Saint Leo University

Infobox_University
name = Saint Leo University


established = 1889
type = Private,
coeducational
liberal arts
academic programs = 41
endowment = $10,762,161
president = Dr. Arthur F. Kirk, Jr.
city = Saint Leo
state = Florida
country = USA
total students = 13,000+
nickname = Lions
colors = Green and Gold color box|#008000color box|#FFCC00
main campus students = 1,384
campus = Rural
affiliations = Roman Catholic Church
Holy Name Monastery
Saint Leo Abbey
website = [http://www.saintleo.edu/ www.saintleo.edu]

Saint Leo University is a private, non-profit, Roman Catholic university located in Saint Leo, Florida, near San Antonio, Florida, which is north of Tampa. Dr. Arthur F. Kirk, Jr. has been the president of the university since January 1997. It is associated with the Holy Name Monastery (Benedictine sisters; formerly known as Holy Name Priory), and Saint Leo Abbey (Benedictine monks).

Saint Leo's main campus is in a rural setting, but is not far from large cities such as Tampa, St. Petersburg and Orlando. It offers small class sizes taught by full-time faculty members: it employs no teaching assistants.

History

Saint Leo University is a Catholic, coeducational liberal arts university offering programs leading to associate and baccalaureate degrees and the Master of Business Administration, Master of Education and Master of Criminal Justice degrees. Chartered on June 4 1889, Saint Leo originated when the Florida legislature authorized the Order of St. Benedict of Florida to "have and possess the right and power of conferring the usual academic and other degrees granted by any college in this State."

As the first Catholic college in Florida, Saint Leo opened its doors with the dedication of its main building on September 14 1890. In this pioneer year, Saint Leo enrolled 32 students for classes. These students engaged in the study of the basic curriculum, which included a mix of liberal arts and commercial courses leading to the Master of Accounts degree. In addition to the basic curriculum, the College periodically went though a military phase, with uniforms and required drilling, to instill discipline and order. On June 20 1893, Saint Leo conferred the Master of Accounts degree on its first graduating class of five students.

In 1920, the College was phased out as the faculty decided to focus on becoming what one longtime Benedictine called "a serious English-style prep school." A year later, in 1921, Saint Leo became accredited by the Southern Educational Association. After several name changes, the institution settled on Saint Leo College Preparatory School in 1929. It lasted until 1964.

Reaching for a larger mission, Saint Leo opened again as a college in 1959. During this time, Saint Leo received a great deal of assistance from the Benedictine sisters at Holy Name Monastery, its neighboring community. Operating first as a on the associate's level, the College moved quickly to a four-year program and conferred its first bachelor's degree on April 23 1967, on 51 men and 13 women. It was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools on November 29 1967, retroactive to include the charter bachelor of arts class.

In 1969, the College was reorganized when the Order of Saint Benedict of Florida transferred title and control to an independent board of trustees. Shortly after this reconstruction, Saint Leo began to broaden its purpose, which echoed its military history. In 1973, the College responded to requests from the armed services to offer degree programs on military bases. Now, Saint Leo University is one of the largest providers of higher education to military-related personnel in the United States.

In December 1994, the college was granted Membership at Level III to offer the Master of Business Administration. Membership was granted retroactive to January 1 1994. On August 24 1999, Saint Leo's growth was once again validated with its ascension to university status. This university status was gained so that it would not be confused with a high school in foreign countries. This did not help the students in the United States, as Saint Leo was still confused with a high school.

Saint Leo University now has a total enrollment of more than 12,500; 2,100 on its main campus, more than 7,600 on military bases and community colleges in five states, and more than 3,300 students in the Center for Online Learning.

The Saint Leo endowment is smaller than most private high schools and the Annual Funds have seen the amount given to the school increased greatly over the years. As you can see in the side graphic, the Saint Leo accounting has the amount down to the dollar.

ports

The following are a list of St. Leo Baseball Alumnus who played Major League Baseball: Name Dates Played Debut / Box Frank Barrett 1929 - 1932 10-01-1939 Fred Cambria 1967 - 1969 08-26-1970 Frank DiPino 1975 - 1977 09-14-1981 Brian Dayett 1975 - 1978 09-11-1983 Bob Tewksbury (Rutgers) 1980 - 1981 04-11-1986 Jim Corsi 1980 - 1982 06-28-1988 [ [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/college/saint_leo_university_baseball_players.shtml Saint Leo University Baseball Players Who Made it to a Major League Baseball Team ] ]

Other Notable Alumni

References

ee also

*List of Saint Leo University Alumni