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Scenes from
St. Mary's

 

 

 

College Timeline

Significant Events in the History of St. Mary’s College of Maryland*

 

21 MAR 1840 Gov. William Grason signs into law the “Act to Authorize the Drawing of a Lottery to Establish a Female Seminary ... on the Site of the Ancient City of Saint Marys” (Legislative Session of 1839, Chapter 190).

MAY 1846 The first students begin classes at the Seminary.

1847-1848 The first full academic year is conducted at the Seminary.

JUN 1874 St. Mary’s Female Seminary issues its first “Certificate of Graduation” (diploma) to Miss Sallie Brome Morsell.

5 JAN 1924 Fire guts the old Seminary building of 1844-45 (the first Calvert Hall).

23 APR 1926 St. Mary’s becomes the first junior college in Maryland upon recommendation of the Board of Trustees.

11 JUN 1929 Edwin Tyler Burch becomes the first male to graduate from St. Mary’s Female Seminary.

12 JUN 1930 Katherine M. Bowdle, Dorothy Connor, Irma K. Mumford, and Virginia Dare Sollers become the first graduates of the Junior College Division.

10 JUN 1935 Charles Birch becomes the first male graduate of the Junior College.

MAY 1937 M. Adele France is named the first president of St. Mary’s Female Seminary-Junior College and the school is included as a regular item in the state budget for the first time.

1937-1938 St. Mary’s becomes a four-year Junior College (high school grades 11 and 12, college years 1 and 2).

1 JUL 1948 Anna May Russell becomes the new president of St. Mary’s Female Seminary Junior College.

1 JUL 1949 “Female” is dropped from the name of the institution.

5 JUN 1960 St. Mary’s graduates its last high school class.

APR 1964 Gov. Tawes signs legislation changing the name of the institution to St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

SEP 1965 The first resident male students arrive on campus.

28 SEP 1966 The State Board of Higher Education approves the elevation of St. Mary’s to senior college status, and the school initiates a baccalaureate curriculum beginning in the 1967-68 academic year.

8 JUN 1968 The last Junior College class graduates from St. Mary’s.

1 JUL 1969 J. Renwick Jackson appointed president.

29 MAY 1971 St. Mary’s College of Maryland awards its first baccalaureate degrees.

6 FEB 1982 Richard D. Weigle appointed interim president.

1 JUL 1983 Edward T. Lewis appointed president.

12 MAY 1992 House Bill 1327 / Senate Bill 359, designating SMCM a “Public Honors College” and reorganizing the working relationship between the State and SMCM, signed by Governor Schaefer.

1 JUL 1996 Jane Margaret O’Brien appointed president.

1 JUL 1997 Administrative affiliation between Historic St. Mary’s City and SMCM initiated with signing of Senate Bill 393.

27 SEP 1997 College approved for a Phi Beta Kappa chapter (chapter installation and first initiation on 22 APR 1998)

 

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*Adapted from: Fausz, J. F. Monument School of the People: A Sesquicentennial History of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, 1840-1990. St. Mary’s College of Maryland, 1990.