Marist College is now home to approximately 3,900 traditional undergraduate men and women, 1,100 adult continuing education students, and nearly 900 full and part-time graduate students. The first graduating class in 1947 consisted of four Marist Brothers.

Today, more than 18,000 alumni call Marist alma mater. Marist has a proud tradition that laid the foundation for a state-of-the-art campus for students preparing to enter the work force of the 21st century.

Marist's Heritage

Marist College follows in the tradition of great institutions like Harvard University and the College of William and Mary, which were founded as seminaries and developed into independent academies of higher learning.

Marist can trace its roots to 1905 when the Marist Brothers purchased property and a house from Thomas McPherson in Poughkeepsie, NY. The Brothers named the building and the property St. Ann's Hermitage. In 1908, the Edward Bech estate was purchased by the Brothers to enable the Hermitage to expand. It is on these properties that Marist College stands today.

In 1929, college-level courses were first offered. In 1946, the official, four-year charter was granted by the State of New York under the leadership of founding president Brother Paul Ambrose Fontaine, FMS. The Brothers set about to construct several buildings on what was then called Marian College: a gymnasium (now Marian Hall, a freshman residence) in 1947; Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel in 1953; the Brothers' residence (now the Library) in 1954; Adrian Hall in 1957.

Dr. Linus Richard Foy became president in 1958 and became, at age 28, the youngest college president in the United States. Marian College became Marist College in 1960. In that same year, the mission of the College was broadened to include the wider community; lay male students were admitted to pursue undergraduate studies. An evening division was also introduced to serve the educational needs of the surrounding communities.

Sheahan Hall opened as the first campus residence hall in 1962, followed by Leo Hall in 1963 and Champagnat Hall, named for the founder of the Marist Brothers, in 1965. Leonidoff Field, the first major athletic field, was dedicated in 1968.

Donnelly Hall was built by the Brothers in 1962, and named for Brother Nilus Donnelly, who supervised construction of the 12 major facilities by the Marist Brothers on the campus. Donnelly Hall was renovated between 1989-91 to house a science center, the computer center, fine arts, classrooms, lecture halls, and administrative offices. This landmark building, whose construction enabled Marist College to open its doors to the community, remains to this day a living tribute to those dedicated men who were the founders and builders of Marist College.

Women were admitted into the evening division in 1966. In 1968, women entered the day division, making the College fully coeducational. Ownership of the College was transferred in 1969 to the Marist College Educational Corporation with an independent board of trustees. Nonetheless, the legacy of the Marist Brothers of serving and striving for excellence continued to inspire and enrich the academic life of the College.

Under President Foy's continuing leadership in the 1970s, programs for the educationally disadvantaged were expanded, a computer center was added, graduate programs in business administration and community psychology were instituted, and the James J. McCann Recreation Center was completed.

In 1973, the College began a cooperative program with area secondary schools, in which selected high school seniors take freshman courses through Marist and "bridge" into college. In Fall 1974, the College expanded its commitment to continuing education by increasing course offerings in the evening division and summer session and, in 1984, opened an off-campus center in the southern Dutchess County town of Fishkill.

In 1978, Marist became the recipient of a $1 million Title III award from the U.S. Department of Education for institutional development one of only 28 such awards across the nation, and the fourth such award granted to a college in New York State.

With the naming of Dr. Dennis J. Murray in 1979 to the presidency of Marist College, Marist entered the 1980s as a vital coeducational liberal arts institution holding fast to the timeless values of its rich heritage while embracing advanced technology in the service of education. Another period of significant growth and development began.

Marist received two more Title III grants in 1981 and 1982 totaling $5 million. To accommodate its rapidly growing student population, Marist built townhouses for upper-class students, which opened in the Fall of 1982, and renovated the former gymnasium to create a new freshman residence named Marian Hall. In 1984, Marist received $2.5 million in equipment and almost $2 million in software from the IBM Corporation to expand academic and administrative uses of computers on campus. Gartland Commons, a garden apartment complex for upper-class students overlooking the Hudson River at the north end of the campus, was completed in 1985.

The Lowell Thomas Communications Center opened in the Spring of 1987, providing students with the opportunity to combine the disciplines of communications and computer science in a state-of-the-art environment. The Center is named for the legendary broadcast pioneer and explorer who received an honorary degree from Marist in 1981.

Marist and IBM initiated a joint study in 1988 that has placed Marist among the most technologically advanced liberal arts colleges in the country. The study has given IBM an opportunity to test concepts and applications that the company believes will be of value in the 21st century in education, business, and other fields. The joint study has given Marist the opportunity to put advanced computer and telecommunications technology to work in support of instructional, research and administrative goals.

The opening of the Margaret M. and Charles H. Dyson Center in 1990 provided students and faculty with additional computer and telecommunications capabilities unmatched at most institutions.

In 1994, construction was completed on the largest and most complex building initiative in the history of Marist College. The $27 million project created a new Student Center with an expansive bookstore, art gallery, a technologically advanced "master classroom" and multi-media room, as well as new dining facilities and a Cabaret. A mid-rise residence hall housing 382 students and new offices for Student Affairs and Student Government were also included in the project, as were a set of townhouses for 144 students.

In 1995, the campus theatre in the Student Center was renovated through the generosity of Mr. Frank Fusco. The facility was renamed the Nelly Goletti Theatre in memory of Mr. Fusco's late wife, a noted performer in the United States and Europe. The campus green adjacent to the Student Center was also completed in 1995 and presents a magnificent venue for outdoor performances overlooking the Hudson River. It is also the site of Commencement ceremonies in May.

When students returned to campus in the Fall of 1997, they were greeted by an expanded and renovated McCann Recreation Center. The $3 million project added 20,000 square feet to the existing Center to accommodate the growing Marist student population and interest in recreational, intramural and intercollegiate athletics. The new addition includes an 11,000-square-foot multi-purpose gym, offering students additional facilities to compete in the College's popular intramural sports program. A 4,000-square-foot cardiovascular center overlooks a 4,300-square-foot weight training facility. New locker areas serve the needs of men's and women's intercollegiate athletics. A new office complex in the original structure houses team coaches, a conference room, and the sports information department. A Plaza of Champions graces the entrance to the McCann Center, which is also home to the country's first online athletics Hall of Fame.

Following the College's 52nd Commencement in May 1998, ground was broken for a "Library of the Future" overlooking the Campus Green. This 80,000-square-foot structure caps the transformation of the institution from a training ground for future Marist Brothers to an academy preparing leaders in business, industry, professions, and community and public service.