Spalding University
Encyclopedia
Spalding University is a private, co-educational university affiliated with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
and located in Louisville, Kentucky
.
. It traces its roots back to 1814 and the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. It was named after Catherine Spalding
, founder of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
. The school was originally named Nazareth Academy and was located in Nelson County
near Bardstown, Kentucky
. In 1829, the legislature of the Commonwealth of Kentucky granted Nazareth College a charter allowing the institution to confer degrees. In 1920, the Sisters of Charity opened Nazareth College in Louisville, Kentucky's first, four-year, Catholic college for women. The Louisville and Nazareth campuses merged. In 1969, the school was renamed Spalding College and in 1971 all instructional activity was moved to the Louisville campus. In 1973, Spalding College became co-educational and an independent college in the Catholic tradition open to students of all faiths and backgrounds. In 1984, Spalding College became Spalding University.
Graduates of the Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy are employed in a wide variety of practice settings locally, nationally, and internationally. The program graduates pass the National Certification Examination for Occupational Therapists in occupational therapy at a rate that exceeds the national average. Students in the occupational therapy program have close interaction with faculty throughout the entire program and continue to receive support as peers from faculty after graduation.
The MFA Program is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
and is a member of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs
.
As successive owners occupied the mansion, they added such treasures as a hand-tooled leather ceiling from Florence for one parlor, ebony mantels, and a large hand-carved hat-rack, which Mr. Buchanan purchased at the New Orleans Exposition. The stained glass which graces this mansion is one of its outstanding features. When Dr. John Coolidge, one-time Director of Harvard's Fogg Art Museum, visited Louisville, he said that Spalding University has the most marvelous display of nineteenth-century stained glass he had ever seen. Many other artifacts make this building a veritable museum. Its crystal and brass chandeliers, "petticoat mirrors," Viennese etched glass doors, and hand-painted tiles in the fireplaces are just a few examples of the elegance this structure contains.
Erected in 1942, the Administration Building, which was attached to the front wall of the 1871 building, fills not only the space of the two lots north of the original building but also that of the former terrace in front of the mansion. The old stained glass street number, 851, no longer faces the street, but it still gleams brightly in the passageway between the newer building and the old Whitestone mansion. Certainly, like many other buildings 132 years old, the Spalding Mansion has many needs. Its heating system leads this list, and administrators are actively seeking grants to remedy this problem.
In December 1973 the Mansion was designated a Kentucky Landmark. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in April 1977.
The building was designed by Louisville architect Thomas J. Nolan in 1925 in a classic style in accordance with Vignola. The external walls are of Bedford limestone with buff brick trim. Interior floors and staircases are marble. The Knights of Columbus commissioned the building to serve as a center for their many activities.
After the economic depression of 1929, the Knights of Columbus
could not maintain it, so it was used by other groups. During World War II it was a service club for military personnel. It was also used by the Louisville Orchestra
in that group's early days. Perhaps the best-known use of the gymnasium in the building was the housing of Golden Gloves Boxing events during the 1950s. It was there that Cassius Clay (now Muhammed Ali) trained as a teenager.
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth was founded in 1812 near Bardstown, Kentucky when three young women responded to Bishop John Baptist Mary David's call for assistance in ministering to the needs of the people of the area. Nineteen year old Catherine Spalding was elected its...
and located in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
History
Spalding University is the oldest Catholic university west of the AllegheniesAllegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
. It traces its roots back to 1814 and the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. It was named after Catherine Spalding
Catherine Spalding
Catherine Spalding , in 1813, aged nineteen, when no education for girls, no private health care, and no organized social services existed on the Kentucky frontier, was elected leader of six women forming a new religious community, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth...
, founder of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth was founded in 1812 near Bardstown, Kentucky when three young women responded to Bishop John Baptist Mary David's call for assistance in ministering to the needs of the people of the area. Nineteen year old Catherine Spalding was elected its...
. The school was originally named Nazareth Academy and was located in Nelson County
Nelson County, Kentucky
Nelson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population was 43,437. Its county seat is Bardstown. The county is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
near Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
. In 1829, the legislature of the Commonwealth of Kentucky granted Nazareth College a charter allowing the institution to confer degrees. In 1920, the Sisters of Charity opened Nazareth College in Louisville, Kentucky's first, four-year, Catholic college for women. The Louisville and Nazareth campuses merged. In 1969, the school was renamed Spalding College and in 1971 all instructional activity was moved to the Louisville campus. In 1973, Spalding College became co-educational and an independent college in the Catholic tradition open to students of all faiths and backgrounds. In 1984, Spalding College became Spalding University.
Academic programs
Spalding is fully accredited doctoral level institution. It offers day, evening, and weekend classes leading to undergraduate and graduate degrees in the areas of health sciences, natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and education. The Masters of Fine Arts in writing degree program, with focus areas in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, drama, and writing for children, publishes a biannual literary magazine, The Louisville Review. Spalding University offers 11 varsity sports on the NCAA Division III level, as a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.School of Nursing
The BSN Program is the oldest collegiate-based nursing program in Kentucky. Spalding was a leader in the two year RN to BSN weekend only college program. The School of Nursing also offers the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). There are three tracks available: Leadership in Nursing and Health Care, Nursing Education, and Nurse Practitioner (Adult, Family, and Pediatrics).Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy
The Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy offers an intellectually stimulating, experiential, and innovative educational program for the prospective occupational therapy student. The (30) month program brings together a cohort of students who become peers and colleagues. The multitude of learning experiences during the professional phase of the program involve s both practical experience in community settings as well as high levels of active learning in the classroom.Graduates of the Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy are employed in a wide variety of practice settings locally, nationally, and internationally. The program graduates pass the National Certification Examination for Occupational Therapists in occupational therapy at a rate that exceeds the national average. Students in the occupational therapy program have close interaction with faculty throughout the entire program and continue to receive support as peers from faculty after graduation.
Master of Fine Arts in Writing
Spalding University offers a four-semester brief-residency leading to the Master of Fine Arts degree in writing. Each semester of the program begins with a ten-day residency, in which students and faculty gather for an intensive workshop and learning experience. At the conclusion of the residency, students return home to correspond, one-on-one, with a faculty mentor for the rest of the semester.The MFA Program is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
and is a member of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs
Association of Writers & Writing Programs
The Association of Writers & Writing Programs is a literary organization whose mission is "to foster literary talent and achievement, to advance the art of writing as essential to a good education, and to serve the makers, teachers, students, and readers of contemporary writing."-Members:AWP...
.
Master of Science in Business Communication
The MSBC at Spalding University is the first and only Master of Science in Business Communication program in the commonwealth of Kentucky. The program focuses on leadership skills, interpersonal skill, written communication and adaptability. The program can be completed in one year and has year round start dates.Location and facilities
Located in downtown Louisville, Spalding University's urban campus is located between the main business/government district of the city and Old Louisville.851 Mansion
When Spalding University, originally called Nazareth College, opened in 1920, its sole building was the 1871 structure known as the Tompkins-Buchanan-Rankin House. This Italianate building was designed and built by architect Henry Whitestone for the family of Joseph T. Tompkins, a wealthy dry-goods merchant and importer. Later, the Buchanans and Rankins lived here. George C. Buchanan was a distiller who aspired to make the mansion one of the greatest in Louisville, and had it redecorated in 1880. Although the facade of this Italianate structure has disappeared, the north and south sides of the original building are visible; on the north are three deeply projecting bay windows, and on the south, a two story loggia. In 1918 the residence was vacant, so the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth purchased it for $75,000 as the site of the college they planned to open in Louisville. The fact that this house is one door north of Presentation Academy, also operated by the Sisters, was fortunate. Architect Whitestone introduced the Italianate style to Louisville, using Rome's Palazzo Farnese for his model.As successive owners occupied the mansion, they added such treasures as a hand-tooled leather ceiling from Florence for one parlor, ebony mantels, and a large hand-carved hat-rack, which Mr. Buchanan purchased at the New Orleans Exposition. The stained glass which graces this mansion is one of its outstanding features. When Dr. John Coolidge, one-time Director of Harvard's Fogg Art Museum, visited Louisville, he said that Spalding University has the most marvelous display of nineteenth-century stained glass he had ever seen. Many other artifacts make this building a veritable museum. Its crystal and brass chandeliers, "petticoat mirrors," Viennese etched glass doors, and hand-painted tiles in the fireplaces are just a few examples of the elegance this structure contains.
Erected in 1942, the Administration Building, which was attached to the front wall of the 1871 building, fills not only the space of the two lots north of the original building but also that of the former terrace in front of the mansion. The old stained glass street number, 851, no longer faces the street, but it still gleams brightly in the passageway between the newer building and the old Whitestone mansion. Certainly, like many other buildings 132 years old, the Spalding Mansion has many needs. Its heating system leads this list, and administrators are actively seeking grants to remedy this problem.
In December 1973 the Mansion was designated a Kentucky Landmark. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in April 1977.
Egan Leadership Center
The Egan Leadership Center is located at 901 South Fourth Street and is named after Spalding's former President, Sister Eileen Egan. Sister Eileen served the University for 25 years until her retirement in 1994. Containing over 33000 square feet (3,065.8 m²) on three floors, the building houses a 125-seat lectorium and the University bookstore on the first level. The second and third floors contain classrooms and the offices of the School of Business and School of Communication.Morrison Hall
Morrison Hall, located at the southern boundary of Spalding University's campus, provides on-campus housing for both undergraduate and graduate students. Morrison Hall features 165 dormitory-style rooms, with newly renovated restroom and shower facilities. All rooms are equipped wifi and cable access and individual heating/air-conditioning units. A kitchen, laundry facilities, and a computer lab are also available. Morrison Hall's reception desk is staffed 24 hours a day.Spalding University Center
In 1963 Spalding University purchased the former Columbia Building and since them has used this structure for administrative, recreational, athletic, religious, and cultural events, including public lectures by notable public figures many of which have been open to the public. The auditorium seats about 1,000 people in its main floor and balcony. Its good acoustics reportedly make it the best non-union theater in the Louisville area.The building was designed by Louisville architect Thomas J. Nolan in 1925 in a classic style in accordance with Vignola. The external walls are of Bedford limestone with buff brick trim. Interior floors and staircases are marble. The Knights of Columbus commissioned the building to serve as a center for their many activities.
After the economic depression of 1929, 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....
could not maintain it, so it was used by other groups. During World War II it was a service club for military personnel. It was also used by the Louisville Orchestra
Louisville Orchestra
The Louisville Orchestra is the primary orchestra in Louisville, Kentucky and has been called the cornerstone of the Louisville arts scene. It was founded in 1937 by Robert Whitney and Charles Farnsley, Mayor of Louisville...
in that group's early days. Perhaps the best-known use of the gymnasium in the building was the housing of Golden Gloves Boxing events during the 1950s. It was there that Cassius Clay (now Muhammed Ali) trained as a teenager.