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Prior to the First Settlement
Before Leavenworth, there was Nashville, Tennessee. What sparked the great move of the Sisters of Charity from their original location in Tennessee was the Metropolitan Council Meeting in 1858. This was a meeting held in St. Louis, Missouri, where Mother Xavier first proposed the idea to the Catholic Council for the Sisters of Charity to move from Tennessee to Kansas.

The initial reason behind choosing Kansas as the relocation was to have “space for their labor of charity, and eventually, they hoped to be employed in evangelizing the Indians.” This sheds light on the initial goal of the Sisters of Charity, which was to expand to Kansas in hopes of serving a larger and newer demographic.

Mother Xavier met the Revered Archbishop at the Metropolitan Council Meeting, who was skeptical of Xavier’s goals. But, slyly enough, Mother Xavier met Revered Archbishop Miege, the Archbishop of Leavenworth, Kansas. Revered Miege was searching for a charity to home in Leavenworth and was delighted to welcome the Sisters of Charity.

Early Settlement of the Sisters of Charity in Leavenworth

On the first of November 1858, the Sisters of Charity officially departed from their home on a journey to establish a new one. The Sisters needed to be prepared and aware of the troubles they would face heading into Kansas.

The first Sisters to travel to Kansas were Sister Mary Vincent Kearney, Sister Mary Joseph Taylor, Sister Aloysia O’Brian, Sister Regina McGrain, Sister Placida Cassidy, Annie Varney, Ellen McCormick, and Rosa V. Kelly. Five Sisters, one Novice, two Postulants, and one orphan girl.

This group arrived in Leavenworth on the eleventh of November in 1858 after a treacherous winter-defined journey. This became a historic day. This day is celebrated as Founders Day at the University of Saint Mary in the modern day. This day holds much significance to the University; if Mother Xavier had not brought those women over to Kansas, the University would not exist.

The second group of the Sisters of Leavenworth followed suit on the first of December in 1858. This included Sister Julia Voorvoart, Sister Vincentia Kelly, Sister Gertrude Ryan, Sister Ann Davis, Sister Rosalia Chagnon, Kitty Moran, Mary Johnson, and Mary Killelay.

In Nashville, the Sisters ran an orphanage, and in anticipation of their departure, they homed as many children as possible. The remaining orphans had two choices: to travel with the Sisters or go into the world on their own. Rosa V. Kelly, Kitty Moran, Mary Johnson, and Mary Killelav stuck by the sister's side. This emphasizes the Sisters of Charity’s importance and willingness to continue providing for others and their mission.

Since the Sisters of Charity had very little money to their name, there needed to be a budget for housing. The kind-hearted Revered Miege lent his home to the Sisters for the use of the Charity. Then, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Farrell, wealthy residents of Leavenworth, offered their newly built home to house the Sisters without ever accompanying it first. The Farrells were said to be “noble friends” and “their best benefactors."

After getting settled, the Sisters of Charity got straight to work with their purpose to serve and develop their new community in Leavenworth. Soon, they began living and “teaching in a two small frame buildings” given to them by Bishop Miege. The girls were taught in one of the small buildings on Kickapoo Street, and the boys were located on Kiowa, north of the Bishop’s residence.

Continued Growth
Just over a year later, the Sisters built their first Academy for Young Ladies in February 1859 in a little building called Ewing Cottage. It was on March 8, 1859, that the academy started boarding girls and teaching them fundamentals, languages, art, and music.

Saint Mary Academy progressed so much that Bishop Miege had to build a structure to house the boarders and classrooms for the attendees. The sisters rented this building for fifty dollars a month. This structure brought in young girls from Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah. The Sisters of Charity’s purpose began to spread across the Midwest, and their ability to serve more people increased with this new academy.

Public Aid
A few years later, in 1963, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth were given a previously built hospital. It was named St. John’s and was opened on March 15th of that year. It was a “modest structure” that, over time, “had been enlarged and improved.” This hospital allowed the sisters “to labor to relieve both spiritual and temporal needs of those who solicit their aid".

St. John’s Hospital is a significant architectural structure for the history of Kansas as it was “the first civilian hospital in Kansas, and the only one to survive when the Civil War crisis was over." Dr. O’Brian was the first doctor to work in this hospital. At his side was Sister Joanna, who was the main sister to work in the hospital and sacrificed a lot to do so, even becoming ill many times due to her excess work ethic and age.

Another structure that allowed the Sisters to reach other community demographics further was St. Vincent’s Orphan Asylum, which was constructed and opened in 1863. This was a two-story brick building with a good basement and eight rooms with wide porches. The structure was built on a plot of land purchased across from the original Academy on Kickapoo Street. This allowed the sister to continue their charity to children with significant loss and nothing in life, just as they had in Nashville before they migrated to Leavenworth, Kansas.

A fair was held before the opening in 1862 to raise money for the orphan asylum. From this fair, seven thousand dollars were raised. During this time, the Civil War was occurring, and contrarily, money was abundant, “more plentiful than it had ever been” due to the war. This demonstrates the type of support that the community had for the Sisters of Charity and their work. This also shows how impactful the Sisters' work was in the community if they received such great support.

The Start of the Academy of Higher Education
It was on April 30th, 1868, that the foundation of Saint Mary’s Academy was laid, and it was not until 1870 that the building was finished. This foundation holds the building known today as Saint Mary Hall. “The original building, usually referred to as ‘The Academy,’ was not named until 1950, when it became St. Mary’s Hall."

The architect of the building was P.J. Randall of Chicago, who designed the building in an Italian architectural style with brick and stone, all facing north. The well-known “main entrance, … is built of Manhattan stone and blue limestone." One key architectural detail is that the floor plan was shaped like a cross. The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth kept their faith at the center of everything they did, especially the architectural structure they possessed.

How the Campus Grew Over Time
The Annunciation Chapel was built between 1914 and 1916. This was the first official chapel for Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The “Chapel is an Italian Renaissance structure, a replica of St. Alphonsus in Rome.” It has “Corinthian pillars and stained glass windows in the body of the chapel, a rose window in the choir loft, marble floors, and two bells in its tower".

Xavier Hall was built during the same time as the Annunciation Chapel and was attached to the east side of Saint Mary Hall. Here, there is the two-story theater and other classrooms. This hall was named after Mother Xavier Ross, “the founder of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth and Saint Mary."

Berchmans Hall was opened in 1930 to house dormitories along with classrooms. Berchmans was named after Mary Berchmans Cannon, a devoted sister, Mother General from 1913 to 1928, and the president of Saint Mary College from 1928 to 1930. Later, from 2009 to 2011, this hall was renovated to house the ever-growing Health Science field at the University. Berchmans Hall allowed Saint Mary Academy to become the College of Saint Mary and started the journey to what the University is today.

1930's-1950's
In the 1930s, the University of Saint Mary established new faces and buildings. Berchmans Hall was built on campus, providing students with social rooms, classes, a gym, and a swimming pool. The building still contributes to the college today and now predominantly hosts programs for students enrolled in nursing or health sciences programs. In 1935, Dr. Arthur Murphy was installed as the new president. He was a religious man who replaced Dr. Leary. Dr. Murphy established new Catholic beliefs educationally, believing any student can succeed along with ‘quality thinking’ and not quantity thinking. He also improved his academic progress during his tenure before passing away. He distributed higher enrollment rates from different states and faith, love, religion, academic progress, and safety to faculty, staff, and students during rough times.

In 1930, students at USM started a student newspaper that has gone through various titles, including What Now? and The Taper. USM students wrote on multiple issues in this student-run newspaper, including campus events, stories about alumni and student activities, and the relationship between USM and broader national and global events. The physical newspaper stopped being published in the 1970s.

The 1940s was an exciting time in history due to World War II. This was also true on the University of Saint Mary's campus. During this decade, USM established its nursing program. The nursing program was critical during World War II due to the establishment of the Cadet Nurse Corps. The Cadet Nurse Corps offered a program for students who wanted to get their nursing degree to get it done faster due to the need for nurses during World War II. Though unsure of the exact year the nursing program started, the University of Saint Mary’s website states that their nursing program had begun in the 1940s. The nursing program was a big spark in what Saint Mary has established today, with their health science program being one of their most extensive academic programs.

During World War II, students at Saint Mary College established a war bond and drives committee, which raised and collected funds from 1939 to 1945. Saint Mary College would organize these drive events by having the seniors collect for the Marines one week, juniors for the Navy another week, sophomores for the Army for a week, and finally, the freshmen organized for the Coast Guard for a week. The chairman of the war bond committee was Edith Conroy, who held a "Bond and Stamp Day" on Thursday, October 29, 1942. The SMC students made $17.80 their first Thursday, equivalent to about $350 today in 2023. The girls made around 265 dollars in those four weeks in 1942, also about $5,000.00 today. By February 1943, the Saint Mary bond and stamp drive made $733.40, averaging $66.58 weekly, with the largest total for one week at $123.15.

1950's-1980's
The 1950s saw a surge in gender equality efforts and reforms. Many women took advantage of this momentum by pursuing higher education in their desired fields. At the time, the Nursing Program at USM was viral, thanks to the aftermath of WWII and growing tensions between the US and the Soviet Union—additionally, many women enrolled in the teaching program at USM. In January 1950, five students graduated from the teaching program and were immediately hired as teachers, their names were Mabel Slenker, Mary Catherine McCormack, Mary Ellen Heiman, and Sister Mary Cornelia.

In times of high tension from the Cold War, the University of Saint Mary held to the idea of social reform. In 1961, Sister Marie Stephanie held a meeting with the NF Congress. Delegates from 10 schools from the Central Midwest Region, including the University of Saint Mary, met in St. Louis, MO. Things discussed and covered included race problems in the country, liturgy strength at the time, and life preparation. The goal was to become more socially responsible on campuses and overall.

During the mid-1960s, the University of Saint Mary took on President Kennedy’s Cold War ideology. Like the Peace Corps, the university had similar expeditions within and outside the country. In 1963, two Cuban students at the University of Saint Mary went down to Miami to greet and assist their parents and other prisoners of the Bay of Pigs invasion. Another time in 1965, students, Sisters, and faculty members traveled worldwide, from places like Spain to Japan to participate, learn, and engage with different cultures.

On May 30th, 1965, Montana State Representative Mike Mansfield gave a Commencement Speech on the Vietnam War at Saint Mary College. As an expert in foreign affairs, Mansfield emphasized the role of education in shaping future international relations. His commencement speech during the Vietnam War stressed the importance of avoiding emotionalism and instead relying on education and firsthand experience with the realities of the world. Mansfield's message was intended to inspire those who can make a difference by learning about different perspectives. As a Catholic, Mansfield's beliefs also made him a particularly influential figure at Saint Mary College.

In 1967, the University of Kansas initiated the Free University program, providing a platform for engaging discussions on prevalent social issues among students and faculty. Later, in 1970, Muriel Rada, an English major, introduced the program to the Saint Mary campus. On September 29th of the same year, Muriel discussed the Indian novel Siddhartha with fellow students Geri Sosa and Sue Sachen at the first session of Free University at Saint Mary. The session was a remarkable success, leading to planning for a second session, which took place on October 23rd, 1970, in Kansas City, Kansas. This time, the focus was student-led symposiums on topics such as the draft for the Vietnam War, the resistance movement, youth culture, and American foreign policy.

1980's-Present
Saint Mary College was an all-female college until 1988 when they opened the school to both men and women. This impacted enrollment since both genders could attend and get a degree. In 2000, They opened a second campus in Overland Park, Kansas. This campus was for graduate students looking to receive their master's. In 2003, Saint Mary College was renamed the University of Saint Mary. Since 2014, the University of Saint Mary has held an annual charity event called Feed the Need. Every year, volunteers from the university package over 20,000 meals for those in need. Saint Mary has honored former USM Board of Trustees Member John Baker, known for his spirit of community service, by naming the event Feed the Need. In the Fall of 2018, a digital communications major was created at the University of Saint Mary. JCOM, a student-run club, revived the student newspaper as a digital news website known as the USM Spire Times. https://usmspiretimes.com/category/news/. Nursing is still, to this day, one of the most sought-after degrees in the school. Now more than ever, many student programs work with St. John’s Hospital, located close to campus.