Duquesne University
Encyclopedia
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit (icon ) is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit
, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of 40 students and a faculty of six. In 1911, the college became a university, the first Catholic institution of higher learning in Pennsylvania to achieve such a distinction. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world.
Duquesne has since expanded to over 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students within a self-contained 49 acres (19.8 ha) hilltop campus in Pittsburgh's Bluff
neighborhood. The school maintains an associate campus in Rome and encompasses ten schools of study. The university hosts international students from more than 80 countries although most students—about 80%—are from Pennsylvania or the surrounding region. U.S. News and World Report's annual college rankings place Duquesne in the top tier among national universities, with the school ranking 120th among national universities. Duquesne is one of 98 universities nationwide, and one of nine Catholic universities, to be designated as a high research activity
institution by the Carnegie Foundation. Duquesne's MBA program is ranked eighth in the world by the Aspen Institute.
Duquesne University can count more than 79,000 living alumni including two cardinals
and the current bishop of Pittsburgh.
The Duquesne Dukes
compete in NCAA
Division I. Duquesne football has won or shared 11 conference titles, including nine in a row and 11 of the past 13. Duquesne men's basketball
appeared twice in national championship games in the 1950s and won the NIT
championship in 1955.
The Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost was founded on October 1, 1878 by Fr. Joseph Strub
and the Holy Ghost Fathers, who had been expelled from Germany during Otto von Bismarck's
Kulturkampf
six years earlier. When the college was founded, it had six faculty members and 40 students. The college obtained its state charter in 1882. Students attended classes in a rented space above a bakery on Wylie Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. Duquesne established itself at its current location on the Bluff and built the original five-story red brick "Old Main" in 1885. At the time, it was the highest point on the Pittsburgh skyline.
On May 27, 1911, under the leadership of Fr. Martin Hehir
, the College became the first Catholic institution of higher learning in Pennsylvania to become a university. It was subsequently renamed "Duquesne University of the Holy Ghost", after Ange Duquesne de Menneville, Marquis du Quesne
, the French governor of New France
who first brought Catholic observances
to the Pittsburgh area. The year 1913 saw the university record its first woman graduate, Sister M. Fides of the Sisters of Mercy
. In 1914, the graduate school was established.
The 1920s were a time of expansion for the developing university. The campus grew to include its first single-purpose academic building, Canevin Hall, as well as a gymnasium and a central heating plant. Institutionally, the school grew to include the School of Pharmacy
in 1925, a School of Music
in 1926, and a School of Education
in 1929. In 1928 the university celebrated its fiftieth anniversary and was able to rejoice in the fact that it was now both financially solvent and enrollment had reached an all-time high. Hard times, however, came with the Wall Street Crash of 1929
; plans for expansion had to be shelved.
The beloved Fr. Hehir was succeeded in 1931 by Fr. J. J. Callahan
. Through Fr. Callahan was not as able an administration as Fr. Hehir, his tenure did see the university add numerous new programs, a short-lived School for the Unemployed, and, in 1937, the Nursing School
. The university's sports programs also thrived during the Depression era, with some of the greatest triumphs of the basketball and football teams occurring in that time period—a 6–0 defeat of Pitt
in 1936 was a high point of student exuberance. A university library was completed in 1940.
Some of the darkest years of the university's history passed during World War II
, when the university was led by the young Fr. Raymond Kirk
. The school's enrollment, which had been 3,100 in 1940, dropped to an all-time low in the summer of 1944, with a mere one thousand students enrolled. Fr. Kirk's health broke under the strain of leading the school through such struggles, and he was relieved of his duties by Fr. Francis P. Smith
in 1946. After the war, the school faced a wave of veterans seeking higher education. In contrast to the lean war-time years, the 1949 enrollment peaked at 5,500, and space became an issue. Fr. Smith took advantage of the Lanham Act
, which allowed him to acquire three barracks-type buildings from Army surplus. The science curriculum was expanded, and the School of Business Administration saw its enrollment rise to over two thousand. Also during this time, a campus beautification project was implemented and WDUQ
, Pittsburgh's first college radio station, was founded.
An ambitious campus expansion plan was proposed by Fr. Vernon F. Gallagher
in 1952. Assumption Hall, the first student dormitory, was opened in 1954, and Rockwell Hall was dedicated in November 1958, housing the schools of business and law. It was during the tenure of Fr. Henry J. McAnulty
that Fr. Gallagher's ambitious plans were put to action. Between 1959 and 1980, the university renovated or constructed various buildings to form the academic infrastructure of the campus. Among these are College Hall, the music school and the library, as well as a new Student Union and Mellon Hall, along with four more dormitories. Although Fr. McAnulty's years as president saw tremendous expansion, a financial crisis in 1970 nearly forced the closure of the university. Students rallied to the cause, however, and set a goal of raising one million dollars to "Save Duquesne University". Students engaged in door-to-door fundraising and gathered nearly $600,000, enough to keep Duquesne afloat until the end of the crisis in 1973. It was also during Fr. McAnulty's time as president that Duquesne University played an important role in the shaping of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal
, which has its roots in a retreat of several faculty members and students held in February 1967.
McAnulty was succeeded by Fr. Donald S. Nesti
. Fr. Nesti's tenure in the 1980s saw construction begin on the A. J. Palumbo Center
, which was dedicated in 1988, as well as an expansion of the law school. It was under the presidency of Dr. John E. Murray, Jr., the university's first lay president, that the university developed into its modern institutional and physical form. Between 1988 and 2001, the University opened its first new schools in 50 years, including the Rangos School of Health Sciences, the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
, and the School of Leadership and Professional Advancement
. Duquesne University continues to expand with its completion of the Power Center, a mixed-use development project on Forbes Avenue, and a new residence hall, to be completed in 2012.
was modified from that of the family of its namesake, the Marquis du Quesne. A red book was added to adapt the arms of a French governor to that of a university. The coat of arms was designed by a Spiritan father and alumnus, Father John F. Malloy. They were then examined and partly revised by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose
, a prominent ecclesiastical heraldic artist
at the time. The design was adopted early in 1923 and used for the first time carved in high relief above Canevin Hall, then under construction. The first time the arms were incorporated into the seal of the university was for the commencement program of 1926.
The formal heraldic
blazon
of the arms is as follows: Argent, a lion sable armed and langued gules holding a book of the same edged or; on a chief party per pale azure and of the third, a dove displayed of the first, areoled of the fourth; motto, "Spiritus est qui vivificat."
, class of 1888, notable as being the first person to compose a score specifically for a motion picture, also composed the music for Duquesne University's alma mater. Father John F. Malloy, who also designed the university coat of arms, wrote the lyrics. The first performance of the song was in October 1920.
was first adopted in the 1920s, the same decade as the seal and alma mater. The first incarnation was approved by a 1925 student committee, and was an "octagonal deep blue stone held in place by four corner prongs." Two years later, another student committee replaced the blue stone with a synthetic ruby. The ring's design continued to evolve until 1936, as the prongs were replaced with a continuous metal bezel. The words "Duquesne", "University", and "Pittsburgh", accompanied the graduation year around the four sides of the bezel, and the shank on both sides was decorated with a motif adapted from the university's coat of arms. Originally an option, the embossed gold Gothic
initial "D" became standard in the late 1930s. The Duquesne alumni website notes, "The golden initial, oversized stone and octagonal shape make the Duquesne ring stand out from those of other colleges and universities."
Duquesne University has more than tripled in size from its early adj=on sigfig=4 site on Boyd's Hill to its present adj=on sigfig=4 main campus in Pittsburgh's Uptown neighborhood
. Of the 31 buildings that make up the Bluff campus, several are recent constructions or renovations, including a health sciences facility (Rangos Hall), two recording studios, two parking garages, a multipurpose recreation center (Power Center), and a theater-classroom complex (Bayer Hall).
The "Old Main" Administration Building was the first structure to be constructed on campus. The Victorian Gothic structure is still used to house the administrative offices of the University. Canevin Hall, named after bishop of Pittsburgh Regis Canevin
, was constructed in 1922 and is the oldest classroom building on campus; it was renovated in 1968 and again in 2009. These two buildings, as well Bayer Hall, the Richard King Mellon Hall of Science (designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
), and the Victorian
Laval House, are at the west end of Academic Walk, a thoroughfare that provides pedestrian-only access to most of the campus, including the Student Union. The Union, which houses meeting rooms, three dining facilities, a Starbucks
, a PNC
branch, a recreation center, and an art gallery, is the center of campus life and student activities. Located on the northern side of campus is the Gumberg Library
, a five-story structure opened in 1978 and holding extensive print and electronic collections.
, the University's first president. The multipurpose recreation facility on Forbes Avenue between Chatham Square and Magee Street, across from the University's Forbes Avenue
entrance, adds to the student fitness facilities on campus. Other spaces include a Barnes and Noble bookstore containing a Starbucks café, Jamba Juice
, Red Ring Restaurant, and a conference center and ballroom. The 125000 square feet (11,612.9 m²) building was completed in early January 2008, and is the first stage of a development that aims to serve both the campus community and the surrounding neighborhood.
In October 2010 the university announced the purchase of the eight story, 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) building at 600 Fifth Avenue from Robert Morris University which had been RMU's Pittsburgh Center. This adds an additional 87 classrooms, 1,100 seats and new music facilities. Duquesne plans to utilize this building to allow further expansion of its graduate programs as applications have increased by doubled since 2005. Duquesne also owns four other buildings along Fifth Avenue bordering on the new Consol Energy Center where the University now plays some of its home basketball games.
University owned WDUQ, NPR and jazz station, has relocated to offices in the Cooper Building and studios in Clement Hall.
in Wormleysburg
. Classes were also available at Fort Indiantown Gap
.
, is west of downtown Rome and just beyond Vatican City
. University materials describe the campus as "a walled property enclosing beautiful gardens and walkways, [with] classrooms, computer facilities (including Internet), a small library, dining hall, recreational areas, and modernized living quarters complete with bathrooms in each double room."
The curriculum at the Italian campus includes history, art history, Italian language
, philosophy, theology, sociology and economics, appropriate to the historical and cultural setting of Rome. The faculty of the program, largely constituted by visiting professors and resident scholars, is supplemented by a few distinguished professors from the home campus.
Duquesne has a total student enrollment of 10,368 undergraduate and graduate students. The University has grown to comprise ten schools and other institutions, offering degree programs at the baccalaureate, professional, masters and doctoral levels in 189 academic programs. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world, and hosts international students from more than eighty different countries. The following institutions, along with their dates of founding, comprise Duquesne University:
More than 3,600 students live at Duquesne University in five residence halls and one apartment complex. Assumption Hall, built in the 1950s, was the first residential hall on Duquesne's campus, and can accommodate 300 residents. Freshman dormitories include St. Ann's Hall and St. Martin's Hall, which were opened in the 1960s. The largest dormitory facility is Duquesne Towers, which houses 1,200 students, including Greek organizations. Other facilities include Vickroy Hall, built in 1997, and Brottier Hall, which was formerly an apartment complex before its purchase by the university in 2004.
, the founder of the Spiritan congregation, will make available 430 additional beds for upperclassmen, and will be designed to earn LEED certification
.
. Media organizations include a student radio station, WDSR (Duquesne Student Radio). Founded in 1984, it broadcasts solely through the Internet streaming audio. Other student media organizations include The Duquesne Duke
campus newspaper and L'Esprit Du Duc, the University's yearbook. Duquesne also hosts a Student Government Association, a student-run Program Council, a Commuter Council, a representative Residence Hall Association, an Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, the Knights of Columbus
, and numerous departmental Honor Societies.
, Alpha Phi Delta
, Alpha Tau Omega
, Delta Chi
, Gamma Phi (a local fraternity formed at Duquesne in 1916), Omega Psi Phi
, Phi Kappa Theta
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
, Sigma Nu
, Sigma Tau Gamma
, and Tau Kappa Epsilon
. Sororities include Alpha Gamma Delta
, Alpha Kappa Alpha
, Alpha Phi
, Alpha Sigma Tau
, Delta Sigma Theta
, Delta Zeta
, Gamma Phi Beta
, Gamma Sigma Sigma
, Sigma Kappa
, and Zeta Tau Alpha
. Most Duquesne chapters have suites or wings on campus, in the Duquesne Towers building, although there are some chapters on campus which are not housed.
, the longest-running multicultural song and dance company in the United States. Their shows feature an ensemble of talented young folk artists dedicated to the performance and preservation of the music, songs, and dances
of Eastern Europe and neighboring folk cultures. The performers are full-time students who receive substantial scholarship awards from the university, with additional financial aid provided by Tamburitzans Scholarship Endowment Funds.
The Mary Pappert School of Music hosts in-house and guest performers on a regular basis. Many music school ensembles also perform at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Instrumental ensembles include the Symphony Orchestra (conductor Jeffrey Turner), the Wind Symphony (conductor Robert Cameron) and Symphony Band (conductor H. Carl Hess), the Contemporary Ensemble (conductor David Cutler), the Jazz Bands (conductors Sean Jones (trumpeter)
and Mike Tomaro) and many other chamber groups. Vocal Ensembles include the Opera Workshop (director Guenko Guechev),the Voices of Spirit (conductor Christine Jordanoff) and the Pappert Women's and Men's chorales. Performances are regular for each ensemble, and tours abroad are common for many.
The University also maintains three theater groups: the Red Masquers
, Spotlight Musical Theatre Company, and the Medieval and Renaissance Players. The Masquers annually perform three main-stage plays, generally one classical, one modern, and one contemporary. In addition, the group performs two sets of one-act plays
. "Premieres", which are student-written, are performed in the winter, while in the spring "One Acts for Charity" are selected from the works of professional playwrights. In recent years, the company has also participated in the Pittsburgh Monologue Project. Spotlight is a musical theatre company that produces two full-length Broadway musicals each year. The Renaissance and Medieval Players offer audiences a historical Medieval experience
, performing religious plays, morality play
s, and farce
s from the English Medieval and Early Renaissance periods, sometimes working in conjunction with the Red Masquers.
play varsity football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country
, men's and women's soccer, women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's indoor track and field, women's lacrosse
, women's rowing
, and women's volleyball at the National Collegiate Athletic Association
Division I level and in the Atlantic 10 Conference
. In 2008, the Dukes began playing varsity football in the NCAA Division I Northeast Conference
. In recent years, Duquesne football was a member of the NCAA Division I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
. Duquesne has an ACHA Division I ice hockey program.
The fight song for Duquesne is Victory Song (Red and Blue).
's Energy Star Combined Heat and Power Award for its natural gas turbine
located on campus. Duquesne also uses an innovative ice cooling system which cools buildings and reduces peak energy demand. Duquesne's new Power Center facility has also achieved a LEED
Silver Rating. Duquesne also has a specialized MBA with a focus on sustainability. Furthermore, Duquesne's Center for Environmental Research and Education (CERE) offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in environmental science and management. Duquesne has been evaluated by the 2009 and 2010 College Sustainability Report Card.
reports that almost 30 percent of the practicing lawyers in western Pennsylvania are graduates of Duquesne.
Duquesne has many alumni in the media and sports fields. These include John Clayton
, a writer and reporter for ESPN; Tom Atkins
, an actor (Halloween III, Night of the Creeps
, My Bloody Valentine
); Terry McGovern
, the television actor, radio personality, voice-over specialist, and acting instructor; Jesse Joyce
, a comedian and writer; and World Championship Wrestling
commentator and writer Mark Madden
. German filmmaker Werner Herzog
attended Duquesne, but did not graduate. Sports personalities Leigh Bodden
, Chip Ganassi
, Mike James
, baseball hall-of-famer Cumberland Posey
, and Chuck Cooper, possibly the first African-American basketball player in the NBA
, all graduated from Duquesne, as did both the founder and current owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers
, Art
and Dan Rooney
. Singer Bobby Vinton
, MLB pitcher Joe Beimel
, and big-band composer Sammy Nestico
are also alumni.
Norm Nixon
, who holds the all-time assist record for the Duquesne Dukes, is perhaps the most successful alumnus to have played in the NBA. A former All-Star, he also played for the Los Angeles Lakers
championship teams of 1980 and 1982. He ranks among the franchise's top ten in assist, points, steals and games played.
In addition, Duquesne has graduated at least two bishops and two cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, including Bishops Vincent Leonard, the current ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
, David Zubik, and Cardinals Daniel DiNardo
and Adam Maida. Figures in politics include Donald A. Bailey
, Father James Cox, former Director of the CIA
General Michael V. Hayden, former Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania Catherine Baker Knoll
, Pennsylvania Representative Bud Shuster
, and United States ambassadors Thomas Patrick Melady
and Art Rooney.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit
Holy Ghost Fathers
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit is a Roman Catholic congregation of priests, lay brothers, and since Vatican II, lay associates...
, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of 40 students and a faculty of six. In 1911, the college became a university, the first Catholic institution of higher learning in Pennsylvania to achieve such a distinction. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world.
Duquesne has since expanded to over 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students within a self-contained 49 acres (19.8 ha) hilltop campus in Pittsburgh's Bluff
Bluff (Pittsburgh)
The Bluff or Uptown is a neighborhood in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the southeast of the city's Central Business District. It is bordered in the north by the Hill District and just a short trip across the Monongahela River is the city's South Side, which is home to a flourishing...
neighborhood. The school maintains an associate campus in Rome and encompasses ten schools of study. The university hosts international students from more than 80 countries although most students—about 80%—are from Pennsylvania or the surrounding region. U.S. News and World Report's annual college rankings place Duquesne in the top tier among national universities, with the school ranking 120th among national universities. Duquesne is one of 98 universities nationwide, and one of nine Catholic universities, to be designated as a high research activity
Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is a framework for classifying, or grouping, colleges and universities in the United States. The primary purpose of the framework is for educational research and analysis, where it is often important to identify groups of roughly...
institution by the Carnegie Foundation. Duquesne's MBA program is ranked eighth in the world by the Aspen Institute.
Duquesne University can count more than 79,000 living alumni including two cardinals
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
and the current bishop of Pittsburgh.
The Duquesne Dukes
Duquesne Dukes
The Duquesne Dukes are the athletic teams of Duquesne University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Duquesne has played men's basketball only in NCAA Division I and has played football as a club team from 1891–1894, 1896–1903, 1913–1914, and 1920–1928, in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ...
compete in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I. Duquesne football has won or shared 11 conference titles, including nine in a row and 11 of the past 13. Duquesne men's basketball
Duquesne Dukes men's basketball
The Duquesne Dukes represent Duquesne University in college basketball. The team, which started in 1914, has only ever played in NCAA Division I and has had five appearances in the NCAA Tournament...
appeared twice in national championship games in the 1950s and won the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
championship in 1955.
History
Joseph Strub
Joseph Strub, C.S.Sp. , an Alsatian missionary priest with the Congregation of the Holy Ghost, was the founder of what is today Duquesne University, which was called the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost until 1911....
and the Holy Ghost Fathers, who had been expelled from Germany during Otto von Bismarck's
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
Kulturkampf
Kulturkampf
The German term refers to German policies in relation to secularity and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, enacted from 1871 to 1878 by the Prime Minister of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. The Kulturkampf did not extend to the other German states such as Bavaria...
six years earlier. When the college was founded, it had six faculty members and 40 students. The college obtained its state charter in 1882. Students attended classes in a rented space above a bakery on Wylie Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. Duquesne established itself at its current location on the Bluff and built the original five-story red brick "Old Main" in 1885. At the time, it was the highest point on the Pittsburgh skyline.
On May 27, 1911, under the leadership of Fr. Martin Hehir
Martin Hehir
Martin A. Hehir , C.S.Sp. was a Roman Catholic priest and the fourth president of Pittsburgh Catholic College . Hehir served as president of the university from 1899 until 1930...
, the College became the first Catholic institution of higher learning in Pennsylvania to become a university. It was subsequently renamed "Duquesne University of the Holy Ghost", after Ange Duquesne de Menneville, Marquis du Quesne
Marquis Duquesne
Michel-Ange Du Quesne de Menneville, Marquis Du Quesne was a French Governor General of New France. He was born in Toulon....
, the French governor of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
who first brought Catholic observances
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
to the Pittsburgh area. The year 1913 saw the university record its first woman graduate, Sister M. Fides of the Sisters of Mercy
Sisters of Mercy
The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
. In 1914, the graduate school was established.
The 1920s were a time of expansion for the developing university. The campus grew to include its first single-purpose academic building, Canevin Hall, as well as a gymnasium and a central heating plant. Institutionally, the school grew to include the School of Pharmacy
Mylan School of Pharmacy
The Mylan School of Pharmacy is one of the ten degree-granting divisions that comprise Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school's first pharmacy class matriculated in September 1925 under the leadership of the founding dean, Dr. Hugh C. Muldoon, and graduated in 1928...
in 1925, a School of Music
Mary Pappert School of Music
The Mary Pappert School of Music is one of the ten degree-granting divisions that comprise Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-History:...
in 1926, and a School of Education
Duquesne University School of Education
The School of Education is one of the ten constituent colleges that compromise Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1929, the school was organized by Holy Ghost Father and future university president Raymond V. Kirk, who led the school until 1940...
in 1929. In 1928 the university celebrated its fiftieth anniversary and was able to rejoice in the fact that it was now both financially solvent and enrollment had reached an all-time high. Hard times, however, came with the Wall Street Crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
; plans for expansion had to be shelved.
The beloved Fr. Hehir was succeeded in 1931 by Fr. J. J. Callahan
Jeremiah J. Callahan
Jeremiah Joseph Callahan, C.S.Sp. was a Roman Catholic priest and the fifth president of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, from 1931 until 1940.-Personal background:...
. Through Fr. Callahan was not as able an administration as Fr. Hehir, his tenure did see the university add numerous new programs, a short-lived School for the Unemployed, and, in 1937, the Nursing School
Duquesne University School of Nursing
The School of Nursing at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is one of ten degree-granting bodies which make up the university. The program currently has 425 undergraduate and 200 graduate students.-History of the program:...
. The university's sports programs also thrived during the Depression era, with some of the greatest triumphs of the basketball and football teams occurring in that time period—a 6–0 defeat of Pitt
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
in 1936 was a high point of student exuberance. A university library was completed in 1940.
Some of the darkest years of the university's history passed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when the university was led by the young Fr. Raymond Kirk
Raymond V. Kirk
Raymond V. Kirk, C.S.Sp. was a Roman Catholic priest and the sixth president of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, from 1940 until 1946.-Personal background:...
. The school's enrollment, which had been 3,100 in 1940, dropped to an all-time low in the summer of 1944, with a mere one thousand students enrolled. Fr. Kirk's health broke under the strain of leading the school through such struggles, and he was relieved of his duties by Fr. Francis P. Smith
Francis P. Smith
Francis P. Smith, C.S.Sp. was a Roman Catholic priest and the seventh president of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, from 1946 until 1950.-Personal background and education:...
in 1946. After the war, the school faced a wave of veterans seeking higher education. In contrast to the lean war-time years, the 1949 enrollment peaked at 5,500, and space became an issue. Fr. Smith took advantage of the Lanham Act
Lanham Act
The Lanham Act is a piece of legislation that contains the federal statutes of trademark law in the United States. The Act prohibits a number of activities, including trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and false advertising.-History:Named for Representative Fritz G...
, which allowed him to acquire three barracks-type buildings from Army surplus. The science curriculum was expanded, and the School of Business Administration saw its enrollment rise to over two thousand. Also during this time, a campus beautification project was implemented and WDUQ
WDUQ
WDUQ was a public radio jazz and news radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station broadcasted at 90.5 MHz with an ERP of 25kW. WDUQ was a full member station of National Public Radio and was also affiliated with Public Radio International and American Public Media...
, Pittsburgh's first college radio station, was founded.
An ambitious campus expansion plan was proposed by Fr. Vernon F. Gallagher
Vernon F. Gallagher
Vernon F. Gallagher, C.S.Sp. is an American Roman Catholic priest. He served as the eighth president of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1950 until 1959.-Early life and education:...
in 1952. Assumption Hall, the first student dormitory, was opened in 1954, and Rockwell Hall was dedicated in November 1958, housing the schools of business and law. It was during the tenure of Fr. Henry J. McAnulty
Henry J. McAnulty
Henry Joseph McAnulty, C.S.Sp. was an American Catholic priest. A Spiritan, McAnulty served as the ninth president of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1959 until 1980, and afterwards as university chancellor until his death.-Early years and education:Henry McAnulty was born on...
that Fr. Gallagher's ambitious plans were put to action. Between 1959 and 1980, the university renovated or constructed various buildings to form the academic infrastructure of the campus. Among these are College Hall, the music school and the library, as well as a new Student Union and Mellon Hall, along with four more dormitories. Although Fr. McAnulty's years as president saw tremendous expansion, a financial crisis in 1970 nearly forced the closure of the university. Students rallied to the cause, however, and set a goal of raising one million dollars to "Save Duquesne University". Students engaged in door-to-door fundraising and gathered nearly $600,000, enough to keep Duquesne afloat until the end of the crisis in 1973. It was also during Fr. McAnulty's time as president that Duquesne University played an important role in the shaping of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal
Catholic Charismatic Renewal
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a movement within the Catholic Church. Worship is characterized by vibrant Masses, as well as prayer meetings featuring prophecy, healing and "praying in tongues." This movement is based on the belief that certain charismata , bestowed by the Holy Spirit, such as...
, which has its roots in a retreat of several faculty members and students held in February 1967.
McAnulty was succeeded by Fr. Donald S. Nesti
Donald S. Nesti
Donald Silvio Nesti, C.S.Sp. is an American Catholic priest in the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. He served as the tenth president of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1980 until 1988. He is the founder and current director of the Center for Faith and Culture at the...
. Fr. Nesti's tenure in the 1980s saw construction begin on the A. J. Palumbo Center
A. J. Palumbo Center
A. J. Palumbo Center is a 4,406-seat multi-purpose arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The arena opened in 1988, and is part of Duquesne University. It is home to the Duquesne Dukes basketball, volleyball and wrestling programs. The center hosts concerts, boxing, and other special events, and is...
, which was dedicated in 1988, as well as an expansion of the law school. It was under the presidency of Dr. John E. Murray, Jr., the university's first lay president, that the university developed into its modern institutional and physical form. Between 1988 and 2001, the University opened its first new schools in 50 years, including the Rangos School of Health Sciences, the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
The Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences is a fully accredited degree-granting institution and the primary college of undergraduate and graduate scientific research at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, and the School of Leadership and Professional Advancement
Duquesne University School of Leadership and Professional Advancement
The School of Leadership and Professional Advancement at Duquesne University offers a number of academic programs for adult students. The school values flexible scheduling, program choices, and student services. Courses are offered in Pittsburgh, and online as well as at Fort Indiantown Gap and...
. Duquesne University continues to expand with its completion of the Power Center, a mixed-use development project on Forbes Avenue, and a new residence hall, to be completed in 2012.
Insignia and tradition
Seal and coat of arms
The Duquesne University coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
was modified from that of the family of its namesake, the Marquis du Quesne. A red book was added to adapt the arms of a French governor to that of a university. The coat of arms was designed by a Spiritan father and alumnus, Father John F. Malloy. They were then examined and partly revised by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose
Pierre de Chaignon la Rose
Pierre de Chaignon la Rose was an American heraldist and heraldic artist.-Biography:Pierre de Chaignon la Rose was born on April 23, 1871 in New York City, New York. His father was an A. F. de Chaignon la Rose, and his mother Katharine Kappus von Pichlstein...
, a prominent ecclesiastical heraldic artist
Ecclesiastical heraldry
Ecclesiastical heraldry is the tradition of heraldry developed by Christian clergy. Initially used to mark documents, ecclesiastical heraldry evolved as a system for identifying people and dioceses. It is most formalized within the Catholic Church, where most bishops, including the Pope, have a...
at the time. The design was adopted early in 1923 and used for the first time carved in high relief above Canevin Hall, then under construction. The first time the arms were incorporated into the seal of the university was for the commencement program of 1926.
The formal heraldic
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the arms is as follows: Argent, a lion sable armed and langued gules holding a book of the same edged or; on a chief party per pale azure and of the third, a dove displayed of the first, areoled of the fourth; motto, "Spiritus est qui vivificat."
Alma mater
Alumnus Joseph Carl BreilJoseph Carl Breil
Joseph Carl Breil was an American lyric tenor, stage director, composer and conductor. He was one of the earliest American composers to compose specific music for motion pictures. His first film was Les amours de la reine Élisabeth starring Sarah Bernhardt...
, class of 1888, notable as being the first person to compose a score specifically for a motion picture, also composed the music for Duquesne University's alma mater. Father John F. Malloy, who also designed the university coat of arms, wrote the lyrics. The first performance of the song was in October 1920.
- Alma Mater, old Duquesne, guide and friend of our youthful days.
- We, thy sons and daughters all, our loyal voices raise.
- The hours we spent at thy Mother knee and drank of wisdom's store
- Shall e'er in mem'ry treasured be, tho' we roam the whole world o'er.
- Then forward ever, dear Alma Mater, o'er our hearts unrivaled reign.
- Onward ever, old Alma Mater! All hail to thee, Duquesne!
Class ring
The Duquesne University class ringClass ring
A class ring is a ring worn by students and alumni in the United States and Canada to commemorate their graduation, generally for a high school, college, or university.-History:...
was first adopted in the 1920s, the same decade as the seal and alma mater. The first incarnation was approved by a 1925 student committee, and was an "octagonal deep blue stone held in place by four corner prongs." Two years later, another student committee replaced the blue stone with a synthetic ruby. The ring's design continued to evolve until 1936, as the prongs were replaced with a continuous metal bezel. The words "Duquesne", "University", and "Pittsburgh", accompanied the graduation year around the four sides of the bezel, and the shank on both sides was decorated with a motif adapted from the university's coat of arms. Originally an option, the embossed gold Gothic
Blackletter
Blackletter, also known as Gothic script, Gothic minuscule, or Textura, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 to well into the 17th century. It continued to be used for the German language until the 20th century. Fraktur is a notable script of this type, and sometimes...
initial "D" became standard in the late 1930s. The Duquesne alumni website notes, "The golden initial, oversized stone and octagonal shape make the Duquesne ring stand out from those of other colleges and universities."
Main campus
Bluff (Pittsburgh)
The Bluff or Uptown is a neighborhood in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the southeast of the city's Central Business District. It is bordered in the north by the Hill District and just a short trip across the Monongahela River is the city's South Side, which is home to a flourishing...
. Of the 31 buildings that make up the Bluff campus, several are recent constructions or renovations, including a health sciences facility (Rangos Hall), two recording studios, two parking garages, a multipurpose recreation center (Power Center), and a theater-classroom complex (Bayer Hall).
The "Old Main" Administration Building was the first structure to be constructed on campus. The Victorian Gothic structure is still used to house the administrative offices of the University. Canevin Hall, named after bishop of Pittsburgh Regis Canevin
Regis Canevin
John Francis Regis Canevin was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Pittsburgh from 1904 to 1921.-Biography:...
, was constructed in 1922 and is the oldest classroom building on campus; it was renovated in 1968 and again in 2009. These two buildings, as well Bayer Hall, the Richard King Mellon Hall of Science (designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German architect. He is commonly referred to and addressed as Mies, his surname....
), and the Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
Laval House, are at the west end of Academic Walk, a thoroughfare that provides pedestrian-only access to most of the campus, including the Student Union. The Union, which houses meeting rooms, three dining facilities, a Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, a PNC
PNC Financial Services
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is a U.S.-based financial services corporation, with assets of approximately $264.3 billion...
branch, a recreation center, and an art gallery, is the center of campus life and student activities. Located on the northern side of campus is the Gumberg Library
Gumberg Library
The Gumberg Library houses the collections at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and comprises more than a half million print volumes.-History:...
, a five-story structure opened in 1978 and holding extensive print and electronic collections.
Forbes and Fifth Avenue expansion
The newest campus construction is the Power Center, named in honor of Father William Patrick PowerWilliam Patrick Power
William Patrick Power, C.S.Sp. was the first head of Duquesne University, founded as the "Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost"...
, the University's first president. The multipurpose recreation facility on Forbes Avenue between Chatham Square and Magee Street, across from the University's Forbes Avenue
Forbes Avenue
Forbes Avenue is one of the longest streets in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It has a length of about ten miles and is named for General John Forbes , whose expedition recaptured Fort Duquesne and who renamed the place Pittsburgh in 1758.The westernmost terminus of Forbes Avenue lies at...
entrance, adds to the student fitness facilities on campus. Other spaces include a Barnes and Noble bookstore containing a Starbucks café, Jamba Juice
Jamba Juice
Jamba Juice is a chain of smoothie restaurants, headquartered in Emeryville, California, with over 700 locations operating in 30 states, the Bahamas, Canada, Korea, and the Philippines. Over 500 locations are company-owned, with the remainder being franchised...
, Red Ring Restaurant, and a conference center and ballroom. The 125000 square feet (11,612.9 m²) building was completed in early January 2008, and is the first stage of a development that aims to serve both the campus community and the surrounding neighborhood.
In October 2010 the university announced the purchase of the eight story, 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) building at 600 Fifth Avenue from Robert Morris University which had been RMU's Pittsburgh Center. This adds an additional 87 classrooms, 1,100 seats and new music facilities. Duquesne plans to utilize this building to allow further expansion of its graduate programs as applications have increased by doubled since 2005. Duquesne also owns four other buildings along Fifth Avenue bordering on the new Consol Energy Center where the University now plays some of its home basketball games.
University owned WDUQ, NPR and jazz station, has relocated to offices in the Cooper Building and studios in Clement Hall.
Capital Region campus
Until 2009, Duquesne University had an extension of the School of Leadership and Professional AdvancementDuquesne University School of Leadership and Professional Advancement
The School of Leadership and Professional Advancement at Duquesne University offers a number of academic programs for adult students. The school values flexible scheduling, program choices, and student services. Courses are offered in Pittsburgh, and online as well as at Fort Indiantown Gap and...
in Wormleysburg
Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania
Wormleysburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,607 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.Wormleysburg is served by West Shore School District...
. Classes were also available at Fort Indiantown Gap
Fort Indiantown Gap
Fort Indiantown Gap, also referred to as "The Gap" or "FIG", is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily located in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. A portion of the installation is located in eastern Dauphin County...
.
Italian campus
Since 2001, Duquesne has offered an Italian campus program. The facility, part of extensive grounds owned and managed by the Sisters of the Holy Family of NazarethSisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth
The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth are a Roman Catholic religious order which was founded in Rome in 1875 by Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd . The Sisters of the Holy Family are an apostolic, international congregation, located on four continents and in thirteen countries. There are...
, is west of downtown Rome and just beyond Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
. University materials describe the campus as "a walled property enclosing beautiful gardens and walkways, [with] classrooms, computer facilities (including Internet), a small library, dining hall, recreational areas, and modernized living quarters complete with bathrooms in each double room."
The curriculum at the Italian campus includes history, art history, Italian language
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, philosophy, theology, sociology and economics, appropriate to the historical and cultural setting of Rome. The faculty of the program, largely constituted by visiting professors and resident scholars, is supplemented by a few distinguished professors from the home campus.
Academics
- McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal ArtsMcAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal ArtsThe McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, part of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was founded as the College of Arts and Letters, part of the "Pittsburgh Catholic College" in 1878. The College was incorporated in 1882 with the authority to grant degrees in the arts...
(1878) - Bayer School of Natural and Environmental SciencesBayer School of Natural and Environmental SciencesThe Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences is a fully accredited degree-granting institution and the primary college of undergraduate and graduate scientific research at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
(formally split from College of Arts and Sciences in 1994) - Duquesne School of LawDuquesne University School of LawDuquesne University School of Law is a private Catholic university law school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The School of Law was founded in 1911, and is the only multiple-division law school in western Pennsylvania. Located on the Duquesne University campus, the law school is walking...
(1911) - A.J. Palumbo School of Business AdministrationPalumbo-Donahue School of BusinessThe Palumbo-Donahue School of Business is one of the colleges that comprises Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The composite name "Palumbo-Donahue" refers to both the A.J. Palumbo School of Business Administration and the John F. Donahue Graduate School of Business.-History:The A. J...
(1913) - Mylan School of PharmacyMylan School of PharmacyThe Mylan School of Pharmacy is one of the ten degree-granting divisions that comprise Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school's first pharmacy class matriculated in September 1925 under the leadership of the founding dean, Dr. Hugh C. Muldoon, and graduated in 1928...
(1925) - Mary Pappert School of MusicMary Pappert School of MusicThe Mary Pappert School of Music is one of the ten degree-granting divisions that comprise Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-History:...
(1926) - School of EducationDuquesne University School of EducationThe School of Education is one of the ten constituent colleges that compromise Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1929, the school was organized by Holy Ghost Father and future university president Raymond V. Kirk, who led the school until 1940...
(1929) - School of NursingDuquesne University School of NursingThe School of Nursing at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is one of ten degree-granting bodies which make up the university. The program currently has 425 undergraduate and 200 graduate students.-History of the program:...
(1937) - Rangos School of Health SciencesJohn G. Rangos School of Health SciencesThe John G. Rangos School of Health Sciences is one of the ten constituent colleges that comprise Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-History:On January 29, 1990, Dr. John E...
(1990) - School of Leadership and Professional AdvancementDuquesne University School of Leadership and Professional AdvancementThe School of Leadership and Professional Advancement at Duquesne University offers a number of academic programs for adult students. The school values flexible scheduling, program choices, and student services. Courses are offered in Pittsburgh, and online as well as at Fort Indiantown Gap and...
(2001)
Residential life
New residence hall
On March 10, 2010, the university announced plans to construct a new residence hall. The need for a new residence hall was explained in a news release as being as the result of "retention rates well above national averages and a desire voiced by students to remain on campus during their junior and senior years". The new hall will be constructed on the present site of Des Places Hall, an academic building. Demolition of Des Places is slated for November 2010, with construction to begin in the spring of 2011. The new hall, which will likewise be named after Claude Poullart des PlacesClaude Poullart des Places
Claude-François Poullart des Places, C.S.Sp. was a French Catholic priest who founded the Holy Ghost Fathers in 1703 at the age of 24...
, the founder of the Spiritan congregation, will make available 430 additional beds for upperclassmen, and will be designed to earn LEED certification
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
.
Student groups
Duquesne University hosts more than 150 student organizations, including 19 fraternities and sororitiesFraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. Media organizations include a student radio station, WDSR (Duquesne Student Radio). Founded in 1984, it broadcasts solely through the Internet streaming audio. Other student media organizations include The Duquesne Duke
The Duquesne Duke
The Duquesne Duke is the campus newspaper of Duquesne University.The Duke has been in operation since March 5, 1925 . Written and edited by students, it is published every Thursday during the academic year, excluding exam periods and holidays. The paper provides a mix of campus news, student...
campus newspaper and L'Esprit Du Duc, the University's yearbook. Duquesne also hosts a Student Government Association, a student-run Program Council, a Commuter Council, a representative Residence Hall Association, an Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
, and numerous departmental Honor Societies.
Greek life
Fraternities on campus include Alpha DeltaAlpha Delta National Fraternity
Alpha Delta National Fraternity is a nationally incorporated, fraternity that was founded out of a need to help keep young men out of trouble by holding before them a standard of manhood that would withstand the test of the ages. Initially formulated by 14 men representing four universities in...
, Alpha Phi Delta
Alpha Phi Delta
Alpha Phi Delta , commonly referred to as APD, is a Greek social fraternity that evolved from an exclusive Italian society at Syracuse University in 1914. There were seven founding members who strove to create a brotherhood that would last long after their college days...
, Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009...
, Delta Chi
Delta Chi
Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men...
, Gamma Phi (a local fraternity formed at Duquesne in 1916), Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
, Phi Kappa Theta
Phi Kappa Theta
Phi Kappa Theta is a national social fraternity with over 50 chapters and colonies at universities across the United States. "Phi Kaps", as they are commonly referred to colloquially, are known for diversity among their brothers and a dedication to service.-History:Phi Kappa Theta was established...
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
, Sigma Tau Gamma
Sigma Tau Gamma
Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity also named "Sig Tau" or "the Knights" is a U.S. all-male college secret-social fraternity founded on June 28, 1920 at University of Central Missouri...
, and Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
. Sororities include Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta is an international women's fraternity, who are mainly sluts, founded in 1904 at Syracuse University. The Fraternity promotes academic excellence, philanthropic giving, ongoing leadership and personal development, and a spirit of loving sisterhood. Also known as "Alpha Gam" and...
, Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
, Alpha Phi
Alpha Phi
Alpha Phi International Women's Fraternity was founded at Syracuse University on September 18, 1872. Alpha Phi currently has 152 active chapters and over 200,000 initiated members. Its celebrated Founders' Day is October 10. It was the third Greek-letter organization founded for women. In Alpha...
, Alpha Sigma Tau
Alpha Sigma Tau
Alpha Sigma Tau is a national Panhellenic sorority founded on November 4, 1899, at Michigan State Normal College...
, Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
, Delta Zeta
Delta Zeta
Delta Zeta is an international college sorority founded on October 24, 1902, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Today, Delta Zeta has 158 collegiate chapters in the United States and over 200 alumnae chapters in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada...
, Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta is an international sorority that was founded on November 11, 1874, at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. The term "sorority," meaning sisterhood, was coined for Gamma Phi Beta by Dr. Frank Smalley, a professor at Syracuse University.The four founders are Helen M. Dodge,...
, Gamma Sigma Sigma
Gamma Sigma Sigma
Gamma Sigma Sigma is a national service sorority founded in October 1952 at Beekman Tower in New York City by representatives of Boston University, Brooklyn College, Drexel Institute of Technology, Los Angeles City College, New York University, Queens College, and the University of Houston. ...
, Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa is a sorority founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, Frances Elliott Mann Hall and Louise Helen Coburn...
, and Zeta Tau Alpha
Zeta Tau Alpha
Zeta Tau Alpha is a women's fraternity, founded October 15, 1898 at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia. The Executive office is located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
. Most Duquesne chapters have suites or wings on campus, in the Duquesne Towers building, although there are some chapters on campus which are not housed.
Performance art
Duquesne is the home of the TamburitzansDuquesne University Tamburitzans
The Duquesne University Tamburitzans are the longest-running multicultural song and dance company in the United States. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company's members are full-time Duquesne University students who receive scholarships for their activities...
, the longest-running multicultural song and dance company in the United States. Their shows feature an ensemble of talented young folk artists dedicated to the performance and preservation of the music, songs, and dances
Folk dance
The term folk dance describes dances that share some or all of the following attributes:*They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music or music based on traditional music....
of Eastern Europe and neighboring folk cultures. The performers are full-time students who receive substantial scholarship awards from the university, with additional financial aid provided by Tamburitzans Scholarship Endowment Funds.
The Mary Pappert School of Music hosts in-house and guest performers on a regular basis. Many music school ensembles also perform at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Instrumental ensembles include the Symphony Orchestra (conductor Jeffrey Turner), the Wind Symphony (conductor Robert Cameron) and Symphony Band (conductor H. Carl Hess), the Contemporary Ensemble (conductor David Cutler), the Jazz Bands (conductors Sean Jones (trumpeter)
Sean Jones (trumpeter)
Sean Jones is an American trumpeter and composer featured on the 2007 Grammy Award-winning Turned to Blue from Nancy Wilson. As a bandleader, Jones has released five albums under the Mack Avenue Records label...
and Mike Tomaro) and many other chamber groups. Vocal Ensembles include the Opera Workshop (director Guenko Guechev),the Voices of Spirit (conductor Christine Jordanoff) and the Pappert Women's and Men's chorales. Performances are regular for each ensemble, and tours abroad are common for many.
The University also maintains three theater groups: the Red Masquers
Red Masquers
The Duquesne University Red Masquers are the oldest amateur theatre company in the city of Pittsburgh. Known as the Red Masquers since 1914, the company can trace its roots back to the late 1800s when Duquesne first started to offer courses in drama....
, Spotlight Musical Theatre Company, and the Medieval and Renaissance Players. The Masquers annually perform three main-stage plays, generally one classical, one modern, and one contemporary. In addition, the group performs two sets of one-act plays
One act play
A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as distinct from plays that occur over several acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes. In recent years the 10-minute play known as "flash drama" has emerged as a popular sub-genre of the one-act play, especially in writing competitions...
. "Premieres", which are student-written, are performed in the winter, while in the spring "One Acts for Charity" are selected from the works of professional playwrights. In recent years, the company has also participated in the Pittsburgh Monologue Project. Spotlight is a musical theatre company that produces two full-length Broadway musicals each year. The Renaissance and Medieval Players offer audiences a historical Medieval experience
Medieval theatre
Medieval theatre refers to the theatre of Europe between the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century A.D. and the beginning of the Renaissance in approximately the 15th century A.D...
, performing religious plays, morality play
Morality play
The morality play is a genre of Medieval and early Tudor theatrical entertainment. In their own time, these plays were known as "interludes", a broader term given to dramas with or without a moral theme. Morality plays are a type of allegory in which the protagonist is met by personifications of...
s, and farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
s from the English Medieval and Early Renaissance periods, sometimes working in conjunction with the Red Masquers.
Athletics
The Duquesne DukesDuquesne Dukes
The Duquesne Dukes are the athletic teams of Duquesne University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Duquesne has played men's basketball only in NCAA Division I and has played football as a club team from 1891–1894, 1896–1903, 1913–1914, and 1920–1928, in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ...
play varsity football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, men's and women's soccer, women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's indoor track and field, women's lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, women's rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, and women's volleyball at the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I level and in the Atlantic 10 Conference
Atlantic Ten Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference is a college athletic conference which operates mostly on the United States' eastern seaboard. It also has two member schools in Ohio: Dayton and Xavier, located in Dayton and Cincinnati, respectively. Another member, Saint Louis is located in St. Louis, Missouri...
. In 2008, the Dukes began playing varsity football in the NCAA Division I Northeast Conference
Northeast Conference
The Northeast Conference is a college athletic conference whose schools are members of the NCAA. The NCAA designates the Northeast Conference to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for Division I Men's Football and to Division I Sports for all other sports.Founded in 1981 as the ECAC-Metro...
. In recent years, Duquesne football was a member of the NCAA Division I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. MAAC teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most of the members are Catholic or formerly Catholic institutions; the only exception is the private but secular Rider...
. Duquesne has an ACHA Division I ice hockey program.
The fight song for Duquesne is Victory Song (Red and Blue).
Sustainability
Duquesne was the first university in Pennsylvania to receive the EPAUnited States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
's Energy Star Combined Heat and Power Award for its natural gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
located on campus. Duquesne also uses an innovative ice cooling system which cools buildings and reduces peak energy demand. Duquesne's new Power Center facility has also achieved a LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
Silver Rating. Duquesne also has a specialized MBA with a focus on sustainability. Furthermore, Duquesne's Center for Environmental Research and Education (CERE) offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in environmental science and management. Duquesne has been evaluated by the 2009 and 2010 College Sustainability Report Card.
Notable alumni
Duquesne University's Institutional Research and Planning records list over 79,000 living alumni, and the School of LawDuquesne University School of Law
Duquesne University School of Law is a private Catholic university law school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The School of Law was founded in 1911, and is the only multiple-division law school in western Pennsylvania. Located on the Duquesne University campus, the law school is walking...
reports that almost 30 percent of the practicing lawyers in western Pennsylvania are graduates of Duquesne.
Duquesne has many alumni in the media and sports fields. These include John Clayton
John Clayton (sportscaster)
John Travis Clayton is a National Football League writer and reporter for ESPN. He is also a senior writer for ESPN.com.-Early career:...
, a writer and reporter for ESPN; Tom Atkins
Tom Atkins (actor)
Tom Atkins is an American television and film actor. He is primarily known for his work in the horror film genre, having worked with writers and directors such as John Carpenter, Stephen King, and George A. Romero...
, an actor (Halloween III, Night of the Creeps
Night of the Creeps
Night of the Creeps is a 1986 zombie horror film written and directed by Fred Dekker, starring Tom Atkins, Jason Lively, Steve Marshall and Jill Whitlow. The film is notable as an earnest attempt at a B movie and a homage to the genre...
, My Bloody Valentine
My Bloody Valentine (film)
My Bloody Valentine is a 1981 Canadian slasher film released in the wake of the popularity of the slasher genre that had overtaken the 1970s...
); Terry McGovern
Terry McGovern (actor)
Terence "Terry" McGovern is an American film actor, television broadcaster, radio personality, voice-over specialist, and acting instructor.-Personal life:...
, the television actor, radio personality, voice-over specialist, and acting instructor; Jesse Joyce
Jesse Joyce
Jesse Joyce is a stand-up comedian and writer living in New York City.He has been on Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, hosted AMC's Date Night, and Entertainment Tonight. He is regularly heard as a guest of The Bob and Tom Show, Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld, The Keith and the Girl show, Has been on The...
, a comedian and writer; and World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
commentator and writer Mark Madden
Mark Madden
Mark Madden is an American radio sports talk-show host in Pittsburgh and also a former World Championship Wrestling color commentator. -Career:...
. German filmmaker Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
attended Duquesne, but did not graduate. Sports personalities Leigh Bodden
Leigh Bodden
Leigh Edmond Bodden is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Duquesne....
, Chip Ganassi
Chip Ganassi
Floyd "Chip" Ganassi, Jr is a former American racecar driver and current racecar owner.He is currently the owner and president of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates which operates teams on the IndyCar, NASCAR and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series circuit...
, Mike James
Mike James
Michael Lamont James is an American professional basketball player.-Early years:The youngest of seven siblings, James's childhood was not without challenges. Crime, drugs, and violence troubled his neighborhood streets. Lack of social and economic opportunity made urban living grueling and...
, baseball hall-of-famer Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Willis "Cum" Posey, Jr. was an American baseball player, manager, and team owner in the Negro leagues, as well as a star professional basketball player and team owner....
, and Chuck Cooper, possibly the first African-American basketball player in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, all graduated from Duquesne, as did both the founder and current owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, Art
Art Rooney
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...
and Dan Rooney
Dan Rooney
Daniel Milton "Dan" Rooney is the United States Ambassador to Ireland. He is chairman emeritus of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the National Football League , which was founded by his father, Art Rooney. Rooney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions...
. Singer Bobby Vinton
Bobby Vinton
Bobby Vinton is an American pop music singer of Polish origin. In pop music circles, he became known as "The Polish Prince".-Early life:...
, MLB pitcher Joe Beimel
Joe Beimel
Joseph Ronald Beimel is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Amateur career:...
, and big-band composer Sammy Nestico
Sammy Nestico
Samuel "Sammy" Louis Nestico is a prolific and well known composer and arranger of big band music...
are also alumni.
Norm Nixon
Norm Nixon
Norman Ellard "Norm" Nixon is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA, who spent twelve seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers.-Early life:...
, who holds the all-time assist record for the Duquesne Dukes, is perhaps the most successful alumnus to have played in the NBA. A former All-Star, he also played for the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
championship teams of 1980 and 1982. He ranks among the franchise's top ten in assist, points, steals and games played.
In addition, Duquesne has graduated at least two bishops and two cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, including Bishops Vincent Leonard, the current ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is a Roman Catholic diocese. It was established in Western Pennsylvania on August 11, 1843. The diocese includes 211 parishes in the counties of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence, and Washington, an area of with a Catholic population of 719,801...
, David Zubik, and Cardinals Daniel DiNardo
Daniel DiNardo
Daniel Nicholas DiNardo is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the second and current Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, serving since 2006. He previously served as Bishop of Sioux City from 1998 to 2004....
and Adam Maida. Figures in politics include Donald A. Bailey
Donald A. Bailey
Donald Allen "Don" Bailey is an American politician and lawyer, from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1983, Auditor General of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 1989, and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for...
, Father James Cox, former Director of the CIA
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency serves as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, which is part of the United States Intelligence Community. The Director reports to the Director of National Intelligence . The Director is assisted by the Deputy Director of the Central...
General Michael V. Hayden, former Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania Catherine Baker Knoll
Catherine Baker Knoll
Catherine Baker Knoll was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. She was the 30th Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, serving under Governor Ed Rendell from 2003 to 2008.-Background:...
, Pennsylvania Representative Bud Shuster
Bud Shuster
Elmer Greinert "Bud" Shuster is an American politician who represented Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from 1973 to 2001. He is best known for his advocacy of transportation projects that critics deride as "pork barrel" spending.-Career:Shuster was born...
, and United States ambassadors Thomas Patrick Melady
Thomas Patrick Melady
Thomas Patrick Melady served as an American ambassador under three presidents and as a sub-cabinet officer for a fourth, and remains active in foreign affairs and international relations. Since 2002, he is Senior Diplomat in residence at The Institute of World Politics in Washington, DC.After his...
and Art Rooney.