St. Francis College @ 160/50
St. Francis College Celebrates Two
Landmark Anniversaries
Each day, the faculty, administration, and staff of St. Francis College embrace a forward-thinking and innovative
culture, but they also honor tradition and history. This year marks a milestone for St. Francis as we celebrate the
college’s 160th anniversary and 5 0 years as a co-educational institution.
I
t all began in 1858 when a group of
Franciscan Brothers came to Brooklyn,
soon opening the St. Francis Academy,
the first private school in the Brooklyn
diocese. Twenty-five years later, the state
legislature granted the trustees of St. Francis
permission to “establish a literary college”
with the power to confer diplomas, honors,
and degrees. The first Bachelor of Arts
degree was conferred in 1885 with the first
Bachelor of Science following in 1892.
Baltic St. Campus, ca 1890.
As the 20th century progressed, so did
St. Francis—buying two office buildings on
Remsen Street from the Brooklyn Union Gas Company in 1960, allowing
it to double its enrollment. As the 1960s drew to a close, St. Francis
became a fully co-educational institution, admitting its first female
students other than religious, who had been enrolling since 1953.
That first class of women was just 13 students. Today, more than
60 percent of the full-time undergraduate student population and
52 percent of the graduate population are women.
“Since I arrived at Saint Francis College, I have had the chance to
meet and greet many Terriers from the 40s through today,” said Thomas
Flood, Vice President for Advancement, Development, and Alumni.
“Recently, as we make our way across the country visiting alumni,
we have met religious and lay women who were here when SFC went
co-ed. The stories are very different, but all are enlightening and all
embrace the charism of St. Francis of Assisi.”
Those early female students were quick
to excel and establish their identity at the
college, which included making their mark
on sports. Women’s basketball debuted in
1973. Just one year after the passage of
Title IX, it was a formative time in women’s
intercollegiate athletics. So, it’s doubtful
any of those players could envision a day
42 years in the future when the Terriers
would win the Northeast Conference
Tournament and a trip to the NCAA
Tournament. Hopefully, members of that
very first team watched the game, which
was played at the legendary Gampel Pavilion at the University of
Connecticut, and saw a bit of themselves in the action.
“I think sometimes we fail to realize that the opportunity we have
is because there was someone who was a trailblazer before us,” said
St. Francis President Miguel Martinez-Saenz, Ph.D. “We’ve got to
remember and celebrate those trailblazers who have created conditions
for the young people today.”
St. Francis’ Athletic Director, alumna Irma Garcia ’80, was not only
a trailblazer for the college, but also for the nation, as the first Hispanic
woman to lead a Division I athletics program.
Also, among alumnae
trailblazers is Barbara G. Koster
’76, senior vice president and
chief information officer of
St. Francis College
graduates ca 1899. In
1899, the St. Francis
College student body was
comprised of a total of
30 students, all of whom
were of Irish descent.
ABOVE:
The start of a
foot-race on the Baltic
Street Campus, ca 1910.
L E F T:
ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE TERRIER | WINTER 2018, VOLUME 82, NUMBER 1
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