liberal arts core making for a well rounded graduate. Semester abroad programs and cross-cultural agreements with European institutions add to the college academic offerings. Small class sizes and the intimate atmosphere are well loved student features of the college.
In keeping with the mission of the college, D’Youville has one of the largest percentages of minority enrollments in Western New York.
During the past five years, the college has invested approximately $40 million in its Buffalo campus for a new gymnasium, library, academic center and an apartment- style residence on Connecticut Street, adjacent to the campus. The president’s office and other administrative offices are still housed in the original landmark building, now the Koessler Administrative Building that was home to Holy Angels Academy in the early days of the college.
D’Youville’s athletic teams participate in a variety of sports and compete in the NEAC and the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
D’Youville is considered by many to be the “Anchor of the West Side” and a good neighbor to the ethnic, cultural and educational institutions in Buffalo. The college has long supported The Kavinoky Theatre at D’Youville, staging professional productions for more than two decades and is a major asset to the local theater community.
After a century of providing educational opportunities to students from Western New York and beyond, D’Youville looks forward to a second century of growth, renewal, and service to the community.
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